Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-11-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent


From our Regu lar Correspondent
Washington is Just now cleaning house,
or, to speak accurately, cleaning boarding
house, with q hurry and confusion that be-
trays too little acquaintance with cleansing
processes, and a reek of dust and dirt that
prOclsims long disueUude of soap and water.
All this means that Congress is expected
though to wash anything for Congress
seems like a work of suPererrogstion-Wlth
Its immense clientele, its long retinue CT
beraIds and followers, attendants, depend
ants. defendants, plaintiffs, lobbyists,
lobbyists, jobbists, snobbists-the motley
mob fashionable, genteel, 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 Marquis of Lorns, not az
cepted. How lone and lorn they will feel
in that bleak little Canadian town this win
ter. What contrast it will present to
the splendors of London salons, the fash
ion of Rotten Row, Hyde Park, and all the
heavy pageantry Of the richest city Of the
richest empire that the world has ever
knoEn7 What contrast with the favor
ite winter resort Of the wealth and nobility
Of EurOpe-gay, holiday Paris, ten hours
distant? But if Mrs. Lorne has a mind
above ribbons she will not pine in her bleak
domain. twill depend altogether on what
kind of woman she may be. She may
find her heart cheered and her soul irradi
ated with the effulgence Of the aurora of
human hope, promise, franchisement, which
glows athwart the fair, fresh fields Of the
new world-to him who may discern tin
fnitely grander and more thrilling than
ought that the King bestrdden, caste
bound, bayonet hedged, tradition asphyx-
lated countries, whose civilization and his
tory antidste the year Of our Lord 1892,
can present. While we may haYe in our
laws, institutions, customs and manners,
souvenirs of all that our forefathers turned
their backs upon in the old world. the
ocean that separates the continents is but
feint type Of the immensity that stands
between the spirit of the old and the new.
But l am supposed to be writing about
Washington, the seat of government Of the
United States, the province Of Alaska and
how many territories? The winter resort
of such statesmen. literateurs, artists, sa-
vans 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 virtue of this little ma
laris plagued city being the capital Of the
only great government on this side Of the
world, It has power to attract and viii have
until the seat of government is removed
westward. Not until then viii Washington
cscse to be the rival of Alexandria as fish
market.
There is little yet to indicate the ap-
proach Of the season except the scrubbing,
cleansing, carpet taekIng, going on in every
boarding house, from the plain cheap house,
in an questionable quarter, occupied by
Southern Congressman, to the more pre-
tentious pensions effected by lobbyists and
and female government clerks.
Here and there about the departments
looking after the interests of their fair
government pensioned proteges, or trying
to find or make vacancies for more of them,
may be seen a Senator or member of the
Lower House.
Pennsylvania Avenue, each day between
the hours of three and five p. m, is gay
with a driving, promenading throng.
Jaunty government clerks of both sexes
who receive $75 to $3.50 per month. Un-
uniformed military and naval 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 gloYes-tbey get
them through duty free-their Whiskers,
high healed shoes, and ill-ftting clothes.
1 observe that the Turkish and Russian
Ministers now promenade together. Such
is the effect of the Berlin treaty. 1t is OBJ
served and respected on Pennsylvania Ave-,
if no where else.
The correspondents of the different jour
nails have all arrived, male and females,
young and old, each prepared to describe
as he sees it the social and political pano-
rama that pivets in Washington. And
lastly, as the preacher says in the middle
of his long sermon, your correspondent is
here, nearly year older than when he last
wrote you from Washington, but whether
wiser or better able to hold up the mirror
to the life that breathes, votes, plots, cOun-
terplots, hates, loves, and asplres in this
heart of the nation, you and your readers
must decide. C. A. s.
Nov, 25, 1878.