, 1883-04-14

WASHINGTON, March l., 1883.

The Capital of the United States ha
survived the Virgins catastrophe, and j
beginning 10 thaw in the pulsatinns @
spring The beautiful weather Of tn
past week has been improved by III
beau monde which still fingers here, al,
streets, parks, avenues and shops hsv
been alive with fashioLably attire'
ladies' who oscillate, not Ike Byron's man
"berween e smile ana tear, but hike
woman, between seal-skin jacket and
parasol. The Fourteenth street roaC
and Soldiers Home psrh are once NOR,
gay with elegant liveiisd Carriages, drags
burgies. bicycles, and sprinthng O
lodies and gentlemen on horseback
Equestrianism had until recently been ;
lost art in and around Washington. Til,
perfectly smooth hard streets rpon which
the wheels encountered not even gravel
| lent such an attraction to motion on
| wheels that the more robust exercise Of
the saddle hai been eschewed But just
as the easy graceful moion ot the glide
waltz has given way 20 the salutatory kick.
ing of the polka and racquet, there is now
| a tendency To foreSO 'he luxury of cnsh-
ions and wheels for the noble exercise
which Shakespeare describes in its pep
fection as being endorsed and demi-na-
tured with brave breast Horseback
riding seems to be the style, and who is
so foolish as to brace himself against the
tidal wave or any other kind Of wave, IN
less perhaps it be Saratoga wave, which
is rather nice To the srinurncrs at the
North Pole, who DO not know what a
Saratoga wave is, viii explain tha, it
is the artificial frizzcs worn on the brow
of beauty.
The star route trial has received a new
element of interest in the appearance Oh
the witness stand Of Ex-ASsislant Post
master-Gei.yral Brady He got alcns
very smoothly in the hands of his own
counsel, bat he is now OF the rack Of cross
examination, and ii is expected that he
will have an opportunity TO explain how
he became millionaire un 4 salary Of
about 81, 900 Per year.
The Civil Service Commission has Sc
cured rooms in the City Hall, and will
soon be ready 10 examine candidates for
Government offices There viii no doubt
be many applications for examination, and
while but few of them can Immediately
get Government positions, owing 10 the
limited number Of vacancies, Ii HIS been
suggested that q certificate nf proficiency
from this Board may be Of service 10 them
securing clerical work elsewhere.
There is no reason why such a certificate
should not be As valuable to the holder as
a diploma in the hanGs of the average col
lege graduate II might not certify that
he had sma:terine Of Greek, Latin and
Conc sections, but 1t ought TO certify
that he has an acquaintance with the
branches taught in the hi1hsr GRADES Of
common schools
The recent pleasant weather has gwen
an impetus to public works here. Giant
steam drrdgcs are at work on the Pot"-
mac flats. Washington's monument has
resumed its upward growth One hun
dred and fifty feet more are to he added
to its already dizzy height, which val
make it the highest structure IN the
world.
Work is being pushed on the ncw PEN
sion building; it will BE- an immense struc-
ture-a monument aid structure. y
monument Of the war, Of q nations 9ratl-
tnde, of the zral and trickery Of pension
agents. 1t viii be a warning 10 the pso-
pIe Of the United States for al time 90
avoid if possible war which costs in pen
sions at the rate Of sIOGOo0, 600 perannum
seventeen years after the last gun has
been fired.
Various other improvements arc going
on in different parts OF the city, not as
rapidly as in the days Of Boss Shepherd,
but what is lost in speed is gained pernla-
nrnce and economy. Every citizen IN
the United States has or should have an
interest in his country's capital, Tor the
maintenance and Improvement OF which
he is taxed, and which, unlike amy other
mart Of this country except Alaska Is gov
,rned directly ky Congress