The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-12-03
From our own Correspondent.
Washington Letter.


are being made to the work of forty
wears. | mean, of course, the Washing
ton Monument. And how to dedicate it.,
and how to Inaugurate Mr.. Cleveland,
are burning questions just now. As they
are national questions, a great demon
stration is proposed for each event. Mr..
Cleveland says he would prefer as quiet
an inauguration as possible. But the
matter is not in his hands. 1t will be
attended to here in Washington, and
there is no chance for a small, quiet af-
fair. About the middle of February,
the town will begin to assume an unusu-
ally full appearance, and by the fourth
of the following month, it will have
overhown it's banks. After that date it
will be many days before Washington
resumes its normal channel and condi-
ton of life. In the preliminary steps
that have been taken there has been a
good deal of discussion as to men and
methods. There were enough Demo-
ocrats anxious to appear prominently to
work all the others into a ferment. The
National Democratic committee have
agreed to supervise the ceremonies, and
it is thought things will now go well.
There will be no time to lose in prepara-
tiation for the tens of thousands Of visi-
tors who will be in Washington between
the third and fifth of March. This work
alone will require ways and means
committee of extraordinary ability, en-
ergy and industry.
AS to the dedication of the Monument,
the various arrangements are in the
hands of eight members of Congress,
five Senators, and the members of the
ot
last session, appropriated the sum of
$1,000 to help defray the expenses of the
occasion, but as it is intended to make
the celebration grand one, S25, 900
more will be asked for at the coming
session. Private subscriptions will also
be in demand. 1t is proposed to extend
the ceremonies over three days. The
Governors of all the States are expected
to be here to join in the parade with
Congress, the Supreme Court, the Presi-
dent, and everybody else. There will
doubtless be much more pomp and van
ity over the dedication of his monument,
than the quiet, modest taste of the Fa-
Their of his country was wont to approve,
but he, like the President-elect, will not
be able to help it.
1t may be said, Congress is at work,
although the session does not open until
Monday. With commendable industry
the Appropriation committee have been
meeting at the capitol for some days,
mapping out work for the session. The
estimates for six of the annual appro-
priations bills have already been placed
in the hands of subcommittee, and ii
is thought some of them will be in read
mess for consideration when the session
begins. 1s
There will probably be fewer changes
in the Patent Office under the new adj
ministration than in any other Depart
ment of the Government. The cause OF
this is that examiners of patents are OF
five grades and must be persons who are
educated especially for the work. The
Commissioner of Patents says that the
new Examiners appointed last July are
only just now beginning to be of use,
and have been a great hindrance in oc-
cupying the old Examiners to instruct
them. Consequently Patent Office en-
ployes under the impression that reno
walls in their Department cannot be made
without injury to the public service, are
not so much disturbed over Mr.. Cleve-
lands election as those of the other De-
partments are.
Still, there are many positions in the
Patent Office available for changes.
There are about dozen important pla-
ces such as Commissioner, Law Clerk,
&C., and about two hundred and fifty
places, worth forty, fifty, and sixty dol
lars per month. "Those positions do not
amount to much" gentleman said the
other day to Gen. Butterworth. "Do not
amount to much, repeated the General,
his voice and countenance full of aston
ishment "You would no think So"
continued he, elf you could be with me
see the applicants who come to me,
sometimes eight, ten, fifteen in a day,
even ladies', reared i'll luxury, who have
sold their clothes for bread"
When asked how he expected his
clerks to fare after the fourth of March,
Commissioner Butterfield said he tho't
there would undoubtedly be a tremen-
dous pressure for places, and Mr.. Cleve-
land would have to be man OF iron to
resist 1T.
Washington, ID. c., Nor. %, 1881.