Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-02


considerable for a bootblack to do: The
bootblack privilege was OF considerable
value, and was generally held by crlppieS,
and always by colored men, Tor thougn an
the bootblacks In the hotels of these days
were white, 10 white man ever succeeded
in getting a stand in any department ne
paid by those who employed nim' anu
he generally had an account with clerks
who paid him monthly, for there were
nothing but monthly pay days before the
civil war. The bootblack in his spare
moments wrote policy for the clerks
for policy was extensively played IN those
times. Daily, and often twice daily, calls
were made at every room for those VINO
wanted to play. The Post Office Depart
ment, in which l began my official life,
probably played more policy than any
other though there was a great deal writ
ten in the Treasury Department. Lottery
and policy offices, under the name or ex-
change Offices were then licensed By the
city, but many department clerks found 1t
more convenient to play the game through
the bootblack rather than to deal through
an exchange office direct The bootblacks
were always provided by the concerns
which backed the books with the neces-
sary money to pay the hits occasionally
made"
X X X X *
81 am sure 1t is the experience of all
street railway people that city-reared men
do not make the best conductors or motor
men," explained a street railway official to
a Star reporter. land l am informed that
the same was true of the old omnibus
drivers who were the first to engage in
street transportation. City-reared men now
and then apply for positions as conductors,
but when work is given them they soon
give it up, or prove themselves unreliable
when the company has to give them up.
Between horse cars, cable and electric lines
1 have had an experience of over twenty
I 1apr
many things about the business during that
time, and some things very thoroughly. 1t
was rather natural that countrymen, VINO
had had experience with horses, should APP
ply for work driving horses. An, outsider
would be apt to suppose that. city-reared
men would make the best conductors. but
the direct opposite was then, and is now,
the fact There are lots of cfty-reared men
who take try at 1t, but they tire OF II
very soon, while hundreds of country-reared
men that / could mention by name have
been at it for years, and are apparently as
good now when they started out. 1t was
said that Henry Hurt, who was for long
time superintendent, manager and every
thing else at different times on the avenue
line, winding up president was so anx-
iouS to get countrymen for his car service
that he caught them with a lasso while in
their wild condition as they came into the
street car stables at Georgetown on loads
of hay, from Maryland and Virginia, and
after tanning them down little put them
to work as conductors. This was in the
days when the company had horses and
bought hay, but now the countrymen have
to be caught in other ways"
x * X * X
Speaking of hard luck and a lot Of it,
volunteered a census office clerk to a Star
reporter, "there is case in the census Of
flee now that rather walks off with the
cake, and is very likely to hold it for a
long time against all corners and in all
classes, ages and conditions. The subject of
the case is a very estimable young lady,
who is doing and who has done some excel
lent work, both as a puncher and revisor of
population statistics. She was one of the
army of 1000 and over who secured con-
gressional backing of sufficient force to Sc
cure her place, and she would no doubt
hold out as long as any of them had 1t not
been that all of sudden her congressional
influence began to get away from her. Her
first indorser-a representative in the pres
ent House-died less than year ago, and
she had all Kinds of trouble to get his sue
cessor IN the House to make the indorse-
ment good by renewing 1t, allowing her to
be charged to his quota. Finally, he con-
sented to and did file the necessary paper
Things ran along this way for some months
when death took off the successor of the
one who had had her appointed. The young
lady, fearing that as her double backing
had departed from life, she stood but little
chance of keeping her place, began hustling
around to secure a further congressional in
dorser but found to her sorrow that many
congressman were rather superstitious and
that some of those who thought they were
not superstitious thought it safer to run no
risks and take no chances. She then called
on certain senator, not from her state
and he, under the circumstances promised
that he would keep her in. Some DAYS ago
the telegraph brought word that the senator
for 1NI,y
tied 1t as far indorsers are concerned
and people actually run away from her
when she asks their assistance in an official
way"
ihe treasury official was recountdng some
OF his boyhood days away I'D in New York
state, when all at once he thought OF the
occasions when he travelled on the smok-
ing car with his father, and the train boy
used to give him few peanuts lust to
arouse his taste. THAT was a great scheme
that news butcher had to get boys and men
to buy peanuts. Did any OF you fellows
ever see one of them play the trick? Well
the FELLOW would pass along with basket
ful or peanuts in bags asking travellers to
BUY. If they didn't pay much attention he
would urge them to just taste the peanu.s
TO see now good they were, and often would
pass along and throw a few in the laps OF
the boys on the train. You know what 1t
means to taste peanuts, don't you? 1t
means more peanuts sure as you are born
and 1t was seldom that that butcher didn't
soon sell fifteen or twenty or thirty pack
ages OF peanuts on his next round through
the train. The scheme always worked Ir
you don't believe what 1 say just try four or
i1Ve peanuts, and the chances are three to
one that you will send out and buy some
right away
The Difficult Turkish.