Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-12-13
QUA WASHINGTON LETTER.
wAsnINnroN. d. q, pec. I, ISIS.

WATERMELON, II. W htc, y 1919,
II is agreed on all hands that fewer peo-
pie were here to give eclat TO the annual
opening Of Congress than on any similar
occasion since 1861 The boarding house
keeper is correspondingly depressed, and
the hotel keepers are in the dumps, for ii
foreshadows an Improbable season TO the
la,ter,and many vacant rooms in the houses
Of those depending ON winter visitors to
fill them aud thus aid in liqudating the
bills contracted during the dull intervals
between sessions. Heavy reductions ~
force in the several Departments within the
past Is months have largely lcssened the
number of our permanent population. 1t
fourth of all the houses in Washington are
now vacant besides from one to half doz.
en- unoccupied rooms in many (moie than
half perhaps) of the houses really occu-
pied. The excess Of accommodations is
one of the inheritsnces OF the war and the
few years Immediately following its cessa-
ton, The first troops that came here in
1861 found the National Capital literally a
city of magnificent distances" or rather
an overgrown, struggling village, Occupying
the obtuse angle of territory formed by the
Potomac on the south and west and by the
Eastern Branch on the south aud east. 1t
had population of between fifty and sixty
thousand. It's length as measured by Penn
sylvania AvenGe was not much short of
five miles, and it extended norlhwurd to a
varying distance at no place exceeding two
miles from the river front. The most pop
ulous part of the town was built on what was
originally a swamp, ilanked on the east by
Capital Hill and on the west Ivy George
town. Barring Government buildings and
other property, IL was at that time not very
unlike other Southern villages in appear
ance, social usnges and in lack of public
spirit. With few exceptions the ,trects
were unpaved-were in fact nothing better
than dirt roads. They were almost impas-
sable after rain and were quite SO after
the inlrcquent snow falls. There was no
system of underground sewerage worthy of
mention. The rainfall found its way by
the CATERS to the lowest poiut, where il
slowly evaporated, leaving loads of filth to
rot in the sun and aggravate the prevailing
types of disease The sovenly condition
of the streets was rendered the more iuttl.
erable by the droves of cattle, hogs, gonts,
geese, &c. which roamed them at will.
Hardly any branch of business was repre-.
sented by wholesale houses Public schools
were almost unknown. Regular aGction
sales of "niggers" were held. But the
war brought with it the enterprising icon
oolast. llordes OF Northern and Western
men marched in 1T the north and east end
uf the town as the secession sympathizer
shook the dust of his native towffsor the
city of his adoption from his feet and hast
ened to join the host of rebellion
across the Potomac. Under the influence
OF the newcomers new Washington arose
almost in night. His innovating hand
| fell with resistless and crushing iorce on old
customs. He breathed the breath of life
into every department and the struggling,
dirty, nerveless, squaid old Capitol became
a magnificent city in less than two decades
| from the time Of his entry, rivaling the
great cities of the North and West in every
appliance, necessity, convenience and luxu-
ry that goes to make up the modern town.
But in getting from the initiation status
down to hard pan we have suffered in COM
mon with every other section and in the
readjustment to the new order of things
many have been crushed and ground to
powder and we seem destined to drain the
cup to its lowermost dregs.
| The embargo laid on the transeontinental
trade Ivy the Central Pacific r. r., its def
nnce of Congi ess, its proposed consolidation
| with the Union Pacific road, giving the
corporation the enormous capital of s i00,-
| 600, 900, sufficient to debanch Legislatures
'and buy Congress If it goes as cheap as for
mer ones, and tie need as a first step 10 the
revival of prosperity to open up the rich
mines and farming lands of Texas, New
Mexico aud Arizona, have all united Ia
make the public and Congress look with
more favor on the proposed Texas Pacific
road, whose merits were so ably presented
in the Senate on Tuesday last by Senator
| Matthews.
The House has rushed through the For
| tifcatinn and West Point bills, alling re-
spectively for S275, 900 and S3O0000 Tc
those who have watched the inconsistent
course of the House, nothing it can do will
be n surprise. These bills, j, is alleged
were in the most crude condition and the
courtesy was not extended 10 the Secretary
of even consulting him. Oller OF the ap
preparation bills have been reported.
DE WITT.
|