Owyhee semi-weekly tidal wave. [volume] (Silver City, Owyhee County, Idaho Territory) 1868-1869, 1869-04-27
Letter from Joe.
APRIL 10th. 1869.

y.
socially and politically, needs few general
observations Washington is supposed to be
the Capital Of the United States. is situated
on the east bank of the Potomac River, IN
the District of Columbia The boundaries
Of the district consist OF circle of hills, CIV
ing the location OF the city very sunken,
low down appearance-very proper perhaps;
but such place is not inspiring, and does
not show off domes and monuments very
effectively But as there are none TO show
of yet, guess it don't matter. In other
words, Washington is naturally considerable
of mudhole, and otherwise il is decidedly
filthy pool But it is the plan OF Washing
ton that is so suggestive to the strange eve.
1t was mapped out by a Frenchman, whose
stomach had more TO do with il than his
brain-he had been living on frogs and catch
ing them himself To get good idea Of the
plan, you must so to the top of the Capitol
dome in a clear day. As the fare is up again
by the Panama route, would advise you TO
and you may be enabled to see a nice day
for that purpose. II was intended that the
Capitol should be in the center of the city,
like the hub Of a wagon wheel and that the
streets and avenues should represent the
spokes, and the hills surrounding the felloes
The intention was fine, but there is a proverb
:. full e int
tions > In the ''better days of the Repub-
lic' toh J, the plan may have been good
one; but they got the Treasury Building and
| White House a mile and half 10 the rear OF
the Capitol, "a at the other end of the ave
nue." There is only one avenue and that is
Pennsylvania Avenue There are enough of
with roofs slanting into it, to make it visible
to the naked eye, Wizards Hotel is little
nearer the Treasury and White House than
TO the Capitol The avenue runs from the
Capitol a little in a northwest direction. The
Treasury and the White House both being
lat the other end Of the avenue, ? the city
Il call it city for Convenience naturally
built up lop-sided, and wrong side foremost.
| The Capitol fronts eastward where there is
no one living at all, and nobody goes into it
| except from the back way. | expect that is
all right, however; for have got TO hear OF
any one gong there except by some back
side means. Away oil to the n0rthward OF
| the avenue, and midway Of that historic
thoroughfare are located the Patent and
Postofiice buildings. This sums up all there
is OF Washington as a Capital city. You can
| fill the triangle with shabby brick houses OF
revolutionary pattern, and you have all there
| is of Washington at best Take out the
three or four public buildings and the real
estate wouldn't sell for one hundred dollars
an acre The magnili cent distances . be
tween the different public places keep you
travelling all the time 10 get anywhere, and
when you get there you ain anywhere; and
so you keep going back and forwards like the
fellow rolling the stone to the top Of the hill,
&c. ] know of no greater punishment on
earth than 10 be in Washington and have no
business tberc-as every one that goes there
hasn't. | expect If the White House were
removed 10 the front side of the Capitol that
side Of the town would improve; as it is the
outline of the place looks like diluted cob
web. studded on the sides with dead flies.
| The plan was evidently the last stretch OF a
/ 10
consists of upwards Of fifty thousand blacks
and whites-the latter gaining on the former,
il am any judge OF physiognomy. The
whites are either engaged as clerks in hotels,
hash houses or government departments.
The city consists of just three kinds oi
houses-hash houses, white houses and
other houses too numerous TO mention. The
male clerks barely live by the skin Of their
teeth, and the females-don't begin to; yet
they look sleek and happy-if not yirtuous.
The magnificent distances " make big
business for a large number Of hacks or
black garages. The Capital city OF the ma
ton is on the wrong side Of the river-it
should be on the under side. Had 1t been
on Arlington flights, on the west bank OF
the Potomac, and been built Hastily after'a
convenient plan, it would have been some
thing of success and perhaps slightly cred
table TO the nation As 1t Is, the location is
abominabIe, the plan most damnable, and
the result a public nuisance. There is not
single public building except the White
House, that is not patchwork both in It's
material and construction The middle oil
sand stone, then an addition of granite and