The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-08-11
Washington Letter.
values.
r Special Correspondent.


Washington, d. c., Aug. 8, 1877.
At the National Capital may be seen
the two extremes of society-the tip and
the toe of humauity-as sharply out
lined as anywhere under the sun. 1t is
like the liquid the milkmen bring us
part cream, part milk and part water.
The small part, the cream, is just now
mostly out of town, rusticating in the
country, luxuriating at the seaside. The
milk is scattered about somewhat, visit
ing country cousins, trying to keep cool
by indulging in frequent excursions
down the river, and staying assiduous-
ly indoors with closed blinds and dra wn
curtains, regaling itself with ice. cream
and lemonade. But the water Oh, the
water There is no comfort for it. 1t
can have neither fresh air, nor pure sur.
roundings, nor cooness, nor cleanli-
ness. There are many very poor people
in the District of Columbia. They seem
to flock here with the feeling that there
is safety and protection and provision
in contact with the seat of government.
Surely Uncle Sam will not let his own
children die of want OH his very thresh.
old And, as is always the case in
large cities, where poverty prevails sicl =
ness comes. The mortality here has
been smaller this season than is usual,
but many and many a little one has
closed its eyes for want of proper care
and food and medicine. We can't be
sorry when the children of poor or dis
sipated parents die. They are better
off dead, and the good Father sees it
and, in pity, takes them away. The
colored people are less unhealthy than
other foreigners here, and this fact is
| attributed to their tree use of white
wash. They are perhaps no more
cleanly, but they use whitewash instead
of water, covering up and eftectually
killing the filth about their premises by
its frequent application. just across
the Potomac from Washington, huddled
close among the hills, is a tiny settle
ment known as "Freedman's Village.
There are perhaps score of houses,
the sight of which carries one black to
ole Virginny" as nothing l have seen
for many years has doue. They are
regular cabins, part of them of logs
with tbatched roofs, whitewashed walls,
dog or two and garden patch in con-
nection with each, and the traditional
bare headed, rOllicking darkey boys
rolling about the ground or perched
upon the top rail OF the fences that sur
round the more pretent!Uus of the 'cot'
tages." Here it is in these irregular
little patches of cultivation that Dinal
raises the ''yarus" that we see and buy
in the marKet'places and from lhl'
vicinity come the mosses and ferns, u
tumn leaves and wild flowers that the
old women and little boys tug about the
streets and sell for cents a bunch
Another reminder of the old ante.Lin'
coin days is met at Arlington Heights
in tnat part of the National Cemetery
which is set apart as the burial place OF
the coloTed people who died aud were
killed in this vicinity during the war
The graves are ranged in long straight
rows. each marked by wooden slab OF
which is painted, in black letters, sim
ply the calling name the master haC
dubbed his slave, and the date of death
as "Dan," or "Sallie," or Jake" o.
"SambO," with no last name and n,
age. Many hundreds are buried here
MATRHA NJ. WHITNEY.