Want At Washington

[Washington Cor. Cincinnati CominercinL] Not long ago a Congressman from Ohio, serving his flrst term, asked me to assist liim to get an appointment in i ono of the departments for a lady living in his district. She was the widow of a man' who was my comrade dnring the late war, and in consequence the application carne to me with peculiar forcé. Finding, howevor, that sho was in receipt of an income which, by the closest economy was adequate to support her and her children, I declined to take any action, and asked my friend to write her that she was a thousand times better ofï out in Ohio with her limited income, and compelled as she was to exercise the most stringent economy to enabio her to f eed and clothe her children, than she would be if she should come to Washington to accept a position in one of the departments on a salary of $900 or $1,200 a year, for the roasons that her expenses here would be three or four times as great as they are in Ohio ; her common every-day wearing apparel here would have to be better than anything she wears at home ; she would be compelled to pay for her house or room-rent five times as much as in the village in which she lives ; her board here would cost her twice as much as she would pay in Ohio. If yon know oí any person who is longing to flll a Government office in Washington, dissnade him by all means. He will live a life of constant alarm and uneasiness, and whatever salary he may receive he will find it as much inadequate to fche requirements upon it as his present income in Ohio mny be. I am not in position to see much of the distress prevailing in Washington, but in my limited view I have sean enough to drive sleep from my pillow. Iknow of a widow woman, formeiiy a clerk in one of the departments, who hes a number of children dependent on her for support, who has besieged the doors of the departments for weeks to secure an office which would enable her to earn her living. Three days ago she had $i in money, nothing else available or that could be turned into bread, with little or nothing in the cupboard or coal-bin, and a month's rent neaily due. She will probably utterly fail to get the position she seeks, as she has not great political influence and there are no vacancies. What then ? Within the last two weeks two young girls, orphans, from the States, lately in office, have been literally frightened to death because they have lost their positions, and have no hope of securingthem again. Their scant earnings sufficed to keep theni for only a few days, landlords and boarding house mistresses grew importúnate for money due them; the prospects presented only two solutions of tlie difflculty. They cotdd prostitnte themselves, and niake then only a stinted living, for, commercially speaking, the competition in this line is as great as in any other in Washington- Dr they could die. 'J.'hey died. I had the case brought to my attention, yesterday, of a man who came here From a comfortable home in one of the States, a few days ago, to accept office ander the Government. He is a lawyer. by profession, and had a fine law and miscellaneous library. He lost his position and went into the practice of the law here, but that profession is, of course, jrowded. For weary months he lived iu hope. Then he bogan to sell his library, ind a few days ago parted with the last rem inder for five dollars. He has nothing in the world aad a fainily to support. What will he do ? 1 know that three or four days ago an artist of world-wide celebrity was glad to accept the loan of ninety cents from a friend who was willing to part witb onehalf his available assets to relieve as f ar as might be the immediately pressing wants of a hungry man. A few months ago a young man, with nothing in the world but the consuniption and a farniiy, holding a clerkship in I one of tho departments, was unable to payadebtwhen it feil due, and, although he was an efficiënt clerk, Iris unrelenting creditor had such influence with his immediate superior that he eeeured his dismissal. The man was a stranger, in a strange land, with no resource whatever, except a friend or two, who were fortúnate enough to seciire through the head of the department his reinstatement. But he lives in daily fear. Ho is dying by inches, but is menaced with the probability that before he dies he will be thrown upon charity for his maintenance aüd that of his famüy. It would be a waste of time to go further on this line. I could fill the columns of your paper with similar illustrations of this one phase of Washington life. The recent cessation of work in the treasury bureau of printing and engraving (which was occasioned by a lack of funds, the appropriation to carry on the work having been exhausted), threw several hundreds, possibly a thousand, of women out of employment. Columns of the liepublican of this city have been ñlled with statements from these people, recitals of sudden want and hardship, forced upoii them in this way, so pitiful that in very self-defense one is compelled to pass them over without reading.' A few f acts of a different character by way of fllling up this necessarily crude and hastily sketohed picture : A lawyer, who has lived comfortably and decently for ten or üfteen years on an average yearly income of probably $5,000 to $7,000, well and faixly earnod, two or three days ago suddenïy carne into a cash fee of 120,000, having gained a case before one of the mixed or international commisuioas sitting here. Ladies' costumes that cost from $150 to $2,000 each, without refereace to diamonds and other costly jewels, can be seon by the hundreds on fair days on the streets and avenues, at roceptions, church services, etc. It is not uncominon to see a chüd of six or ten years of age with seal skin sacque and rich costume, tho cost of whioh fairly representa three month's earnings of a female employé of one of the departmenta. It is also quite cornmon to see some of thrs; name f cmale employés wearing costumes that have cost au auiount of money equal to their pay for three or four, or eveu sometimes six months. There are families here with moderate incomos who almost starve and kalf clotlie their children in order that they may appêar fairly in society. They might live decently and comfortably but tor tbeiv ioolish desiro to shino socialJy. There are probably, at this writmg, 300 dwelling-houses in prooess of oonsfcruction in the city, averaging in cost from $1,500 to $10,000 eacb, and there II probably be 1,000 Buch structures ; 'leted during the coming eeason. i Kot oie 4prtní ofllisiiU ia flre qi rank or respectability, lives ■wiÜiin kis salary. Many Congressmen, wbo have paid from $5,000 to $50,000 by way of " election expenses" to secure thoir seats, live kere at an annual expenso oí from twice to four times their salary. Two thousand dollars are occasionally paid for the flowers alone to adorn a mansion for an evening party or reception.