The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-07-01
Notes From Washington
By G.. u. H.

There are some things | like about
a country town. Some of these are;
You don't have to have traffic officer
to help you. across Main street; you
are not dependent On street cars or
taxicabs whenever you want to go
some place: you can live in one part
of town and work in another and not
spend from one to two hours day on
street cars; you don't have to waste
a lot of time waiting for elevators to
go UP or down When you do go to
work you meet friendly faces going and
coming.
Here in Washington I have an Of
1ce on the ground floor and live at
the Congress Hall hotel, just across
the street. so | am not much annoyed
with street cars or elevators. Last
winter we lived out about l3 blocks
from the capitol. and | walked back
and forth most all the time. In bad
weather took the car. But going
back and forth twice day over the
same streets or In the same cars for
seven months, / never saw a friendly
face. | saw few people speak to other
people There is not much friendii-
ness or sociability in the big city, eH
cept in well organized, exclusive
groups of society. Sixty-hve or sew
enty families lived in the same block
we lived in. but We developed bor-
rowing acquaintance with only one
family. | knew one man in the block
and he was a policeman.
Folks are not very neighborly in
washington: so all members say.
Some old members tell me they have
no friends among Washington people.
Washington society is most exclusive.
There are various degrees OF society
The real society will not let trades
folks in. Some OF the owners OF the
biggest stores. like Daniels & Fishers
in Denver. have never been able to
get into some OF the exclusive clubs.
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson was the owner
OF a fne jewelry store. Her former
husband. Nr. Gault. was a paper mer'
shant and left her the store. Being
trades folks, as they say here. she was
not eligible for the FIRST society. and
this society has never warmed up the
White House since her late Indr-
riaRe. which fancy. does not worry
the folks in the White House very
much. But II Mr.. Gault had owned
tract OF Washington real estate, and
II he had unioaded IL on the govern
msut at a fancy price. which all own
ers or real estate seem 10 hope TO do
some hsy. then Mrs. Gault or Mrs.
Wilson. would have been considered
eligible for the best society. Or II
Mr. Gault had ben a dollar-a-yesr man
and made millions out OF government
contracts. then Mrs Gsult would.
probably have been sought after by
the exclusive sets.
The folks In our block were com
mon folks-lIke our friends at home
minister. a policeman. a printer and
publisher. a boarding house keeper.
some store keepers. government en-
ployes. and well-paid working people.
,ur houses were built so Idly together
like the stores on Main street. on
one side lived minister of a Chris
tian church He phoned me one time
20 ask me to give talk at his church.
but he never called nor spoke TO me
when we met on the other side lived
printer and publisher. who was also
president OF the local civic society. to
which belonged. got regular
printed notices OF meetings but dur
the seven months we lived there, and
met him often on the street, he
never spoke to me. 50 I never spoke
TO him. You see we had never been
formally introduced I couldn't help
thinking what different reception he
would get from the president or eN-
president OF our Chamber Of Com
merce II he came To Canon civ
You have heard of Southern hospi-
taiitve Well Il r. not myth. but
Washington is not southern city. eN-
Cept in name only.
Southern hospitality is sincere cor
dial and genuine. I have enjoyed the
friendship % Southern fs!;Ss in sew
eral Southern states and have had the
finest courtesics shown to me by
strangers in the South.
Congressional tdks need not b"
lonesome in Washington. however
There are enough - them to furnish
all the society [hoy need, as Tar as
that goes. They ,Sll - and enter.
tain one another. and rney do not have
to go around the set very far To- be
kept pretty busy The women have
the Congressional Club. This club
owns Its own building. costing about
$50 0O0 II is the scene OF several
functions each week during the ses-
sion. and many notable entertainments
and receptions are given there. Wives
or most representatives and senator's
belong. and the husbands get pulled in
as often as they viii stand for r.
w - -
Another thing I don't like about liv,
ing in big city Is having q meter on
INV meals. Aside from the question of
cost. ! don't like to have to decide
every item OF n meal by the price tag
on II. The Congress Hall hotel has
always been on the American plan.
About 100 congressman have lived
there this winter. and they pay from
slS5 to Si5n a month for room and
meals. Now. most OF the members
have gone away, the hotel has gone on