Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-03-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent. ]
WAsuINcToN March 10 1Sl

WASHINGTON, March 10, 1888.
President Arthur is somewhat out of
health lately and has gone down to Old
Point Comfort for rest. The last three
months have been busy and trying times
with the Executive. The President takes |
and greenhouses, and when he has guests to |
dinner the first thing he does on rising |
from the table is to take them into the con.
servatory. The go>sips and the grow ers |
have been finding fault with the hospiiali
ty dispensed at the white house this win.
ter but his friends, who know the Presi
dent to he n wellbred man, say that he has
been under such a tremendous pressure |
duriug the whole session that he literally |
has not had n moment 10 himself, and, to |
Use an expressive vnigarism, he was "on
the Jump" fromthe 4,h of December 10
the 4th of March. On the last night Of the
late session lie came to the capitol and
stayed all night in the beautiful room
known as the Presidents room aud signed
bills and took cat.naps until morning. The
room itself is one of the most beautiful at
the capitol. 1t is furnished in rich and
vivid red, having deep delicious Turkish
| chairs and sofas upholstered in red leather.
1t hrs no paintings or engravings on the
walls. hut numerous frescoed portraits of
the fathers and big mirror for the Exec.
nIive to admire himself in. "They say"
that the Presidents idiosyncracy is the cut
of his tronsers-ihat he had taller on
from New York to cut him pair and was
so pleased with the immaculate fit of them
that he made the man cut eight pairs be-
fore lie left; also, that the material was
first laid down on the floor and then the
President was laid down on it and when
one side was cut the tailor deity hopped
him over Ms II lie had been griddle cake,
and cut the other side, which is unqnes-
tionably one of the biggest tarrsdiddles
ever told even in Washington. Pray, dear
and respected public, don't believe whop-
pers like this, which get started in the
newspapers and fly all over the country.
One OF the eccentric characters of Wash
ington-S,ephen c. Parish-dropped ont
of life few days ago. In many ways he
was man out of the ordinary run. He
lived upon Capitol Hill, in a plain, unpre-
tending house, and was well known to the
students of public affairs, but 10 the gen
eral public he was completely unknown
He discovered a new mine, from which he
has derived during the last twenty years
very comfortable fortune. He came to
Washington from Indiana Just as The war
was breaking out. He had a place con.
nected with the senate. While there he
learned how the Public Docs. are thrown
away where they are first printed, and up.
on this knowledge he has made fortune
Under the law any one can obtain from
the Public Printer copies of public docu.
ments by paying the cost of the printing
, , of any extra copies desired. Parrish ha,
always laid by stock Of any documents OF
! valne, until the regular supply was ex.
hausted, and then he would furnish copie.
from his private stores Mt fancy figures
He would ransack second hand bookstores
; tor old documents. During the vacations
!, OF Congress he would travel about picking
= up good bargains in this line. The resuI
l WAS that he had constantly on hand almost
any report or pamphlet required back Il
the first founding of the government. HI
= was constantly supplying full sets OF Con
!, gressional debates, finance repoi ts, and the
y like. When the southern members ant
!, senators seeded Pasrish fell heir to theil
: documents by discreet purchases. He nevel
! won Id buy books from public men. Hi
method was TO trade with them. When .
public man would discover some rare book,
in ParrIsl's collection the latter would
exchange the book for number of public
| boOhs VI icSh Ndiut. SOIue ueHDere nave
= turned in all their books to Parrish in ex
3 change for some few special books out o.
u his rare collections. One of the feature,
of his business has been to col! ct ,nthori
!, ties and statistics for ambitions stat, snen
, Many speech repeie with learning and
bristling with authorities has been prepar
5 ed in Parrisli's workshop. Parrish had {
: most remarkable memory. II was as nc
u cnrate and full ms that of Amzi Smith, who
has charge of the senate document room
: | once asked Parrish the highest price he
> ever received for a single public document
: lie said S75. This he obtained from p. r
: Barnnm for work on the seal fisheries oi
: Alaska by Professor Elliott. Only seven
:; ty.6ve copies were printed. Parrish bought
his copy of member Of the cabinet, and
allowed him sos for il in other books.
!. The star route trial drags slowly along
The troubles which afilict ex-senator Dor
! sey on every hand prove surely enougl
= that the way OF the trnnsgressor is hard
George Bliss, one OF the government cOun
:, sci, has beautiful voice. A constant Wis
, itor at the trial says that when Bliss talk
1t sounds like wagon load of scrap iror
. driven nt full tilt over corduroy road
= The city is awfullv quie'. Nothing make
!, mp to us for not having Congress in Wash
| iHEiun tiH1e. IL IL true tie GreSl
dent and the galaxy of officials remain
The vast number Of persons who came her,
' for pleasure remain until the warm weathe
to enjoy the charm OF n Washington spring
With 10000 people and halt the celebri
j. ties in this country within our borders
o still we are not happy. The frequent re
mark that Washington il the winter New
port is borne out by the fact thnt there ar
charms OF town and country in Washing
IL ton. In the spring there is as mucl
/. greenness of foliage as in any countr,
village-every lew blocks bring one TO
d public ground, will, grass and flowers il
l. luxurious abundance the people hay
plenty of elbow room, and the lots. to peo
!, pie OF other cities, must appear like smal
y plantations. May ia really the month 4
e which TO see Washington. The whit
T. house then looks like a quaint old countr
n lionse, surrounded by it's ample grounds
l. but May is not here and Congress is goin
d and everybody feels lonesome.
Dom PEDRO.
10 Melyille Rrna & IN SanduaLv aav