The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1909-06-12

He toileth not, neither does he spin,
but he has mastered the art of living
on nothing year and living meder-
ately well on that intangible income.
In New York, Chicago, Boston, St
Louis and other commercial centers,
there are hordes of the well-fed, we'll
groomed, who live sumptuously year
IN and year out without any visible
means of support; but the Washing
ton gang who manage to exc out ex-
istence on zero income are in general
a shabby lot Whence they come. and
whittier they go, are equally impene.
trable mysteries. How they live, as
well as where they live, are bother
some matters to study out. When Au
gustus Thomas, the dramatist, spent
several months in Washington mum
Der of years ago for the purpose oil
picking up characters and absorbing
atmosphere" for a Washington play
he was deeply interested in the CAPT
tails unique collection of hotel hang
ers-on. The dramatist thought the
hangers around existence must be a
gloomy one and yet they appeared 70
him as cheerful chaps.
How these fellows" said he, "con
trive to perennially provide them
selves with shelter, food, raiment
moderately clean linen, even an occa
sional smoke, is a subject that fasci
mates me, because it looks too craggy
for Qualification OF course, in the
matter of whisky, that is an easy one
Any man wearing clean collar-even
If his shoes be shined with stove pol
/ ish-can get whisky He can gel
j booze when he can't get mouthful (
eat OF all the free commodities II
the world, whisky is the freest. Blu
how, when and where they eat-hov
some of them even manage to keel
their trousers creased-how they man
age to square themselves for beini
4 Just hangers-around- want to know
as they put it in Boston town
There can be no question that thes
hangers-around and chairwarrfers ar
the beneficiaries of O special prov
dence who looks after disappointe
office seekers and job-losers in Wasf
: ington. They are a pathetic lot, an
J wear that expectant look which cause
i acquaintances to extend an invitatio
to wet a whistle" an invitation whic
! is rarely refused, for it is write
pledge of the Washington hanger-o
never to refuse a drink. In a m;
jority of cases their acquaintances ar
sought with financial, not alcohol
4 prospects in view. An acquaintanc
who cannot produce the fluid in e,
change for a few stories is soon give
the go-by Time to them is nj
worth much, but yet 1t is toe valuab
2 to waste with men who cannot buy tn
!. drink
! Most of these unfortunates are me
= who have lost government jobs eitht
on account Of incompetency or rec
less habits-for exchange of admin
tration now amounts to but little {
far as job-losing is concerned, thoue
these men always charge their di
missal from service to this. 1t do
not take long for many Of them to d
generate into the type slangily know
as booze-grafters. After getting
taste of Washington life 1t is difficu
to return to their homes in the state
but with bulldog tenacity, they !
main in Washington and drift fro
bad to worse, until some b
hearted senator or congressm;
gives them free transportation hon
and this is the best day
work ever
done for them. 49,
Lillian M. n91f$ ~
Cheshire in ~ IA nJEAtl}lBsLSs =
Detroit Free &H f!aEsz1li a.SAs
Press.