Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-17
CORRESPONDENCE.


 WASHINGTON, D. O., February 15.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 It seems very strange that an act of Con
 gress so full of meaning as that passed years
 ago fixing the office hours of the executive
 department in Washington at from o'clock
 8. m. to 6 o'clock p. m. in summer, and
 from 8:30 a. m. to p. ID. in winter, could
 have slumbered so long without some over- zeaIous chief of division stumbling on it and insisting upon having it enforced as to his subordinates and all employees under him in rank. The law refer to was passed so many years ago that it is difficult to find it. and certainly Gf one may credit the depart ment legends) it was never enforced. It has recently been unearthed by somebody in the
 Treasury department. I fancy he wanted to make strong bid for an infinite continuance in his position, by working 8 revolution in
 the methods and manners of the government clerks, and thought if he could tack on two or three hours per day he would make him. self 'tsolid." I don't know why the law as it stands wasn't enforced, but imagine that everybody realized the positive absurdity of trying to start things going in, say the State department, at half-past eight on a cold, rainy or snowy winters morning. At any rate, instead of trying to do so, somebody induced 8 member of the House of Repre- sentatives to offer an amendment to pend ing appropriation bill extending the office hours to p. m. You may imagine the sen sation 1t created here in the minds of the several thousand people most interested The calendar of the House was watched as I od ha oil 1ITfoo, of one of the New York Weekly's ''continued in our next" sensations and when it became certain just when the amendment would be discussed the galleries were crowded, for it so happened that that amendment came up in the evening when the offices were closed and the employees of duty. Never were there such anxious hearts, I believe, and cer- ta1nly there never were more heartfelt sighs of relief heaved than those which caused the very wall of the south wing of the Capitol to stretch and the roof to raise as the Speaker announced that the amendment was lost Of course, to keep up appearances, or from & beautiful and truly commendable spirit of trying to make others do what he wouldn't care to do himself, the honorable member from the next morning, on the call of the States for new bills introduced one containing the same substance as the odious amendment. There is no possible chance of
 it's being reached this session, and don't be- ieye the Democratic antipathy to hard-labor will be so forgetful of it's own dignity ss to
 insist on having it revived after the fourth of next March.
 Congress certainly seems to be doing any
 amount of hard work both houses are in session every night, as the beacon light high up in the dome tells the country for miles around. During the daytime whenever either house is in session the American flag
 floats from it's wing, and one can tell at glance whether it is worth whils going to the n iCht however, it is only possible to tell that one or the other house is in session The light is placed in the very apex of the dome, right under the colossal statue of liberty that sur mounts the whole.
 The foolish performances of the midship- men at Annapolis are very much regretted by all naval officers who have the good of the service at heart, excepting some of the old school who entered 1t before there any naval academy. Above the rank of captain there are many officers who still adhere with the greatest tenacity to the old style of making naval officers, that is sending boy to sea before he knows much more than a smatteripg of the ''three R's," and while the bloom and freshness of the nursery is still about him to let him '1earn his trade'' by observation and experience, and his duties towards society by the precept and example of the sailor men, petty officers and other hardened sinners with whom he is thrown. These officers delight in anything that brings the Naval Academy into ill-repute, and hence the conduct of the first class pleases them immensely. But the others feel that it can only do harm to the naidshipnen and perhaps reflect on the other grades, for there are plenty of members of Con gress ready to snap at any peg on which to hang pretense for lowering the effec- tiveness of the navy.
 There is amusing story told here about MT. w. W. Corcoran which serves to illustrate the fact that even millionaires don't always get what they want by simply asking, ''How much ?' and drawing check. MT. Corcoran owns the Arlington, @ large and very elegantly appointed hotel standing on Vermont avenue between H and I. It is only about 8 block from the White House and is so well-located as to have been great finan- cial success. It has expanded considerably and has already absorbed the Charles Sumner mansion, large house on the corner of H street and Vermont avenue, where the au- thor and supporter of the great civil rights bill Chat has recently received such black eye from the Supreme court) died, and now uses it as an annex, not having altered it in any material way. Just back of the Sumner house, between it and St. Johns church where the President performs his devotions is another handsome, nay elegant, private residence that overlooks Jefferson Park and the White House grounds. Mir Corcoran thought he would like to absorb this property too so he wrote polite note to the owner, 8 widow lady, saying that he had long contem-
 plated enlarging the Arlington, and that to do so necessitated purchasing her property; this he had now determined to do, and would be obliged to her if she would name her price, Madame replied that she had for
 some time contemplated enlarging her flower garden that one great obstacle to her doing so was 'sThe Arlington ;" that she had determined to buy that property and carry out her pet scheme, and would he kindly name his price
 To give you some idea of prices of real estate here, let me tell you of purchase
 recently made by the owner of the Portland, large apartment hotel near the junction of
 Fourteenth street and Vermont avenue. He
 wished to continue the building to the juno
 tion and bought some little wooden buildings
 that occupied a part of the gore. In the
 point stood 8 little two story ediice belonging
 to a small druggist, who for some time
 declined to sell but one day last week he
 came to the conclusion that $8, ,000 was more
 money than he could make in business for
 some time and sold out for that sum, not g bad
 figure for @ triangular piece of ground perhaps
 forty feet on the sides and twenty feet on the
 base. In less than twenty four hours from
 the time he succumbed, the building was gone
 and the excavation for the cellar commenced. This is perhaps an exceptional case, but it is a
 ssstrew.
 The awhiskey bill'' extending the time on bonded spirits failed to pass the House last night by vote or 61 to 64- Ih1S must De considered as a good thing by all save those directly interested. and goes far to vindicate the strength of the members to resist the pressure of lobby of immense wealth and power.
 Socially there is little to say this week, for
 society is resting. I shall try to get
 glimpse at the White House before l write
 you next, for since the Improvements nave been made under President Arthnr's dlrec- ton the interior is well worth description. Those who have been there agree in com mending his taste, and say that for once in | its history the White House presents an ap- | usarance that will not justify the representa- lives of foreign nations in sneering at the barn-like appearance of the executive man sion. HEX. Remarkable Change i'm Boston WO-
 mans Hair.
 From the Boston Journal Many remarkable tales have been told of persons who, by reason of fright or other causes. have found that their hair has turned white in single night. But there is not,
 we believe, anywhere on record 8 case where a persen went to bed at night in calm state
 of mind, rested goundly until daylight, and