Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-12-31
Our Washington letter.

Congress was SO anxious to adjourn
last Monday that the minute the hands
of the clock pointed to the hour fixed
on, the call of the states for the intro
duction of bills was stopped, and the
holiday recess declared. At the time
of adjournment Maine had been reached
in the call, and up to that time 1000
bills had been introduced. 1t will be
months before many of them are re-
ported back.
But comparatively few congressman
have left to spend their Christmas at
home. This is contrary to past exper-
fence. and doubtless due to the fact that
the committees have not yet been COM
pleted by the speaker. The members
are as active in looking after their own
interests as after the interests of their
constituents, and consequently have |
not cared to leave the ground, when by |
their presence they may be able to Sc
cure an appointment to good commit
tee.
This week ends with lots Of presents |
and good things at home. but little
money in pocket, except in the pockets |
of the merchants, and they have made |
enough to pay off all debts and have a
handsome '.pile' left. The mild, spring
like weather of the five days preceding
Xmas tempted out the whole population
of the district, and everybody spent all |
the money they had. Everything ex-
cept the absence of snow and cold /
weather combined to make erry,old !
time Christmas. The number of pack
ages mailed from the postoiiice was I'M
precedented. On Thursday alone 8 ,O00i
were mailed, which was twice the
amount mailed the corresponding day
OF last year. The force at the postoffice,
had to be doubled. The express com.
panies had more than they could attend
to. and were delivering until midnight,
From Thursday night till IL O'Clock
Friday the Adams express company
had received $4,000 packages for deliv-
/ Il
cry in the city.
The John Bull, the first railroad
locomotive introduced into America
and built by George Stevenson in Eng
land in 1885, has been placed on exhib-
ition in the Historical hall of the Ma
tional museum. 1t is present to the
museum by the Pennsylvania railroad.
The ladies visiting the white house
have been much annoyed by the clouds
of tobacco smoke in the yestibule or en-
trance hall, and the fact coming to the
knowledge of Miss Cleveland she had
an order issued foroidding smoking in
the mansion. Hereafter smokers will
have To throw their Havanas away be-
fore they will be permitted to cross the
threshold of the sanctum.
The sculptor. E. d. Palmer, who
carved the original New York stone in
1850 for the Washington monument, has
just contracted. for S3. 500, 10 carve the
new memorial stone to replace the old
one. This is necessitated by the change
in the Coat of Arms Of the state.
AT the last. Cabinet meeting it was
decided to close the departmental
buildings at IL o. clock the day before
Christmas and New Year until the day
| after. In some of the departments
where the work is up, the clerks will be
allowed to leave at II every day during
the week. 1t used to be the general
custom some years ago to pay the clerks
for the full month the day before Christ
mas and close the buildings every day
at noon from Christmas till the day
after New Years. At that time it was
also the custom to make present of a
gold pen and holder and a six bladed
Knife Of the best Rodgers or Wosten-
holm make to each employee. The cost
was charged to the stationery account.
and the stationery contractors used to
reap rich harvest. The custom was
stopped, however. some few years ago,
and since then the clerk has missed his
present from Uncle Sam, and has not
been rs happy since.
Secretary Lamar has gone to his home
in Mississippi for the first time in a
year. He will return about the 9th of
January. The election of two United
States senators from Mississippi will &C.
cur next month, but Secretary Lamar's
visit at this time to his state has no
significance in connection with the cleo
ton. Senator Wolthall, the secretary's
successor to the senate by appointme It
of the governor, was the Secretary's
choice. and he will now be elected and
| Senator Gibson reelected. Secretary
/ Lamar, however, can come back TO the
senate at any time he pleases. he has
such strong hold on the affections of
the people of bis state.
The officials at the pension office, who
ought to know, deny .he truth of the
rumor that there is To be u wholesale
discharge of 400 clerks on the first of
January. The force is none too large
now to the dispatch of the business of
the office, as every applicant for pen
sion knows to his sorrow. The present
force, however. is being changed in
classification with the view Of expedite
ing the business, and the rumor mol
douot found its origin in that fact.
The poor people of the District arel
being more kindly remembered this
Xmas than in any previous year. For
a week past large number of ladies
have been energetically at work max
ing provision for dinner to be given
the or children ofihe city the 18th. In /
additi n TO that, most all of the church.
es had contributions in clothes and gro
ceries sent to their places of worship,
where they were taken charge of by /
committees appointed for the purpose,
and distribution made among the needy /