Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-03-01
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM WASHINGTON.

SCENES IN THE CAPITAL-A WASHING
TON HOP-THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIvEs-PHcToGRAPHs OF STEPHENS,
BUTLER, GARFIELD, CONGER, PROCTOR
KNOTT. SPRINGER AND OTHERS PRES
IDENT ENTHUSIASTICALLY THOMPSON.
&C., &C., &C.
Correspondence of the Staunton VINDICAToR.1
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb, 22nd, 1885,
write from the Metropolitan Hotel, and
one hardly ever writes from, or goes to,a
better. The number of Virginians here
makes it seem home like and the comfort
able arrangement in ones room with the
bountiful and choice furniture of the ia
BILE, and the easy courtesy of every body
about the establishment adds TO the home
feeling that comes over you and grows on
you the longer you stay.
A WASHINGTON HOP.
We had hop here last night, none Of
your small fry hops but double Xxx af-
fair. The large room was full Of dancing
OF promenading couples. Nearly every one
was AN Honorable, or Mrs. or Miss Honor
able, a Senator OF Mrs. Senator, an Ex-
cellency, General or Colonel, nothing I'M
der Colonel, indeed your correspondent
who was merely an humble locker on,
found himself sColonel," nolens coleas,
tho he modestly insisted he had never
worn but three bars. Now if | was writ
ing Washington society letter l would
give you a long list of the notables present,
how they were dressed, how they danced,
iirted, &C., &c., but as | am not, shall
only speak of those who spoke to me, for
to tell the truth they are ABOUT all I can
recollect.
VOORHEES,.
There was Senator VOORHEES, or as most
people call him behind Ills back and not
a few to his face Dan" same of the boot
blacks say there goes old Dam" Well
Dan ha d on lis spike tail coat and white
vest and walked careiessly through the
room arm i'll arm with Senator Ransom,
chatting with most every one they passed,
both tail and line looking, but very unlike,
VOORHEES, with fair complexion, broad
white forehead, large bright kindly eyes
and dropping eyelids, reddish b ard shay
ed down to the chin, and looking so much
like cur townsman DR.. Berkeley, that |
started forward as if to greet an old &C.
uualntance, then too when introduced to
him, he put his hand in a friendly way on
my shoulder just like Carter and we were
getting quite confidential over the silver
bill, putting him little on his big speech
and about to propose that he should run
up to Stanton and repeat il some Satur-
day night for the benefit Of the 7. hi. G.
A., when Judge Harris in his spike tail
coat and white cravat who had been from
enading with Mrs. VOORHEES, led her W
aud had to stop and pay her some atten-
ton; and the Z. M. q. A. lost q cool two
hundred Mrs. VOORHEES, is a pleasant
bright little lady apparently about forty
five. as well preserved as the Senator, and
converses well. She's niece OF Mr.. Isaac
Hal desty, Of Harrisonburg. That tetatete
was destined to be broken too. A balky
eX-Ccnfederate General came WaltZiDg
near us, slipped and came down with a
crash that made the windows rattle and
startled every one, till they saw mo body
was hurt" Then every body was anus
ed at his efforts to recover his footing on
che polished floor, which he finally sue
ceeded in doing with the assistance Of his
partners hand.
RANSOM.
Senator Ransom is tall, straight, and
courtly in his address, with black eyes,
well cut featurers and a most pleasant
smile. his hair and full beard would be jet
black were it not for the liberal sprinkling
of gray among them, and in his general ap-
pearance he is good deal like Massie of AL
bemarle. The handsome and pleasant Mr..
Wedderburn, of Alexandria, a relative of
our townsman Capt. Fowle, and his pretty
and agreeable lady, one of the most grace
full walters in the room were the next ac-
eaaintances your correspondent made, and
Miss Annie Harris. Of Hafrisonburg.
daughter Of our representative, one of the
sweetest and most attractive ladies in the
room. who we'll sustained the reputa-
ton of our Valley ladies in that large COM
many, The Japanese minister's wife is a
GOOD waltzer and seemed to enjoy it, as it
were something new. She has a fine fig
ure but too dark and too palpable little
black mousta"he to please American ey es.
MRS. GAINES.
Mrs. Gen. Mira Clark Gaines, the million
airess was the greatest talker in the room,
She, you will recolect by a recent decis-
ion Of the Supreme Court, RECEIVERS a large
portion of the city of New Orleans, valued
at some S50, 900 600, She is pale. lively,
little widow, with keen eye and keener
wit, sandy hair, blue eyes, very voluble
and full of fun, favors woman's SUFFRAGE,
and said she could convince me in Is min
utes, and that She had converted twenty
five congressman in less time. She has very
pleasant recollections CT Stanton, having
met her first husband there, knew a god
many of the old citizens, Judge Sheffey's
father Daniel Sheffey, DR.. StribIing, and
bor a1 1.-Two a romantic life which
would be published, four attempts on her
life during tile prosecution OF her suit, had
endured many troubles and prosecutions
but they were now over and she would
marry ii she could find the right man.
RECOLLECTION OF EX-sECRETARY
STUART.
If you will allow me now to transport
YOU from the gay sceRes OF the ball room,
to say nothing of the festive scenes Of the
simmer room, and will follow me to the
Capitol, other tales I'll unfold. AT sever
al points along the walk an Honorable
gentleman points out pretty little squares
and queer angles, Ornamented with trees
and shrubbery, which he tells me and my
AugUsta friend, we're the work OF a Staun-
ton man. ex-Secretary Stuart, who, when
at The head of the Interior Department
appljed to Congress for an appropriation to
reclaim one OF these localities IAN insight
" swamp then.) 1t WAS refused Secretary
Stuart then asked Mr.. Corcoran to adj
vance him $4,000 for the purpose, and if
Congress at the next session did rot re-
fund. he would pay him out of his own
pocket. Mr.. q. did so and the result was
that Congress not only approved of the
expenditure, but allowed the Secretary all
that he asked for, to continue his improve
ment. Another object Of interest as well
as pride to Virgipians, was pointed out to
us. the new and imposing building for
State. War and Navy Departments. lv is
one of the largest and most elegant of all
the public structures in the city, and is
built of the Richmond granite, quarried
and dressed near cur Capitol and brought
here, an enduring monument to the rare
and lnexhaustible resources OF our State.
The finish is like marble. 1t is pronounced
the finest IN the world and the contrast
to other granite is evident to any one.
We reached the hall OF the House an