The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-07-08
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
News Culled at the National Capital by tl:e
Chiefs Correspondents.
WASHINGTON, d. O., July /, 1882.

l-a
DEAR CHIEF:
1t has cost millions to uMse Washing
ton beautiful, tolnake smooth her streets,
to adorn her many parks, to fill her open
squares with fountains and statnary, but
no American, in the better sense Of the
word, can look on this city without
feeling of pride in the beauty of the
Capital of his country. The trees, most
of which, have been planted within the
last eight years, are now sufficiently
large to shade the streets and relieve the
sidewalks from that intense heat that
heretofore made Washington intolerable
during the summer months.
! From u carayansari Of Government
clerks, lobbyists, and every species OF
adventurer which composed the Wash
| ington of the years Immediately following
tho war, the Capital has grown to lie a
large city of beautiful residences. Retired
Army and Navy officers, successful busi-
ness men, men ofprominence in literature,
in science, aud in art, from all parts OF
the country, have recognized the desira-
bility Of Washington as winter resi-
dence, and, after having spent u season
| or two in the hotels, are now building
beautiful residences. The Capital GER
tainly surpasses any city il the world Of
its population in tasteful houses with
modern conveniencrs. Besides the pala-
tial mansions that have been built by
the Blaines, the Camerons, the Pendel
| tons, the Robesons, and others of princely
fortune, very many solid ant! comfortable
homes Of lesser pretension now occupy
the places where Negro shanties lnarrcd
| the landscape ten and even five years
| ago. True there are many good houses
that have an existence ante,latiny the
war, and some of these, rich in historic
association, attract tho attention Of the
| visitor with al interest that tile mere
triumphs Of modern architecture can not
| rival. The rooms occupied by your
| ,rresp ondent and in which yonr letters
have been written during the last year
were occupied by Alex. Stephens and
Robert Toombs in a time that now seems
like ancient history.
If the places of Government clerks,
| who compose so important a part of the
population Of Washington, were made
secure and Independent of political
mutation, the city would gain large
increase III its substantial population.
As it is now, = large proportion Of these
clerks are mere transient residents,
afraid to buy homes for the reason that
they feel how uncertain is their tenure
of office under the rule that "to the
victors belong the sppils " of office. A
great many clerks, however, have com
Portable houses of their own. The savings
from their salaries are not very large,
but some of them have managed to buy
or bnild homes that are models of modest
comfort and not without the graccs of
ties Of the city there are what might he
called Civil Service employee colonies,
| where blocks Of small cosy houses have
been built just suited to the size Of the
purse of the average Government clerk.
The remuneration of the clerks in the
Government offices varies from $3.50 to
$4,000 per annum. The latter amount is
given only to those who occupy ilnpor
tant positions or who have experience in
the complicated routine of Office work.
The average American citizen does not,
perhaps, know that this Gov eminent in
all the details of its stupendons bureau
arcy is managed by the eighteen-hnndred
dollar clerks, but it is SO. These clerks
prepare the documents which chiefs of
bureau and Cabinet officers sign, often
without knowing what they contain and
without the ability to understand them
until explained by the chief clerk.
Some months since a real estate ring,
which inclnded some men prominent in
public life, bought large tract of land
just beyond the limits of Washington
with the purpose, it is believed, OF selling
it to Congress rs a situation for new
Presidential mansion. Last week this
ring had their hopes seriously shattered,
for Congress appropriated 100000 for
the purpose Of building an addition to
the White House. It is proposed to
build spacious annex on the south side,
and to connect it to. ti,e main building
by long broad corridor. It is expected
that this enlargement Ut the home of the
President will make it one Of the com
pletest and most spacious buildings in
the world for state occasions, and those
democratic assemblies called receptions
which are frequently attended by us
many us 5000 persons, and FROM which |
no citizen of tho world, out of Jail, is |
excluded.
When Mr.. Blame knew that he was to |
be made a Cabinet Minister under Gar
field he commenced building IL house
which will soon be completed, and,
although he will not now be able t.
entertain in All official capacity, lis new
home will, lo doubt, he rallying point
for the many political friends Of Mr.
Blaine, during the three remaining years
of the present administration Mr..
Blaine's new house has fully seventy
large plate glass windows in it, The
first floor which has five rooms and two
halls (the latter at ri ht angles with
each other) can all be thrown into one
The hall, which, runs through from the
main entrance on Goth street to the rear
Of the house, where there is a broad
piazza, is fifteen feet wide; tho other,
from which the staircase ascends, il
twenty feet wide. The halls have cell
ings Of paneled oak, and the staircase is
oak, lighted on the landing by handsome
stained glass windows. The rooms on