Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-03-04
WHEELING, va, MONDAY. M0RNING, NJ
MARCH 4. 1861

a ,satlrleal sketch OF Wash,nr1on
Slty-Its Wonders and ImeOnsIS-
tehsles'
The Atlantic monthly has a humorous
and sattrical article on Washington, which
closes in this wise.
The listof the uaique prodigies of Wash.
ipRton Is without limit. BIT maFvels
he"ped together cease to be marvellous, and
! OF all places in the world, Il museum is
tue most tiresome. So, amid the wbirl
anu roar of winter-lile in Washington.
when one has no time to read, write or
think, and scarcely time To cut, drink or
sleep, when the days hy like hours. mud
/ Tue brain reels under the excitement of
the protrarted debnnrh, life becomes an
INTO, ,erao!e bore. Yet the place has an.
intense fascination for thosu who suffer
/ ln"Sl seutely from the tsdiuR, rite, to which
every one IS more or less the prey; and men
ana women who have lived in Washington
are seldom conteuted elsewhere. The
.notus istNrn TO the flaming candle to Le
consumed.
In CONCLUSION. it must be admitted that
Washington is the elysium of oddities, the
lln9o ofa6surdities, an imbrogiio of ludi-
erous anomalies. Planned on a scale OF
surprising grandeur its architectural execu,
!ipii IS almost contemptible. Blessed with
lhe name of the purest uf men, it has the
reputation of SodOm. The seat of the law
m"klnE power. is the center of violence
and disorder, which tlisLurbs the peace
and harmony of the whole Rppublic-the
chosen resort for duelimg, claudestine
'n!rriagcs, and the most stupendaus thefts.
IL is city without commerce, mud with
out manufactures; or, rather, its commerce
n -, L..
paper correspondents, who weave tissues
ot fiction out of the warp of rumor and the
web OF Prevarication. The site of the Uni
teu states treasnEy-it is the home of
everything but nffluenee. It's public build
ings are splendid. its private dwellings
generally sTualid. The houses nre low
the rents high; the streets are broad. the
crossings narrow; the sqra-eS are triangles.
except that Os the capital, which is oval:
ald the wnter is soft that it is hard 10
drink 1t, even with the admixture of al.
cohOl.
has monument that will never he
flushed, Capitol that is to lrnvo dome.
. Scientitic Institute which does uothiup
3nt report the rise aud fall of the tlcF-
mometer, and two pieces OF, equestrian
statuary which it would be waste of tine
10 crlttcise. Ii bOasts streamlet, dirni-
lied by the name of the river Tiber. and
this strcamlet is OftlIe size and much the
appearance of a vein in l. dirty man's arm.
u has canll, but the canal is a mud-nud-
die one-halt the day, and an empty ditch
during the other.
In spite of the labors of the Smilhsonisp
Institute, il has 40 particular we ,ther. 1t
has the climates of ali parts of the habita.
Ole globe. 1t rains. halls, SHOWS. blows,
freeze aud mtlts in Washington, all In tie
! space OF tweuty-fuur hours. After fort
night Of steady rain the sun shines ont,
aud in half an hour the. streets are filed
! with clouds of dust.
l PF9Perty. 10 Washington Is exceedtnrly
sensitive, the people alsrmingly oalIoas.
lhe men are fine looking, the women
homely The latter have plain faces.
i1 but magnificent busts and graceful figures
The former have. an imposing presence
anG an empty pocket. n great name and n
small conscience. Notwithstanding all
these imPedirnents and disadynntspes.
Washington is progressing rapidly. Il Is
last becoming large city, bnt it must al-
ways remain deserted village in the sum
mer. It's destiny is that of the Union. IL
VIII be- tho greatest capital the world ever
saw, or it will be IA parched place in the
wilderness, salt-laud and moi inhabited. y
anu every one that ptsseth thereby shall
be nsionished and wag his head"