The National tribune., 1885-07-30
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks DOings at the Ma
tiOnal Capital
THE SIGNAL BUREAU CAUGHT MAPPING.

Speaking of the weather reminds us that for
once there is joke ON the Weather Bureau.
Its predictions are usually so reliable that a
failure is much the more noticeable. Last
Sunday morning, when the whole earth was
palpitating under the singeing rays, the Weather
Bureau announced, with much positiveness, that
no relief could be expected for some days, but
that there might even be rise in the tenn
perature. Everybody groaned as he read
the paper, and straightway made additional
preparations to fortify himself against the
inevitable. In the course of the day, to his
establishment clouds gathered about the
horizon, and before shutdown dashing rain set
in, which lasted for 10 or IL hours without
much intermission, and fairly deluged parts of
Baltimore and iother places in the vicinity.
The Signal Bureau explained this by saying
that a new man had recently got hold of the
crank, and it was to be expected that an
occasional storm or cyclone would slip through
his fingers.
HOT WEATHER.
The whole land has been parching under the
fierce rays of the dog day sun for the past few
days, and on no place has old Soils fervid rays
poured down more relentlessly than ON this
favored Capital of the brave and the free. Old
John Randolph used to speak of Pennsylvania
Avenue as the race-course of the elements. He
might have gone on and spoken of the plains
that are invirOned by our low-lying hills as the
fryingpan of the Omnipotent, as for weeks at q
time it seems as if everything in the boundaries
OF the city of Washington fairly szzles. The
great stretches of broad streets, with their
smooth asphalt pavements, reverberate the rays
that fall upon them like chemists furnace,
and the tall brown-red walls of the buildings
seem to derive their color from some internal
heat that is burning its way through them.
Every body that can get away from the city is
away seeking what GOODNESS may be found in
the mountains or by the sea shore. The clerks
stay because they are afraid to go away. The
President and his chief subordinates stay be-
cause the ofice-seekers seem to have nailed
them here and will not let them 60 The
ofhce-seekers stay because that is the kind of
men they are. The President had finally de-
termined to leave Saturday and spend some
time in the cooling shades of the Adirondacks,
but the death of Gen. Grant has made him
postpone his departure, and he will not leave
now until after the funeral of the illustrious
hero occurs.
HOME FOR GEN. LOGAN.
Gen. Logan and wife having decided to make
a permanent home in Washington, have been
spending most of the time for the past month
in search Of a suitable house. They have at
last found one. 1t is what is known as the
Stone Mansion, situated at the head of Thir-
teenth street, on beautiful hill which over
looks the city. 1t was formerly the residence
of DR.. Stone, an old time Washingtonian and
a wealthy slave owner. 1t is roomy, ram
bling old mansion of the ante-bellum style of
architecture, and on its grounds are the houses
in which resided the doctors household SER
wants. Gen. Logan intends to let the slave
quarters remain as a monument of the past
and he and his wife will speedily transform
the house and its lovely grounds into one of
the most attractive and noted places of the
city. The house was bought at bargain, the
price being $4,000, of which 5000 is to be
paid at the end of the first year, 5000 at the
end of the second. and similar sums at the end
of the third and fourth years.
Secretary Whitney's order that the eight hour
law shall hereafter be enforced in the navy
yards will be hailed with delight by the many
hundreds of men employed at the different
yards in the country. For some time past the
workmen have been employed but eight hours
per day, but they have not received full pay for
same. Under the Secretary's decision the same
pay which was allowed for 10 hours work will
now be paid for eight.