Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-24

of the other congressman would drive
back and forth in cabs and fine car
riages, and that cost money We didn't
even have to pay car fare. OF course,
hiring a carriage wouldn't mean much
to some men, but when a fellow is
trying to save all he can it means
whole lot
No Dress suit for Him
"I think Murphy and were the only
congressman from Missouri who didn't
have silk hats and dress suits. Not
that we thought that there was any
thing wrong in wearing silk hats and
dress suits, for there isn't. We felt that
we couldn't afford such things, and so
we didn't get any. SO far as I could tell
it didn't make any difference either
way. If a man wanted to wear SILK
hat and dress suit, all right; If he
didn't, all right.
"A good many of the congressman
spend money in going to balls and card
parties and receptions and social af-
fairs. Some of them have their families
in Washington and entertain on big
scale, and that takes a lot of money.
My family stayed at home and were not
with me any of the time I was in Wash
I l
receptions, and | couldn't have afforded
1t even If they had been there. l never
attended any of the receptions or things
of that sort. one reason was that l
didn't have time. | was working hard
while I was there, so that 1t wouldn't
have been easy for me to attend any of
the regular social affairs If l had
thought I could afford it.
Got Along Without a Clerk
when I was at home my wife helped
me with my correspondence and clerical
work, and when l was in Washington l
attended to it myself, so that l didn't
need private secretary. AS long as
my wife and I could do the work there
was no use in getting some one else to
do 1t, and l couldn't afford any eXtrava
gances. When a man can afford to pay
for all these things 1t is right for him
to have them, if he wants to, but as
long as he isn't able to spend the money
then he ought to see to things himself.
Il don't know whether / shall ever go
into politics again or not. | have al
ways believed more in the office seek
ing the man than in the man going
after the office. When I was nominated
the first time / came out on a petition.
[ studied a long time about whether
should make the race, and finally de-
cided to go into it. l won't say that
am clear out of politics. and I won't
say that I expect to run for office again.
1t all depends on circumstances"
As the former representative conclud-
ed the interview he resumed his meat
cutting. The two years at Washing
ton had been finished and the work of
the present had to be attended to.
Reared in the strict economy of the
hills, where money is scarce and every
thing must be made to go as far as
possible, the man who could save SILL
600 in two years at Washington had not
yet time to alternate play with work.
Mr.. Tyndall was elected in the Repub-
lican landslide in 1904, and probably no
body was more surprised than he at his
victory. Reared in the country, he has
some strong prejudiceS against city life.
For example it is told of him that he
baked at entering an elevator on his
first trip to st. Louis after his election,
declaring this necessary convenience a
menace to human life. Inasmuch as it
was the first one he had seen, his opin-
ion was quite reasonable.
A congressman's salary hereafter will
be $500 year, the increase having
been voted by the late congress in
which Mr.. Tyndall sat. But, during
Mr.. TyndalPs term the salary was $4,000
year, and he drew $4,000 in salary,
all of which he put away. He was al
loWeu @10UO year Ior private Secre-
tary and 10 cents a mile for travelling
expenses between his home and Wash
ington and return. Inasmuch as he
employed no secretary, he not only
made these perquisites pay his eX-
penses, but also saved $500 a year out
of them, bringing his total savings for
two years up to $1,000. Mr.. Tyndall
will become a country banker, and
those who are familiar with his con-
gressional experience predict that he
will make a successful financier.