The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-03-23
Our Washington Letter.

H5usc-Tdc Railroad LoJty-Go Gorern-
mental Sharcrs-Ho,0 You May Enoto a
CongresSman-Thc " Centennial Memo
rial" and What is TO be Done lcith It.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 8, 1878.
The Lenten season has-for the time be-
ing, at least-put not stop to, but brake
upon, social gayety. A few of our leading
society ladies, however, continue to receive
informally on their regular days for being
" at home" to visitors, and others have sig
nifed their intention of seeing their friends
on one evening in each week.
The official receptions at the White House
have, Of course, been discontinued; but
Mrs. Hayes is always " at home " to friends
of herself or President Hayes. Yesterday
evening General Sherman and party of
friends paid their respects to her; and, as
the friends of the General were strangers,
Mrs. Hayes had the conservatories lighted,
to show them through. The effect is very
fine when the large conservatory is lightedj
especially now, when the azaleas are a mass
of bloom. 1t was only last December that
ga7 was introduced into this part of the
White House, and the burners are so ar
rarged as to form o beautiful crescent of
fire high above the growing plants and
flowers.
Jay Gould, the well-known fnancier and
and ex-Erie Railroad magnate, is still in
the city. The Arlington Hotel has been,
for years, the headquarters of the railroad
lobby, the component parts of which,
headed by Jay Gould, may be seen there
any e7ening Corcoran, the well-known
banker, philanthrophist, and owner of the
hotel is going to extend it; and, according
to the plans now in preparation, it will be
the largest, as well as one of the finest,
hotels in Washington.
1t was not until yesterday, during the de-
bate in the House of Representatives on
report to pay the employees in the cloak
oped that the two BARRIERS who perform the
tonsorial ornamentation of our Solons in Con-
gress are paid by the government, and not
by the members individually who call their
services into request. This seems to be
rather hard on the bald members, who must
torego the pleasure of having their hair cut
at government expense. 1t is, however, not
a bad idea to have a governmental shaver,
to trim the whiskers and wax the NOUS
taches of our law-givers and, now when |
come to think of it, that accounts nationally
for the curious fact that all the two hundred
and seventy-odd members wear their hair
Chat is, such rs have it, exactly after the
same cut, so that you can tell member by
the cut of his bnir, as you can tell man-ot-
war from the cut of its jib. The two bar
bers referred to are twins, and operate ton
sorial!y precisely alike.
Some Of those who visited the Centennial
Exposition at Philadelphia will remember
the great government Centennial Memo
rial" sheet Of parchment fiity-two inches
in, length by thirty-sevcn WIDE gorgeously
framed, which was exhibited in the Gov
ernment Building, and also, on the 4th
of July, 1876, in a big safe opposite grand
stand in Independence Square, as a part Of
the centennial exercises. 1t is surrounded
by an emblematc border, and crowned bya
vignette of States in the shape of an eagle
grasping in its talons shield, arrows, liber-
ty cap, an olive branch, and a scroll with
the word Constitution" each side of the
group in a stand of colors, the whole resting
on a representation of Plymouth rock in
scribed, "l77G-tS76," with the motto Z
PlttTibuS UnuHi, The background is
storm scene, with lightning playing from
the clouds. The rest of the border is made
up of fagots, typifying the original thirteen
States, bound with a band of stars, gather
ing in the upper corners by olive and oak
branches, signifying peace and strength.
At each of the base corners is a shield, par
TALLY surrounded by clusters of olive and
oak leaves. This curious document derives
its interest and importance from the fact
that upon its face are the official signatures
of the executive, judicial, and legislative,
officers Of the government, in all numbering
4Ol, headed by U. S. Grant. The great seal
of the United States was affixed to it, in
pursuance of an act approved January Is,
1878, and, for the purpose of making it ac-
cessible TO the general public, this docu-
ment which bears the title of Z" The Admin
istraton of the United States Government
at the Beginning Of Its Second Century"
the House has passed a resolution to the cf-
feet that n committee Of thirteen, consisting
Of one from the thirteen original States re-
spectivelY, be appointed to arrange the pro
ceedings and ceremonies for the placing of
the said centennial memorial in the Depart
ment of State. b.