The Washington herald., 1912-03-22

As he was walking from the office
building to the Capitol few mornings
ago, Representative Ben johnson. of
Kentucky, was approached by an entire
stranger who sought TO negotiate small
loan for the purpose, as he declared,
Of buying coffee and sandwiches.
NO." says Johnson. Il can't do It for
the simple reason that I have a fixed
rule against buying food for an able
bodied man, amply able TO earn money
himself.
"Of course" went on johnson, ''if a
man were TO come along who had been
drinking more than he should have. and
needed one or two drinks to steady his
nerves until he could get on his feet
agaIn-In a case like that shouldn't hes
itate at all to give a man a quarter"
"As a matter of fact" said the strang-
er. Frightening Up. that Is exactly the
situation here, and IN appreciate a
quarter a lot"
Well resumed johnson. ''the only
difficulty is that / have another rule
n rule, i might add. that ! never yet
have broken-which provides that when
ever a man asks me for money TO buy
food. and I learn that he has lied to me
some other purpose. / don't give II to
him.
Representative Humphreys. of Missis-
sippi, used TO be a drummer" and sold
whisky and cigars throughout his dis
trict, but never drank or smoked. and
this made such an impression on the peo-
pie that later on when he ran for Con-
gress nobody else had much chance.
A colored shoe sinner at a hotel bar
bershop here had been after Representa-
tive Steenersou. of Minnesota, one OF his
customers, to get him some kind Of a
government job. He said he had a broth
er in Pittsburg who held a political job
that paid him well. His impression was
that his brother made something like
81. 900 a year.
what does your brother do?' asked
Steenerson.
Don't know just exactly what his
duties are" replied the boy, but he's
been appointed what they call a ward
heller
Representative Switzer. of Ohio. prob
ably is the only man in Congress who can
go back just one generation in his fam
Switzer's father who was sixty-six years
OF age when the present Congressman
came along, was born in 1877.
Representative Sherwood, of Toledo.
author OF the dollar-a-day pension bill.
used 20 run a little hick newspaper back
in Ohio known as the Williams County
Gazette.
Being a man who expressed himself
rather frankly, even in those days. he
took occasion in one issue TO publish
this paragraph about one OF his fellow
townsmen:
I'VE don't accuse him of being a
chicken thief, but knowing him as We
do. II We were q rooster, we would take
the precaution. whenever he is around,
to roost high"
The man referred to, read II over
ana managed TO find some innuendo
that annoyed him and ne walked into
office with the intention Of
and crippling the editor. and
his subscription TO the paper.
BY beating the visitor to the punch.
Sherwood succeeded In knocking the
mans head against the corner of a table
and stunning him. even before he had
ordered his paper stopped. Then with
a few dexterous movements, Sherwood
threw the caller back on the fiat bed
OF his old-fashioned Washington hand
press, which sim held the form of the
weeks issue, and he printed a copy Of
the editorial page. slanderous paragraph
and ALL on the mans back.
The vexed subscriber gathered himself
together and walked up the street. ad- |
the Williams County Gazette |
rs he went, and Sherwoods subscription |
list grew where 1t had not grown be-
fore.
Here's where We nail down another |
little tale OF strange coincidence
Representative Richard Barthcldt. Of |