San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-10-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. Oct. l, 1885.

OF this vast country as at tine oapiu'
itself, indicate the not remote mp
proach of the fall political opening
The city is alert with preparation
Hotels and boarding houses, private
residences and shops, streets and side
walks, are receiving tho touches o.
renovation, and are having theil
youth and freshness renewed with
such cosmetics as paint, white-wash
, wall paper and paving-stones.
: The most conspicuous improvement
is that which has been made in the
Capitol. Marble terraces have been
built about the North and the West
, wings with the result of improving
the symetrical effect of the building
by reducing the disproportion of the
dome.
Between forty and fifty workmen
are now engaged in the work-sheds
opposite the South side of the Capt.
tol preparing the marble and granite
blocks for the terraces. This work is
being pushed along rapidly.
The terrace work has advanced 80
far as to enable one to see the beauty
and value of the improvement. There
are $50 men employ ed at the work.
These include laborers, brick-layers
and well-diggers. The latter are en-
ployed in sinking wells down some
twenty-five feet below the present
surface of the ground. These wells
are filed up with concrete and stone
masonry, and between the wells mas
sive brick-arches are constructed to
support the walls. This method is
adopted to save expense, time, and to
secure solid foundation. TO exca-
vate the entire foundation would be
dangerous. The contractor feels as
sured that he can finish the North and
South parts of the terrace before the
close of the present building season.
Preparations are now being made to
lay the tagging of the North terrace,
which also forms the roofs OF the
vaults. There will be twenty large
rooms on the North side. Some OF
them will be ready for occupation In
about two weeks time. These rooms
will relieve the interior part OF the
Capitol of vast number of docu-
ments.
In the building itself much is being
done to prepare for the coming Con-
gress. Some of the Committee rooms,
particularly that of commerce, claims
and library on the House side, and
privileges and elections on the Sen
ate, are being handsomely fitted up,
and the ceilings and walls frescoed.
The paintings, "The Battle of the
Thames" and the "Capitulation OF
the City of Mexico have been fin
ished and will soon be placed in posi-
ton in the rotunda. Such is the
pressure for Committee rooms in the
building that the document room had
to be removed to an interior part,
where there is but little ventilation,
and the room surrendered to the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs. The Sec
retary of State when comforting with
this committee does so in secret. The
clerks, therefore. to carry on their
work are required to seek desk-room
in other places. The document room
was seized upon to obyiate this diff
Guilty.
A large force of men are painting
the interior of the dome. Prepara-
tons will soon be made to lay the
carpets in the Senate and House cham
bers. The Supreme Court chamber
has been painted, and the marble
down. On all sides the busy
workman is seen lending his hand to
beauhfy the building before Con-
gress conveues.
The East front Of the building has
been boly-stODed TO whiteness, all
marks OF the mellowing hand Of time
being obliteratei by removing a thin
layor Of the surface Of the marble in
the wings. 90 as to correspond with
the whito PAINTED surface OF the Old
portion Of the building.
The new Pension building has been
almost completed and Is already oc-
rupied by tie Commissioner Of Pen
.i ne and bis v.st army of assisiants
nd c.arke The PenEOn building j. Z
sziv iu t5e cKtrlne. and tank tbli
4 sal be usei 81 q warning and end {
he brick era IN National ArchItec-
.zre. For bailding 50 vast. and -
.aI1r-ug. no worse desdgu or nsttri-
j cad have ben ndJpisi UloJks I
b. fict.sv o. a msun1th prisou-
.aI o. ls 80 ani -tu1ste.y s1iuats- - .
b 5- c.1-P5eaous from 81 Psris q
- aty-