Washington Post in Washington, Washington Dc

Capital Before the War on Congressmen Eight Dollar Per Diem

An old Washington narrator recalls how Congressmen once lived on eight dollars a day plus mileage, gambling pastimes at Ned Pendleton’s tables, whist as a favorite aristocratic sport, and public temperance at the time. He notes Northern members’ frugality, anecdotes on brandy prices, and hints at prewar political culture in the capital.