Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-03
Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON Dec. 26.

everything that could by the widest
stretch of the imagination be desig-
mated sleigh has been pressed inio
service, finding no rest day or night
since the frost king first kindly under
took the job of paving our streets with
sno " and ice, nearly two weeks ago
The irrepressible "smal boy" passes
an ecstatlc existence in the streets on
his skates and juvenile femininity is
hardly less enthusiastic 10 her outdoor
| efforts to appropriately enjoy the
Christmas visit of their arctic bene-
factor. AS Congress in its wisdom
did not see fit to take the usual holiday
recess, many members celebrated their
Christmas here instead of at home as
has been their wont, although many Of
those residing near the capital followed
the usual practice by going home,
leaving both houses without quorum
hence the day was observed here with
more than ordinary spirit. For the
past week the shops on our principal
otiSSto duu aNeuuco WelC uiSooSu IL
their gayest attire, facinating the
thousands of boys and girls who
crowded there from early morning
until almost morning again; and, not,
withstanding the gloomy ferebodings
occasioned by the uncertainties Of the
political situation aud the economical
tendencies Of the "hard times" their
proprietors appear smiling and more
than satisfied with their liberal patron
age. All the sample rooms, restau-
rants, saloons and groggeries of vary
ing degrees of responsibility, appeared
to do an exceptionally thriving bust
ness during the day and evening Of the
25th, and the police force will actively
engage in assisting inehrated celebra-
| orators of our SavioI's birth to their
homes or to the station houses, and the
"toot horn" of the gamin has delighted
the ear for the past seventy-two hours
with mellifulent melody. On the whole
we have got through with Christmas
with tremendous consumption o!
turkey, egg-nog and an ocean of baser
drinks, and with less number of
stabbing and shooting ARRAYS than
usual with the Bacchaualian jewellers.
At the the National Theatre, at mat
inee pelf rmauce of the Two sOr-
phans IN which Miss Claxton sustained
one Of the leading parts as she did at
the Brooklyn Theatre on the terrible
night of the Fl e almost pam
ic followed false alarm Of fire &c the
18th, The house was comfortably
filled and during the fourth act dis
turbance (said to have been occas;oued
by drunken spectator) took place in
the galleries. Immediately the cry of
fire resounded through the house, ap
palling the stoutcst-hearted and Great
ing the widest Consideration and con
fusion throughout the audience; and
although the false character of the
alarm was plain to everyone with suf
fcient presence Of mind to reflect
scores of women tainted in the rnsh
made for the doors, strong men .as
usual under such circumstan ces.
crowding their weaker fellows to the
wall or remorsefully trampling them
under foot in their maddened frenzy to
reach the street. No one was, it is
believed, seriously hurt; but the mind
slckens at the tragedy that was so i'm
minent and that would have been inev-
liable, had there really been a FIRE.
Henry Ward Beecher was probably
right when he declared that had the
Brooklyn panic occurred in an open
field, numerous lives would have paid
the forfeit.
1t seems to be the general impression
that but little progress need be ex
pected in the efforts afoot to harmonic
the views of the House and Senate
relative to the Presidential problem
until the report Of the Compression
Committees sent South shall have been
made: and should the investigations
be as thorough as the Republican
members design making them, it does
not seem possible for them to complete
the work in hand muchS before the last
of January. From Developments wit
messed here: it is safe to assert that
there are IN this community hundreds
OF men watching the course of Congress
IN the premises, who went with their
party In November with many misgiv-
lngs and under tacit protest, who
have become so thoroughly impressed
with the reckless disregard of the
rights of American citizenship, ami.
mating not only the managers but
Mr.. Tilden himself, in the efforts made
to defraud the Republican majorties
in Vermont, Wisconsin, Nebraska and
IN Oregon, in the mad hunt for the
one electoral vote necessary to success,
and with the tactics practiced in mapy
OF the Southern States which were ap-
proved and defended by the two can
didates on the Democratic ticket. that
they while still protesting a slack ALE
glance to their party, do not hesitate to
express their condemnation. and secret