The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-12-15
Our Washington Letter.

The New SenatOrs-COncer al
the White HOuse-HOw Mrs,
Hayes receives VisftOrs-The
Lincoln Family, Etc.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 6, 1877.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Affairs at the Capital have been in
an unsettled state for the past week
or two, but now that the regular win
ter session of Congress is under way
and the usually tedious fortnight OF
organizing has not got to be suffered,
we are sort of settling down and get
ting used to things. The freshet OF
ten days ago set us all by the ears
then the Huron disaster put the city
into perfect whirl of excitement for
several days and the behavior of the
Senate during the few last days and
nights of the extra session was
enough to unsettle bigger world
than this of the Capital City. The
seating of Butler and Kellogg took
much time and caused much dispu-
ting among the Elders" Butler is a
one-legged Confederate General, and
the possessor of strong, clear blue
eyes. Kellogg looks little as he did
when he entered the Senate ten years
ago black-haired and heavily beard
ed man. His four years of guberna-
torial perplexities have perceptibly
aged him, as his silyering hair and
thin face testifies. His sharp visage
is now smoothly shaven.
An impromptu concert of very
high order occurred at the White
House one evening last week. Miss
Emma Thursby gave two of her musi-
cal performances in the city and,
while here, visited the Executive
Mansion with several members of her
troupe. Mrs. Hayes had invited her
and had invited several ladies and
gentlemen to meet her. The guests
we're received in the Green Parlor,
bat when Miss Thursby came to sing
the room seemed too small, so the
company repaired to the great East
Room where tho finest of music was
rendered, much to the delight of
those assembled. Mrs. Hayes is a
most delightful hostess. With no ap-
parent exertion she sees to it that
each one of her guests, no matter how
many are present, is comfortable and
at ease. No one is neglected where
she is. Callers are received at any
time, as they would be by any lady,
and their dress and treatment is the
same. When a person arrives, to call
on Mrs. Hayes, he or she is shown
into cloak room near the entrance,
where outer wrappings are laid aside,
while cards are taken in to the hos
tess. This is all the ceremony that is
observed and this is simply done in
lieu of introduction. On the evening
/ have mentioned, some Southern
people who were at the White House
expressed themselves as delighted to
observe one of their own customs of
other days in this: the black nurses
and others comfortably ensconced
just outside the " company room" to
see, hear and enjoy. ASH have said,
Mrs. Hayes spares no pains to make
even the most humble about her COM
Portable and happy.
A movement is on foot petitioning
Clara Morris to come to Washington
and give performance for the bene-
fit of the Custer Monument. The pc
tition is signed by President Hayes,
many Congresmen and citizens.
Our Labor Exchange is still thriv-
ing. Among other helps it has re-
ceived is one from the Agricultural
Department. that secures it the con-
tract for making paper bags for seeds.
Instruction is being given without
charge, also, in the art of decorating
china, in the hope of giving class of
women means thereby of earning a
livelihood.
The very day President Lincoln
was killed he signed the Custom House
appointment of Kellogg, tho newly
seated Senator over whom such a
squabble was indulged in last week.
There are but two members of the
Lincoln family now liVing-Mrs. Lin
coin, who is with her sister in Spring
field, Ills, and Robert, who is prac-
ticing law in Chicago. But few know
Or care any thing of their where
abouts-so soon do people go out of
sight and out of mind. Lincoln, as
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