Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1901 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

According to a published summary of the Senate’s last report, a Washington drug firm received in the last fiscal year $1,700 for medicines and toilet -.articles. These supplied to the Senators for their individual use, nnd paid for out of the pocket of Uncle Sam. No small item of this expenditure was 1,000 doses of bromo seltzer and bromo caffeine. Three dozenr of caffeine powders, four cases of. lithia water, two bottles of bromo lithia and $2,70 worth of lithia tablets further contributed to keep the senatorial system in good repair. Twelve pounds of soda mint tablets were purchased for the alleviation of “that dark brown taste," and the extravagant sum of 80 cents was exchanged for tabnles for indigestion. To each member there are four empßyes, iu various capacities. The smaller body of Congress has come to cost Uncle Sara twice as much per member per annum as the House. Almost all of the sixty messengers receive $1,440 a year each, whereas the old blind chaplain is considered to be worth only S9OO. Yet he is dependent upon some one to lead him daily to and from the Capitol. Laborers in the folding room get SI,OOO and those who run the elevators enjoy still more, $1,200. The man in charge of the stationery room draws $2,102.40 annually; his assistants, SI,BOO and $1,200 respectively. The little pages who wait upon Senators get $75 per month, the*postmaster of the Senate $2,250 annually, firemen $1,095, and the upholsterer and locksmith $1,440. By far the greatest proportion of expense incurred each year for toilet articles is demanded by the Senate barber shops nnd bathrooms. It is not generally known that each member of this distinguished body is barberized gratis as many times a day as he wishes. On the streets of Washington almost any day there can be seen a wagon loaded with $1,000,000 or more in cash or with thousands of dollars’ worth of stamps and quantities of priceless paper used ifi the printing of money. This is the United States Trensruy’s ensh wagon. As the route,traversed by this daily conveyancer of money lies in a comparatively unfrequented part of the city and bordering a great park great rare is taken to prevent its being robbed. The wagon is of bullet proof steel, and is constructed in a manner to present great resistance to a forcible attack. It opens at one end by the removal of immense steel bars, and the unlocking of an intrF cate system ojt safety locks. , In addition to the immunity from robbery afforded by the steel casting and the heavy locks and bars, the wagon has the protection of an armed guard, which accompanies it at all times when valuables are aboard. Four men, in addition to the driver, usually go with the conveyance. They carry big navy revolvers on their persons, and several Winchester rifles are ready at band under the driver's seat. While the money Is being loaded and unloaded at the treasury building or at the bureau of engraving and printing the escort guard is augmented by the presence of watchmen from the building, who stand around in an unostentatious way, but ready for business.

There are a number of millionaires in the United States Senate, but not so many as people generally suppose. Mr. Clark of Montana is rated at $75,000,000; Mr. Kearns, the new Senator from Utah, has a mine worth $12,000,000, so they say, but it is a recent acquisition. Ten yoars ago he was a poor farmer in Nebraska. Mr. Jones of Nevada is also the owner of profitable mining properties. Mr. Elkins has made a fortune in coal, and Mr. Scott, his colleague from West Virginia, has been equally successful in oil. Mr. Lodge of Massachusetts, Mr. Kean of New Jersey and Mr. Wetmore of Rhode Island inherited millions. Senator Proctor of Vermont is a marble king and owns large quarries. Mr. Shoup of Idaho wus / one of the early pioneers of that State, and has made a large fortune from ranches, mines and supply stores whieh are said to do more business than any similar establishments iu the West. Mr. McMillan, Mr. Hanna and Mr. Depew have been successful in business; Mr. Hale married a daughter of the late Senator Chandler of Michigan, who was immensely wealthy, and Mr. Fairbanks of Indiana has accumulated a handsome fortune by successful law practice.

From the statement prepared by Mr. Cannon one may obtain some idea of the enormous sums it takes to run a government like that of the United States. The total appropriations of the two sessions of the Fifty-sixth Congress, covering two fiscal years, shows an average for each year, in round numbers, of $740,000,000, the items being ns follows: Agriculture .\ .$ 8, r0t, 000 Army Diplomatic and c0n5u1ar....... g,C21,3H7 District of Columbia 18,082,838 Fortification* 14,747,8.30 Indian* 17,784,210 Legislative, etc 48,201,507 Military Academy 1.421,1X0 Navy 113.704,800, Pensions .1 200,4110,480 Post office I 237.420.tW7 Itlver and linrbor 580,000 Sundry civil ~ 127,873.023 Permanent appropriations .... 257.070.440 Miscellaneous UAO.\3ot Total *1,440,002,545 According to these figures Unde Sain bus reached the point in bis domestic arrangements where he spends n little over $2,000,000 a day. The expense Incident to the Inauguration of President McKinley will be defrayed from the revenues arising from the sule of bail nnd concert tickets, reviewing stands and official program privileges, leaving a small balance of about sl-500 to i»e devoted to charity. It is found (At the ceremonies cost about $75,000. The inaugural bull and concerts bronglit in over $58,000; seats upon the reviewing stands in the court of honor nfatmt SIB,OOO aud the official program SI,OOO. - Patronize those who advertise.