Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-07-04
POINTS OF INTEREST.
In and About the National Capt.
ital-The Offices.

In and About the National Capt.
ital-The Offices.
Special Correspondence of the TSTER-OcEAN.
WASHINGTON, June N.-In these warm
days one ofthe most pleasant
in Washington is the congress.
ional library. 1t is high above the city,
in the capitol on the hill. 1t is open
every day in the week, and during the
hours Of admittance, you can find there
people of every age, color, occupation
and condition. From a single room the
library has grown into three spacious
halls, four stories high. 1t is filed
throughout with %alcoves of solid iron,
and crammed from end to end with
books behind books in double rows, while
sixty thousand volumes, Or a library
three times as large as that saved from
the flames thirty years ago, are stacked
upon the floors. The librarian and his
assistants are embarrassed in the dis
charge of their duties by this daily en-
croaching of literature. They have
taken the. ground though, that it is the
business of the library of the United
States to possess all the literature the
country has produced. This institution
is found constantly competing at public
auctions for copies, pamphlets and
Journals. which are continually poured
out Of private collections throughout this
country, and still larger purchases are
made from the book shops of England
and the continent.
Another resort is the Potomac river.
1t may be called the summe resort o.
the District of Columbia, for during the
heated term a large proportion of the
population is aloat on its surface. The
breezes are so cooling and refreshing
after a warm day in the city that one trip
down the river induces others. There
are day excursions, and evening excur
sions, the former being mainly patron.
lied by the women with their baskets and
little ones. The evening is the time
when the wharves present the gayest
scenes. Large steamers laden with ex.
c~ursionists drop away one after another
bound for the resorts lower down, while
the voices Of pleasure seekers mingled
with the music from the orchestras come
floating back over the water.
At this season the city has the appear
ance of a forest village. The streets are
a labyrinth of full-leafed trees. Stand
ing on the dome Of the capitol you see
trees in platoons, in columns, in ranks
single, double and q%uadruple. They
shade and ornament not only the mag
nlficent where fashion ant
wealth reside. but also the unimprovet
streets inhabited by the poor. There al,
sixty thousand trees in the streets O
Washington, OF 125 miles of shade, ex
elusive of parks and gardens. No NOR,
striking sight can be seer here than b,
standing in the center of one of the littl,
parks at the intersection of eight OF ter
streets and avenues, and then letting thu
eye range along the rows ofgrowing tree
Of many species, and similar height
They radiate for miles in all direction
like spokes from the hub of a wheel.
There is no appreciable diminutiol
yet Of the population Of. the city. TIL
president expects to spend most of tn
summer at the white house. The cabi
net officers do not propose to leave thei
respective departments for any length Q
time, o do any of the new officials
Department clerks are afraid to indulg
in their annual holiday of a month witt
: pay, lest their places be secured durin;
absence by Democrats. Many societ.
people have decided to enjoy their Gle
/; CANT homes in quiet during the summel
instead of seeking the discomforts Of tn
crowded resorts. Altogether there is lit
tie indication of the capital being desert
! ed ever during the heated term.
l The most intense anxiety prevails
; throughout the official and clerical ci
Giles, as the fiscal year draws to a close
The first of July, the beginning of tn
new year, is expected to witness man
changes. Attorney General Garland ha
discharged his entirs force of assistar
attorneys and examiners during tn
: week, besides a number of other officials
! Secretary Manning is dismissing en-
!: ployes rapidly, several dozen having bee
q removed yesterday. Each member {
e the cabinet is beseiged BY petitioners fo
office. Truly the life of the new cabine
;, is q troubled one.