The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-11-06
Washington Letter.
From our regular correspondent.l


WASHINGTON, d. c., 0cT. 81, 1879.
Our National Fair is the absorbing
subject with us and Thousands of Wis
itors are in attendance. The Fair
opened on Tuesday last with a grand
parade and procession Of vehicles be-
longing to the business men of the
District. Nearly every firm sent one
or more and over 1000 wagons, etc.,
were in line nearly all pf which were
decorated with flags, placards, and
wreaths of evergreens and flowers
One brick firm had out in line all its
wagons, carts and employes headed by
brass band all bearing appropriate
devices of their Industry and MAX
ing most attractive display. SO
with other industrial interests. Even
old fogy, sleepy Georgetown sent out
most creditable delegation of six
mule and horse wagols with lesser
named vehicles and astonished us
by the extent of her display When
Georgetown can send a score or more
of business men into public demon
stration with banners and with dec
orations, and small army of en-
ployees and animals your readers may
appreciate the general Waking up and
shaking up of dry bones which this
fair has given the distrit and further
that we may now take rank with
other cities in real progress and I'M
provement. We have leen fond of
our streets but now we feel cause of
pride in our men for we lave live men
here as elsewhere. The real extent
of our industrial Interests has never
been made so publicly apparent as in
Tuesdays pageant and through only
local, for we have no general manu-
featuring works here, yet it showed
an eXtensiveness of operation indica-
tive only of a large population that
will not live in the unpainted, un-
washed, antediluvian nhnner char
acterizing Washington lfior to the
war. AT the head of our Fair are pro-
gressive men. Young A herica
are as keenly alive to the wants and
necessities of modern bush ess as those
old fogies and we trust thai the day is
past in which old fogyism shall rule
our District affairs.
Outside of fair matters we have
little of general interest to note. The
hotels are not, as yet, filling up with
Congressman or those who come here
to spend the winter in attendan ce
upon Congressional mates, and not
until all the fall elections are over and
votes counted will there be any con-
siderable addition to our political or
floating population. The near ap-
proach of the tinality Of this faIl's
political fight, of course, arouses the
usual spasmodic interest among all
persons interested and both parties are
drumming up their adherents who
vote in New York and Pennsylvania.
So great has become the evil of purjury
in our courts through professional
witnesses that our judges have taken
steps to prevent and punish. AS an
instance of summary proceedings in
this respect one Thompson, testified
in defence of John Brown, charged
with stealing a pair of shoes, that he
had seen Brown wearing the shoes
two months p:ior to his arrest, most
palpable perjury, was asked to remain
in the court room and the matter was
laid before the grand jury who with
out delay returned an indictment. He
was Immediately arrested aud is now
in trial to await trial. We suppose
other cities are cursed with these pro-
fessional strawbail witness scoundrels
but it does seem that Washington has
her full proportion of them for if we
may may credit the recent change Of
Judge Hagner to the grand jury of the
evil. Any INSCRIPTIONS attorney
would find little difficulty in suborn-
ing any needed amount of witnesses.
With Mr. Hayesand all his Secretaries
at home from their peregrinations
among the people, the country we
presume, is safe. One hardly knows
when Congress is in session, how
much evil may be inflicted upon the
country through pernicious legisla-
tion in the course of a week and there
is more or less anxiety which takes
shape in wishes for adjournment
With the Executive here we should
have cause for different feeling, even
though our lilliputian-mentally we
mean-Secretary of the Interior with
his civil service red tape humbuggery
may permit Indian Agents and their
families to be slaughtered and out
ragged while he is taking his leisure
between Saturday night and Monday