The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-05-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.


From Our Eegslar Corepondtaf.
WASHINGTON, May 2, 1885.
President Cleveland is greatly dis
tressed and embarrassed by the con-
tinued illness of his private secreta-
m. He has often been heard 10 say
that Col Lamont is the only man in
the world whom he cannot do with
out. Executive business does not
move with rapidity and precision at
the White House now. and the Sec
retary is SO completely broken down,
that II is uncertain when he can re-
sumo his duties. The Presidents
appreciation of him was illustrated
ON "Wednesday when Col. and Mrs.
Lamont and their two little children
were installed as guests at the White
House for an indefinite time. Col.
Lamont has been quartered at the
Arlington hotel, and the President
had him removed TO the Executive
Mansion, with his personal effects,
little chairs, baby carriage, and all.
The President has been advised by
physicians to give less time TO OIL
cial duties and more to recreation,
lest he too become victim OF over
work. As soon as be moves out TO
Soldiers Home be expects TO change
his habits. He will drive to the
White House each morning to tran
sact business, and then return, re-
serving his afternoon and evenings
for recreatian.
A tedious process is going on now
in the United States Treasury vaults
away down under the centre of the
building. The Office of United
States Treasurer is about to pass
from a Republican to a Democrat
and as is customary when the keys
ofthe money vaults change hands
a careful count is made of the cash
which Uncle Sam has on hand
There are Sl0,000,000 in silver dol
lars to be counted. The silver is in
bags, 1000 in each bag, and the
manner of determining whether the
contents Of each bag is up to the
standard is by weight. For five
days three men have been leaning
over a pair of scales and scanning
the register. One man places the
money bags oD the scales, another
looks at the register and tells the
weight, and a third makes the en-
tries in a note book. The scales are
of the finest make, and sensitive TO
the most infinitesimal pressure, so
that If one of the dollars in the one
thousand contained minute frac-
ton more or less than the prescrib-
ed standard, the three men open the
bag aud count the contents. The
clink. clink, ofthe silver goes on mo-
notonouslv. and the count will con-
sumo about eight days more
The President has made number
of foreign appointments during the
week, and seventy-fve new Demo
cratic post-masters every twenty-four
hours is the work of the postofiice
machine nowadays. The Postmas-
ter General is taking up the cases
of fourth class postoffices at preeent.
There are about two thousand va
cancies Of this class. After they
have been attended to, it is the in
tention to consider those where re-
movals are in order. Reform so
called in the Departments here goes
on in about the same way. Tried,
experienced and capable officials
are turned out almost daily, to make
room for novices of uncertain or bad
antecedents. As things go on there
is scarcely person in government
employ, except those recently ap-
pointed, who does not feel that he is
likely to be turned out at any mo-
ment. Ii is difficult for clerks to
perform good work under such try
ing circumstances.
There has been some talk of an
extra session of Congress, and if war
breaks out in Europe. the question
will probably come into prominence
at once. 1t is held by some that
the relations of the United States
with the belligesent powers will rem
der it desirable that Congress should
be in session ready TO assist the
President in any emergency.
The city is beautiful now with its
miles and miles of shade trees, in
fresh green leaf, its numerous parks
full of Towering trees and shrubs and
fountains. The streets of Washing
ton are among the crowning glories
of the Capital. To visitors, espec-
tally to those from other cities were
narrow, rough and tortuous thor
oughfares predominate. they are in
the nature of revelation. 1t has
been the boast of this city that it
has the clesnest swept streets in the
world, but Just now in this era OF re-
form when so many clean and
wholesome things are promised,
some OF its streets need the broom.
The contractors swept all they are
paid for. The trouble is, there is
not enough money to the square
yard, owing to Democratic penuri-
oueness. Even Pennsylvania aven-
ue is not, at times as well washed
and swept as it should be. A new
and increased appropriation for
street cleaning was found necessary,
and there will soon be a return Of