The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[From our Regular Correspondent. ]

4 AuoHuS 0eHCtSOut tHc dutHbi ol tHs
Declaration of Independence, and John
Adams. who subscribed and defended it
for all it was worth, both died on the
same day and nearly at the same hoursand
that day the anniversary of the independ
enee they had been mainly instrumental
in achieving Adams was buried at
Quincy. Mass, where a costly, substantial
granite monument has marked his resting
place for more than half century. Jef
ferson was buried at Monticello, Va,
within stones throw of the spacious
residence, which was indeed home for
all who visited its honored proprietor
For these fifty seven years the grave of
Jefferson has been unmarked by any
memorial stone or tablet, monument or
cenotaph, despite the periodical attempts
that have been made to rid the American
people of the humiliation of such neglect.
Congress at last ordered the erection of a
oulehblC ulouuutSub oNtI Llc Stdfc5 anu
this has just been completed at cost of
little over $4,000. Ii is obelisk shaped,
eighteen feet in height above the pedestal,
and bears the following inscription:
Here was buried Thomas jefferson,
the author of the Declaration of indie
pendence, of the statute of Virginia for
religious freedom, and father of the Uni
versity of Virginia" Upon another side
are inscribed the words: Born April 2,
1743. Died July 4, 1926" Procrastina-
| ton was the one adherence of Mr.. JEFF
ferson, and it is therefore doubtful
whether the great sage and statesman has
any thanks to return for this exceedingly
tardy justice to hls memory
| There is feast of horrors at tn Army
Medical Museum here in the shape Of
skeletons and disiointed fragments of the
human body, among which there is one
ghastly specimen which is now attracting
much attention. 1t is the head Of Gui-
teau, minus the skull. just as it was taker
| from the cadaver after the autopsy, Il
is in remarkable state of preservation
the scalp having been duly stuffed, seweC
up and placed in alcohol The counte-
nance maintains the perfect hang dos
look that the assassin bore while in th,
flesh, and its appearance is eminentl,
suggestive of the period when gibbetet
criminals were left hanging in chains a
the cross -roads. as an admonition to tn
wayward The skull of Gaiteau, whicl
was spnited sway year ago by negrt
attache of the Museum, has never beel
recovered, but the skeletonsof the remain
ing portion of the body, splendidly artieu
lated, has its place in one of the larg
cases, its identity being readily recos
nized by those who had ever seen hin
in life.
Washington is putting on its best hi
and tucker for the approaching long ses
sion of congress The hotels have al
ready undergone the usual rehabilitation
of paint and whitewash and clean PILLOW
shams, while the equivocal Board ant
Furnished RoSms,' are labeled upo
every other house on our broad thorough
fares. To secure congressman as
steady boarder, is the one never ceasin
delight of the heart of the boarding mi,
tress, who never tires Of pampering hin
, with the best that the market and a shol
purse affords. The boarding mistresse
at the capital as a rule are a clannish sci
who agree among themselves never TO pl
celery upon the table more than twice
week, including Sundays They kno'
each othel and, the affairs of each otht
just as intimately as the members of
board of trade do, and they watch eac
other much more closely Marriageabl
daughters too, whose lame is legion, fis
ure largely in the adjustment of the rate
of board, and the domestic condition {
every congressional applicant for boar
and furnished rooms. is carefully inquire
into and ascertained before bargain
closed. A rough estimate places aho
seven tenths of the members Of the low
House in the boarding houses, where th,
can enjoy all the comforts Of home lif
and at the same time escape the horro
of the dyspeptic hotel dinners which a
characteristic of all large caravansaries
As each recurring winter is TO be gay
than any preceding one, so does Il
winter promise to surpass anything a
everything in the line of entertainme
and party-giving that Washington h
yet seen. As confirmation of this pl
: diction it is only necessary to remark th
we are TO have more people here Il
winter who can afford to spread out tn
we have ever had since the days of Ma
SON. Besides, it is ON the heels of
Presidential year, when open-hand
hospitality asserts itself always, and VIII
influence is sought and wo in dir
appeals to the digestive apparatus,
ordinary dinner given for the purpose
promoting social intercourse is one thi
and commonplace, but dinner Civ
with political expectations ahead, is
memory. Such will be the dinners
Washington this winter.
The social status of our colored brotl
under the recent decision of the Supre
Court is still undetermined. The AYERS
mind is somewhat puzzled beside, to kn
how the negro's condition socially can
affected, either by penal statutes or
preme Court decisions The civil rig
law have been in operation for eight ye
and in all that time dozen infringeme
of their chartered privileges The fac
now apparent thar there was no necesl
for the civil rights act, for the negro J
gradually but surely working into
proper place in society. Whenever
/. developes qualifications that fit him
an improved social condition, he viii n
n:4t.,, atat.1too ~. ,.x.,,wf d.,fs:oinfu ~