The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-07
PUzzLING THE COMMISSIONERS.
Interrogatories of a Lady Who
Wants to Keep ROarders.

HETEROGENEOUS of Lady Who
Wants to Keep Ronrders.
The District Commissioners have many
weighty questions to settle in the course
CT the year, and are often called upon
to pass upon matters and to give H.
formation outside CT tn air st1ic ly official
/ duties. For instance, it frequently hap
pens that the officials Of another city
request data relative to the conduct OF
the municipal government or OF soma
/ department thereof and information is
sought of quite a varied character Ct the
Commissioners at times from pers rs
living at a distance.
But it was left for a woman by the
name of Jesse E. McCiendon, of La-ay-
cite, Ala, to propose to the Commission
ers a series OF questions which fairly
staggered the whole municipal machine.
/ Ms. McClendon has 1t in mind to come
/ to Washington and start boarding
| house But before making the expert
! ment Mrs. McCiendcn, with that caution
/ which should ever precede a venture into
4 new and untried business, wanted TO
! have few facts from which to form an
intelligent conclusion of the chances in
her Ire. Accordingly, she has made ce---
tain enquiries of the Commissioners.
I there is any money to be made in keep
! ing boarding houses in Washington This,
! of course is easy, for all the Commits
! sioners have to do is to refer the en-
/ Quirer to several of Washington's bond
! holding boarding house keepers wao VIII
! doubtless give the lady the necessary in
! formation.
The second query is relative to the price
paid for board and lodgings by the best
ri - hna rda will he
for the pay is all they can rake and scrape
Then the lady wants to knew il there is
a large demand for board without lodging
and of course the Commissioners will find
plenty of data On this point at the free
lunch counter. Passing over several IN
! important questions relative to house rent
and the ability to secure proper house in
a good locality. which come properly in
/! the province of the real estate dealer, the
lady passes 10 a question which made all
three of the Commissioners scratch their
heads and look at each other in that va
/ cant sort of manner which they assume
! when the 600th offieeseeker applies for the
! one job al their disposal. The query was
| What class OF servants give the best
| satisfaction, and can help be had at any
! time?'
II would do no good TO refer such que
! ~ as this to the Engineer Department, or
! TO The Tax Department or even TO the dig
/ nified and learned Auditor OF the District
| The Attorney might wager an opinion on
| the subject, with the chances that the
/ first hired girl in the woman's house
! would make that orinion look worse than
the average decision OF the Court OF Ap-
! peals. The Commissioners. if they should
! pass upon the question, and hit it right,
! would confer a greater boon upon the Dis
! Jrict than they would in lowering the tax
| rate FIVE mills on the dollar
| Mrs. McCiendon informs the Commits
sioners that she is a Southerner and wants
to know if that would be an bar to the
| business in Washington. In answering
| this query the Commissioners yesterday
decided TO wait until after election.