Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-08
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Chandler's Unhappiness-Electri LIGHTS
and the Capitol-Tabor's New House.


Gen. HaZen's proneness to incursions
into other departments than his own was
supposed to have been headed off bv the
act OF August I, 1882, which provides that
the work OF no other department, bureau.
or commission authorized by law shall be
done by the Signal Service Bureau. Rut
Congress little knew the resources of the
man who compiled the cat and bird
weather book lately published at govern
ment expense, backed by the Ohio idea in
the person of Mr.. John r. Mclean.
Secretary Chandler has another source
OF unhappiness besides the Obstinacv and
frequency with which United States YES
sells get into trouble. He is an inveterate
newspaper reader, and keeps one clerk
perpetually clipping from the papers
everything good or bad published about
New Hampshire's eminent son. Like
Mr.. Blaine, he is thin skinned. and is
wretched whenever the newspaper hold
the mirror up to nature and show him as
he is.
The Mexican veterans are to be here
next week, and preparations are being
maze TO entertain them. Gen. Hancock
will be present. Mention was made some
time ago of the burden Of entertaining
which falls on Gen. Hancock. At other
naVal ana military posts, where the COM
mandant is expected to entertain. an al
lowance is made to cover some part of the
expense. The Superintendent of the
Naval Academy and the commanding
officer of Mare Island both have sea paw
while on shore duty. In Washington, not
only heads, but subOrdinates of depart
ments roll around in government car
rlages. Gen. Hancock has none of these
perquisites, and he has to put his hand in
his pocket for money whenever the Secre-
tary OF war thinks proper to entertain
foreigners at other expense than his own.
one look into the capitol library is
enough to break the heart of anv lover of
books. Mr.. Spofford, the librarian. has
done his best to squeeze a quart into a
pint bottle. The volumes pour in, and
every hole and corner is filled. About
6O0,OOO books and pamphlets have been
transferred to the library under the Su-
preme Court room, but that, too, is now
overlooking. There is no question what
ever as to the necessity of having new
library building, but there is a ferOcious
dispute as to the sort of building il shall
be. Senator voorhees,, the Chairman of
the Library Committee, wants building
on scale commensurate with the great
public libraries of other countries. The
principal obstruction to the new library
scheme seems to be the question of a site.
The committee does not want to be bIed
by spectators, and there is an evident
design to buy any proposed site and make
the government pay handsomely.
The capitol building is now connected
with all the executive departments by
underground wires, and the elecUric light
are used upon the eastern plaza. One of
the sights of Washington is the capitol on
a moonlight night, surrounded by it's corO-
ma of lights, making the great white tenn
pie on the hill stand out sharp and clear
against the sky.
Ex-senator Tabor is in town, and it is
said intends to build a gorgeous mansion
adjoining the place of Mr.. James Elver-
son, the Philadelphia publisher, in George
town.