The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-12-02
[FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT. ]


those who happened to be the ones re-
| fused admission. The occasion for it was
found in the Garfield Fair preparations.
visitors interfering with the workmenand
rendering necessary q guard over the
many articles of value lying about wait
ing to be placed in position. Allis now
about completed, but for two weeks heaps
of lumber and piles of chips and shayings
have encumbered the marble floors of the
rotunda and statuary hall. Squads of
workmen have been saving and hammer
ing under the dome. their blows reverb
Grating with weird acoustic effects from
the converging walls. The maroon dra.
perry that is to form background for the
exhibit of paintings covers the entire cir.
Gle of the rotunda to height OF twenty
feet, and hides the large historical paint
ings upon the walls. A platform four
feet high has been built against the latter,
and many valuable pictures lent for the
occasion have been resting on this with
their backs turned to the spectator. This
is the appearance the Capitol has present
ed during these days of hustle and fix
ing. This will be the fourth time that
the national house Of legislation has been
utilized for social purposes The Cen.
tennial Tea Party, in December, 1874,
under the auspices of ladies interested in
the great exposition at Philadelphia a
year and half later, was the first occas-
ion. In November of 1879 the society
of the Army of the Cumberland, whose
tent had blown down during their an
nual reunion, were permitted to hold
their ball, with which 1t closed, in the
rotunda, On one of the coldest and win
diest nights ever saw. The Garfield
Hospital managers held fair there in
May last, and now comes this exhibit,
on aslarger scale than any of the preced-
ing. ... ....s
The President still resides at the Sol
diers' Home and will remain there until
after the assembling of Congress, as the
changes in the White House will not be
completed until the early part of Decem-
Der. The fresco artists have possession
at present. The ceiling of the central
corridor and the ceilirg and walls of the
state dining room, red parlor, and blue
parlor are being covered with very rich
designs in color, The peoples gold is
being laid on these areas by the square
foot-beaten gold, of course. In the
main corridor both gold and silver are
used with dazzling effect; that is, the
effect will be dazzling when the chandel-
iers are lighted The state dining room
is going to be 80 handsome that when
You are asked 10 a state dinner and find
yourself unable to carry on a CONVERSE
ton with the guests around you, you can
feast your eyes on the ceiling and not re-
gret the absence of your appetite or the
opportunity to talk. OF course there
will be brilliant entertainments after the
house is again ready for use. Somebody
has recently said that this is a gilt-edged
Administration, because the palings of
the fence around the White House
grounds are tipped with gold leaf. When
The new $500, 900 addition to the man.
sion is erected we shall have capaeious
and presentable Presidential residence.
Congressman and Senators nre turning
up by every incoming train, and getting
their houses in order for the winters
work. Some of them have houses and
some haven't. Those who take lodgings
find that prices have "riz" since last
year. Fcrseveral weeks the Washington
landlady has been abroad in the streets,
haunting second. hand furniture stores
and repovating old carpets, to make
ready for the influx that comes with the
session. Rooms of all sorts. desirable
and undesirable, rent for at least ont
third more than twelve months ago-at
least they are expected to rent SO much
higher. 1t used to be that Congressmen
were considered the star dodgers, and
persons having quarters to let held back
until the advent of Senators and Mem.
bers. Now, almost without exception, all
the rich Senators and Members not of 9
penurious disposition have their owr
houses, and the average Senator or Mem
ber who goes around hunting for lodg
ings will stick for the last farthing. They
have thus come to be regarded as rathe
undesirable tenants, and persons will
rooms for rent no longer think of holding
back until Congress comes. SO man,
people of means and leisure come her
: now for the winter that landlords ar
comparatively independent of Member
: of Congress.
Some of the correspondents represen
Postmaster General Howe as being en-
gagged in devising means to reduce th
revenues of his department, which ha
suddenly become not only self-support
ing but actually source of profit to th
1 Government, One of Mr.. Howes sul
e gestions is said to be a gratuitous enve
e ope scheme; that is, to sell stamped ell
: velopes for the price of the stamp, th
+ envelope being thrown in. But it doe
s not seem necessary for the p. NJ. G. [
s get excited over the fact that his depar
s ment is self-sustaining 1t should ha,
been SO for many years past, and woul
}: if it had been properly managed, and
e stnr-route frauds, straw bids, and 9th,
n swindles bad not been tolerated and el