Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-10-18
TTrom Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON D. c. October, 10. lss!

WASHINGTON ID. G. October, 10. 1882.
There are certain signs in and al out the
capitol that suggest the near approach of
government, The president it is true has
not returned from the fishing excursion.
The legislative personnel is scattered over
the political field many of them struggling
for foot-bold in the 4Sth congress. But
the supreme court is here; Many news
paper correspondents have returned and
native butterfly Washington has come
back from summer resort and is in train
inc by her veteran mother for another
race for the matrimonial cup. A majority
Of the members of the senate but useless
diplomatic corps display their faultless
clothes and manners on the drives and
promenados. The contingent of young
army and naval oiliceIs at Washington
never grows less but continual ly grows
more rs West Point and the Naval academy
turn them out with the rapidity of a ma
chine.
The many hotels of the city have been
renovated and painted. The boarding
houses aud restaurants encouraged by
good times, and cheap beef from Chicago.
have increased their capacity and every
thing is being put in readiness for the
advent of the government.
The season will open two or three
weeks earlier than usual on account of the
Garfield monument fair for which great
preparation has been made. 1t was
originally intended that this fair should be
held only in the rotunda of the capitol,
and congress passed a special act grant
| ing he use of the Rotunda for an indus
trial and art fair for the purpose of
raising funds for the erection of a monu-
ment in Washington to the memory Of
Garfield, but the demand for space has
been so great that it has been found
necessary to rent the masonic hall and
the skating rink as annexes.
The fair will doubtless attract many
visitors, and taken in connection with the
permanent monuments and museums of
Washington will be the occasion of q pill.
grimage to their country's capital or many
who have not been here before. Every
year makes Washington better worth
seeing. Improvements are constantly
going on. Our capitol has not the COM
ulctene.s the finish, and the solidity of
| Berlin, Brussels, or Paris, but to this
impeachment it may with great propriey
plead the baby act and promise to make
u better showing when it is half as old as
The Younger city of Europe. 1t would
surprise many who have seen Washington
only from the routine places 10 know how
largo portion of the city is occupied by
>hlnties and Negro novels in condition
vi filth and dilapidation that would dis
grace "a IIottentot village. Those who
promenade Pennsylvania avenue and
Connecticut avenue, who drive through
the parks, or admire the marble palaces
that Uncle Sam has built, know nothing
Of this architectural ptradox; bat let
them walk, they ctnnot drive, through
the muddy and quilted streets of Sonth
Washington and they will be astonished
to see tn, thousands Of PIC sty habitations
of men and women there. There is a slow
bu, steady encroachment on this quarter
for bitter residences and this almost
unno,cd Improvement pushed by private
enterprise is accomplishing more for the
city than government appropriations.