Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-19
pIrs oF wAsH1NaroN LIFn.
Etchings OF People and Events at the
National CnpltaI.

EtchinRs of People and Events at the
National Capital.
As II seems to be quite the thing for
Nebraskans visiting Washington to tell
grasshopper stories, / will add my little
mite to the crop which has already been
sprung" said Judge w. NJ. Robertson Of
Norfolk, Neb., to the Washington Post.
my story happens to be true, not inti-
mating. of course, that some OF the others
have been otherwise. At the same time,
my story will appear, from its title, to be
anything but a correct statement of facts.
/ am going to tell you how the grasshoppers
ate up the salaries OF the state officers In
Nebraska.
Now, as a matter OF fact" continued
Judge Robertson, that action on the in
sects'-or, l should say, the animals
part, is not nearly as paradoxical as one
would suppose, for the grasshoppers really
are responsible for the low salaries still
paid our ~oficials. You see, 1t was this way:
Nebraska was admitted to the union in
1867, but in 1874 1t became necessary to
frame a new constitution. We went down
to the constitutional convention prepared
to do all sorts Of things. One crowd, to
which / belonged, favored, among other
things, pretty fair salaries for state officers.
The other gang favored low salaries.
1--WE were a rather frontier community
In those days, but some Of us could look
ahead and see where the officers duties
were going to be much greater, socially,
as well as officially. The opposition pre-
scented a provision that all thu state officers
be paid $500 per annum, fiat, with two
exceptions, the latter to receive $4,000. A
vigorous fight followed, in which the con-
tention was made that in view Of the bad
crops, brought about by the visit of grass
hoppers, the people could not afford to pay
more. The dread OF the plague was still
so fresh in so many minds that our gang
lost, and the salaries were fixed as l have
stated.
Since then It has always been impos-
sible to raise them. Whenever a move
ment looking toward this end has been
started in the legislature, some old popu-
list member has risen from the depths OF
his chair and said: Wal, $4,000 has always
been enough so fur. and I'm thinkin' It'll
always be enough. Thar's plenty Of good
men ready to take the job at tibet figure
So there you are. II the grasshoppers
haven't eaten up the salaries, what has ?"
While the president and Mrs. Roosevelt
were in Groton attending Theodore junior
during his critical illness the other Roose-
welt children had the run of the White
House. Miss Alice Roosevelt and her aunt.
Miss Carew, were there to hold them in,
but were not very successful. Bright and
early on the morning the president started
for Groton Archibald appeared in the public
reception room and announced to the White
House employees that II they would accom-
pany him to the red room he would show
them how Kubelik acted the day he gave
a recital at the White House. No one ac-
cepted the invitation, but shortly from the
red room came a series of the most fearful
crashes ever given out by q tortured piano.
When Pinckney reached the spot he found
Archie using a tennis racket for a violin
and at the same time bringing forth amaz-
ing sounds from the piano with such por-
lions Of his anatomy as were available for
pounding the keys. Shortly afterward
Kermit demanded Of Assistant Secretary
Loeb that the horses be ordered out 30
that he could hitch them to his fire engine.
"Yes," said Speaker Henderson to a cor
respondent, "a good many people ask me
how l lost my leg. Generally l tell them,
but l always think of the story OF the
Iowan who had both legs cut off by a buzz
saw. One day he was riding in a railroad
train and an old lady who sat across the
aisle from him stared at his stumps pretty
hard. Finally she said:
Pardon me, sir, but will you tell me
how you lost our legs?'
"'No, I won't the legless man replied,
The old lady sighed and settled back In
her seat. Pretty soon she began staring
again and, unable to conceal her curiosity
she pleaded:
"T wish you would tell me how you
lost your legs
The man relented
Well he said, I'll tell you II you will
promise not to ask any more questions.
Now, mind. you can't ask another question.
81 promise said the old lady in o
culver of excitement.
-" Well said the legless man, I had
them chawed off,"
mot often do I have an opportunity tC
get newspaper fellows on a gridiron,' re-
marked Senator Tillman OF South Carolina
but l have got two of them on the fire
now and l propose to give them a good
roasting"
The "pitchfork" senator then went on tC
explain, reports the Washington Post, thai
through the influence of his head political
rival, Senator McLaurin, the president has
nominated the editor OF a South Carolini
paper for postmaster at Greenville. The
editor referred to, while protesting to be q
democrat, has for some time past de-
nounced Senator Tillman as only a southern
editor can when he has a grievance againsr
a political opponent. When he was making
his attacks upon senator Tillman, he hat
no idea that he would become a presidential
a%ppolntee under a republican admlnistra.
ton.
Senator Tillman has secured copies O.
all Of the objectional articles published IL
the Greenville paper and invoked senatorial
courtesy to defeat the nomination on per.
sonal grounds. The owner of the paper hal
filed a statement to the effect that he II
responsible for the articles complained o
and appeals to the republican senators no