Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-10-19
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
STRAWS THAT POINT THE WAY.
The sphinx I'm the ones Mansion
Arthur Close MOuthed as an Oys-
ter-The Assurance OF the sold
Guard''-MOrdeeaf sits at the Gate
-WashIngtOn's WOndrOus Growth
"A Problem for Slim wallets.

WASHINGTON, October FIT was thought
that when President Arthur began to send
nominations to the Senate there would be
good key furnished as to the character of his
policy. President Arthur has sent to the
Senate several patches Of nominations. but
nobody knows any more about his policy
than they started out with. Except for a
small post Office here and petty internal re-
venue position there, all of the nominations
and many of them were important
ones-have been to make good appoint
ments made during the recess by
the late President Garfield. 1t might suggest
itself to some that out of this it could be argued
that the new President would but continue
the administration of his successor. That
would look plausible on the face of it but for
the fact that such thought never enters into
the politicians head nor is there any reason to
believe that such is even in the remotest de-
gree the intention of President Arthur He
could hardly do less, out of decency to the
grave, than make good the appointments al
ready announced by his predecessor. To have
given these places TO others thus early after
the hearse and pail would have almost
been barbaric. The most that can be
evolved from consideration Of the nominal
nations which have been made, is that Presf
dent Arthur is a man with due regard for the
amenities. In the meanwhile the new PresI-
Catholic confessor. Nobody knows any
more about his plans now than
they did when he came here. Many who have
long been on the most intimate terms with him
say that they can get no word out of him
touching his purposes and intentions Senators
Jones and Conkling, and probably half dozen
more may, know what his brain is fashioning
for the future, but they do not tell ANYBODY Of
the knowledge that is theirs President Arthur
Is becoming puzzle. He is more reticent than
even was Grant. He could give the sphinx ten
IN in han frrtI1 ~sg.N
be until next Friday or Saturday that he win
be ready to send names Of new Cabinet officers
TO the Senate. He has gone so far as to say
he Will have important communications 60
make to the Senate when he returns from
Yorktown, which will be next Thursday night
perhaps We do not know for certain
Cabinet nominations. We have to make
calculations on what little he says.
It will be found, perhaps, that
ne Is pursuing the best course after all. It is
said by some one that the wise man keeps his
own counsel But it is rather hard upon the
politicians the place hunters and the news
papermen.
LIVING IN WASHINGTON.
There has been in this city continued build
Ing boom for more than eighteen months.
Houses have been going up In all parts of the =
city. Shanties and small wooden buildings
have been steadily giving way to brick and
mortar. The price Of real estate has jumped
up half flight OF stairs at one bound This
is especially the case IN northwest Washington.
Where few months ago there were dreary
stretches of swsmpy land, there are now rows
OF magnificent houses, broken at frequent in
tervals by very costly and splendid mansions.
In this section man cannot buy lot without
stipulating that when he builds thereon the
house Will be OF a style in keeping with the
costly surroundings. Naturally the wealth In
house building and owning Is concentrating
there. Enormous rentals are charged. and
almost fabulous prices for houses and lots.
me rest or the city has kept apace. Finer and
b1i dfv1o, a borv
me rents have gone up everywhere A house
that could have been rented a year ago fol
hfty dollars now brings in eighty dollars per
month, and the demand for dwellings Is
greater than can be supplied Real estate
agents cannot procure more than two-thirds
OF the houses which are ordered of them
Everything is very brisk The demand for
houses is just now unprecedented. Washington
Is becoming the very fashionable winter re
sort The society here, il a trifle mixed, Il
more brilliant and cosmopolitan than else
where. This is what is making it the grea
winter resort. 1t IS rapidly becoming so tina
the young lady of wealthy parents must &
least spend one winter in Washington Just q
she must go to Saratoga or elsewhere in thf ?
summer; and most of the winter resi-
dents prefer to keep house. Many of then
buy or build.
The price of living has also advanced. TIL
commodities OF life have higher figure upo
them The butcher wants nine cents per pount
for his beef, and the old woman in the marke
sells her wares at advanced prices. It is fas
short pocket to behold how things are steadiI
moving upward Washington never was YER
eheep place to put up ones abiding tent
any time.
EXECUTIVE ExCLUsIvENEss
President Arthur is going to be a more r,
tired President than the country has vet haf y
His predecessors have heretofore stood frol
ten in the morning until three in the afternoc
receiving and listening to the thousands of pc M
pie who want little ofice-just a little ONE
who want bigger things. In fact, we migl 81
put the aggregate wants of those Thousand 81
of American citizens who have avalanche =
upon the ne PRESIDENT in the the comprehensi'
people who just want TO shake hands and
home and say they have pump-handied Il
President of the United States. This hort
President Arthur intends to keep away.
will not see them while he is staying at Senat.
Jones', and says he viii not listen to the
when he takes up his quarters at the Viii
House. There are plenty of office hunters he
who cannot see the President but are Ivaftil 81
20 grab him when he reaches the White Hon. 81
NO President has ever yet set his face again &.
this crowd President Arthuris attempts
rid himself of them will be interesting
watch. 1t is extremely dubious if he can 8, s.
ceed II he holds out in his intention wat
out that he will be dubbed king Arthur
"the Car in his Palace" "wholiy un-Ams
can" and the like. The average Aneric f
citizen regards himself as having quite sor
and howls when he thinks he
snubbed by one of the public servants ST.
Ihh 6tANI MEN.
The Grant men have no doubt whatever
that they occupy exalted positions on
woodpile just now; nor any fears of bel
compelled to come down lower. IL anvthh
they opine that they are going up very mt
higher. They talk most jubilantly, and
dict all manner Of good fat spoils for the
selves. They know, they say. that the Z.
man" is all right with Arthur, and viii
that his friends are looked after. CT
of them said to me to-day: y
could not be otherwise Grant and Arthur
as thick as two peas in pod. They thoroug
know and admire each other. Grant has al s
a great deal for Arthur, and the latter knc
It, He will do anything for Grant. The CIR
people have not the remotest idea Of gett
cold on the front door step. We are going
and sit by the fire." That's the way Al
them talk. So do the Conkling men, d
not particularize either one or the other
say the Grant men means also the Conk
men, and to say Conkling men means CIR &
men too. PoToMA
RRTEE NEWS SUMMARY