St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-10-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, D. c., Sept. 81, IS

The appearance about washington
of the familiar faces of pnblic men,
who through modern pictorial art are
known almost as wen in the hamlets of
this vast country as at the Capital itself,
indicate the not remote approach OF the
fall political opening. The city is alert
with preparation. Hotels and. boarding
houses, private residences and shops,
streets and sidewalks, are receiving
the touches Of renovation, and are haV-
ing their 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 the result of improving the
symetrlcal effect of the building by re-
ducing this disproportion OF the dome.
Between forty and Fifty workman are
now engaged in the work-sheds oppo-
site the South side of the Capitol pre-
parinc the marble and granite blocks
for the terraces. This work is being
pushed along rrpidly. The terrace
work has advanced SO far as to enable
one to see the beauty and value OF the
Improvement. There are 150 men en-
nloyed at the work. These include Ia
borers. brick-layers and well-diggers'
The latter are employed in sinking wells
down some twenty-five feet below the
present surface of the ground. THESE
wells are filed up with concrete ana
stone masonry, and between the Weiis
massive brick arches are constructed 20
support the walls. This method is adop-
ted to save expense, time, and TO secure
a solid foundation. To excavate the
entire foundation would be dangerous
The contractor feels assured thar ne
ran finish the North and South parts OF
the terrace before the close OF the
nresent building season. Preparation
are now being made to lay the tagging
of the North terrace, which also Iofhs
the roofs OF the vaults. There Will oe
twenty large rooms on the North sue
some of them will be ready for occupa-
tion in about two weeks time. These
rooms viii relieve the interior part OF
the capitol of vast number OF docu-
ments.
m the building itself much is being
done to prepare for the coming CoD-
press. Some of the Committee rooms
particularly that of commerce, claims
and library on the House slde' anu
privileges aud elections on the Senate
are being handsomely fitted up, ana tue
ceilings aud walls frescoed. Inc paihC,
ines. The Battle Of the Thames and
the Capitulation of the City of Mexico
have been finished and will soon De
placed in position in the rotunda. Sucn
is the pressure for Committee rooms ID
the building that the document room
had ID be removed to an interior part.
where there is but little ventilation
and the room surrendered to the Com
n,ittee on Foreign Affairs. The Secre-
tary of State when comforting VIII
this committee does so in secret. lhe
clerks. therefore, to carry on their work
are REQUIRED to seek desk room in Other
ulaees. The document room was seized
upon TO obviate this difficulty.
A large force Of men are painting
the interior of the dome. Preparation
will soon be made to lay the carpets il
the Senate and House chambers. The
supreme Court chamber has beer
,painted, and the marble cleaned down
On all sides the busy workman is seer
lending his hand to beautify the build
ing before Congress- convenes.
The East front of the building haI
been lloly-stoned to whiteness, all mark
of the mellowing hand of time beint
obliterated by removing thin layer o
the surface of the marble in the wings
40 as to correspond with the whit
painted surface of the old portion 0
the building.
The new Pension building has beel
almost completed and is already Occu
pied by the Commissioners of Pension
and his vast army Of assistants ant
clerks.
The Pension Building is ugly in th
extreme, and / think that it will b
used as warning, and end the brlcl
era in National Architecture. For
building 80 vast, and so enduring. q