East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-01-13
4 PER WEEK LODGING
BEYOND MEAGRE MEANS
OF EARLY CONGRESSMEN
Saving of $50 Per Year to Con-
tinentals Kept Capital at
Princeton Where Living Was
Only So.

HARRISON, Ark, Jan. 13.-(A. p
There was time in the history of
the United States when $52, repre-
senting a years loss or saving to
members of Congress, was a vital
factor in the consideration of a pro-
posed moving of the seat of govern
ment, and. according to an afficer
of that same Congress, $50 year
was mo trifling consideration"
This bit of history is contained in
Il letter written by Charles Thomson,
secretary of the Continental Congress
during the several years of its exis-
tence to his wife Hannah, an aunt
of President William Henry Harrison!
The letter is dated Princeton, August
81, 1893, the Congress then being in
session in the New Jersey town, and
was addressed to Mrs. Thomson,
Corner of Spruce and Street, Phil
adelphia."
| 1t was proposed that the residence
Of Congress be removed to Elizabeth
town, ". j., but, according to the let
ter, there was opposition on the grouno
that lodging" in Elizabethtown would
| cost 81 a week, whereas it could be
| obtained for SO week in Prince
ton. Whether the high cost of liv-
ing'' in Elizabethtown finally swayed
the Congress in rejection it is not
disclosed, but history records that
the Congress met in Annapolis, Nd, af-
teri leaving Princeton, and at no time
sat at Elizabethtown.
The letter, in part, which recently
came into the possession of Mrs.
Rex Worthington, of Harrison, de-
scendant of Mr.. Thomson, fOllaws:
Dear Hannah
| Il have received your letters dated
Monday IL o'clock and Tuesday 10
o'clock at night and acknowledged the
receipt of them. :. Mr.. Rend was
misinformed respecting the adjourn
lm4nt. They met on Monday but they
might as well have adjourned till this
time for any business they have done.
| | am very apprecehensive that moth
| ing but some calamity will awaken
the states to sense of their situa-
tion.
=" The President of
| Congress has not provided house
for himself nor is likely he will find
one here to suit him. / find Elize-
| bethtowu has been talked of at his
table as a proper place for the resid-
erce of Congress. He has a rouse
there which he says has twenty rooms
and which he will let for the use Of
the President 1t is true the place is
| infested with mosquitoes in summer
and lying low and near marshes may
be liable to intermittents in the spring
and fall, but these are trifling when
| 1t is considered that by fixing the
residence of Congress there the value
Of his estate will be increased and he
will have an opportunity Of letting
his house at a good rent. But yet
/ am inclined to believe this will ne
opposed by his colleagues; for Mr..
C3ndit has found lodging in this
town at g. dollars a week which en-
a ables him to lay up more money. And
there is reason to fear that at Eliza
bethtown, which is so near New York.
it will cost him at least four. This
would be a clear loss Of SO dollars
a year which is no trifling considera-
iion, and which | daresay will have
due weight with some of the others.
There are otllcr weighty considera-
tions which might be mentioned"
''Your loving husband.
Chas. Thomson"