The Washington herald., 1913-02-25
srATEMfEH-REAL AND NEAR
~ FRED c. KELLY.

William A. Ashbrook one OF the Ohio
Congressman. is said to have been the
originator Of the old joke about selling
postage stamps three for five. He was
postmaster at Johpstown. Ohio. about
twenty years ago. and after noticing
some Of the bargains advertised in the
store windows one afternoon. he hung
up his Stamps. Three for Five To-
day sign. The first woman in said she
would take a nickers worth. and when
Ashbrook handed her the two twos and
a one, she said to him sourly:
"You thI, you're mighty smart, viii
Ashbrook don't you?'' and never has
liked him from that day to this.
About the same time. Ashbrook got
interested in collecting rare coins-be-
cause man bought post card one day
and paid for 1t with a big. old-fashioned
penny that had a slight permium on IT.
From mild interest in coins. Ashbrook
developed. through the regular stages
into an enthusiast. then a fend. and
nnaly into bug. To-day he knows
just where every rare United States
coin OF any consequence Is located, and
he himself has a collection worth sew
eral thousand dollars He Is the most
rare-moneyed man in Congress. His
friends have urged him to take hold of
himself and try to brace up. but he has
II In such virulent form that II In
doubtful IL anything can be done for
him.
When he gets day or two TO spare
Ashbrook disappears from his regular
haunts and beats it off to some town
where another collector he has heard
Of has a com he is willing to sell. IL
he can find a man who will let him
have rare penny. let US say. at fig
ure within his means. Ashbrook win
| fall right on the mans neck and sob
| from sheer JOY.
Every year the Congressman attends
| a big convention OF the leading coin
collectors from all over the country.
There are about 1000 such people. not
counting street car conductors. When
any one OF them sees a man who owns
an 1904 dollar that he wants. he paws
the ground and becomes hysterIcal.
| Just as soon the present session of
| Congress is over. Ashbrook intends To
/ give himself little treat. He Is going
( to his safety deposit box to spend a
half holiday looking at his coins.
Every once in a while the Senate unites
old acquaintances whose paths might
otherwise lie far apart. Senator Bacon
Of Georgia and Senator Thomas. the new
| member from Colorado. We're both raised
down In Macon. Ga When Thomas was
| a youngster he used to hear Bacon men,
| toned as one of the promising young
! men" OF the town. They passed on the
street every day and nodded to each
other. but never got well acquainted
Macon was a small place. but destiny
had arranged for them TO defer more in
innate acquaintance until they reached
the United States Senate.
| Senator Thomas sums up his life by
saying that he has practiced law, stuck
to the Democratic party kept out of the
church, and invested in mining opera
| TONS
He is a striking example of what a
man can accomplish by combining the
legal profession with mining. As rap
idly as he had made any money from
his profession-and he has had large
and prosperous practice-he has invested
II In mines. and thus kept himself from
growing rich and arrogant. He has put
altogether probably 10000 into Colorado
mines and as luck always seemed 10
shun him at such times. scarcely any
of his investments hare paid any return.
II he had not been addicted to the min
ling investment method Of getting rid Of
his large attorney fees. II Is highly prob
able that he would now be rich. Then
| the voters would have raised a hue and
icry against his wealth and prevented him
from reaching his present place of honor
which place has been his lifelong am
hitiOn.
| Representative Frederick H Gfnett. of
Massachusetts, one of the few bachelor
members Of Congress. is in such demand
! for fashionable dinners that hc is obliged
| to keep books on his social engage
ments He has a horror of appearing At
the wrong dinner. or embarrassing hos
| tess by arriving on the wrong night.
One Is reminded OF tho case of Alfred
| Mitchell Innes. Counselor of the British
Embassy. Jovial spirit who is a worthy
addition TO any dinner party. Not keep
I ing books, as Gillett does, Innes became
confused and got to a little dinner not
long ago, a night too soon. He was in
vited for Friday night and a different
| group were being entertained at dinner
| Thursday. When Ihnes walked in and
saw the people at the table eating their
soup he exclaimed:
Am I late and he said it with Il
funny infection. placing the loud pedal
| on the Am
The hostess hurriedIy made a place for
| him and didn't tell him OF his error un-
til the meal was over. and then she in
sisted that he come the next night again
just as If nothing had happened. So
| that he added to the success Of two din
ners instead of one.
| Representative Paul Howland. OF Ohio.
who retires from Congress at the close
| Of the present session. would have been
a country lawyer all his life except for
one thing His father was on the bench
in the village where he set out to prac-
tice and Rowland felt so foolish adj
dressing his dad as your honor" that
! ne moved to Cleveland.
/ h.
| Scrrcil
| LA TOILETTE WIELDS WHIP.