St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-01-19
Our Washington Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent)

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 5, 1876.
The first day of 1877 was remarkable
for such snow as has been rarely seen
in this latitude, and, during the week,
sleighs have almost universally taken
the place of wheeled vehicles. Yester-
day there was an impromptu sleighing
carnival on Pennsylvania Avenue. The
District commissioners had given their
consent to the sport, and division of
the police had been detailed to keep
order. Those taking part in the pro-
cession were expected to be in masquer-
ade costume, but this part of the pro-
gramme was not strictly adhered to.
Indeed it was not to be supposed that
our Washington bellies would forego
such an opportunity to display their
artistic faces and bleached hair. Many
of them were out, panoplied in all their
dazzling beauty. About three O'Clock
the masqueraders began to make their
appearance, and as sleigh after sleigh
dashed past each with its freight of
grotesque and rainbOw-hued humanity,
the Avenue presented an appearance
of great gaiety, and fun and merriment
prevailed every where. The sides of
the streets were thronged with pedes-
trians who seemed to derive almost as
much pleasure, in the role of spectators,
as the masquers themselves. From the
Treasury to the Capitol the Avenue
was crowded with sleighs of every de-
scription, from the graceful swan-like
cutter, to the barral or dry goods box
mounted OH clumsy runners. COnspicu-
Gus among the devices resOrted to by
the masqueraders to create laughter,
was tableduG ViUant caricaturing the
Louisiana Returning Board. This con-
sisted of primative sled in which were
seated four men, their faces blackened
with cork, busily engaged with the re-
turns. But the most laughable rig was
a tandem team consisting of a super,
anuated mule, and a venerable horse
drawing log of wood mounted on fOul
slanting hickory sticks fixed in pail
of wooden runners. Astride the mule
was a ragamuffin who wore plug hat
pair of spectacles and hOOp-skirt
nothing else in his grotesques makeup
was describable. Under the sad EYED
mule was hung large dinner-bell
The philosophic beast trudged along
''with no pride of ancestry or hope o
posterity,n followed by an unhapp.
specimen of his nObler relation, upOl
whose back was seated another curiOu
nondescript. Two ridiculous specimen
of humanity bestrOde the log, with thei
feet scraping the snow. The one in tn
rear represented fat woman huggin!
her companion in front, in order t.
!. keep an equilibrium or perhaps affec
: ton. Shouts of laughter greeted thi
most absurd of turnouts as it move,
: slowly along the avenue.
The many handsome equipages wer
: objects of surprise to those who say
T them, for it was not known that Wash
ington could afford so fine a display G
sleighs. One or two four horse cutter
were noticeable, though the smalle
ones more beautiful in design, an
more graceful in structure, attracte
fully as much attention and comment
: Later in the day, when the Department
poured forth their living streams G
tired government clerks, the avenu
was crowded as it has not been sine
the last Presidential Inauguration.
There is but little news of politics
character that will not have reache
YOU by telegraph before you receiv
this. Just now the talk is about ne'
Presidential election, but that it wi
"a result in more than talk, it is impossi
ble to predict. 1t is said that ex-Goy
= erpor Tilden will soon make his pei
manent residence in this city, occupyin
q q a suit of rooms in one of the larg
hotels. 1t is also reported that Gov
: ernor Hayes will, before the fourth
March, become the guest of PresideI
= Grant at the White House, and ths
! after the fourth of March he will hay
1e the vantage of possession, and t
p maintained there, if need be, by fore
oe s There are other solutions suggeste
such as the Vice Presidents holdin