The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-01-30
ouR WASHINGTON LETTER.



WASHINGTON, ID. g., Jan. 25th, 1877.
The Inhabitants of Washington are at
the present time divided into two great
classes; namely, the rich and the poor.
Between saint and sinner, East and West,
or Heaven and earth there was never a
greater gulf than yawns at present between
these two classes. l purpose to write u
short account of the doings and condition
of both, at this time. The season is quite
gay already though not as much 80 as Is
usual at this time In Presidential or In
auguration year. Few strangers are In
town and many who have spent the last
years here are now absent but enough re-
main to fill the concert hall lecture rooms,
theatre and opera house TO overfowing
with right fashionable and richly dressed
audiences and to throng the bathrooms
and dinner parties that are a nightly occur
renee. A club of bachelors gave a "Ger-
man" one evening this week, which was
attended by hundreds of wealthy people,
many of the ladies being attired, SO said
the daily papers the next day, ain most
exquisite Parisian toiettes, fashioned after
worth - which toilettes, by the way, cost
hundreds, ay, thousands Of dollars, with
out including the almost priceless Jewels
diamonds, rubies, sapphres, ETC., which
accompanied the rich costumes, and these
ladies regretted SO very much" mot
that there were fellow creatures dying, that
very night, in the street from hunger and
cold and exposure, and not dozen squares
away from that very ballroom. o no y
that the grand Duke Alexis had not ar
rived in town that he might have been
present at that German since it was the
very best opportunity, the season would af-
ford for the display of beautiful clothing,
rare jewels, and the fine accomplishment
of their wearers.
At Mrs. Grants reception last week that
lady appeared in magnificent costume of
canary-colored silk worn under a black
silk Court train with deep lace trimmings,
high corsage and sleeves slashed to the
shoulder. Mrs. Sartoris, (nee Nellie
Grant,) wore an elegant blue Jumasse
trimmed with point lace, and Mrs. Fred
Grant, cream colored with cardinal gar
nishings. In these rich and costly robes
they received the elite of the city, many
of them as richly dressed as themselves
and sparing no pains nor money for the
adornment and ornamentation Of their
poor bodies.
1t is not pleasant to turn from such
bright pictures as these to such as / am
now to present, but it might be better,
certainly much sorrow and suffering might
be alleviated If these very persons whose
dress have been describing, would turn
and take but one glance at them. Never
before has there been so much suffering
from poverty in Washington as this winter.
The reasons are various to begin with,
there is greater number of poor in
Washington, largely colored people, than
in any other city of its size in the Union.
They fiocked in here during, and at the
close of the war, to be taken care of, and
they remain for the same reason. BY
nature and education inactive and without
ambition, they live from hand to mouth at
the best, and have no power over circum-
stances in time of emergency such as the
present winter has brought upon them.
The unsettled state Of the country and
the attendant stagnation Of business of
all kinds have thrown hundreds who were
willing to work, out of employment and
the District has no government of It's own,
hence cannot relieve the poor by taxing
the wealthy, Private charity has done
much, one of the latest relief movements
in this direction is the starting of soup
house which gives hot dinners to several
hundreds of half starved creatures daily.
Another is a subscription by means of
which |, 500 loaves are distributed among
the poor each week.
An appropriation of $4,000 was made
by Congress last week, to be drawn in
monthly installments by the relief Com
missioners of tho District, SO the worst of
this suffering is over for the present.
Things appear to move on smoothly at
the Capitol. Both Houses are actively
discussing the compromise bill and the
prospect is that it will be adopted, giving
five Senators, five Representatives and
five U. s. Judges the power of deciding
the Presidential question. III. M. w.
Since the above was written, the Com
promise bill has passed both houses, and
win no doubt receive the approval of the
President.