The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-03
lNTELLIChvCE BY THE MAILS,
W., HrNoroN, Nov. /, 1874

| Wa uINoroN. Nov. !, 1873
1he Prr'sian Mtnisfer, Ba. ON "er@t-Sa% o. NJ
Househ0d F1mitwe-A M'odd Artist-Tx.
| h"ehen-Ihe Company-Ihe Pa '"fe's engaged
on me Copitot-President's Fromis>S like Ps<
CrNsfs-Opposif,on to Green J1cxets
Inc furniture OF the Prussian Minister Baron
Won Gerolt, was to-day sold at auction On such
occasions there Is large assembage of ladies' and
gentlemen the most OF them attracted TO the scens
by curiosity, to see how nobility, in this heaven
favored republic, lives, and to have little chat
about the household utensils, and to display tbs
latest fashions of the millners. We were dsan.
pointed in seeing so few of the " westenders; %
those who, in the enjoyment of plentitude of pub
lie patronage, imagine themselves superior to their
plebeian nelghbors-a "superiority' that may be
stripped from Its happy pos SCISSORS BY the choice of
President OF the United States, to be made on
me 7th OF November, like unto the unfeathering of
the crow that spOrted IN the peacock's feathers
Government clerks were there-decent. high
minded, honorable men; and, among the crowd
three ministers OF the Gospel. Feathers waved
rom bonnets, and silk frocks ratified, and little
children came with their mamas, to :" see the pref
" Things" The furniture was PLAIN, If we except
Two large mirrors. One-tenth of our residents
have as good The walls were adorned with a
rev pictures, prints, and the mantel pieces deco
rated with trIiliDg ornaments such as tow cat and
dog, which en- Executors son said had their tails
curled up. A certain ornament of plaster. IN the
front paror, might have been admired 10 any other
place. IL represented little boy in DAYS when
trowsers were not in fashion, or a model artist
without drapery. Several tlmld misses shrunk
from lis approach. But this Is a matter of taste.
In the old countries, among ladies', there is less of
that KIND OF refinement which liz possessed by our
own, and hence this distaste for the fine arts The
auctioneer commenced by selling the kitchen ware.
which had been provided in profusion tor the cook
cry The pleasure OF buying pot or a saucepan,
a Rar nnh porba IL
ed. There was in the display of effects one thing
prominent, VIZ that the Baron lived for comfort
In the plain furniture he showed more good sense
than the heads of the Executive Depa rtment, and
more republican simplicity. He is about to leave
the United States for his home, and he will take
with him sincere wishes for health and happness
having been much respected by all who knew him
during his residence at the national capital
There has been much grumbling among the
thirty workmen engaged IN painting the Capitol
The Commissioners of Public Buildings, Dr. Doug
lass, with view to economy, proposed to pay
them according TO the number of hours they were
employed, which, these short days. deductlng for
rainy weather, would have reduced their pay to
five or six dollars week. They threatened to go
to the President, to lay their complaint before him,
and to demand the wages given at the public
works, "a dollar and sIxty-two and half cents a
day, rain or shlDe) The Commissioner abandoned
his scheme The painters continued their busi-
ness until Monday when, In a body, they went to
the White House and stated their grievances to
the President, who listened patiently, and then
promised that justice should be done and said
that ne wished them to be well paid With light
hearts the mechanics returned to the Capitol The
President Immediately sent for the Commissioner,
and 1t is to be presumed they had talk about the
painters. This was pay day The painters fully
relied upon the Presidents promise that justice
should be done; they vainly cherished the hope
that dollar and sIxty-two and halt cents day,
ram or shine, would be accorded but, 10 they
were paid but dollar and half a day. and the
time lost in rainy weather deducted Congress
appropriated twenty thousand dollars for painting
the Capitol, but economy will not permit the GO
verninent to amply compensate the men who
expose their lives to danger on high swinging
gardly. But MIR. Polk, it is believed, Is not a
Cass man, and being extremely selfish, he does not
now care Tor the democracy, which, he must know,
would be seriously hurb his conduct in this mat
ter, In the coming elections. were 1t not known
that he is secretly opposed to the nomiLee of the
Baltimore Convention. He seems to have spite
against painters, having refused to appoint MIR.
Seignstack as Commissioner of Public Buildings,
because ne wore green jacket while he was EN-
poyed with his brush. He, however, made him
Warden OF the Pententiary, and an excellent one
he Is, being kind and humane towards the unfor-
MS