The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-12-23
WAsHIEGTcN LETTER.
[From our Regular Correspondents


Washington is now in the height of its
glory. Its boom has fairly begun When
Congress is here there are always interest
ing topics and events enough, and we live
upon the exhilerating atmosphere OF ex-
citement and political change. By the time
this reaches you we shall probably have
the names of the Cabinet, and know more
about the policy of this close -mouthed Ad-
ministration. While attention here has
been SO much directed to the organization
of Congress, the Guiteau trial shas not been
forgotten. Its third week closed on Sat-
urday with the interest still up. The pro-
gress made during the week was consider
able, and the scenes were more of the same
sort already described Those who were
present during Judge Porter's cross-examin-
alton of the prisoner are of the opinion that
it rather broke down the defense; yet
Guiteau proved to be very alert and sharp,
while his insolence is uneaqualed. The
impression prevails here, especially among
those who have watched the progress of the
case and studied the faces of the jury, that
there will be no conviction, and that the
jury will disagree.
President sArthnr has at last gone into
the White House to live. Everything is as
neat and bright as a new pin since the old
house has been fixed up. The President
will occupy for a sleeping chamber a room
that has rarely been used for that purpose
by his predecessors, though Gen. Grant
occuied it for short time. It is very
spacious, measuring about thirty by twenty
feet, and is over the private dining room.
it is fully as large as the Red Parlor down
stairs During Gen. Grants two terms
this room was known as Miss Nellie's
room," being that usually occupied by his
only daughter. The chamber is on the
north side of the house and with the smaller
rooms adjoining occupies the northwest
corner. The sun never shines on the large
room, The small one will be, so to speak
the Pre- ident's boadoir and communicates
with the larger one by mahogany door,
The question that has lately agitated our
society circles is, ''what lady will preside
at the White House, and assist at receipt
ions, etc:" But it has been settled by the
President, who says that the wife of a
member of his Cabinet-whose name is not
yet made public-will assist him in dispen-
sing the hospitalities of the Executive
Mansion. In fact he expects all ladies of
his Cabinet to come to the rescue in doing
the honors. His married sister has cares
enough of her own and the unmarried one
is not physically able to perform the duties.
There will be none but formal entertain
ments given at the mansion this winter
that is to say dinner parties and public
evening receptions. No one will be there
on whom the ladies can call socially as
they have been in the habit of doing here
totore
Who is to be Public Printer seems to be
subject of only less interest here than was
the question of the Speakership of the
House or the leader on the floor. The
matter concerns thousands in Washington
| have it second hand from the President
that the change will be made in Public
Printer as soon as the new Cabinet is sent
in on the organization of Congress. There
is very general feeling that it will be e
good radiance to get Defrees out, although
he pretends to say that he had assurance
from President Garfield that, if he Wished
to stay. ''no power could get him out. !"
The old public functionary makes himself
"numerous" about the hotels where the
crowds are, and his tall, rather bending
form and "white head bob up serenely
His general ''make up" though, is that of
one on whom politics had ''soured," and
there has been great deal of criticism of
his conduct in the establishment. Sterling
P. Rounds, that prince of good fellows, of
the Chicago printers warehouse, and the
long time publisher of that gem of the art
presertative, Rounds Printers Cabinet"
and Capt. Oyster, youthful soldier of the
Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, are the live
candidates for the place of Public Printer,
with Mr.. Turner a Michigan publisher, also
in the field. Col. Dudley does not like to
be interviewed about his charge from the
to be down on the slate that Gen. Jesse H.
Moore, of Illinois, is to return from South
America to go to the Pension Bureau;
and what Col. Dudley wants, whether he
goes to preside over the Patent Office or
not, is to follow in the footsteps of Porter,
and graduate from Washington into the
Gubernatorial chair of Indiana. SPor.
Plan for Exploring Alaska.