New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-04

his travels which he intends publishing on his re-
turn TO Europe, will, think rank above any o'her
production of the kind am not apt to be easily
pleased and he was not particularly prepOssessihg
to my TASTE for he speaks more than Lucas flhl'S'
aud myself put together, and twice as last as any
body know. German French, Spanish. and Engiisn'
all together. But was really delighted, ana swai-
lowed more information of various KINDS III less
than two hours than had for two years past III all
had read or heard He does not seem much aoo'o
thirty gives YOU no trouble in talking YOURSELF Tor
he catches with perfect precision the idea you mean
TO convey before You have uttered the third word
of your sentence, and exclusively of his travelled
acouirements the extent of his reading and scien-
tifc knowledge is astonishing" OF the CITY OF
Washington "a il was in 1901, Mr. Gallatn thus
writes TO his wife, presenting picture In VIVA
contrast TO the gayeties and splendOr OF the Capta
at the present day -
arrived here only Saturday last The weather
was intensely cold the Saturday eros sea the @
Mountains and aiterward was detained one uay anu
a half by rain and snow. Our local SITUATION -
far from beng pleasant or even eonveneht. Aiouno o
tailor, one shoemaker, one p'nter, Washlhg-"onah'
grocery shop pamphe ana ssO TSIs the
whole of the Federal city connected win he Oapt0
Al the distance threefourths Of mle ON orear the
Eastern BTanch lie scattered the of Mr. Law
of Mr. Carroll. the principal prOprletaIes ul te
Smrtv warehouse and a wharf gfaced by not a single
vessel And this makes the whole intended commercial
part of the city, unless include IN 1t what is called the
twenty Buildings, beng many unfinished houses
commenced by Morris and Nicholson, and perhaps as
many undertaken by Greenleaf, both winch groups Ne
at the distance Of half-me from each other, near Tue
mouth of the Eastern Branch and the POtOWmack ahu
are divided by large swamp nom the Capitol hlll ana
the little village connected with II. Taxing contrary
direction from the Capitol towards the Presidents
house the same swamp interyenes and straight cause
way which measures one mile and hdlf and seventeen
percnes, forms the communication between tIe Two
buildings. small stream about the SIZE OF the largest
the Two runs between CIdreS ana our mousse ahG
decorated with The pompous Appreciation OF "IyDer,
feeds without draining the swahps, ana aions tnd
causeway tcallcd the PENNSYLVANIA AYenueb between
the Capitol and Presidents House, not single
single mouse lntelyenes or can intervene WllhouS ue
voting Its wretched tenant To perpetual ieNels FROM
Presidents House TO Georgetown the distance is hot
tue public offices ana from Nifty TO one hundred sOOu
hoiis are finished TIE Presidents House Is very ee-
CANT Duiding, ana TINS part OF the cry On "a
IT'S natural situation of ITS vicinity 10 Georgetown WIN
which 1t communicates over Rock Creek by two bridges
and by the eoncourse OF people drawn DV hAvihg
ness the pubic offices, VIII improve
and may within short ume form FOWL equal III SIZE
and population 20 Lancaster or AhAaPOs Dut zee arc nOt
there distance Is too great Tor convenience from
thence the Capitol six seven oil the members nave
taken lodgings at Gtor5e lo"h' re 1eat io 49,
House. all the Others crowded III the eight board
MINIS where snare tue room OF Yarnun, and pay
at the rate think, including attendance, wood, can
believe we are from twenty thirty, and were 1t
NOT for the presence OF Mrs. Bailey ana Mrs. Brown,
olases Mr. LangdOn, Mr.. Jefferson, General smlh. MI
Baldwin, etc. etc., make part OF our mess The com
I
unless my family, had rather now ana theI sec
other our not being able to nave room
each yenlence AS TO our rare, We nave
hardly any vegetables the people being Obliged TO resort
to Alexandra supplies; our beef rs not very good
mutton and poultry good the price OF provisions ana
wood about the In Philade phla A. to renIs
nave not yet been able to ascertain anything precise.
but, upon the whole, living must he somewhat deafeF
here IMAM either IN Philadelphia or Newly DIX
Mr.. Adams's execution of this biography shows
great fidelity of research, patience i'll the accumu-
lation of materials moderation and good sense
in the estimate of character, but no extraordinary
skill or practice in the arts of literary composition
No felicity of treatment, however. could give a
popular character TO the work, and its want of at
tractveness to general readers is somewhat en-
HANGED by the copous extracts from letters in the
French language which give foreign aspect to the
PAGES at the commencement of the volume that is
not q little discOuraging