The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON, d. c., March 26, 1888.
MANY congressman still linger IN the
Ian of Washington. Besides those VINO
have gone off on pleasure trips 10 return
again there are fifty or more TO be seen
ON our streets. about the departments,
and in various haunts over the Guy
Numbers of them do not expect to leave
for several weeks to come In fact'
Washington soon gets to be more Tue
home of many congressman, who bring
their families and live here, than the as
tricts they represent. This is especially
true of some who are re elected term AFTER
term Mr.. Sabin, the newly elected SEN
ator from Minnesota, was about here
some weeks He looks like John a.
Logan 1t is said that syndicate of SEN
ators here next session will adopt style
of living like the Arabian Nights Enter
tainments," and Mr. Sabin is one of them
This will be an agreeable change for him
from the 81, 200 clerkship which he en-
loved here in 1868 As for the figure
they will cut in the United States senate
they probably will not trouble themselves
about that Mr.. Tabor says that he
got off cheap during his brief senate
rial term; he only spent $4,000 IN thirty
days. Senator Fair. the Nevada million
aire, has a rich Irish brogue that would do
honor to St. Patrick himself. He says
Its foine day." and is justly proud of
his ancient Irish blood. Ex-senator Da-
Wis, of West Virginia, whose term expired
with the late session, is said to be the
owner of mines in his state which will put
him among the mining princes of the
country, and ex-senator FrelihghuYsen is
also reported to have a claim before the
French commission which casts a shadow
as big as the Jennings estate in England
The secretary has always labored under
the honorable imputation of being poSr
man and of having remained 50 in the
midst of the opportunities of Washing
ton. But there will soon be IL property
qualification required for the right to vote
in the United States senate, and no man
under million will be allowed in that
august body; or perhaps the seats will be
sold, as they are on the stock exchange.
Gen. Sherman, whose services will soon
be at an end by reason of his retirement,
proposes to make his last official trip to
the frontier this season. He is going late
in the spring or early in the summer, and
will be back in time to attend the notable
army meeting here in October.
General Sherman has always had partial
side for the Western posts, and the
officers and soldiers of the frontier, and
he has long made it practice to
go to the farthest posts once year, to
show the boys they are not forgotten. On
this trip he will devote himself particu-
larly to Montana, Oregon and California. |
Much of the distance will be made ON
horseback, and The General will always |
have cavalry escort. He will be accom-
panied only by two members of his staff, |
Colonies Tourtellotte and Bacon, and but /
two of his particular friends will go as his |
guests, namely, Chief Justice Waite and /
Justice Grey, of the supreme court. | /
have no DOUBT General Sherman has had
to decline the Office of at least score of
intimate friends, any one of whom would
gladly have paid the expenses of the whole
trip But the trip is not one of pleasure
alone-there is good deal of hard work
in it for the General, and he does not feel
that hesought to incumber himself with a
large party. The General is now nearly
sixty -four years of age. and yet l venture
to say that he will stand the fatigues of L
the trip better than any man of the party,
not excepting his two young aids
Lawrence Barrett, the tragedian, who
spent a week here recently. has been
saying some pleasant things about
the capital over in New York.
Washington, said he. is admirably
adapted for the homes OF people of refine
ment, culture and leisure, and society
there has cosmopolitan characteristics al
ready. / have bought property there,
and expect it to pay as an investment
but a man may safely set up his house
hold goods in Washington in the assur-
ance that he will never regret the choice.
My sOjourn there in the last DAYS Of the
Congressional session was marked by the
pleasantest social incidents. In particu-I
lar l enjoyed the receptions at the white
house. When I called, Mrs. McElroy,
woman of excellent poise and social tact,
received with assistance of twenty-eight
charming young ladies, and it was inter
esting to me that / could say to every one
Of them. / know your father your uncle,
your grandfather-chief justice, senator,
general, or whoever it might be- One
little incident impressed me as the fash
of a whole page of history, Mr.. Barrett
said gentleman with whom was stand
ing in Washington drawing room, let
me present you to Miss Lee The gen
tleman was General George B. McClelion.
and the lady was daughter of General
Robert E. Lee"
It has been often stated that railway
companies are keeping 13S, 600. 600
acres of land ont of the market
land for which they never paid
anything and which they never should
have had. The statement is correct
though few people realize how much land
that is. 1t is as far beyond human com
prehension as the statement of an astono-
liner that star is 1900, OOO. 600 miles
distant But to get some idea OF the
immensely of this territory let the reader
remember that the state of Maryland. for
instance, would go into the i3S. 900, 900
acres seventeen times. with 5000, 600
acres to spare, q tract equal to six Rhode
Islands or four Delawares. The 13S, 900,
600 acres would make four states as large
az New York, with enough besides to du. |
plicate New Hampshire, Massachusetts /
aud New Jersey. You could set Pennsyl- |
vania, with her 26, 000. 600 acres, down in |
one corner of this immense territory, and |
have land enough left to cut up into |
states the size of Ohio, Illinois. Indiana |
aud Maine. This unearned land is three |
and half times greater in area than the |
six New England States. 1t embraces |
four times as many acres as Iowa contains, |
considerably more than four times as
manV as Ohio and il Is ONLY a little legs