The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-05-23
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Deacon Smiths Contract - Talk
about the City.
Correspondence OF the Star.
WASHINGTON. May q, 1877.

WASHINGTON. May 81, 1877.
Contrary to my expectation the truly
pious Richard Smith didn't get the con.
tract for printing postal cards for the
Government for the ensuing four years
Reason-be put his figures too high, else
the Gazette would have trlumphed and
Cincinnati would have been recognized
again.
There were twenty-five bidders. The
highest bid was 81 % per thousand; the
lowest was SO cents; Deacon Smiths
was 81 10. The present price paid is
81 40 per thousand. The firm which ia
now doing the work at that figure bid at
70 cents on the new job. The work was
given to the American Prototype Com.
pany, of New York. The Deacon ut.
tered a pious objection something like
this and said: Bless theml the fellows
can't make tneir salt at that figure. It's
not always cheap work that is the most
economical. Now if had got the job at
81 ~ Pd done 'em truly honest work.
But, bless 'em! what can an Ohio man
>xpect nowadays"
Talking about postals, it is wonderful
how the demand has increased. This
year the Government will sell two hun
dred million, and they expect to print
in the next four years at least BILLION
Only think of it. Cheap postage is wnat
wins. A billion cards will require three
thousand tons Of paper, anu if spread
out over level surface they would
cover two hundred and fifty acres of the
,inhA "A inv mart hi 81
zig contract Deacon Richard didn't get.
Alas! for the mutablllty of human ex-
p9ctations.
Did you ever see a tar pavement on a
hot dayf We've got 'em both in Wash
ington just now. The thermometer is
up in the ninetles, and there it stays
With a persistency that would do credit
10 an Ufice-seeker. There are number
of patent, taIrlsh compound pavements
in the city, and the hot weather is melt
ing them soft as wax. And the ouor
anu the way the wagons cut through
and the way ones boots get coated
1t would make even piOus editor OF a
Cincinnati paper swear like a pirate.
The funniest thing l nave seen for a
month was u little back niger young
s .er, about eight years o.d, trying 10
cross one OF these tar pavements on foot.
lie was bareheaded, barefoOted, bare
legged, with only bit OF u red flannel
shirt on him, and his greasy skin shone
like an OIL lamp.
The little scamp got stuck in the mid
die. His feet sank into a soft SPOT and
he couldn't bulge. My eyes! now he
yelled. And a big, blue-coatcd police
man Went to the rescue, and he stuck
likewise! But having an abundance of
leg muscle, the Metropolitan pulled
through and came TO the sidewalk tri-
umphant, with the tarred pickaninny in
his arms. 1t was q sight worthy OF un
artisps brush.
But all The streets are not thus. These
are the exceptions. Washing .on streets
generally are solid as rock, aud wi III
lneir lovely trees and foliage and shade
they are avenues to be proud OF. But
tnat black niger baby, stuck in the
black TAR with the thermometer at 90
" Will haunt me till my dying day.
Washington with Congress adjourned
is almost as baa as Shakspeare's play
Of Hamlet" with the ".razy Dane''
left out. But the Presidential party re-
turned Friday from New York. and
things promise TO be more lively this
week. CINcINNATI