The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
Washington Letter.
From our regular correspondent

This is one eff the warmest fall sea-
sons the capital has ever experienced
for years. Neverless it Is very pleasant.
The scorching suns Of July and Au.
had put the parks into a premature
sere and yellow leaf but the milder
weather of September, accompanied as |
it has been by plenty of moisture, has
rejuvenated the face of nature and now |
the parks, squares and lawns are
smiling with the beauty of June. III
is Just the time to see the city in it&
best, and fresh faces meet us in all the
places of public interest. Besides
these we encounter many familiar
| faces which belong to the returning
summer abseutees and remind us how
| rapidly the session of Congress APP
proaches The visitors who come TO
| us now il is safe to say, are not poll.
ticians; they are people who come
| here to see what manner of city
| Washington is when the lawgivers
are away. The first place they make
for is the Capitol itself. Here they
| find the Legislative chambers aud the
| various other public rooms in rare
state of disorder. There are always
certain repairs and alterations to be
| made not to mention the necessary
| changing at the close of the season and
this year the work was delayed by the
extra meeting of Congress which
lasted until July.
| The elaborately ornamented grounds
about the Capitol are very lovely now,
contrasting strongly with the disorder
in and around the building. New
walks are being finished and old ones
reliaid; an immense new safe has been
put in for the House of Representa-
tives; some new statuary has been in
troduced, and many changes made in
the rooms. The ventilation of the
Representatives Chamber is being
greatly improved. A lobby has been
made by tearing out the partitions be-
tween the reporters, the Sergeant-at.
Arms and the Speakers rooms, with
windows opening to the outdoor
world; the speakers room has been
transferred to what was the folding
room. An open fireplace has been
built back of the speakers desk, and
various other decided improvements
inaugurated. A new electric lighting
apparatus. for the dome has been COM
pleted and tested. 1t is dynamo
electric machine with an Illuminating
power equal to $4,000 candles, and is
similar to smaller ones with the i'll
tensity of 49, 900 candles recently pur-
chased for lighting the halls and
chambers of the Capitol. The latter
cost $500 each, and were purchased out
of an appropriation of 81, 400 for the
purpose, and the remainder will, it is
thought, pay for the larger one. The
apparatus will occupy the west part
of the dome, and will command Penn
sylvania avenue for a long distance.
1t is expected that, with electricity
instead of gas, the dome, the routunda
and the halls will be better lighted
than ever before, and that the cost of
the same will be lessened. Speaking
of the dome of the Capitol, the old
Italian artist Signor Brumidi, who
painted the allegorical figures in the
apex, and who has been at work here
for the last twenty-siX years, is still
engaged in the rotunda. His work
is done on a platform suspended sixty
feet from the floor. He is old and
feeble, and sits in chair while at
work. Some time since he had a very
narrow escape from sudden and
terrible death. His platform consisted
of two stages, the communication be-
tween them being by ladder. On this
occasion he was seated in his chair Oh
the upper stage, and, in leaning over
to give the finishing touch to a figure
almost out of his reach, his chair
slipped and turned over and he only
saved himself from dropping down be
low by catching on Il round of the
ladder, to which he came. He is quite
old and feeble, and lately told u gentle
man who called on him that he did
not expect to live to finish the great
work on which he has been so long
engaged.
Military and government circles are
q good deal agtated over the Indian
difficulties which have just broke out
afresh. This time it is the Utes of
Colorado and the White River country.
The murder of Major Thornburg,
agent Meeker and all the whites at
the agency is another of those cold
blooded atrocities likely to occur at
any time, so long as our Indian policy
and system remains where it now l..
The Utes have heretofore been r,-
garded rs friendly, and the principa.
chiefs are still so. Seven OF the chiefs
were here in Washington less than ii
year ago remaining two weeks at tie
fremont House, where | met and
conversed with them. They were
feted and feasted, and given receptions
without number. They also attended
church and made speeches to the
Sunday school children, and before
leaving for home the Interior Depart
. ment gave them each trunk, All
overcoat and SlU0 in silver. One OF
this same party, Colorado Chief" is
now the leader of the warlike band on
White river. The others, among
whom are chiefs 'Sam" and "Billy'
I remain friendly. Both of the last
named Outrank Colorado in the Ute
councils. The principal chief "Ouray'
| is not a hereditary chieftain, but holds
that position by reason of his great
0 ability. He superseded Colorado Il
h. few years ago, and the latter has since
. been sullen, reckless and violently op.
o posed to the civilization of his tribe.
e saw great many of these indians
1 while in Colorado, and learned much
1 of their habits and condition. They
= occupy reservation comprising
, | several millions of the best land IN