New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-25
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
WHAT 70 TALKED OF IN WASHINGTON.

prrrCrs IN runito nuiLptNus-POPULAh |""1
RESTAURANTS sxrcurivR HOSPITALITY "N
INCIDENT IN ruE STAR ROUTE TRIAL
IrRoM rus REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, March 24.-The connecuon W
tween Secretary Folgers illuess and the arcpi'o0V
ure Of the Treasury may not be clear "itnou' -"
exclamation. but some of his friends believe that
the defective ventilation of the Treasury pu,ri,s
IN, had not little to do with his present CONDITION.
He has large handsome office, but blind door opo'
out into one of the long Treasury Corridors ana INC
mir is never pure app renty IN any Treasury corr'-
dor The fact ia that most of the GoVerhmehV
buildings In Washington were built before tno
science of ventilation was discovered, and there 10
much complaint and suffering among inc einpio'o'
in consequence. This is true especially IN inc
ury, particularly in the lower porIi"n' u
the builGing, where the air grows noa'J
and foul before the middle of the days work mas
been reached. The employees say that whl'e inc
closed window means bad air, the open "Inuo"
means draughts and colds and worse ana 'ney
usually choose the closed window. Some day uno
Government will conclude, perhaps. to furnish ,he
great departments with new buildings in which
case there will be cause for national thanksgiving
that Mullett has ceased, officially, to exist 1t Is
an awful thought for the conntry-and ought TO De
for Mullett-that he probably had under bis con-
troll durlpg his incumbency the expenditure OF
greater amount of money for buildings than any
other archi ect of his time This is case Ill when
the evil that men do lives after them. and so long
as the State Department building stands, MuiIett
will have sufficient food for architectural remorse
But the great departments, the Treasury, Interior
| and Post Office are growing at rate which oids
fa;r IN br,uo the Government face to face
before many years with the needs OF oet-
| ter and more systematic accommodations.
| All of them have long ago outgrown their present
| ouarters and have various bureaus camped out In
dwelling houses and business buildings, wherever
they can find shelter In fact. tho number OF Gov
eminent Offices that scattered about the town IN
| this way will surprise any one who undertakes 10
| enumerate them.
The largest oishoot of the Treasury is the Bureau
| of Engraving and Printing-one of the handsomest
work shops in the world, and one of the lew Oov-
eminent buildings ever erected whose cost did not
greatly exceed the appropriations Edward McPher-
son. the chief of the bureau. who made the famous
reduction of 90 per cent in its expenses turning out
| the shoals of useless and worthless employees VINO
| had been put in there TO please congressman got
Congress- to give him good share of the saving Tor
single year. wi the understanding that ne wouln
bring the cost of the building within the appropra-
tion and the cost overran 1t only about Soooo LOT
| some unforeseen items. Between this bureau
| which stands near the Washington Monu-
| ment. and the Treasury. is the Bureau oil
Statistics, in a dweling-house. The Marine
Hospital Service has taken possession
of large dwelling house on G-st. opposite the
Ricgs House. At FIfteeuth-st and Pennsylvania
ave. Opposite the Treasury, is a large building
occupied by the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES office. he
| Commissary-General is in fifteen-and-a-haf- Est.
IN big od-fasbioned hou'e overlooking La ayefte
SQUARE 1he Coast survey. a Treasury bureau. IS a
mile AWAY upon Capitol HILL next door TO General
Rutler,s huge house. which President Arthur occu-
| MED when he first came to Washington. and which
! went NV the name of the Gray House" The Pen
| sion Office a bureau of the Interior Department,
| now occupies NO large hui dngs in Penn ylv ma
| ave. and the corners one has just been laid Tor
large building which 1t ~ to occupy permanrn ~ IN
Judiciary Square The Census Office. after having
force large enough at times to be barely crowded
into two buildings, now finds room in bank struc-
ture IN Seyenih-st The Post Office Department was
oblioec TO find room for its order business IN
| a large. handsome brick building erected for the
| purpose by pJivae persons across the
| street. and connected with the Department
| nv bridge To make long story short. these are
| some of the other bureaus which are squa'ted
| about town: The French and American Claims
| Commission the Alabama Claims Commission;
| the Second Auditors Office; the National Board OF
| Health: Paw Department and Corps of Engineers Of
| the Army; Public Buildings and Grounds; Judge
Adyocate-Grnera's Office Armyl; Medical De-
nartme,t OF the Army; Medical Museum and Sur
| geon.G Generals Oiice Army Dispensary; Signal
| Bureau; Naval Dispensary Navy Pay Office Blu
| reau of Education Pension Agency, etc. For some
| Of: the commissions etc. 1t would not be desirable
| TO make permanent accommodations. and some oa-
reaus car have very naturally separate existence
but in planning new system OF Department build
ings when that time comes, some effort VIII doubt
less ne made 10 bring together many of tese scat
tered groups Meantime al the Department build
ings pro per ,wded 70 their fullest extent.
In the newest one that coupled by the State De-
prtment, part of the library OF the Department has
been moved out into one of the upper halls and nc
commodated on shelving there. because CONGRESS
insisted on taking part of the room for clerks from
another Department Most of the existing Depart
meut bindings are low being built before the i'll
PRODUCTION of the elevator. Perhaps the problem OF
nlepty of room will be solved In the future by
uniting ND structures as tall as New-YOrk apart
ment-houses on some of the great business blocks
All the large Department buildngs-lnterior, Treas
ury. State, Post Offce-cover whole square each
| now. and there seems to be remedy but TO go W
| higher
There is one little feature of Department life here
which NAV be Of interest elsew here. as Washington
is not the only place where cheap living is an oh
ject TO good share of the population. This II
| the cheap luncheon, which seems peculiar
IN Just this form to Washington.
milk dealer here has dairy nea
each Department to which the clerks report in con
siderable numbers. There are neat wicker chan
ranged along the wall each sid, aud the room !
pleasantly decorated. There are singing birds, etc
III. IL he bart
the American custom Of standing drink INTO eve
the most innocent form Of the indulgence. Coffee
cream. biscuits, etc. are sold at reasonable prices