McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-11-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., Nov. 9, 'S4

Washington is called SO simply be
cause there are no Congressman bur
led there. 1t IS beautiful plat o.
ground in which there are lot o.
stumpy, dwarfy pieces of granite
boulders erected, with the names oil
deceased Congressman chiseled out
upon one side, and the date left
blank in those cases where the biog-
rapher was to indolent to look it up.
William Writ AMI few of the prom
inent figures in the army and naval
service have actually been buried
here, and doubtless their remains still
lie here, but generally speaking it is
not a place for permanent interment.
Henry Clay was buried here, but Ken
lucky demanded that the bones of her
son should nourish her own soil, and
as soon as the monument had been
erected over his grave his remains
were exhured and taken to Lexing-
ton. Arson Burlingame was also bur-
led here for while, and so was Pres
ton S. Brooks whom Burlingame had
challenged to mortal combat for a diff
Guilty growing out of Brooks assault
upon Mr.. Sumner. In fact one can
read the events making up the Con-
gressional history of the past forty
years by the inscriptions upon these
rough, and uncouth blocks. Here we
read of Henry Winter Davis, CT Rob
ert Rantoul, of Thad. Stevens, of Iris
tam Burgess and an army of others
whose public career has done much
toward shaping the destinies of our
great country and this great people,
and live over again the epoch in which
they enacted their several parts. One
of the most remarkable of the memoir
ial stones here is the monument erect
ed to the memory of twenty-three
young girls who were instantaneous
ly hurled to eternity by the arsenal
explosion in 1864. The names of
these girls are all inscribed upon the
sides of the shaft which is inclosed in
a small plat Of ground, and which on
each recurring Decoration Day is fill
ed with choicest floral gifts of the rel
atives and friends as we'll as the gen.
eral public.
At the commencement of every new
it seems to have be-
come the custom, if not the necessity,
to have the White House thoroughly
which here means entirely
The mansion has been
about eighty years and
therefore involves the assumption
that it's woodwork is covered with not
less than 240 coats of white paint.
Since Mr.. Arthur's three years. of
occupancy many radical changes
have been made in the interior of
the house, the walls of all the rooms
having been subjected to the test
of every possible hue, and every
and incongruous style of
carpets and furniture. The chan
deliers in the East Room, costing
$4,000 each, have this season been
at cost of 81, 800 more,
while those in the Blue Room have
had a rubbing up that took $4,000 to
Iiquidate, because the whole business
had to be transported to Philadelphia
where the friction is more artistic.
All in all the White House is tre-
mendous bill Of expense, and the SEN
timent is beginning to be pretty free
ly distributed among ous public men
that the President should be permit
ted to live peaceful, quiet and pri-
vate life, just like other folks, and
not be compelled to keep open house
for the reception of a continuous
stream of boors and bores from all
parts of the country and everywhere
in Christendom besides. Let us hope
that the President to be selected by
the American people to-day, whoever
he is, may make the primal move for
the change. DON PEDRO.