Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-10-27
Our Washington letter.
WASHINGTON, Oct. "a, 1870.

WASHINGTON, Oct. "A, 1870.
There is perhaps no more noteworthy
circumstances transpiring above board i'll
Washington at the present time than the
paving of Pennsylvania Avenue.
To those who may be able to look be-
hind the scenes and notice the various
little mapipulations transporting not in
tended for the public gaze, this would sink
into insignifcance but for the people
generally it furnishes the entertainment
of the hour. For long time the City
Fathers, the wise men of the nation, and
everybody else, have thought that the old
cobblestone pavement on this-the widest
paved street in the world-but poorly ac-
corded with its dignity and Surroundings
W dislike to speak harshly of the pass
ing away. The faults and foibles of the
past, now powerless to harm us, we like
to cover with the mantle of silent charity.
The old pavement bad its virtues, if it
also had failings After having done duty
for thirty years it is found true to its
trnst-sonnd rs ever. But what is stable,
tried consistency when compared with
superficial glitter in the prospective? The
old pavement has been condemned, and is
now being carried eff to do duty In less
conspicuous places. The street is being
surveyed and graded up, in some place;
raising the curb three feet from it,
present grade, the object being to get an
uniformity of surface near approaching a
water level, so that when finished an object
Of three feet dimensions upon any part O
the pavement can be discerned from thu
most remote point, distance of q mile
and a half. the distance between the Capt.
toll and Treasury.
If it be asked why l write of this a
length, the mere paving of a street gener
ally being matter OF little interest to tn
remote world, [ reply, that, as this i
{ being done entirely under the supervision
of commission composed in part 0
, government officials, and portion of tn
: expense borne by the government, III
honest reading masses, who pay the take
) and for whose benefit I write, are sup
posed to be interested and have right t
know.
1t was an easy matter to dispose of tn
old pavement,-mueh easier, apparently
= than to decide upon its successor; an
: here comes in the query, which provoke
much comment, wonder and apprehen
sion a wooden pavement was deter
{ mined upon, but the commission seeme
: utterly unable to choose between the van
;, ious patents now in use. Ii seems almost
wonder that such cities as New York
Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago shout
q not have thoroughly established the ques
= ton of wooden pavements before now, s
3 that in making selection for this, GU
commissioners, upon the strength of thei
experiments, could have made defnit
: of pavements were represented here b
o their agents, who doubtless understoo
{ how to work their cards those havin
: the matter in charge spent days wit
] them in canvassing the question of pave
0 ments, during which time it is to be pre-
sumed that they ate, drank, and slept a
usual. Finally our papers one mornin
a announced the indisposition of a prom
g nent member of the commission, whic
must necessarily delay the work-indi'
: position "caused by Deer cork and til
I, naal1riOuS condition of the climate" Fol
4 tunately being soon restored to healt
o matters proceeded, but when it came I
n the striking point, it would seem from til
Is result that the commission were now abb
!, to decide within four of which patent
g were the best for the purpose, and col
: cluded to take them all, SO Pennsylvani
i avenue is to be dressed in coat of man
colors; four different kinds Of pavemer
!, are to be used, known as the "Follansbe
+ Robbins" MILLER" and "Stowe" patent
e There are doubtless the best of reason
I for doing this, which, however, do not az
pear. The idea is nothing new. Long ag
!, an explorer in Africa on awaking from
! sleep found himself surrounded by hos
IS of pretty women in African costume.