The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-12-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.

tcrS and SeadtorS LooktHg aver th'tr jar
protegeS. The reappedraaee IF Politirtons,
dipiomatS. army cbcers, joU!ualiSts, rte, ffc.
From An Occasional rrc.pondent,l
WASHINGTON, Nov. %, 1873.
II is the fashion to pcrsonify city, to say
that she is in mourning or has donned her
holiday attire--that she is doing tins or that,
and following the fashion, | may say that
Washington is Just now cleaning house, or, TO
speak: accurately, cleaning boarding house,
with hurry and confusion that bclrays too
little acquaintance with cleaning processes,
and Il reek of dust and dirt that proclaims long
disuetude of soap and water. All this means
hat congress is expected, Enough to wash any
thing for congress seems like work OF super
erogation,) with its immense ctenfetle, its long
retinue OF heralds and followers! attend
ants, dependents defendants, plaintiffs, lobby
lists, lobbyists, jobbiSs, snobbists-thc molly
mob, fashionable geniecl, demi genteel, and
vulgar, that assemblies each winter at the only
great court in this hemisphere, that little court
at Ottawa that will soon be headed by the
daughter Of the Empress of India and the Mar
quis of Lornc not excepted. How lone and
lorn they will feel in that bleak little Canadian
town this winter! What contrast 1t will
present 10 the splendors of London salons, the
fashion of Rotton Row. Hyde Park, and all
the heavy pageantry of the richest city OF the
richest empire that the world has ever known!
What contrast with the tavoritc winter re-
sort of the wealth and nobility of EurOpe--gay,
holiday Paris ten hours distant! But if Mrs.
Lorne has mind above ribbons she will not
pine in her bleak domain. 1t will depend al
together on what kind of II woman she may
be. She may find her heart checred and her
soul irradiatcd with the cilulgenCe of the au-
rora of human hope, promise, reimbursement,
which CLOVIS athwart the. fair, fresh fields OF
the new word--to him who may discern it,
infinitely grander and more thrilling than
aught that the kingbestrldden, caste,bound,
bayonethcdged, tradition-aSphyXiated coun-
tries, whose civilization and history antcdate
the year of our Lord 1892, can present. While
we may have in our laws, institutions, Gus
toms and manners souvenirs of all that our
torefathers turned their backs upon in the old
world, the ocean that separates the continents
is but faint type of the immensity that stands
between the spirit of the old and the new.
But am supposed to be writing about Wash
ington, the seat of government Of the United
States the province of Alaska, and how many
terriolics,-the winter resort of such states
men, it;cratcurs, artists, Swans and bellies as
we have on this side, for who that can will
omit to come to Washington for at least few
DAYS during the season. BY virture Of this
little malaria-plagucd city being the capital of
the only great government on this side OF the
world, it has power to attract, and will have
until the seat of government is removed west
ward Not until then will Washington cease
to be the rival of Alexandria as "A fish market.
Just at this moment there is little to indi-
cate the approach of the season except the
scrubbing, cleaning, carpettacking, going on
in every boarding house, from the plain, cheap
house in an Questionable quarter, occupied
by southern congressman, to the more preten-
tious pensions" affected by lobbyists and te-
male government clerks.
Here and there about the departments look
ing after the interests of their far government
pensioned proteges, or trying to find or make
vacancies for more proteges, may be seen a
senator or member of the lower house; but it
takes more than one swallow to make u sum
mer
The Washington elitc--bellcs, bcaux, duen-
ALL >,,Jt
seaside or mountain resort, and Pennsylvania
avenue is every day, between the hours of
three and five p. NJ, gay with driving, prom
enading throng Jaunty government clerks
of both sexes who reccive--l do not say earn
from $50 TO $3.50 per month; uniformed
naval and military officers who have served
their country on this field for years; ministers
and attaches OF foreign legations, distinguished
for the freshness and perfection of their gloves
thcy get them through duty free, their whis.
kers, highheeled shoes and ill-fittin@ clothes.
| observe that the Turkish and Russian minis
ters promenade togcthcr-such Is the eitcc! OF
the Berlin treaty; it is observed and respected
on Pennsylvania avenue, if nowhere else
The belle from New York, st. Louis, and
Kalamazoo has not arrived She Will not
arrive until after the holidays, when the sea
son, with its vortex Of receptions, presidential,
cabinet judicial, official, and non-oiiicial, will
begin to whirl; with its sappy or superanuatcd
dandIcs in black swallow.tails and white neck
ties, with ladies in trans, demitralns and with
beauX stepping on their trains.
The correspondents of the different journals
have all arrived, male and female young and
old, each prepared to describe, As he sees it. the
social and political panorama that piyots in
Washington. And lastly, as the preacher says
IN the middle of his long sermon, your CORES
pondent is here, nearly year older than when
he last wrote you from Washington, but Wheth
er wiser or better able to hold up the mirror te
the life that brcathcs, votes plots, counter