Evening star., 1922-02-12
Capital SideGghts

THE National Capital needs bad
check law to prevent green
members Of Congress from being
cheated by impostors. according to
testimony by Senator Dial Of South
Carolina, when such legislation was
under consideration. The senator said.
II have had 4 little experience my
self. When landed here they put
me in the hrst room In the Senate
of1ice building. right by the front
door where every man who comes to
Washington, it seems to me, called In
to see me. I had not been there q
week before nicely dressed little
fellow, looking like . dude, came in to
congratulate me on being in the Senate.
I felt pretty proud and thanked him.
He said I was the very kind Of man
the country needed in the Senate. I
appreciated his compliment. He told
me he was assistant cashier of bank
in my state; he was over in Baltimore,
with his wife in a hospital and short
OF change, so he had dropped over
to get me to help him out to the ex-
tent Of $50 in cash.
Il am a good-natured kind Of a fell
low and will do about everything
any one asks me to, so everybody
imposes on me. But that did not have
the right ring to me. told him had
just landed in town and had not an
chored in any bank yet, and had not
brought along any great amount Of
surplus funds in my jeans. was
sorry could not accommodate him.
tive from his district. A week later
tative from his district. A week later
Ia representative came and told me I
was young and green. I admitted 1t.
He said he wanted to put me wise;
said there was young fellow going
around all dressed up and that he had
touched him for $50 and that another
friend let him have 500. and then
had written down to South Carolina
and found there was no such man in
the state. He was an impostor." Sena-
tor Dial reviewed other cases in which
members Of Congress had been easy
marks" for bad check swindlers.
X X
D REPRESENTATIVES, THOMAS 8.
WILLIAMS Of Illinois is a human
valentine, 80 years old. He was born
onon st. Valentines day, 1872. Two
members of Congress always start
the new year with a birthday party
Representative John c. Ketcham Of
Michigan. born January /, 1878. and
Representative Martin c. Ansorge Of
New York. born January 1, 1882.
Three members have the distinction
Of sharing birthday honors on Febru-
ary % with George Washington
Representative John E. Raker Of Call
ifornia, born in 1863; Representative
George Washington Edmonds of
Pennsylvania, born in 1864 and
named after the father of his country"
and Representative John s. Webster Of
Washington, born in 1877.
REPRESENTATIVE E. HART
~ FEM Of Connecticut, while spe-
cializing in fishing as a recreation,
by no means neglects shooting. He
says it is difficult for him to deter
mine which he likes best. He is
fair shot in the field and has found
find sport with dog and gun in the
covers Of New England, Nova Scotia,
North Carolina and Florida, in duck
blinds on points on the Connecticut
shore OF Long Island sound. at
places Since the passage of the law
in the days when there was fine duck
shooting at the two hrst-named
places. Since the passage Of the law
forbidding spring shooting Of migra-
tory birds there is good duck shoot
ing along the sound waters Of Con-
nectfcut, he says.
i \ \
ID REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON H.
WALTERS of Pennsylvania,
newspaper publisher and public utili-
ties magnate, treasures among his
trophies two gold medals which he
won by his cleverness in amateur
sparring contests. ~