The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-19
THE WINTER IN WASHINGTON.
Society Gossip-Thc Arlington and ths
Fashionable Qunrtcr-The Palace oi
Congress and its Luxurics.

A gosslpping Washington letter, alluding to
the preparations for the coming winter in the
capital, says:
Members of Congress are thickly here, set
ting their houses in order for the session.
Whether it is so or not, everybody believes
that we are to have festive winter. The be-
lief comes in part from the fact that the ses-
sion Is to be one OF that longer order not lin
tied by the fatalities of March. Every day we
are hearing either of some new notable who
will entertain, or some paryenu VINO VIII 0e-
come q notable through entertainment. Fish
and his Assistant Secretary, Fernando Wood
and score or more, are among the number
Then Corcoran's new hotel, the Arling-
ton, is to become grand centre of
attraction. The whole town is cantering
up around that. All about there for square
or two, under the shadow of It's lofty caves
will make such court circle as Washington
has not known formerly. For beggarly
Italian to get his peanut stand In the edge OF
twill be to be in good society; at least 1t IL
likely to be so regarded here, where society
regulates itself by very strange caprices. I
have spoken with half dozen gentlemanly
elephants already, who, by the right of long
purses, propose TO take winter quarters at the
Arlington. Great business shrewdness was
evidenced. in the choice of this euphonious
name. 1t rolls under the tongue like an aris-
tocratic morsel, and to Mrs. Pastediamonds
will be irresistible. Inside of this huge show
temple there will be gathered, from January to
April, more members of the Veneerng family
than ever knotted together In one Washington
hotel before "Viue les bdgGtelleS, vanity and
velvet trains m will be the motto of that
house.
Meantime, at the other end Of the capital Is
heard, these two weeks, the unceasing sound
of hammer and trowel. The last repairs are
al fhn rn
being laid in the legislative chambers. This
laying of carpets is the last touch to the capi-
tol before the coming ola Congress. Brus-
sells carpet lasts the House of Representatives
lust three years; the Senate four or five years.
In proportion to size, the two chambers have
about an equal populOusness of members. But
your Congressman in the Lower House Is al
ways walking the floor, shullling his feet, ex-
pectorating on the carpet, and uneasy general
iy until he gets into the Senate, where they
have better poised manners, If not morals.
This accounts for the difference of time
in wear OF carpets. They are putting down
masterpiece OF new English Brussels
in the Representative hall, u massive
green, threaded with gold. This carpet Is ex-
pected to last year longer than usual, as
Washburne, who was always snorting and paw
ing there, is happily shifted to Versailles. Let
rEnapere,ir look out for his tdpet. On the
DSCAA
tered and polished so elaborately as for the
coming session. 1t has been repaired inside
and outside during the summer, with cost
without stint. Taking everything into consid-
Grafton, it Is now the cOmpietest palace in the
world. All mans bodily and mental needs
can be furnished inside of it. Sleeping on the
luxurious sofas of his committee room, by the
light and warmth of hickory-wood fires, draw
ing for his intellectual wants on the great
library and for those of the stomach on The
splendid saloons below, a bachelor Congress
man, with quiet tastes, would not have to so
out of the building from December until May.
1t might be well if the constituents of some Of
them would swear them before coming here to
keep within such prudent limits.
Closing for the present this sketch of Wash
lngtOn winter preparation, the perspective
now indicates that Arlington House and the
capitol building will be the two model points
of our society-the former for display of the
vanity of women, the latter for the vanity OF
men.