The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-12-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


To THE EDITOR or ruE Sryr Nopruvfsr.
The city is filling up rapidly Stran-
gers and members Of Congress are nour-
ing in by the hundreds. and oDr bot.I
lobbies begin 10 show that animated
bustliug appearance which character
ICES them during the session, when the
various cliques and clans are marshall
ing themselves for descent upon Tn
Gle Sans cash-box. Nearly all the
! leading Senators and members have ar
rived, and are in their various doni-
Giles Each one always brings with
him more or less Of his constituents.
and, as a consequence, our city is rousing
itself out Of the sleep which quiets the
| Capitol, the streets, and our busines ave-
nues, during the recess. We saw Sena-
tor Thurman enjoying the sunshine Of
the past week on the avenue, and his
venerable gray hairs bristled and shone
as brightly as ifhe had given the enemy
/ a Waterloo defeat in last faIls elections.
Other solons join in the promenade,
and there is daily very much to be seen
on the avenue, recalling the busted
scenes Of other sessions. The Capitol is
ready for the approaching battle. The
decks are cleared, and in the various
eommittee-rooms are plenty of lockers
1 filed with shot and shell Of Congress
siOnal pattern. We doubt not that
many politician will receive his death
wound from this ammunition before
the 4th Of March next, and that
more than one will get hurt from
some of the splinters which fly
freely at all times, and more particu-
larly so during protraeted or night ses-
sious. During the last days and nights
Of last winters session, it was no uu-
common sight TO see "a member desper-
ately shot in the neck, unable thereby
to use his tongue or his body, to whom
a supporting friend or desk was an OBJ
ject Of necessity, and as we looked into
the House restaurant, the other day, we
fancied we saw last winters vigorous as
sault repeated, and many a law-giver
laid low by some missile of the enemy.
Though we near the day fixed for re-
sumption, yet there are many who do
not realize its approach, or the fact that
gold may show itself again as money.
One Of our prominent ministers re-
Gently received gold coin as a mar
riage fee, but thinking it only a penny,
put it in his pocket, and gave it to his
children on his arrival home. Learning,
a few days after, its value, he was graf
flied TO find il among the children's TOYS,
and not spent for candy.
II is not generally known that the
original intention Of those who laid out
Washington was to have the business
aud aristocratic part of the city on Cap
itol Hill, between the eastern branch
and the Capitol. Yet, such was the fact.
The deep water Of the Potomac is on
that branch which runs past the navy
yard, and in olden times, the entire
shipping interest and wharves of the
city lay between the navy yard and the
promontory now occupied by the arse
nal. The Washington front then, as
now, was untitled for vessels larger
than yachts or fishing smscks, and as
water channels were then Of paramount
interest, il was but natural that our
/ first citizens should have dreamed that
the city would necessarily build up
nearest its shipping aud wharves. Spec
ulators gradually absorbed whole
squares, asking exhorbitant prices for
lots, aud thereby forced newcomers, As
well as the government, into the west
eru part Of the city. Eighty years ago,
laud near Buzzards' Point sold for $50
a front foot that is not worth a dollar to-
day. All the grand residences of the
Barrys, the Greeuleafs, the Taylors. the
Duddingtuns, aud hundreds of other
aristocrats have tumbled down or been
removed. James Greenleaf sunk mill
ion Of dollars here, Thomas Law $780,
, O00 DuucausOu and others over a mill
ion, and "a score of others, some of
whose names figured in our national
history, among which is that Of Robert
Morris, Wasbington's Secretary Of the
Treasury, went down p financial ruin
and disaster after spending millions in
endeavoring 10 make Capitol Hill the
, grand center Of wealth and fashion.
FELIX.
Washington, November %, 1879.
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