Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-04-04
From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., March 81, 'S3.

1t has been unusually quiet in Wash
ington for couple of weeks past and
at such times very little thing creates
a sensation. The colored man Brown,
who was recently kicked out Of place
in one Of the departments because he
refused to become the body servant of
his superior officer, has had good
deal Of notoriety. His chief required
that in addition to his regular duties as
messenger for the department he should
attend the said chiefs residence MORN
ing and evening to black boots, make
fires, shovel snow, groom the horses,
and such little trihes. As Brown was
paid by the government this arrange
ment would,save Mr.. chief the expense
of II servant. The messenger. to use a
slang term, "kicked," and refused to
do mental service in the chiefs house.
hold. Then Brown was discharged.
Foolish Brown He should have at
teuded to the household duties and let
the department run itself. Then there
would have been no complaint. Brown
was entirely too conscientious. He
ought to have known that his first
duty was to his chiefs family-not to
the department. All the officers, and
even the Supreme court judges have
their "lackeys,' horses and carriages,
paid for by the people, an abuse that
ought to be stopped.
The list of names mentioned for the
vacant Postmaster-Generalship is quite
formidable as to members, and reads
like an extract from mortuary rec
ord. A couplet or two from the obitu-
ary poet of the period would make it
complete. Mr.. Hatton, the assistant
Postmaster-General, is talked of, and
rs he is 'democrat" his chance is
not bad one. His open and impu-
dent hostility to reform would make
his appointment an insult to public in
telligence if it were made in the name
of reform, and his narrowness, greed,
and lack Of any sense Of propriety in
the office he holds are conclusive evil
dence of his brilliant unfitness for
higher position. Yet it is believed that
his chances are about first as matters
now stand. He is boss of the Admin
istration organ here.
Crowds attend the Star-route trial
and the courtroom becomes so sitting
at times that even Judge Wylie is
forced to complain. During the win
ter many ladies attended, among them
Mrs. Dorsey and number of her
friends, but they have rather thinned
out of late. New interest was awak-
ened this week, however, by the addi-
tional indictments found The sly
Kellogg is caught at last. 1t was gen.
orally believed that his escape from in
dictment year ago was through GER
tain political influences, as his absence
from the senate would have broken the
republican majority. There is much
curiosity felt here to see whether KEEL
logg's usual adroit methods and brass
mounted assurance will prevail to get
him out of the present scrape. He
has been heretofore fortunes favorite
in the matter of getting out of corners,
but,no man can be always in luck.
The dead-letter Office is carrying q
novel and entertaining plan into effect.
A museum is being arranged Of all the
queer things that lie there for years
unclaimed. In that room the public
will be admitted, but sisht-seers will
not bs allowed to poke and pry and
peer and peek into every hole and cor
ner of the office, as they do now. P.