Liberal Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1872-1???, 1873-10-18
Rrpnbliran.
DALLAS. SATURDAY OCT. Is
OUR NATIONAL CAPITAL.

COV0Elng-CO make IDelT way Ifom one |
locality to another The soil seems
peculiar TO pesron coming from a, hard
eahdY region like New England.
During the dry spells it is exceedingly
hard, and seems to be sandy, and as if
II would afford good tooting even in
wet weather; bat as soon as little
rain falls it begins to soften and grow
slippery, much as though it was being
covered with q coating of grease ; and
if rain continue for time ID becomes
sticky, like soft putty. The longer the
softer, more slippery, and sticky it
becomes, In fact, Washington street
soil has only to be wet little to form
the best kind of mud for making
road impossible one ever saw. During
che war the army expended much of
its strength in forcing passage
through it.
Much of the manner and system of
building is we'll. advanced, though,
as whole, work is not done as well as
the same class of work is at the North.
Brick is the material chiefly used
enough in the. more thsnly settled
districts there are many houses built
OF wood Stone is not much used,
excepting sparingIy, on the best houses
for trimmings and steps As a
substitute, though, for stone trimmings,
a party here has introduced galvanized
iron and we will venture to say that
there is no bettsr work Of its kind
done in the country. It is surprising
with what facility they shape this irod !;
they make anything in the line OF
eornicies, window caps, or capitals
which can be formed in wood or
stone.
There are a lumber Of very fine
iron fronts here. Stone and iron,
though, seem to be very costly so
oftentimes in brick work, where stone
or iron for posts, ,siIls, and lintels be used
used, wood is substituted. The conre-
quencs Of this is that in few years the
walls are badly cracked over the openings
It Is very rarely that the foundations
of buildings are laid with stone, and
made broad they are mostly laid wi h
brick, and quite narrow. The soil here
seems treacherous in spots, which is
probably owing to the presence of small
springs. This oftentimes causes a
settling in the pavement of the street
and in the foundations OF buildings,
which is is difficult to guard against
For this reason clayey soil is not as
good as a sandy soil for foundations
In passing along the streets one otter
discovers the undermining effect Of
the small springs. Their presence
neccessisates the constant repair of the
streets, and causes many rent in the
walls which the builder had supposed
20 be sufficiently strong to last for many
years. We think it would add much
to the durability of these brick walls
if they would put in the wide stone
foundations. Stone suitable for The
foundations is very abundant in the
immediate neighborhood, buf it is one
of those things which needs lit.
Gle more enterprise, combined with
capital, TO introduce into the market al
rates which builders will appreciate
This stone is very hard, and is similar
to the North River bluestone.
The city has a general market, on,
of the best in the country, and one o
which the Washingtouisns may we'll b.
proud. It large, airy, we'll arraigned
and well built the walls are of brick
and the roof, as to the main portion, i
of iron. The whole is essentially fire
ploof.
We have a very effective fir
department here. At the late grea
fire in Baltimore it was called upon t
lend hand. Two of the steamer
were sent, and the fremen did them
selves great credit by their quiet ye
sfectual way of combating tn
devouring element--the necessities O
the occasion particularly brought ou
their ingenuity.
The water supply of the city i
abundant. Previous to its introduc
tion the inhabitants depended upon th