The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-01-20
WASHINGTON LETTER

Con Will nave IN the coming three
months one of the most brilliant sea-
sons ever known here. Instead of the
oYercrowded state receptions at the
White House there will be exclusive
levees, where it will be deemed as
great an honor to. be seen as in a
court drawing room of the old world
While the cabinet as a body will not
lend much brilliancy, many of it's men,
bers being in mourning, the social
world outside will catch the spirit in
PRODUCED by Mrs. Taft and will help to
round out memorable winter.
Rich congressman.
Multimillionaires are invading the
house Of representatives That Iegis-
lative body today is more thickly in
vested, so to speak, by predatory
plutes'' than at any previous period In
its history.
One of the fifteen richest men in
this country is a representative in
congress from Yonkers, in the state
OF New York. His name is John E.
Andrus, and his wealth is estimated
at $60,000,000. He is a chemical king,
controlling to great exteIgG the pro-
duction of medicinal drugs in the
United States. Nearly all of the pep
sin manufactured in America comes
from his mills, whence the name "Old
Chewing Gum" applied to him joking
ly by his fellow congressman, though,
as a matter Of fact, he puts on the
market no such commodity.
One of the most remarkable men in
the present house is Daniel F. Lafean
of York, Pa. He likewise was a born
fortune builder. He started in life as
driver Of a coal cart at 81 day. Ev
cry cent he possesses he has made for
himself. and his wealth today amounts
to not less than 100000. He owns
silk mills, banks, dairies and automo-
bile factories; but, industrially speak
ing, he is chiefly conspicuous as the
candy king.
Washington Fourth on the List.
Washington is fourth in the list of
American cities when one considers
the area of asphalt streets. New York
comes first, with Chicago and Philadel-
phia following in the order named.
The national capital has 100000
square yards of this sort Of street
paving, according to advance sheets
Of the census Office bulletin on the
subject. s.
In this city there are 100000 square
yards of macadamized streets, while
the area of cobblestones is so small
that it is hardly worth estimating.
Chicago and Detroit are strong on
the block wood streets, having be-
tween them more than two-thirds of
the wood block payements in the coun-
try.
Names of the White House.
1t is still the white House" from
which President Taft sends his annual
message instead of the executive man.
sion," by which it had been formally
designated before Roosevelts day.
But even that stilted title lacks the
support of long usage. The early pres
idents described it as the presidents
house" or the presidents mansion"
according to personal tastes. In the
earliest plotting of Washington the
capitol and the White House were
designated by names which would
hardly be understood by the newsboys
of this city today. 1t called one con-
gress house" and the other the 'presi-
dents house." The White House is
the common sense designation because
specific and in accord with popular
usage.
White House Expenses.
The entire expense of the White
House, including the salary of the
president and cost of clerical and Of
fee assistance, is little more than
the sum allotted by the Hollanders to
Queen Wilhelmina and is certainly not
an extravagant ratio of expenditures,
contrasting the proportions of the two
countries.
The total appropriation for this year
for telephone service. automobiles,
housekeeping, care of conservatory
and greenhouses, printing, lighting and
the multifarious trifles necessary to
keep up such an Establishments
$277,255, the lowest sum expended in
the maintenance of the White house
since 1904 except during the lest two
years of the Roosevelt administration,
when & record was made by keeping
down expenses to about $4,000 each
year.
With the exception of these two
years the expenses have been higher,
chiefly owing to appropriations for re-
pairs and additions, which vary from
year to year. The highest executive
expenditures are about one-tenth Of
the civil list of Germany and ene-
eighth that of England.
A Unionist Congressman.
The workingmen of the country have
one member of congress who is a
worker and comes grimy from the
mines. He IS William B. Wilson, who
was twice elected to the house from
the Lycoming Tioga district of Penn
sylvania. At eleven years of age he
became worker in the mines near
Blossburg. Pa, and later on became
Interested in labor matters. finally be-
coming secretary treasurer Of the. Unit