The Dillon tribune., 1881-09-17
Correspondence.
WASHINGTON LETTER
From .r,,I,,s C.,.....A.A,
From ou. yular Correspondent. !

WASHINGTON, September, 10th. 1881
The Presidents case has been the alb.
| sorbing topic here for more than two
months, and now that the suffering patient
has been removed tine White House is de-
serted and still. The question is sadly
asked; "N il! 1t ever be occupied ag,i,, i,v
President Garield:" can not answer ii,
| the Doctors can not answer il and the
PRAYERS of fifty millions of people can not
assure it. The feeling among those who
| nave known most about the case is that le-
| moval to new scenes and fresh air was the
one last resort, the only hope. There is
also strong feeling that the Doctors have
made some serious mistakes, and that
| there has been too much Doctor in the
case from the beginning. This NAV be
true. know nothing as 10 that; and do
not feel like entering the list OF critics 1t
is certain that there has been great anxiety
and untiriny effort ON tn. par, OF the emf.
nent physicians in charge of :he case vet
1t the President does moi recover they must
expect to tt biar1ed. Even now the :,dvo
Gates OF heroic irtcat,n"nt including the
medical writer's in the New York Iicr,ld
are purSuHding the public that there is no
mop. OF recovery because the surgeons did
not probe for the hall at the outset
Now that tn" scene of anxious watching
has been transt. rred for Il time t, Long
Branch, the eager crowds who have daily
surrounded the entrance To the White
House grounds waylavng the CORE srond-
ents and others as thev came out, have
fallen back upon the telegraph bulletins for
their information. There were many sad
faces in these crowds during the days when
the end was thought to b. near and hope
was dead. There were anxious faces. too,
IN the eager throng that gathered at six
O'Clock Tuesday morning to see the depart
..re tor the depot. 1t was a busy time at
the White HOUSE: the night before the re-
moval Until late hour in the day it was
not positively decided to start. The tiecis-
ion to do SO was caused by the patients
own anxiety and pleading For several
days his mind had been set upon it, and hc
begged almost pititi,lly to be taken away.
alt is a chance" he said, land think am
entitled to it," When DR.. Bliss tried to
pursuade him that he was then doing SO
well he had better wait little, he said,
mo, no, don't want any more delav,"
and all during the afternoon he kept ask.
ing us this the ,st tlav in the White
liouse?" To have prolonged his anxiety
would no doubt have been more injurious
than the fatigue Of the journey.
The conduct OF Mrs. Garfield all through,
these trying days has been something 10
admire. All the correspondents and news.
paper writers have been sounding her
praises for some time; but I have not
joined IN very often because | am not
much given 10 gush and thought she was
doing Just what any true woman would do
In her place-what many an humber
woman, perhaps, is doing every day unno.
ticed. Yet there is something heroic in
the ~av this quiet, self.contained, trusting
1 has 1asnaos,o<1 Ys>
dark days when hope forsook everybody
else and the doctors stampeded she said to
them, "Go back to your posts, do not
give him up." Intense as is the strain
upon her she has not, so far as is known,
given way for moment. She spends
nearly all her time with the President and
personally superintends the preparation of
his food. lie thinks it tastes better when
It comes from her hand.
| Among the crowds that have eagerly
sought the daily bulletins the colored cit.
zen has been quite numerous. lie is prct.
~ numerous in Washington. One of
them was heard to remark to another
day or two ago while reading the latest re.
port: swell, his temperance is good; how is
his perspiration?"
Last Monday was the dav for making
the quarterly payment Of pensions il, many
cities and towns over the country. The
New York city agent alone paid out $500.
600. making over $2.oonooo per year ut
that agency Washington has no local
Government Of its own and no voters, but
it has within its limits goodly number of
veterans who "fought, and bled," and who
now draw pensions. 1t was striking
scene to witness the procession Of "maimed
halt and blind" as they crowded up tn re.
ccve their little annuity from Uncle Sam.
There were among them t.,ose who, hav.
ing emerged from the battle. field unscath.
cd, still look hale and hearty; others from
whom the light OF day is forever shut out
and who came led BY some dutifut child or
loving wife. Some crept slowly along
with two heavy canes; others with one,
while many poor fellow minus an arm or
a leg. smiled contrncdlv as he clu:ched the
crisp notes or chinked the musical silver
from the Golfers Of his Uncle Samuel.
MANY mothers and widows Of fallen SOL
| 1is.rs ,cs.r.. o,Oou., tl,. ,,,,,,,I,.,r