Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-03-31
| WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.

II tuC iNoihOhV poooCooSo Olb az
complishment more than another it
is the faculty of "holding his
tongue" or keeping his plans and
purposes to himself. This is a very
desirable trait in public man, tho
it is sometimes mystifying to people
with highly developed curiosity, and
also very inconvenient to those
whose business it is to supply the
news and who often sigh and wish
that MIR, Arthur was as leaky as
Hayes, for instance. For some time
all the correspondents have had the
President nearly down sick and
about to leave town, though last
Monday night when they were send
ing off dispatches concerning his
low state Of health, he was attend
ing a reception at Mr.. Blaine's as
late a one O'Clock. Last week every.
body was sure he was going to Fort
ress Monroe the week before he
was going to Florida ? now he is GO
ing out to the Soldiers Home. This
last really has a shadow of probable
ity about it. 1t is a little out of the
way without being too much out of
the way. Those who think that the
Presidents troubles are all over when
Congress leaves off ought first to
come here and take a stroll down to-
wards the white house about eleven
O'Clock in the morning. They will
see the same crowd hanging around,
with this difference, that when Con-
gress was in session part Of their
importantly was bestowed on sena-
tors and representatives, but now,
as they are comparatively scarce, it
is all bottled up for the present.
President Arthur does not seem to
be over fond of the white house. He
hung on at Senator jones' house on
Capitol Hill as long as he could at
the beginning of his term. Then
after three months holiday dur
ing the summer he went out to the
Soldiers Home cottage and only got
back in time for New Years, when
the sudden death of Minister Allen
threw Il gloom over the house. Now,
after all the champagne and terra
pin and pate de fone gras of the WIN
ter, the President needs to be side
tracked for repairs-and the Soldiers
Home is about the best place for
him. He has little cottage there
truly a little cottage-and he has no
facilities for big dinners and recep-
tions, and people are really obliged
to let him alone to degree.
General Sherman gave us the 9TH
Ell day some details concerning his
summer trip to the Pacific coast, the
last one he will make as General of
the army. His party will be "a small
one, and will consist of General It'd
ball and Colonel Bacon, of his staff,
Chief Justice Waite and Justice
Gray, of the Supreme court. He
will go out by the nothern route, land
return by what is known as the mid.
die or thirty. fifth parallel route. He
will start about June 20, and does
not expect to return until the 1st of
October. The party will go to Fort
Ellis, Montana, the present termin-
us of the Northern Pacific railroad,
and there fit out with a train and
escort for an overland journey to
Puget Sound. They will visit Fort
Missoula, but good many of the
army posts will not be visited. Dur
ing the latter part of the northern
journey the party will travel on
British territory. They will go to
Vancouver barracks and San Fran
duo vi lIiO bllD W III
again have train and guard of
soldiers as they come over the line
of the unfinished Atlantic and Pa
cifie railroad. General Sherman
will attend the closing exercises at
West Point this year.
Women in and out of the depart,
ments have been studying the civil
service law and have decided that
under it no distinction can be made
between the sexes in competing for
places. The sexes must be subjected
to the same tests, and if the women
excel they must be selected for ap--
pointment. One would think that
this was a self'evident proposition,
but it is rather startling one to the
male clerks and to the heads of de-