Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-01-14
Washington As 1t Was.

vhe National lnteligencer In giving some
sresting statistics of the olden times
zubishes the following: ia
at was not until the year 1900 that tht
government was actually transferred. from
Philadelphia In June ofs that year Mr.
Walter Wolcott, then Secretary Of the
Treasury, taking time BY the forelock, came
to the city, that he might ascertain wheth
er the building which had been erected fol
the accommodation Of his department would
suffice for that purpose. On the 4th Of July
he addressed to Mrs. Wolcott, in letter
which he thus describes his first impressions
of the city,"
al write this letter in the building erect.
ed for the use of the Treasury Department
in the City of Washington; and, this being
a day of leisure, shall be able to give you
some idea of this famous place, the perma.
nent seat of American Government.
"The City of Washington, or at least some
pa,t of it, is about forty miles from Baltimore
The situation is pleasant, and indeed beau.
tiful prospects are equal to those which are
called good on Connecticut river; the soil is
here called good, but I call i, bad 1t is an
exceedingly stifsreddish clay, which be.
comes dust in dry, and mortar in rainy
at [the Presidents Housed was built to
be looked at by visitors and strangers, and
will render its occupant an object of ridicule
with some and of pity with others. It must
be cold and damp in winter, and cannot be
l,,t t,tar4a1,1a ,x,iforS nj ant M
servants.
"The Capitol is situated on an eminence,
which | should suppose was near the centre
Of the immense country here called the ctty
Ii is mile and half from the Presidents
House and three miles on straight line
from Georgetown There isone good tavern
about forty rods from the Capitol. and seveTal
other houses are built and erecting ). but do
not perceive how the members Of Congress
can possibly secure lodgings, unless they
will consent to live like scholars in col
lege or monks in a monastery, crowded ten
or twenty in one house, and utterly secluded
from society The only resource for such IS
wish to live comfortably will, think, be
found in GEORGETOWN, three miles distant,
ouer as bad road w scssster as the clay
grounds near Hartford.
al have made every exertion to SECURE
good lodgings near the office, but shall be
compelled to take them At the distance Of
more than half mile. There are, in fact
but four houses in any one place, and most
them small, miserable huts, which present an
awful contrast to the public buildings. The
people are poor, and, asIfarsas can Judge
they live like fishes, by eating each other
All The ground for several miles around the
city being, in the opinion Of the people, too
valuable 10 be cultivated retHains nnfenced.
There are but few enclosures, even for gar
dens and those are IN bad order. You may
look in almost any direction, over an extent
of ground nearly as large as the city of New
York, without seeing q fence OF any object
except brick-kilns and temporary h1ts for
Iaborers. X n 4 Greenleaf's Point
presents the appearance ola considerable,
town which had been destroyed by some
unusual calamity. There are Tat GreenleaHS
PointI fifty or sixty sprcious houses, five or
six of which are occupied by negroes and
Migrants, and a few more by decent work
ing people; but there are no fences, gardens,
nor the least appearance of business. This
place is about mile and ahaIf south of the
Capitol" s
We would be happy publish tle whole of
the Intelligencer's article, but It's extreme
length forbids.s We therefore close with
the following summary Of its population:
@The following statistical tables, Which
except the last, havesbeen heretofore given
in our paperyat their respective dates, will
present condensed yiewof the progress
Of population in the city for the last fifty
three years. The first period includes the
members Of the q Government clerks and
others, who came here with the slansfer Of
the seat Of government, Is we'll as Ill The
artizans and labofsfs employed On The pub