Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-19

patent pens, fdncy INK
stands, fancy paper. etching knives and hun
dreds OF other articles of stationery" are
ranged up and down the columns of the re-
port.
THERE ARE CURIOUS ITEMS
I'D the miscellaneous expenditures. The day of
snuff taking cannot be said to be past by any
means. for there stands out in black and white
FOR one dozen Martinique snuff. 50" Perhaps
the days Of flogging are not over either. for
here is the following entry: "For one rawhde
% cents" Another item is zone quart castor
Oil; another. lone gallon alcohol" and still
another lone pound of glycerine." There GER
tainly must have been
GOOD DEAL OF ''MALARIA"
among the members of the Senate. Hundreds
upon hundreds of one grain and two grain qui-
nine pills were purchased for the use of the
Senate. The item, lone gallon castor oiI.n oc-
ours more than once. There was a good deal offun
made out OF the treasury bay rum EBAY rum"
Is evidently in considerable demand BY Senators.
100, for 1t appears frequently in the columns Of
the accounts of that body One time the account
reads: Two gallons Ofbay rum. S. one demiiohn,
sloO purchased from well-know-n Washing
Ton urn OF liquor dealers. Further we strike
more Martinique snuff. ''fOr use of the Senate"
a rather queer purchase is -four bags of salt"
Then the Appollinaris water. That account. in
one place. foOts up sl30. Even shoe horns have
been bought. pint of arnica and a bottle of
lotion may nave been used for Senatorial rheu-
matism OF bruises.
CORKsCREws AND COLOGNE.
Corkscrews came high, but the Senate had to
have them. They cost fifty cents each Com
mon backing would not do, so two gross of
French backing was bought. Plenty of cologne
had to be on hand. One item under that head
alone is for four dozen German cologne, while
the more common brands of the perfume were
purchased by the gallon. For assorted brushes
s315. 80 We're expended Vaseline in quantity
was bought Fine-tOOth combs and brushes
other than assorted run the whole length of the
list of expenditures. Flesh brushes are there in
great number; and fancy soaps keep well apace
with them.
Near the end of the miscellaneous accounts
are more appOllinaris water, Guinine pills. castor
OIL. bay rum, and corkscrews with dash of
ammonia water for the baths.
An Unpleasantness in South Washing.
tom.
THE ALLEGED BLOCKADE OF VIRGINIA AVENUE
THE EFFORTS To RAISE 1T.
Mr.. John P. Murphy, a well-known old citi-
zen and taxpayer, residing fer many years at
the corner of 18th and streets southwest,
writes to The STAR to say that for more than a
year past he has been endeavoring to get an OBJ
structiOn on Virginia avenue, corner of 18th
street southwest, removed. This obstruction
consists of an enclosure. or a series of Them of
portion of that avenue by wooden fence.
used by permission of the District authorities
as front yards for number of new dwellings,
and described by Mr.. Murphy as a blockade
across Virginia avenue. stopping the public pass
way, While that avenue has recently been
opened to 18th street, where the improvements
are stopped. to accommodate few persons who
occupy these new dwellings,"
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Referring to the papers and records in the
Commissioners office, it is found that Mr.. A. F.
Barker, well-known house builder, took out
permit May "a. 1879, to erect a row of houses
on the vacant lots south of this triangle near
18th street, and got written permission from the
engineers office to utilize the triangle fronting his
ground in order to give him access to the car
on street. which had Just then been
paved with asphalt; Virginia avenue remaining
then unimprOyed.
The board of public works had years ago.
when 18th street southwest was paved, left this
triangle square sOdded and inclosed with
cheap wood fence and a narrow fOOtwalk on the
south side, between it and the lots now benefited
By its use.
The houses were built, the front wards ex-
tended to street each yard being inclosed
with neat paing fence, flowers planted. sod
ding done, and the whole beattified adding
value and attraction to the houses which were
soon caught up 10y purchasers. The inclosure
sodding. &c. have cost Mr.. Barker several hun
bred dollars. which probably he more than
reall Zed in the sale.
MR.. MURPHy's PROTEST.
The first paper on the subject in the District
offices is a letter from Mr.. Murphy, dated 3Oth
April. 1880, in which he states that taking the
opportunity when the Commissioners issued a
public order to the police to remove all obstruc-
lions from the streets, reminded him of this
One-the ''penning in of this triangular SQUARE
fronting square 29t, thereby causing pedestrians
the Inconvenience OF passing 18th street to
street before they can pass around the SQUARE
simply TO make show of front yards and make
property sell BETTER and closing by asking the
commissioners to cause this evil to be speedily
This was referred to Lieutenant
Greene. who sent Inspector W. +. Wallace to
examine the situation and report. His report
recites in substance the facts as above. and
closes by adding: ''PermissiOn has been given
the property owners of square 1906 fronting Vir-
9iniaavenue. TO enclose the space in their yards
to Use and beautify until otherwise ordered, and
that it does not incOmmOde or interfere with
any ones rights.
REPORT FROM THE ENGINEERS OFFICE.
Lieut. Greene thereupOn forwarded the paper
to the Commissioners. endorsed .'The complaint
appears to be unfOunded.' May 8, 1880, Mr.
Murphy writes to the Commissioners, to saw
that he has too much pride to indulge in writing
unfOunded statements, and did not know what
the engineers have been doing but that encour-
agement had been given the parties to be bene-
fitted, or the fence would not have been put
there: and further. that the narrow footwalk
had been placed there through his (Murphy's)
endeavor. aided by Mr. GunnelI. and that seven
'lgners had been procured for that purpose. In
his letter he enclOscs to the Commissioners the
reply received by them-Lieut. Greene's reDOrt |
On the subject. His next letter to the Commits
'ioners, August 20, 1881, requests that they
cause a fOOtway to be laid where the narrow one |
had been torn up. This was not assented to by |
hem.
THE OTHER SIDE HEARD FROM
Here another letter appears from one
OF the purchasers of these houses benefited |
stating his objections to the footway being
placed there. which would cut Off his access to |
the carriageway on street, destroy the beauty
OF the new improvement on that avenue. and |
stating that when he purchased his house. one
Oi the considerations was that the parking in |
front had been permitted by the Commissioners. |
and written order had been given by them
its permanence
APPEALING TO THE ATTOpSpv crxrp.,