Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-10-01
Our Washington Letter.

| 49, 'otJ out'einSs hhttc uutCis
millions of the peoples money ar,
stored away. A dense volume of smok,
was discovered issuing from one of th,
vaults on the third floor, and upon in
vestigation it was found 10 issue from
one OF the flues. The wood work would
IN few minutes have been in blaze
if it had not been for some hand fire
grenades near to hand. with which all
of the Government buildings are now
supplied. For time almost panic
prevailed, because on that day the
whole city was deprived of water, while
serious consequences from fire were
in the minds of all people. The main
which supplies the city with water from
the reservoir near the Great Falls had
burst, and it was thirty-six hours be-
fore The break could be repaired. Dur
ing the whole of that period the city
was without protection from fire. Think
OF city with so much of the nation
treasures in it being so poorly pro-
tected against water famine. AS
soon, however, as the new water main
is completed, which has been building
for the past three years. there will be
no city in the Union provided with a
better water supply than Washington.
The improvements around the Capt.
tol are being pushed with more vigor
now than at any time before. The in
vestigation of the architect, instigated
by some Of the labor unions here, APP
pears TO have infused sew life into the
veins of that highly esteemed gentle
man. 1t is thought that the north and
south terraces viii be finished before
the close of the building season. These
terraces. which, by the way, are of pure
white marble, relieve the otherwise
handsome structure of the squatty APP
pearance it formerly had; and, besides,
they afford the much needed additional
committee rooms. On the north ter
race alone there will be twenty
additional rooms. A large force of
men is engaged in laying carpets in the
Senate and House chambers and hand
somely frescoing the walls of the CORR
doris and roons-all for the delectation
of our national solons, who are so soon
to come and stay with us.
Both of the labor delegations that
waited upon the President this week
carried away with them favorable i'm
pressions. The one from Baltimore
was to protest agains: workmen on the
revenue cutter Crawford being paid
only $3.50 day by the contractors,
when the regular rates are S300a day.
The matter was referred to Secretary
Manning, who called into consultation
Major Clark, the chief of the revenue
marine service; and it is thought that
the differences can be amicably settled
To the satisfaction of all concerned.
The other delegation was of much less
Importance, and was headed by an agi-
tator of the inflammable ele-
ment, which is ignored by the true
horny handed sons of toll. This second
delegation designated itself the anti
civil-service party; and the PRESIDE 1T
promised to take its complaints under
The laboring class.
more than any other, needs and de-
mands stability of employment The
labor question is frequently discussed
at cabinet meetings. and will no doubt
form one of the subjects to which the
attention of Congress will be asked in
the Presidents message.
There are certain classes of claims
allowed by tho Departments which
must wait until Congress can make a
special appropriation before settle
ment can be had. One of these IS back
pay due soldiers who fought hard for
the little pittance they received. and it
is an outrage that these men, many of
whom are in needy circumstances,
should be kept so long out of what is
honestly due them An amusing in
cident connected with one of these
claims occurred the other day: An old
soldier went to the Third Auditors
office to see why the money was not
paid on his claim, which he had been
informed was due him. He had heard
so much of the cry, Turn the rascals
out, = that he felt sure of getting his
money on demand, now that the Dem
ocrats were in power. Finding, how
ever, that he net with no better sue
cess than before, he gave full vent to
his feelings and commenced to examine
the building, and finally stepped into
the elevator to try the soft cushions
The elevator man started the machine
and they began to drop. At first the
old man could lot believe his senses.
he stamped on the floor to see if it was
loose; then suddenly he thought he com
pretended the situation, and jumping
two feet into the air. siezed The man at
the rope. He thought he had been
trapped int an Internal continuance
adopted by the Government for get
ting rid Of duns. IL.
Gloucester retains its position as the
chief port of the Arctic fishing industry,
not only of the Massachusetts coast but
also Of the entire United States, and the
arrival of the first vessel of the season
from Greenland. with valuable cargo
of fish and oil, greatly relieves the anx-
iety of the inhabitants of that town, who
always await the first intelligence of the
fishing fleet with mingled hope and fear.
II.