The Republican journal., 1876-06-29
Letter from Washington.
Correspondence CT the Journal.

i
| and write you this morning looking down from
| upper window at the Arlington upon buildings that
are as familiar as the faces of friends, and which
| seem very like friends when have been so long
| among places that were wholly strange Unless
you have been in Washington in June You do not
| know how exquisite it is. You havd heard OF its
intense heat, but on Saturday the mercury climbed
ten degrees higher in Philadelphia than it did here,
| and | find the wide streets and open parks give
ample space for the south wind from the lower
| Potomac to give US constant breeze. Boston
gentleman said last evening that he had suffered less
here than he would at home. I'll admit that Penn
sylvana Avenue has Il horrid pavement, but aside
from that, Washington is my pearl of cities, and Pm
thinking how magnificent it will be when the years
of another generation have perfected its parks and
allowed its trees to mature their beauty.
| On Saturday we drove down to hear the Marine
Band in the Presidents grounds and was surpris-
ed at the extent of this years Improvements. The
ground has been graded all about the attempt at a
| Washington monument carefully sodded and plant
ed with thrifty young trees. The lakes have their
graceful fountains and the sunlight Of the dying day
sent floods of radiance reaching the lawn be
low the White House, to break into thousands of
shining lances against the gayly dressed crowds
who were listening to the band. Coming from the
Quaker city, where sober is the custom al
ways, and where just the prevailing toilette is
travelling dress, the bright colors and delicate fab
RIGS worn here strike very forcibly. You can't
think how especially pretty they made the scene on
Saturday The band of COURSE wore their scarlet
uniform and all about them clustered the pctur-
esque throngs, to whom the concert
treat Then we drove away down to the grounds
about the agricultural department. The glory of
the roses has gone, but other blossoms are in pcrec
ton, and Mr.. Saunders has made of all the grounds
| n mosaic of living beauty. Then we drove down TO
the Avenue, and We're jocd until Judge Allen
marked he wished there was a law obliging mem
bers of Congress to ride there till they appropriated
money enough for its repaving, and the NJ c. who
was of the party informed that the appropriation
had already been made. We passed GOV, Shepherds
new building, the Of Twelfth street. Every
one supposed it would be hotel. but l am told it
has been purchased by the government for official
uses. Lucky Mr.. Shepherd! when other capitalists
find it almost impossible to even their build
inas, he sell his without loss. He has certainly
made hay while the was shining. But II new
President cometh. and these things must cease.
The Riggs House the corner of Fifteenth
street is winning popular favor rapidly, rapidly
that the elegant Arlington with its elegant prices,
seems almost deserted Members Of Congress lin Il
wives have fled, and occasional Senator doesn't
especially enliven the scene.
Doubtless you are plying the poor law makers
who must sit in the Capitol many hours consid-
cring tedious bills and resolutions, with the mercury
among the nineties. | remembered the sitting air
there last winter, and my sympathy was reused.
but found it was a waste OF valuable material Tor
these congressman make themselves exceedingly
comfortable. firstly, the thick walls of the Capitol
not so easily penetrated BY the heat the walls
Of private residences and Hetty you know there
great fans whrled by steam, which constantly send
throughout the building their currents of fresh pure
ar. That might be disagreeaby warm just now,
only That taking the gifts the gods provide, Congress
orders tons Of ice to be dumped every morning be
meath those fans all the air which our legislators
breathe is cooled before il is sent into either the Sen
| ate the House.
On Friday night they had warm session for
which the weather not responsible, and which
ice failed COOL and they Kept up till two O'Clock
in the morning, for there is no bone in Mother Hub
bards congressional cupboard which there is 80
, much growing, rs the appropriation bill
1t is never pleasant thing to bring ones eN-
penscs down to required limit even i'll the most
limited house keeping, and that appropriation com
mittee has had perplexng time deciding whose
|
lion Our national house keeping has grown to 50
enormous an extent that Uncle Sam is in over
the bills. Just where the fascination of a depart
mental clerkship begins unable to discover
but think of ~ 900 clerks the civil service pay.
roll For women to whom life has shown its hard
est phases these clerkships are desirable, and for
some men who have made failure in more ambi
tious directions, the quiet routine Of office work
make refuge; hut how any young con
sent to manure himself in office to endorse its
strlcuonS md abandon all hope Of amy future beyond
the dull round which affords little scope for ndi.
viduality, passes my comprehension think should
be tit for lunatic asylum at the end Of the first
month, but then you see I'm not Il well regulated do
nestle animal ] heard little incident last evening
Of Il who had been discharged from the Interior
| Department 1t nine years ago. He stad in
Washington idly for some weeks hoping for reap
pontment, but his family needed support, and sum
moninG all the Yankee pluck of his nature he looked
about among the Virginia farms lying near the city.
The worn out lands We're not esteemed valuable, one
was Tor sale at Il low price, clerk borrowed
the money for its purchase, and removing there be.
slowed upon his estate all his labor and ugri.
cultural skill. The first year his crops ustonishec
his neighbors; he purchased cows and brought milk
to the city he cultivated small fruits and in this
way every year saw the mortgage rapidly dwndIing,
till at the end of the fourth he owned his ALSO
lutely and is today worth $40 900. Hardy, healthy
and happy, he passes the aded pale checks with it
compassionate sigh for their mistaken notions of the
dignity of labor. His mlk-cans were banished long
ago; he has established dairy managed by compe-
tent servants, and his golden butter brings higher
price than any other producer can command 1t is
so easy to read the romantic story of CincinnAtus
and admire it, but so difficult to initiate his example
Mr. Blaine is very i'll, i'll that his physicians in
siSt upon immediate change of air, and he will leave
for the north tomorrow in q car rendered for his
private Doubtless the brucing atnos phere of
his adopted state will very soon restore him to his
usual ygor Should he go to the Senate, we NAV
expect degree of interest in that placid place which
has rarely been awakened, for Conklng doesn't love
| the gentleman from Maine who so ruthlcssy fitted
to his elegant self the soubrioqUet lie will never
shake oil, and Mr., Blaines unparalleled readiness
OF thought and his swift speaking will always be
| match for the studied utterAnCes of my lord
| Roscoe.
Is there any thing else Ohio woul d like to have
Upon my word She seems 10 be having matters so
entirely his own way that Democrats within her
borders find their state pride A powerful argument
against iautfnding to any great extent. They have
the Presidential nominee; they have the Chief JUS
| tice and Attorney General, 1ecumseh the nvincbl.
comes from the Buckeye state; and the Hon.
Wilson Sayler receives the compliments of the House
and is throned in the Speakers chair. Was
| such thing known in one history?
There, it is growing too warm to write and besides
| want my breakfast. Working for an hour two
lends an especial fragrance to the scent of coffee and
boiled chicken, and during the present reign of heat
| the early morning is the only time when exertion
| seems possible Send down few of your cooler
| breezes, dear friends ANNA :. Ii.
We are panied to record the death of Hon.
Elbrldge G, Knight, which took place on the
22d, at his home in Camden at the age of 60
years and 3 months. He had been one of the
most active and energetic business men of that