Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-17
WASHINGTON.

First ImpressiOns-GOssAp About So.
eIety, Fine EquSPages, Private Res
licences, etc.-HOw Madame Cataca-
Nv ReLaIiRted upon the Washington
Ladies.
To the Editors OF the Union and American:
WASHINGTON, Dec. u, 1S71.-Washing-
ton Is truly the 'city of magnificent distan-
ces." The streets are immensely wide
and it takes a pedestrian some time to move
from one public building to another. One
has to 20 in conveyance of some kind to
behold the wonders of Washington in a
short time. The streets are all being torn
I'D and relHid with asphslte pavement, which
when finished, will make them the most de-
lghthIl ever driven Over-from their width
and sEaoothness. pennsylvania avenue"
Is the street Of Washington. 1t is also very
wide, ard seven b heaven when one Is
drivias in en- open uOitTe over its Nichol-
son pa~ement. IL is on this promenade on
Saturday afternoons one beholds the beaux
AID bellies Of the beau monde of the city.
The bon ton, however, principally drive in
handsome eqUipAgeS. Washington is GER
minly schc" in handsome turnouts.
y iils horses seem to be more in vogue
here than in some other cities-almost all
the handsome private carriages sport white
horses.
THE CHURCHES.
There are few handsome churches here
unlike Chicago. The Church of the EpI
hEany-which is a very high church-is very
common looking on the exterior, though
neat and rather elegant in the interior. st.
Johns Church, Episcopal also, is exceedingly
common both in and out. st. Mathews,
Catholic, though old and plain looking on
the exterior, is well adorned with statuary
and paintings the music is very fine. st.
Aloysus, Catholic, is the most fashionable
and has the finest music in the city. Gen.
Grant being Methodist, his sataliles often
60 to the church he attends to catch view Of
the great Mogul. Washington is not far
ahead of Nashville in point of churches; she
is satisfied with her public buildings.
THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The Capitol of course is qand and inn
mcnse, and the king of public buildings in
America. The Treasury, the Patent Office,
and the Postoffice are all large and hand
some but one is somewhat disappointed
when one beholds what one has heard of
and read of from infancy-as majestic!
enormous! etc. TO any one with senti-
ment or feeling, TO stand in the old Senate
chamber where once the voices of so many
ktNoAilOuo pau nus llOliA al peAAbo " 80
Union, reYerbated in tones of mighty
eloquence, and to feel that they have all
psssed away, a feeling of religious awe
and veneraton thrills over you as you gaze
around the now deserted chamber.
The White House is decidedly the White
House, and in the opinion of an humble
Individual, something too modest for
Presidential mansion.
MADAME CATACAZY.
There are many handsome private resi-
dences here, that of the rich Mr. CorcO-
ran being the largest and handsomest. l
street is the fashionable street. The resi-
dence of the Russian Minister is upon it.
1t is handsome brown stone house. The
on dit here is that Madame Catacazy retail
lated upon the ladies of the beau-monde
by her appropriation of the Grand Duke to
h rself. AS they had turned the cold
sl.oulder upon her, she reyenged herself by
n IT inviting any of them to her reception
Of the Grand Duke.
PRIVATE RESIDENCES, HOTELS AND
STORES.
One feature of Washington is that every
tllird house one passes has small paper at
tached to the front door, with Furnished
rooms for rent which rooms are very gen.
orally taken by Senators and Congressman,
with some exceptions. They rent suites of
apart,uepis for themselves and families, and
haze their meals sent TO them privately.
Such is the mode of living here of the
-, onscript Fathers" unless il is few of
Lem, who are rich, and rent houses. The