Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1885-08-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our regular correspondent.l
WAsHINGToS, August, 18 1885

| w ASdINdIONf AuSuots 10 100
The city had a deserted appear
ance last Saturday. All of the gov
ernment buildings and most of tn
private busines houses were closed
The president and all his cabinet
accompanied by large number o
officials, together with about 2,0o'
other persons left the city the after
noon before to attend the Grant oh
sequies, and thousands of other'
availed themselves Of the genera
cessation of all business to take
short excursions down the river II
Mt. Vernon, the tomb of Washington
and to other points. Although tn.
day was a very quiet and solemn
one, and except the salutes fired ey,
cry half hour and the tolling Of bell:
during the day. together with tht
minute guns fired from Fort Meyer
in the evening, supreme quiet would
have reigned.
Before the president and his cab.
met left, however, some Of the hung
ry office seekers managed to get .
few crumbs from the democratic ia.
BILE. Judging from the number OF
prominent Senators and newspaper
men in the city last week, some pow
erful paIItlcal influence must have
been brought to bear on the presi-
dent for appointments, which it was
hoped he would make before leaving
for his four weeks recreation in the
Adirondacks. You need not there
fore be surprised If some important
appointments in the states during
the presidents absence, although it
has been stated that he would take
no political cares into the woods
with him.
1t has for years been the custom to
allow departmental clerks thirty
days leave of absence in a year, and
thirty days additional sick leave with
pay But this has been changed so
as to allow only thirty days in all.
This leave has ugually been taken in
the simmer months, but so far this
year but few leaves have been ap-
piled for, compared with what have
been granted in the same months Of
previous years. Many of the clerks
are fearful that if they should take
leave it would be extended indefi-
nately without pay, and so their
TO ask for it is very weak.
But there is little need of anyone
leaving Washington in summer. At
this season of the year the foliage,
plants and shrubbery which adorn
our circles and parks are IN the
height of their glory. The least OBJ
servant person can scarcely pass by
them without being conscious of
pieasurable emotion.
A count just completed of the
public documents stored at the capi-
tol shows that there are about 700,-
600 Of such documents stored there.
There used TO be a great. demand for
agricultural reports but not sgch
large demand Of late years, as most
people have thought for some years
past there have been as many as l0,-
600 copies a year leftRndisturbed.
The Medical Museum. which oo-
cnpies the old Ferd's Theater, on
Tenth street, made historical by the
assassination of President Lincoln in
it, is IN luck. Congress at its last
session appropriated $2O0,OO0 for
the erection of a new building. The
site selected is the Smithsonian
grounds, where it will stand along
side the Smithsonian and National
museum buIldings-places yelll-
known to eFeEY PERSON who ever
visited Washington. Bids just re.
ceived for its erection rance from
Sis, 900 TO s2SS, 900.
The next building erected ought to
be for the library of congress, so as
TO relieve the crowded condition of
the capitol building, and provide a
safe lepository for the thousands of
volumes uow stacked up so as to be
inaccessible.
Lieut.. Greely's health is not as
bad as reported. He is spending the
summer in Massachusetts, and ex-
poets to leave in October for Scot
land, but his report Of the Arctic
expedition will ste se given to the pub
mc before he sails for that ceTny4K..
THIS rspast Will be printed Py. Tie
government at its own printing Office
ri this city. :"
Great difficulty is experienced es.
cry winter In poperly and economic
ally heating the various government
buildings here, many of which cover
an area of over 80, 900 square feet.
With the view of remedying the evil
stock company has just been organ
ized to heat buildings generally by
means Of superheated water, forced
through mains laid underground,
The water is made to fill the pipes
apd heated above al2 degreas tenn
perature, and is designed to take tht
place of steam and furnace heat here
tofore used, If it should ever b
! abonted by the Government for heat