The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-14
Washin gton Letter.
WASHINGTON, Feb, 9th, 1877

misery and vice occasioned by poverty;
but l doubt if so much squallor and alb.
iect Indebtedness can be found in any
other city of its size in America as in
Washington; and this winter it has
been much worse than usual. might
say, perhaps, with equal truth, that no
other American city exceeds this in
gayety and luxurious extravaganza.
Both extremes are certainly here and
the presence of the latter makes the
knowledge and bitterness of the former
the more uncomfortable. 1t is Il fact
that persons have frozen and starved to
to death here during the past three
weeks, and that, too, within sight and
sound Of revelry, the participants in
which We're arrayed in silks and jewels,
worth enough money to have relieved
every poverty stricken wretch in the
District and to have kept them from
suffering till other assistance should be
given.
Congress has been wrangling and loi-
tering over an appropriation which
some humane member proposed, and at
last the bill has become law, and the
distribution of the $4,000 will begin
this week; but meanwhile the freezing
and the starvation has been going on
apace-that has not loitered. A mother,
in the tenth ward, awcke few morn
ings ago to find her little baby frozen
to death, and she went out and begged
money to buy Il box to bury it in. A
girl seventeen years old, was sick with
a little child to attend her, and lay and
died solely for want of medical help,
which she was unable to procure. Lit
tie children, scores Of them, have set
out tor school to stay all day without
having tasted food since the day before.
A young lady went out to ask for
medicine for sick brother and tainted
away upon coming into warm room.
It was afterwards shown that she had
eaten nothing for two days. A baby
fell sick from cold and want of nourish-
ment, and its mother started to take it
to physician for help. Upon the way
the child died in her arms and she took
it to station house to be buried.
These are but few of the numerous
cases that might be cited, but the mon
ey now to be used for their benefit and
the warm weather are harbingers of re.
lief to them, and already there is !.
marked change for the better.
A shocking affair occurred here on
Saturday afternoon. A young man
from Philadelphia went into an auction
room, on Penna ave-, where the sale of
silver ware was going on, to see friend
who was employed there. While speak
ing with him, the young man took up a
glass of water, as he supposed, that
was standing by them, and drank, re-
marking as he set the glass Gown that
the water had strange taste. His
friend was Mortified, for he knew that
the young man had swallowed deadly
poison-a solution of nitrate Of silver and
kyanite of potassium, mixture used in
cleaning silver ware. They went i'm
mediately to druggist, procured anti
dotes and medical aid, but all efforts
for his relief were unavailing and after
several hours of the most violent suffer-
ing, the unfortunate young man died.
Most of the troops that have been
stationed here since before the election
left the city last night and this morning.
Saturday morning they were reviewed
by the Secretary of War and Genera,
Sherman at the Arsenal. The guard
at the gate was paraded in honor Of the
distinguished visitors; General Sher-
man being accompanied by a portion of
his staff: A salute of seventy-6ve guns
was fixed from field battery, in honor
OF the Secretary, and the bugle was
sounded to the General. The party
then proceeded to the parade grounds,
where the brigade, consisting of three
battalions, performed a number of Diff
hcult evolutions, much to the delight
OF a large concourse Of citizens, who
stayed to see the guard mount which
followed.
All other political interest is at pres
ent swallowed up in the all absorbing