The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-01-29

He toileth not. neither does he spin,
but he has mastered the art Of living
on nothing . year and living moder.
ately well on that Intangible income.
In New York. Chicago. Boston. 81.
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 q num-
Der Of years ago for the purpose Of
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 .
gloomy one and yet they appeared to
him as cheerful chaps.
How these fellows" said he. ICON,
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
II his shoes be shined with stove pol
ish-can get whisky. He can get
booze when he can't get a mouthful to
eat. or all the free commodities In
the world, whisky Is the freest. But
how. when and where they eat-how
some of them even manage to keep
their trousers creased-how they man.
age to square themselves for being
Just hangers-around-I want to know.
as they put II In Boston town."
There can be no question that these
hangers-around and chairwarmers are
the beneficiaries Of q special provi-
dence who looks after disappointed
office seekers and job-losers in Wash
ington. They are pathetic lot, and
wear that expectant look which causes
acQuaintances to extend an invitation
to wet a whistle" an invitation which
Is rarely refused, for II Is written
pledge OF the Washington hanger-on
never to refuse drink. In a ma
jority OF cases their acQuaintances are
sought with financial. not alcoholic
prospects In view. An acquaintance
who cannot produce the fluid In ex.
change for q few stories Is soon given
| the go-by. Time to them Ii not
| worth much, but yet It Is too valuable
| to waste with men who cannot buy the
drink.
| Most OF these unfortunates are men
who have lost government jobs either
ON account Of incompetency OF reck.
less habits-for exchange Of admins.
tration now amounts to but little SO
| far as job-losing Is concerned. though
these men always charge their dis.
missal from service to this. 1t does
not take long for many of them to de-
generate into the type slangily known
as booze-grafters. After getting a
taste of Washington life 1t Is difiicult
to return to their homes in the states
but, with bulldog tenacity. they re
main in Washington and drift from
bad to worse. until some big
hearted senator or congressman
gives them free transportation home
and this is the best days
| work ever
done for them.
Lillian NJ. aEE1 5lE34::5slzI1