The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-04-17
rom Our Regular Correspondent.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

" WAsHISGT0N, ID. O, Apr 5.-lSio.
Life will never be monotonous 10
Washington. As long as we are IN
possession Of the Departments, and
the cave OF the winds, and the
Fog Bank, sometimes playfully called
the National Congress, the average
Washingtonisn will always have bis
grand and thrilling moments. The
Wisconsin star, Howe, who is sup
posed to have invented sewing ma
chine, has done some rutlling lately
for Hayes, and has succeeded 10 fair
ly tucking up Sehurz in his little bed,
for be went to bed sick for a week,
and it was reported be was dead. |
could not help thinking what beau
tiful angel he would be With specta-
cles on, swinging on e damp cloud,
and gently waving large sized
palm-leaf fan He got well, howev-
er, but is evidently very sore from
the castigation of the Wisconsin ora
tor. There is much surprise that
Howe's attack has elected no reply;
it seems TO have reacted on himself,
for be has not been 10 the Senate tor
three days, and the surmise is that
he is either sick, or is preparing an
elabora.e answer to his ewn speech.
Those who account for his absence
on the indisposition hypothesis, say
that the troches Senator Conkling
gave him during his celebrated effort
were too strong for any but pugilis-
tic physique, like that of the colossal
Conkling. The tempest raised By
Howe is still bowling, and will. it is
thought, soon break out with redoub-
led fury; but just now the Nation,
through its House Of Representatives,
is preoccupied with q doOrkeeper
Mr. Polk the doorkeeper of the House
has been brought before a committee,
tried and crucifed, on the cross Of
investigation, and though at present
it looks like the old man would
have to let go the door, there has
nothing been proven agains, him,
but an amiable incapscity to say no,
and that be promised places to more
people than there was places to give
If his promises had been fulfilled
there would have been three or four
deputy doorkeepers wrestling with
each door of the Capitol doors Of all
kinds would have been in great de
mand, and the hum Of industry
would have been heard 10 the lumber
regions Of Michigan and Maine IT.
Mr.. Folks promises could save been
carried out, the son Of every member
of Congress, or, if not his own sOn,
then his nephew, or the sou Of bis
mother-in-law, would have L eu
made a page and the number ofii lei
boys that would have been tumbling
over each other on the floor OF the
House of Representatives would
have made the leaves 10 Nelam5rosa
tame simile What will be the
next sensation | will not veoture TO
predict; Sufficient unto the day Is
the evil thereof"
During this religious rest Of Lent
when the belle mas ceased from
Waiting, and has ceased the toot
horn pest, your correspondent DO
longer harried with balls, receptions.
and fetes, indulges in "reminiscences.
and the grateful philosophic quiet of
pastoral (boarding house) life. The
population of Washington is divided
into two classes, somewhat snalo-
gous to the division of humanity into
beasts Of burden and beasts of prey)
boarding house keepers, and board
ing-house dodgers; and the great end
and aim OF each is to get the better
of the other If any skeptie, use
tie word it its genealogical, not its
theological sense, wants to study hu-
man nature, and can sifJrd to lose
money for his labor. let him start a
boarding house in Washington
There are many historic boarding
houses here; no matter how grand
and palatial Washington mansion
may have been, or how distinguish
ed the men, or lovely the women,
that have posed and plotted, waltz
ed, scintiilated, aud firted, in its
once brilliant salOOns-to the board
ing-house favor must it come at last
The old time house where Beverly
Tucker once entertained in his Nir-
ginia style, was, during the war, and
is now, boarding house. The house
in which Seward lived, and in which
his daughter so heroically defended
her father, and foiled the assassin on
the night that Lincoln was kill
ed, has fallen into line, and the coat
Of arms over its door has this legend,
Rooms To LET, WITH BOARD. The
old Commodore Wilkes mansion has
been for years q bOarding-house; here
Belknsp lived in the early days of
his secretaryship, aud here his land
lady sued him for his gas bill. The
common fate has also befallen the
handsome mansion CT Chief Justice
Chase, afterwards the home Of his
son-in-law, Senator Sprague, and the
house where we all liked to go to see
the kindly old man, and attend the
superb receptions of his daughter;
this too has become a boarding men
agerie, and last winter had the gas
turned off in default of payment Of
gas-bill The house JEFF Davis lived
IN was converted not long since into
restaurant. Such is politico-so-
cial life here; one day resplendent
with horses, carriages, music, aow-
ers, beautiful women, and gallant
men; the next a bursting Ct the bub.
BILE, debt, disgrace, house for rent,
furniture for ssle-,he red flag flies
at the door. Life is short but it is
I