The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-06-04

[For VALLEY VIRGINIAN.l
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.

| lMtROV EMENTS AT THE N tAlIlAtAL MEIEOFs
LIS-WONDERFUL sCHANGE-BOARD Q
PUBLIC WORKS-CHARGES OF EXTRAV4
'' CANOE AND CORRUPTION-ssGREAT CIR
AND LITTLE WOOL'7-POLITICSM MIXED q
WITH THE QUESTION OF IMPROVEMENT
CIVIL RIGHTS BILL-ITs PROBABL
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, &C., &C., Sc
WASHINGTON, May 25, 1874
Two subjects are engrossing eager publ
attention at this particular moment. The dis
trict investigation, and the civil rights bill
which has just passed the Senate.
With reference to the former, the tale
briefly told
A few years ago. not farther back than 1856
Washington city was about the most forbid
ding locality in the United States, the least in
wiling in all its broad eXtent-sO much so, tina
the visitor that happened within its limits lef
it, ever and anon, with feelings of disgust,
not Of shame. The streets were but series o
qua ,mires, deep 1uts, and dangero us hole
and gulleys. Every day during the winter
from November to May, one might see in an,
part of the City, north of the line Of the old ca
nal. stalled wagon, cart, or hack, Or an upse
vehicle of some kind. Passage through thu
streets with safety, was the exception, not tht
rule. The pedestrian could scarcely pass ovel
from one street to another, without furnishing
the boot-black a hard job, or himself with
drenched feet Mud was, as cotton used to be-
Knights empire universal and imperial. The
repairers of Wagons, carts, hacks, and all
classes of vehicles held high carnival; but theil
occupation, like Othello's, is gone now,
For the once rough, miry, quaggy streets, are
beautiful pass ways, so smooth and level that
the noise or jostling Of locomotives is scarcely
perceptible. Beautiful parking, with its green
aspect, salutes you at every step that you make
along the well-graded and elegantly paved
streets. Majestic private residences, under the
impulse of magnificent improvements, project
ed and consrmmated, under the auspices of the
Board of Public works, have risen up all over
the City, and are going up every day. The
numerous and spacious public reservations,
| hitherto undistinguished as such, beautified by
| gushing fountains and varied ornamental en-
bellishments, present an almost Elysian aspect.
| The old canal, once hideous eye sore, and
nursery of mosquitoes and malaria and posi-
tive disgrace to the City, has been filled up.
and smooth, broad streets run along the course
of it's once pistiferous and ugly channel. Prop
erty has quadrupled i'll value, and millions of
capital, owing to the diversified improvements
and beauties of the City, have been attracted
hither for investment, and still it comes. In
| truth, the capital has been transformed in the
short space Of three years, into one Of the most
| beautiful cities ON the globe. The Washington
city of to-day, is the magnificent and elegantly
appointed drawing-room, in contrast with the
rough, dingy cook-room. One might well inn
! aeine that Aladdin with his wonderful lamp
had been about. No one who knew the City
in 1862 and knows it now, will dispute the jus
tice of this tribute to the Board Of Public
| works. Indeed, the transformation is abso-
lutely wondrous- almost defying belief, and
yet the Board Of Public works that did all this
has been assailed with the EXTREMIST bitterness,
and charged with wastefut extrstvsees and
absolute corruption. The reason is supposed
to be that the investigating movements had its
origin, like many other things, in politics
may be, in 'sdemocratic' hankering after the
spols; for it is a singular circumstance that
nearly all the leading instigators of theinvesti-
eating movements-the assailants Of improve
ment and its authors, the Board of Public
works. are old time Democrats, of deepest dye,
who, in times OF yore, fattened to gorgng
wealth on Democratic spoils. Long fastin g
has doubtless whetted their appetites and made
them hungry, and hence they are striking
for the re-possession of the City government
But they are destined to disappointment, for it
is generally conceded that every charge has
been met and disapproved, and that the i'm
proyements already completed are worth many
times more than the cost, and have LAID the
foundation for making the national Capital the
most beautifui and attractive City Oil TIT
| earth.
In the desperation to fix blame and wrong
sort, brought forward a witness, evidently
trained for their object, Mr.. Adolph Cluss, Il
III .mber Of the Board, whose remarkable state
ments produced at first some sensation, but 1t
| turned out on cross examination that this evI-
IDENTIFY well-drlled and certainly well riddled
testifier failed to make any complaint OF report
or exposure of the frauds and corruptlons to
which he had testified before cross examination,
thus establishing himself his own infamy and
unworthiness of belief; and that he had utter
tered many and downright falsehoods until he
was compelled by the shameful exposure pub
licly made Of him to confess that there a1as no
fs.uH on the part Of the Board, and that he had
never designed to make any such imputatlon
This matter of the improvement OF Washing
ton City is far from being mere City concern.
It is matter of national import and interest,
a concern of every patriotic and proud citizen
of the United States. And the whole nation
will sooner OF later realize it's indebtedness
to the patriotic and brave public servants, who
in defiance Of clamor and obloquy, adhered to
their laudable purpose OF making the national
Capital a beautiful and great City.
Nor can it be doubted that Governor Shep-
herd, whose immovabe integrity has been tri-
umphantly demonstrated by this investigation,
and whose sagacity, patriotism. and staunch
courage, have been most signally exhibited
and indicated, from first to last will come in
time to be regarded great public benefactor.
One tn1ng worthy OI HOle LII tlls ColleC-
tion-that this grand work, giving to the nation
a capital worthy Of its grandeur and renown,
enanated from, and was consummated by,
Republicans. The Republican oarty may we'll
make it one Of its many boasts The liberal
policy party it certainly is.
The civil rights bill, it is supposed by many,
will not be passed at the present session, most
probably, it will go over to the short session.
Senator Lewis has written to some person IN
Portsmouth, Va, a very strong letter against
the policy Of the BILL particularly as to its rlll
nous effects upon the educational interests OF
the coiored race. 1t is very powerful paper,
and must produce a profound impression. His
son-in-iaw, J, Amber Smith, whose indepen-
dence and rising prospects have been well no
ted, fearlessly has taken like position.
1t is understood here that Gen. Grant does
not favor the measure in the form in WHICH it
came from the Senate.
CLINTON.
CANNIBALIsM IN Washington,
May 25.-The agent Los Pinos Indian Agency,
Colorado, reports to the Commissioner OF In
dian affairs the circumstances by which five
men lost their lives lately while ON the Ute tn