The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-11-19
G0SSIPY WASHINGTON.
THE APPROACHING SOCIETY SEASON
OF THE CAPITAL,
A Popular Attraction Curious military
Uniform War CurioSitis.--The Prosi-
Dental Flag-Natlonal bankrupt
Law national Anaira-NOteL


unusually gay one or otherwise, Tho
weight Of opinion Ia that II will be a brilliant
season, though probably not as gay as some
that have gone before IT, The official recep.
tons will be, OF course, given as they always
have been. They will not commence until
after New Years and viii continue until
Ash Wednesday, Before the opening, how.
ever, there will be number Of less formal
receptions, Miss Cleveland viii bo at homo
informally, an hour on three mornings In
tho woek, aud now aud then she may havO
some evening gatherings Of friends at the
White House before New Years, but there
will be no regular reception there until the
usual time for commencing them. The
number OF very wealthy people here Is grow
Ing year by year Washington 10 becoming
more and more a social capital.
II is the proper thing now 10 spend the
winter months here, and especially for those
who are not brought here by political or
official callings II is also tho proper thing
10 own the establishment occupied, instead
OF taking quarters at the hotels or boarding
houses. Tho next thing 10 owning tho
houses Is TO rent them entire, 30 that every
detail In the matter OF furnishing them can
DO attended 10 aud produce harmonious
result, The climate IN pleasant medium
between that OF tho extreme north and
south. Tho weather predictions, however,
arc that there will DO more snow In
Washington this winter than any for tho
past fvO winters. The stablemen are pur-
chasing an extra supply Of sloighs 80 as 10
la NaaHU A npnt..inuut lUarV al n hla EaanaT
says there have been more sleighs arrive
here during tho past thirty days than
during tho past throo years combined.
Many OF tho wealthy families from tho
northern statos have shipped their soighs In
advance OF themselves or thor carriages
Ono Of the most interesting places under
tho control OF the now department, and In
deOd tho only place OF any great attractive
noaa In connection with II In Washington, Ia
tho military museum OF the ordnance bu-
roau. Though this museum Ia packed away
In the rear rooms OF an out OF tho way build
Ing on Seventeenth stroot, several hundred
strangers find II every day and spend hours
there Almost everything In tho way OF
firearms, from the ancient blunderbuss with
Ia fuse and powder pan, 10 the most modern
noodle gun, can bo found there In tho mat
ter OF cannon, everything is there oithor In
reality or model Projectilos Of several hun
drod kinds arc piled up there, ranging In
IEo from tho Mimic ball up 10 shot thirty
Inches In diameter Ono OF the strange
things In connection with this collection In
tho fact that military mon have invented
but little In tho art OF warfare, The bay
bnot was invented by farmer and the best
Of all the cannon shots by n Texas grasa
raiser.
In this museum are on exhibition somo Of
tho collection Of uniformed figures that
woro exhibited In ths government exhibit at
Tho centennial oxilbision at Philadelphia,
lhowlng tho different kinds Of uniforms
worn by the armies Of the various countries,
and particularly showing the development
Of the unifor, lor tho army Of this country
from that worn by tho minute man In 1170
iown 10 that worn Ot the present day Tho
minute mans uniform consisted Of butter
nut coat aud pants AMI q flowing rcd vest
Tho uniform was exactly like tho dresses
worn by comedians In Irish dramas twenty
nvo years ago
Tho rifle which President Jolrorson Davis
bad with him when he was captured nftor
Tho fall Of tho confodoracy IL there Whom
asked where the hoopskirt and dress tho ro.
mancors have said wore ON Davis when no
was captured, tho official In charge donied
that any such things wcro found on him,
Notwithstanding all tho stories 10 the con-
lrary Tho Japanese believe that warriors
lhould bo clad 80 as 10 bo as dangerous look
ing as possible, on tho principle that IL In
bottor 10 trighton an on0my away than light
him away Tho uniform worn by tho jap
lnoso soldiory can bo explained In no other
way II Ia something terrible 10 look at boz
ing cumbersome and ugly.
During Gght at Spottsylvania Q. H.,
Va, an oak tree, almost three foot In diam
Dtor, was completely cut down by tho shower
Of bullets that tho opposing armies ilrod at
each other The stump OF tho troo ia In this
museum There Ia an interesting story con-
uoctod with u couple OF bullets that oro in
ono OF tho coses. They woro found nonr
Petersburg. Thoy aro welded together. Tho
Itory IL that ono was n Federal and tho
pthor Confederate bullet, and that they
mot In midair, welded and fell TO the ground
In tho shape they arc now In, II Is ono OF
'ho many casOs whore photograph could
be procured OF tho occurrence, and has
bo swallowed entirely or not al all. And
yot twenty people stand In front Of those
bullots and discuss tho possibility and prob
ability OF tho truth Of the story, and seem 10
take more interest In thom, 10 every ono
who delays an instant In front OF tho othor
asos or oIhibits
Tho presidential flag In missing. No ono
known what has become OF H. Tho prcsi-
dontial flag Ia tho invention OF some genius
In tho Bureau Of Navigation In tho navy
department. No ono claimed the full crodit
OF getting IL up whom II was thing Of lifc,
and now no ono seoms 10 DO willing TO accept
even q share Of IL Tho presidential flag
oamo about In this way, While Mr.. Arthur
was president he decided that ho would tako
"trip around 10 Newport from this city on
agovornmcnt vessel, tho Despatch. Thoro
was nothing very unusual In this for prior
presidents had used government vessels for
similar private purpose Tho inventor OF
tho presidential flag all OF sudden dis
covered that tho ordinary American Gag
which the Desatch, like all other vessels OF
American navy carried, was not exactly
mitod for the president, but that ho should
have distinctive flag, something out Of tho
ordinary run m II were. Tho presidential
Flag was designed, tho silk purchased, and
prtain ilagmakers put 10 work on H.
when President Arthur two weeks after
ward put bis foot on the Despatch the prcal-
lontial flag was raised and ton or fifteen
dollars worth Of powder 6red of 10 colo
brate tho event. Tho president, 10 appears,
did not notice that there had been special
honor done his official presence, 10 never
mid word about tho flag, supposng IL was
The same us always had flown from tho mast
Of the Despatch. On his second day out tho
presidents attention was called TO the flag,
but he did not seem Vo bo specially pleased
with 10 He said he would prefer that tho
ordinary American flag be raised, and tho
regular flag was raised. Tho presidential
Gag has been In disgrace ever since then.
Ths commanding officer Of tho DESPATCH