The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-08-17
Our Washington Letter.
WAsu1NGroN, d. G.. Aug. 8. lS7

WASHINGTON, ID. T., Aug. 8, 1873.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The establishment of a nationa
Polytechnic school in this city i:
awakening great interest on the part
of scholars and scientists. 1t is pro-
posed that the surplus funds derived
from patent fees shall hereafter be
appropriated to the erection of a suit
able structure and the support OF
such an institution at the nations
capital.
The fees paid by inventors support
the Patent Office, and the sum of
ST 100000 in excess nf such expenses
is now lying in the Treasury and is
Increasing at the rate of 100000 per
year, and it seems just that the inter-
est. of this money should be ex-
pended for the promotion of such a
school of scientific research and art.
Information has reached the Post
office Department, that a band of
mnfderers, after compelling j. j. Dol
an, postmaster at Lincoln, New Mexi-
co, to resign and leave the country,
assaulted and killed twelve of his
friends, and because of u law enacted
IA Inst III IL,
tliority cannot he invoked to protect
.postnasters and post offices. I
Eppa Huntou, member of Congress
from Virginia, Il law maker, becomes
il breaker of the law and sends a
challenge under the code of duello,
to Columbus Alexander. 1t is of
small account who is right or wrong,
butin this age of progress, the dec
laration should be made emphatic by
the people that no man who chal-
lenges another to fight Il dGel,. shall
ever occupy seat among the law
makers of the nation. Barbarism and
Progress, can never be welded as
twin handmaids in this land of ours.
A days ride from Washington will
take a visitor to places such as North
ren, Eastern and Western people only
know of in dreams and history. York
town, for instance, where pleasure
excursions go three or four times
week during the hot weather. SO
old and dihpidatcd, evidently not
step of advancement since the Revo-
luton, signs of which ale plentiful
the town, in Lord Nelson's
house, the old ehurcllyard and the
National Cemetery, etc. rhe house in
which Washington and Corvallis ar
anged for the surrender of the Brit
ish forces and in which the papers of
were signed is still stand
ing, aud although nothing but flag I
staff marks the site of the surrender,
it is spot visited by all who go that
way. The principal buildings put up
when the town was founded are
yet, having been built de-
cidedly upon honor, of small red
bricks which were brought from Eng
and. All the OTHER and smaller
houses are little more than cabins,
built with outside chimneys running
'iOm the ground in the old, old fash |
on. But more interesting to most
visitors of to-day are the embrlsures
md earth works that were thrown up
Turing the late. war. They are per-
lectly distinct now and it is hard to
see what is ever to destroy them, for
he earth in all that region is hard |
md clayed, without rock and utter
IS barreh--not worth ten cents an
lcre, as a gentleman said as we were
over the old battle grounds
he other day. No attempt is made |
o cultivate those lands-great tlocks
IF geese and herds of swine wander
'ver them barrly gaining a living. The
logs are of the real Virginia breed,
eng legged, long bodied, sharp
losed, so poor their ribs and back
zones show, and with long straight
ails, like cows, with switch on the
md. SENTINEL.