The Phoenix herald., 1879-11-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. C., ]
 hf.r 2 1S10

sorrow, as well as surprise in the
 Departments. They Were great ia
 vorites with tue clerks in the Treas
 ury, War and Interior Departments, many of whom have some anccdote
 to tell, illustrative of. the peculiar characteristics ot the late Senator and General These stories are in
 teresting, but in general of kind
 inappropriate to accompany an obit-
 uary notice. When MT. Chandler
 was last in Washington he presented
 such an appearance of robust health
 that one would scarcely have placed
 the duration of his life at less than
 score of years. He was as stalwart
 in body as in politics, and few men
 have ever set in Congress who pos
 sessed such a powerful physique.
 MT. Chandler performed an i'm
 mense amount of campaign service
 this season, commencing as far back
 as July 23, when he made a very elaborate speech at Madison, Wis, the occasion being the celebration of
 the 25th Anniversary of the organiz- i ation of the Republican party in that
 State. Mir. Chandler was then fresh
 from the extra session of Congress,
 and burning with zeal in the issues
 which had then been made up be-
 tween the two great parties. His
 speech was printed as a campaign
 document to the extent of hundreds
 of thousands by the Wisconsin Re
 publican Committee, and was scat
 tered broadcast over the West
 Shortly afterwards Mr. Chandler came East, and addressed Republi- can audiences in the States holding
 elections this year. Tho Ohio Re
 publicans also had the benefit of his assistance. Two weeks ago he went
 back to Wisconsin, and held series of meetings, speaking to immense audiences in the four principal cities of the State He intended that the l speech which he made at Chicago on 1 Friday night last should end his la bors for the campaign, and so it did but not as he had expected.
 There have been a great many !" interviews" lately with prominent Republicans, outside of official life, with reference to the Republican nomination for the Presidency. That | of James F. Wilson, of Iowa, who | was in Congress for many years, and who was offered by General Grant, the Secretaryship of State before MT. Fish was appointed, seems to be the most intelligent. He had some cor respondence with General Grant, while the latter was absent from the country, and he says distinctly that, in his opinion General Grant will ed to himwith any degree of unanim ity, but if there is any indication of contest and wrangle in the convention, his friends will certainly withdraw his name. That there will be a contest and wrangle, have no doubt. The friends of Blaine, Sher- man and Conkling are not likely to give way without skirmish, at lcas'. If General Grant withdraws who is the coming mans All the interview CTS and the general judgement say he is Blaine
 The attendance at the Natlor al Fair now being held here has fallen far below what was expected by the At least forty thousand people, it was believed, would be present on the first day and it WAS thought special trains would be run from all parts of the country, bring ing in crowds of visitors. An occas- onal visitor, lured by the flaming lines of showy posters, has dropped into the city and found his way to he Fair Grounds; but the impress sion that he carried away with him on his return home, could not have been creditable to the District. The , industrial procession which was one of the great events of the opening lay, was most successful in its way. The credit of its success belongs to he merchants, who subscribed the arranged the details, and pushed things to a successful termin q ltion without the aid of the Fair As ociation. Business men saw that 1t offered big chance to advertise their establishments at little expense, and 'ntered into the project with the pirit and energy of men who ex- see speedy return in the 1 way of cash receipts. The opening lay at the Fair Grounds found in confusion. The ( rand stand was only half-finished, ! nd the next building was not far u nough completed to permit fixtures 0 be hung in it. If the Fair Asso- iation had not made such great pre- entions, or had been satisfied with ome name for the exhibition more modest than the National Fair" the h would be compared with ther local fairs and probably would ot uffer by the comparison. But - egardcd as a National Fair, it must e regarded by a higher standard, nd it is undoubtedly a wretched allure.
 Extensive arrangements are being lade for the reunion in this city of he Army of the Cumberland, and ne unvailing af the equestrian statue ' f Gen. Thomas in the Fourteenth 4 treet circle, which ceremony takes E