The Press., 1885-04-23
Issued Every Thursday Evening i.
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, D. C., April IS, 1885.
 Wednesday was the twentieth annivers- ary of the death of President Lincoln, and on the following day the colored people of the District of Columbia celebrated the twenty second anniversary of their emanci- patton. A iulnlant procession marched through the streets of the city and were reviewed by the president, presenting a striking contrast to one of the old time processions, when droves of slaves, driven off to market or up to the old iail to be peAned up like cattle, formed dreary pa- jgeants for the capital of this then free CD
 The proclamation of President Lincoln on April 18th, 1863, liberated four thous- and slaves ill the District of Columbia Their owners were compensated by receiv- ing $300 for each person from whom the shackles fell. Ever year sincs the day has% been celebrated by the bored peo- pie of the district The date of the gen. eral emancipation of slaves is not cele- brated here. Thousands took part in the parade on Thursday. They celebrated with brass bands and flying banners. There were many lockers on and great deal of enthusiasm. The procession was one of the most social ever formed. There was no placing of the military and uni formed organizations at the head, to be followed by unattractive vehicles in the rear. There was no discrimination. There were several militia companies headed by bands, then detached drum or two, fol lowed by carriages, carts and express wagons, with here and there cab. The large express wagons upon which were bevies of dusky beauties, attracted the most attention. Seated high up on a chair, canopied and draped to represent a throne, would be young woman, black, or of cate am loit color. They were dress ed ill white, with tinsel crown on the head. Below were rows of girls who also wore pneumonia dresses. They waved flags to and fro, and were bedecked with flowers The color of the stockings on each wagon load of white dresses was diff ferent, sometimes red and sometimes blue. The parade was very creditable. There were about five thousand in line, and they were about an hour in passing given point. The days celebration closed with an oratiol by Frederick Douglass at Lin coin Memorial Church.
 The office seekers are crowding upon the president so closely that he has little time left to attend to their wants He of ten has from one hundred to one hundred and fifty such callers day, and has made the announcement that he cannot properly consider their claims for office while they are pressing them The majority of Mr. Cleveland's visitors now are from the south and southwest. In the hotel Hobbies it is noticed that the people from these sections are loudest in their expression of dissatis faction with his policy. One of these pa lttriots remarked yesterday that he thought that the campaign resulted in democratic victory, but 1t was u misplaced conclusion He said MT. Cleveland, evidently, was never out of the state of New York. ''l wish," continued he, ''that Cleveland -eonla once see the Mississippi river or tn, Rocky Mountains, or even a Texas steer. The disgusted spoilsman wanted to cleo an office distributing president next time | The sanitary condition of the treasury department, which has been discussed a times for years, Is receiving special atten tion now. Chemists have analysed tho air, and they, with other experts who have had the matter in charge, say some reme dy should be immediately applied withou waiting for congressional action. Ther, are over eighteen hundred employees il this building. It is impossible to venti late it properly, and to the want of fresl l stIF IS abbFlDuUo1 LuttCu SlCkuCSS duu u0abu The result of experiments made in the las 1 few days, when the atmosphere of offices on different floors was analysed at ditferep heights from the ceiling, shows that thu treasury department is in worse sanitar, condition than the worst prison cell in tn, United States. It is estimated that it vii cost about $40, ,OOO to carry out some sys tematic plan of ventilation. In the gloomy subterranean vaults of the treasury ther are about two hundred people who spend there the most of the daylight of thei lives. This is where the greasy, filth, work is done. It is very interesting place to visit, but the air is so foul an, the heat is so oppressive that it is neve shown to visitors