The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-03-27
Correspondence Of the Philadelphia quaker City
NILLARD's HOTEL,
Washington, March, l3, lSI9

| washington Marcn, IL, lSl9.
| Sunday morning AT Wizards. Room somewhere
| up in the sky Look from the windOw-sec SIX
chimneys standing onl against sky that looks like
plate Of zinc. That is the White House, to which
the eyes OF 100000 Office hunters turn, and turn
again as To the Mecca Of corpulent salaries Ii ran,
| no, something between a driZze and mist and
| all creation looks like bad Autograph Harki A
steam engine loose somewhere IN this hotel It's the
breakfast gong. Down stairs we gn-ihat is il there
| Is amy down stairs In this house Breakfast table
a great many people with musiaches-one with u
white cravat-some care-worn with the fever oil
office hunting one or Two red-eyed with the fever
of strong drink Breakfast over let's pc out of doors
! Pennsylvania Avenue in n mist. 1t looked bad
enough last night by lanp-light, but now il looks
like Phantom Broadway, extending through the
desert Of some rainry Arabia. Umbrella market very
| Understandable people, pushing their way one
by one, towards the Capitol, whose big dome rises
| up into the zinc sky, somewhere yonier An Office
hunter comes by. Has been here three weeks
Has moi seen old FAC, but has friend who has
How faded the poor fellow looks' What visions OF
Foreign missions float through his brain this misty
morning, with tempting 'onihisn at their heels -
Who can tell
In the hotel again Every body s,ares nj Won, and
you stare at every body. The musrnches look des
| perae-whiie crayat is smoking segar. The man
who wears his oyercoat on his shoulders, with The
sleeves hanging down his back, is pouring over the
hotel book with lack. lustre eyes Several hopeless
individuals mounted on high stools are drowsily
reading the fragments Of file of papers. Two mid
shipmen wander up and down, with very long segars
In their mouths and very bright glazed caps upon
their heads. O. for a book ANY kind of a book 10
cheer away or irighten oil the zine atmosphere Of a
zinc Sunday morning In Washington No book
no paper nothing but rain without and vacancy
within
Obtain an umbrella Go TO church. Hear ser
mon by the preacher who several weeks ago, when
Mrs. Polk came 10 the communion table her lat
communion as the Presidents wife made public
speech 10 her, addressing her g mrs President'
Think of that "Missus President
| Come home to hotel Dinner. Here they IRE
again, men with all sorts Of faces all sorts Of dresses
ali sorts of musiachcs How they eat Muttered
whispers Of politics and appointments as The dessert
appears. 81 have II, sir from friend who Is very
intimate with friend Of Major Bliss that the Col
| leciorshlp OF Tinicum is settled. Yes STRIP
! Alier dnncr-ran gone, clouds gone--a blessed
snnshiny Sunday afternoon, dust laid upon the Az
enne, and the big dome Of the Capitol looming up
| into sapphire sky
How they come ont 10 take the airl How they
pour along The Avenue! Office hunters coored
folks, pretty women, ugly women, old men and noisy
little boys Up and down the Avenue, all the after
noon, they pour In ono continued torrent. You can
tell the Office hunters by the bulk of their pock-
cts and the length ofther faces. Petitions in every
| pocket--brass and despair In every face.
Let's go TO the Capitol. Through the grounds, ZIP
the steps; look ut Washington multitude Of
houses looking as II they had been scared away
from each other, and were running IN all directions
| for their lives. That white building yonder is the
house of Old Zach. To tho left, beyond the wilder
| ness of mud you sec structure Of red sandstone.
Smithsonian Institute, which is being built in Moor
ish style. Twill be great affair The name of
mithson will be written the heart of posterity in
| red sandstone and Moorish minarets.
] Round to the other side Of the Capitol Do yon
sec that splendid piece of statnaryl Wherc1 Why
right above You, in front of those white washed pill
lars. o. yes. A big man in armor, with nine pin
ball in his fist, looking as ii he was contemplating
''ten strike" whilea halinaked woman. by his side
raises her eyes TO his face, as il nplorlng him to
come home 10 his poor wife and children. Pshaw.
| That 10 Columbus and the Indian girl. That ball
which you take for ninepn ball Is the Globe. o,
Is IN Let's go up the steps, and take closer view
Of these figures They are separated from us by an
iron railing; but we can see them clearly. Is not tile
| figure Of the Indian girl delicatel How easily she
| wears her draperyi What vastness what bulk what
solidily about this Indian maid Who talks Of Model
! Artists after that
! Up the Avenue again. Over bleak hills in clear
sky fades the setting sun. The first star wrinkles
over the White House. Tomorrow" bark 10 the
whisper OF these Office hunters-"fo-morrow we
Will get chance at Old I1ch!' And 70 ends sun
| lay In Washington,