Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-01-10
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Dec. 1S, 1877.

OohSlSeS hdS d'tjottAlltu tIll iilutl III
holidays. \ fortnight will give The mem
bers good rest after so many weeks o
continuous labor. Though. to tell tn
truth. it is hard to see how they have busie
themselves all these weeks. so few OF til
measures that have been introduced hav
become laws. am impressed with this
No member of our Legislature has been 5,
honored, SO petted, so favored. as is Alex
IL. Stephens. of Georgia. Whether it i
because of the feeble state of his health O
political qualities or partly both, canno
say. but he is treated with very cxceptiona
deferrence. Before the last drawing fo
seats was begun. the best one in the Hous,
was reserved for him. Then the grea
Speakers room, quite a tete room in it
way. and hung all around with portraits o
eN-Speakers. was given up to him. Then ;
chair on wheels was provided. so that Ii,
may set in any part of the room he chooses
| and that without making IN effort. Well
this man was jefferson Davis Vice Presi
dent and he is undeniably great man
But il is most pitifnl to see and hear hin
and most wonderful to know how cleal
and strong and quick his mind still re
mains. His frame is reduced to what
would appear to be the last stage of atten-
uation and his weak voice is correspond
ingly thin.
DIR. Mary Walker is again before the pub.
lie. This woman is one of Washington's
''cllaractcrs." She is one of the extremes
reformers. carrying out her ideas by wear
ing Il costume half manlkc-perlaps ratl,-
cr more than half. her boots. pantaloons.
and hat being similar to those worn by
gentlemen. Willie in lieu Of either coat or
gown she wears Il sort of half fitting gar
is conspicuous wherever and whenever she
appears and she is very often subjected to
sneers and insults. Boys boot at her rs
she passes, men smile and women faint
During the war she acted very efficiently as
hospital surgeon and nurse, in which ca
pacity she was highly esteemed and appre-
ciated. After the war closed she applied
for a position in the Treasury Department
here. was examined and appointed but
never assigned TO her post which she now
maintains she has ever since held herself in
readiness to fill, ana Claims damages from
the Government to the amount of S90J
which would have been the yearly salary Of
the clerkship to which she was appointed.
She has to fight her way through life.
Last year she was elected from the Treas
ury by main force. because she wasn't
dressed like other women and a few years
ago. after numerous visits to the White
House, for the purpose of obtainin" an in
tcrvicw with President Grant, she sent her
card to him with the inquiry why she was
not admitted. The card was at once re-
turned to her with these words written up
on its reverse side: ''When DIR. Mary
Walker makes her appearance in apparel
becoming a woman she will be admitted"
70 see the improvements that have been
in and about the Capitol
since the present year came in one would
be lead to suppose that it was before in
scandalous repair. and that all the sick and
ailing war horses of Congressional repute
were out Of health mainly because of the
want Of proper ai.ing and ventilation. In
the latter case there can be no further cause
for complaint. as the best possible appar-
atus has been adopted for rapid and effec-
tllal ventilation. four new boilers having
been put in to drive it. New gauging and
heating apparatus have also been arranged
and sort of register beneath the desks by
means of which each member is able to
regulate the temperature of the air directly
beneath his seat. Painting, gliding, warm
shing and whitewashing has been done to
, considerable extent and many of the
rooms thoroughly renovated. !
New carpets have been put down and a
general frightening up effected. Until last |
'car American carpeting has not been used !
n the Capitol, English manufactures being
entirely. Three years ago
Irossby, one member Of the SO styled
Great carpet firm of the world" CHANGING
o be here, declared that American carpets
we're fully equal to any on the globe in ev-
ny respect except in the cOloring. This
asst ditch is now said to be overcome and
he Bigelow company. Of New England.
las furnished the first American carpet
YER trodden upon in the House of Repre-
entatives. 1t took fourteen hundred yards
nd is in shades of green with orange and
White figures. The room of the Commit
ee on Appropriations is newly carpeted
With crimson, and the room OF the Com
litec on Commerce with brown. The
enate gallery carpet was done by special
Ontract rs it had to be of a particular
5idth. All the work was under the per-
Onal supervision of the Sergeant-at-Alrns
nd was only completed in time for the
pening of the extra session of Congress.
N the desks in the House have been re-
Dvered and re-varnished. The Supreme .
ourt rooms (the old Senate Chamber) has
cen more thoroughly renovated, perhaps. |
nan any other single apartment, and it !
as time for it was very shabby. The roof
aked, the paint was off, the upholstry |
ded and soiled and the carpet tllreadbare,
eing the same that was in use there six S
en years ago. The new one is very fine, {
crimson orange and white. The grounds I
about the Capitol have been greatly i'm :
'oyed in the last few months. also. In
ed, it would seem as if nearly all the !
Dor and money and attention Of the pab- /
; works the past summer had been ex- v
'nded in and about the Capitol. The D
Dad driveways are all concreted, smooth I
ID hard, the parks are leyeled and sown .
ith grass seed, and grand walls Of carved c
one are in process Of building, trees and s
'wering sLrubbery have been set out and Il
Q entire premises are fast assuming a b
ished appearance that they have always u