The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-07-24
WASHINGTON ClTY, July 10th. 1861.


ent office which "did" this morning. The
patent office and that of the "Interior" are
both located in the same herculianly pro-
portioned builing, Of a somewhat mixed up |
order of architecture, which is by no means
so fine in general effect as the Treasury and
Post Office buildings; which, perhaps with
the exception Of the Capitol, are the finest
in the city.
Whew It is hot! Not merely warm, as
with US, but uncomfortably hot. So much
so, that if you are fortunate enough to have
leisure, you instinctively seek the shade of
the Congressional or Presidential grounds,
amusing yourself by watching the playing
fountains, and the golden carp swimming
in the marble.basins, or saunter into the
marble, shaded, court yard at "Willards,"
where fountain is sending its spray fifty
feet into the air, and descending in showers
upon the broad backs Of the real green sea
turtles, which. are lazily and clumsily
swimming in the basin. Verify Washing
ton is pleasant place when it is not too
hot. The entire basement of the Capitol
building is at present occupied as store.
house for -four and gigantic bakery is in
full blast therein.
If it were not for the undisnificd hustle
that is constantly going on in the House
of Representatives, and the members were
clothed in eastern costume, instead of in
mongrel mixture, of broad cloth and linen
coats,-yo might easily imagine yourself
in some grand Eastern Calephate or Tenn
pie. The architecture is markedly sara
cenic, and half dozen pages jump at the
decidedly eastern habit Of clapping hands;
which the members practice, when they
want anything Of the numerous boy atten-
dants. The reporters seem to have not
little difficulty in hearing what is said on
the floors Of congress, especially in the
house, and the impression is decided that
there has been an almost fatal effect in the
acoustic arrangement Of the halls. The
Patent Office is an immense quadrangle,
with neat court yard in the center, "a
common and favorite style Of building in
Washing1on), where two fountains are
playing The portion open to the public
between the hours CT 10 a. m. and 324 p.
M, is in the second story, above the vast
and elevated basement; this is again divid-
ed into two stories; the upper being mere
gallery, attained by various flights of stairs.
Here are the models that have been accu-
mulating since the formation Of the govern.
ment; the presents that various nations
have made to our own; the cloths, secrcta-
ry, sword, cane, camp chest, tent, &C., &C.,
used and worn by Gen. Washington during
his revolutionary campaigns. Here rests
the combined results Of the ingenuity of
the universal Yankee Nation. 1t is viii.
derness of wonders in upright gl,ss cases
nearly every quarter IF the world has con,
tributed something to this, our National
show room A month would not suffice to
enable me even to look at each object in
this magnificent museum of invention ane
natural and artificial curiosties.
wish to say somewhere, that could
not but be conscious of an unfulflled duty
if neglected to give you my convictions
and impressions of our delegation IN Con
gress:
Hon. Jas. w. Grimes, said to be the rich
y est man in the State of Iowa, is the Grand
Mogul of the delegation. He is acquiring
an enyiable and influential position in The
senate, and is already recognized as lead
ing man. lie is getting gray, wears I
' moustache, and is dignified even to gruf
, mess. Mr. Harlan is the most soft-spokeI
" and amiable hammered of our members
= He has always been favorite with the pco
E pie Of Iowa, and justly, for he is consci
;, entious and faithful Senator. He is quie
gentlemanly man, with light hair combee
across bald spot 'on the top Of the head.
:, Col. Curtis is our military man. He is
- graduate of West Point, and will join hi
= regiment in Missouri as soon as Congress
adiourns. He is a rather heavily built
J. dark complexioned, double chinned, digni
fed gentleman, of evidently good educa
: ton a man who has seen much of life ant
S the world, and is recognized (as are all ou
J. delegation) as an uncompromising support
. er Of the administration. Hon. VIM. Van
Il dever, our own particular member, is tall
IS middle aged, rather slender, well built, higt
Z browed, somewhat bronzed complexionet
) man, always neat in his dress, as he is care
fsl in his speech and clean in his heart.
e have known him from a boy, long and we'll
v and as am very apt to be enthusiastic il
l. describing any man (or wcman) that l mucf
It admire, will only say, that in all the re
l lations of life Mr.. Vandever has ever proved
c himself eminently worthy Of the confidence
It of Northern Iowa; and I speak what d.
e know, when l say that Northern Iowa will
n do itself a grievous wrong, if it allows hin
S to be supplanted in its affections, by any
= one.
:, Before closing this communication wisl
: to say, that consider the so called princi
' pie of rotation in oficc, to be most disas
. trous to our interests, when applied to faith
full members Of Congress- Everybody a
all conyersant with matters and things .
It Washington, knows that q green member
II can accomplish but little; and that if
S member has acquired useful and decided
influence, even during his second term, HI