The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-12-23

THE FEAruETS or \ ASlItSGrON CtrN
EpNRpING-HOl ~.

At this time of the year IA corrcspon-
dent of the Louisville COUrrl-.iutpnU'
wrltosl. Il proan usually asccnds from
the Capital CITY of dull times and Il
community ovcrhurdcncd with the evils
consequent upon abscntcoism. The
streets at this season usually look de
serted. and the hotels and all business
places look furlorn III their emptiness.
The Centennial Exhibition has changed
all that this year. and the city has been
full all Summer. rs most of the tourists
stop day in Washington before or after
;ioing to Philadelphia. Every hotel has
been full through the Summer and Au-
tumn. and many of the boarding houses
have likewise come III for share of the
harvest
The WASHINGTON boarding house is of
its own kind and. witha few exceptions
rov fcwin place where boarding.
houses arcso plentiful the kind is not
of sort to I've encouraged, The furni-
turo. rs Il rule. is of the oldest and shah
hicst description. or. il new. of the
cheapost the carpets are worn. the win
dow shades out of order. and always
ready to tumble down on your head on
the smallest provocation. Thccurtains,
when there are any. are darncd, or III
holes. or very much soilcd. perhaps all
three. and in thirteen years. have
never seen complete iirc-sct III any
house. Tho only fire utensils generally
provided. where amy are furnished. are
an old shovel. poker that has been
used for every purpose. including noe
turnal eat warfare and the pryinS open
Of boxes. and pc,has dccrcpit pair of
tongues that should have been retired
from active duty long since. This be-
ing the case fear the Centennial tourist
will not be moro favorahly disposed
toward lodgings in Washington than ]
was in Philadelphia. just now these
places appear especially forlorn. rs by
long established custom. Il custom Dor
rowcd from Virginia and Maryland. car
pots are taken M here early IN the Sum
mcr and the floors are left bare until
October ut least. and sometimes until
November. when Congressman are cX-
pcctcd to come and engage rooms for
tho Winter Then are the glorious
times with mine hosts. who are for the
most part of tn" feminine gender IN tins
city, take there case in their inns. and
and are fully prepared To rcpcl board
crs whose appearance and conversation
does not Indicate Il plcthorlc pocket
book. I'VE expect to let our rooms to
n member" they will say, "for double
what vo~ would give" with an emphasis
of unmistakablc contempt on the pro
noun. They always live III expectation
of II big streak of luck in the shape of II
member who is TO pay fabulous prices
and get nothing in return but II scantily
furnished sitting groom. miScrabl" bed
and bed chamber and unstvoury food
when he happens to he in ut mcaltimc,
rs it is hoped he will not be in often.
This ideal "mcmbcr' is usually unmar-
ricd, or unaccomlanicd by wife. Tor
women arc voted II nuisance 10y landla-
dies who offer for rent lodgings such rs
| have Indicated. Women SEQ when
things are out of order. and even dare to
ask to have their rooms swept and busted
Oftcncr than once Il week, and Their WIN
lows washed ut least once II month; and
they stay in the house and don't give
the andlady the use Of their rooms for
the greater portion of the time Yes,
and they are even SO audaclons rs to OBJ
jcct to her presence at any and all times,
and prefer. when they entertain com
lr,ny in the public parIors, to entertain
their own guests unaSsistcd 10y the nr-
lanc hostess. who always wishes to
make inquiries about friends whom
everybody is supposed to know. The
wrctchcl man who, unguar'lcd by wife.
mother or sister, ventures alone into
these lodgings is little likely. on return
ing to his constituency, when the season
is over, to give rise to the Shakspcarcan
query: con what meat doth this our
Caesar feed, that he has grown so
crcat?' Rather will II be asked con
what fare hath this our representative
starved that he has grown so lean !?
How shall this will-o'thc- wisp maintain
our cause against the bloatcd bondhold-
err" | consider it rather important that
my reader should be made aware Of the
sacrifices their Representatives. and Sen
ators make to serve them. Then it is
important in another way. a French
provcrb runs: "Tcll me whom you
love and ! will tell You who You are"
And so | would say: ''Tcll me what IA
Congressman eats and ] will tell you
how he will lcgislatc." ] am inclined
to the opinion that there is IL natural
connection between food and legislation
Did not the Germans call their Con
grcss u Diet? Do we not label our vol
umes of laws digest? Yet many Of
them might appropriately be labeled in
digestion. just as Holmes wished To
mark some mOrosc tones in his library
pie crust" so | would label some vol
umes of the acts of Congress, tcrrapin