St. Landry democrat., 1884-08-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Irrrv oath 1a0l

washington has the appearance OF d
tropical city because everybody here
lives out of doors in summer time. The
whole population rich and poor, take to
the parks and squares SO literally scat
tered about the city. There is not sec
tion Of the city more than five minutes
from one of these pleasure grounds
which is not utilized and enjoyed from
four o'clock in the morning until mid
might, when the authorities clear the
parks and lock the gates. An era of
fellow feeling sets in about the middle
4of June and lasts as long as the pleas
ant weather. All day long the nurses
and children congregate in these re-
sorts. At FIVE p. M, the government
employees appear, and at twilight Afri-
ga and Ethiopia pour in their swarthy
cohorts. After dusk you will see Hon.
S. S. Cox and his wife in Dupont circle,
which is near their elegant residence.
A nuber of friends will probably be with
them enjoying an outdoor party on the
benches and grass. On the next settee
TO them may be workingman and his
family, having as good a time and con-
e5iueting themselves with as much deco
rum as their distinguished neighbors.
Senator Sherman may be seen in Frank
lin-Park smoking cigar by the foun~
tain which splashes under the shade
frees. Opposite the Franklin is large
family hotel. which turns its guests
loose to roam as soon as evening comes
on. Lafayette Park III front OF the
White House is the largest coolest and
shadiest Of all these bits of co1ntry set
in the midst of town, and the President
often strolls through it at night with a
friend.
Boating is the faVorite pastime of the
young department. clerks, and nearly
every one who can afford to pay the
dues belongs to a boat club here. At
six o'clock the Potomac river becomes
lively with single shells, four and eight
cared boats and barges. The female
department clerks furnish the ballast,
and beer and crackers are the refresh
ments.
Mr.. Cogswell of San Francisco, the
gentleman with the passion forice wa
ter fountains, has recently put one up
here on public square. 1t is OF gran
fte surmounted by stork, six feet high,
AZ first he wanted to put statue of
himself instead of the stork on top, and
was disposed to sulk when the District
Commissioners declined to allow him
either a storied urn or an animated bust
A compromise was finally made on the
stork. and an ice company, which Sec
ratary folger says can afford to be gen
erous, on the strength of making four
hundred per cent out Of all its sales to
fhe Government, gives the ice to keep
the fountain going.
High up on a terrace on Massachu-
satts avenue is Senator Bayard's house,
and beside it is that of Senator Ed
munds. They both have plain COM
Portable residences, either of which
could be placed in the drawing room
of Mr.. Blaine's grand mansion without
mountaineering it's occupants. Sena-
tor Bayard has large family, and his
wife being an invalid, never goes into
society. The Delaware statesman new
.er thrived on politics and is compare
lively poor.
The sanitary condition of Washing
ton has so greatly improved in the last
few years that residents realize the
.uselessness of flying from the coolest,
sleanest and most healthful city in Am
erica to the discomforts of fashionable
gesorts. Many miles of decaying wood
Davements have been taken up and re-
laid with sound material. The great
work in progress of reclaiming the Po-
fOmac flats steadily improves on the
health Of the city, and now the one great
question agitating the munl-
.cfpal authorities is, how to secure tue
hest results from the liberal approprIa-
lions recently made by Congress to
complete the sewerage system OF
Washington. Por years there has ex-
listed necessity for some more plausl-
bile invention than malaria to account
for the often infrmities of Congress
men, who on coming here, leave their
good habits behind with their constit-
Gents.
The White House has assumed its
summer air of auietude. The carpets