Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-11-26
Our Washington Letter.
Especial Correspondence oiTnE HEnALl

busy getting things ready for congress
A bright new body-brussels carpet ha
been put down in the hall of the house
Each new congress gets new carpets
This carpet is of simple pattern. re,
ground and small figures. Small fig
ures were selected because they admi
of more economy in cutting and match
ing. so that it has taken l55 yards les
this year than were used two years az.
in carpeting the same floor. This car
pet was made expressly for the Hous,
of Representatives. and as 1870 yard,
were ordere d, it cost $l.302 SIS. TIL.
best carpet allowed in the house wing
of'the capitol is in the speakers room
This year it is Wilton carpet. and cos
81 yard.
Congressional house-huiting contin
ues to be an active industry in Wash
ington. Senators and members are
dropping into the city daily. A Texas
congressman is congratulaing himself
upon his wisdom in securing the house
he wanted for the winter seven months
ago. Said he: 81 rented house on
capitol hill at a reasonably low rent,
and kept it vacant until row, when |
am furnishing it for occupancy. That
is the game | played and / is win
ner.n As good house as lis could not
be had now for twice the money he is
paying.
Senator German has leased and
moved into furnished house on Lafay-
cite square. formerly occupied by Secre-
tary Marcy. Senator STANFORD has ia
ken a house on the corne' of X and
Seventeenth streets. He isbringing to
it from his California homecarloads of
furniture, decorations and brio -brac.
Congressman Scott. of Pennsylvania, is
also furnishing and decorating a house
on X street, regardless of expense. Like
Senator Stanford he is millionaire.
and both intend to entertain in princely
style.
Senator Palmer has Just completed
one of the handsomest houses in the
city. II stands on X streetopposite the
Mcpherson statue. 1t is 4-story
brown stone front, not very ornate, but
Of unique architecture, simple and ele-
giant. Senator Palmer has learned that
even men with endless amounts of mon
ey are subject to the petty annoyances
OF life. just beyond his residence is a
very large house built something like
the Washington British legations. 1t
is occupied by an eccentric Washington
ian named Lawry. Sen. Pllmer built a
stable on his lot "a far away from his
neighbor rs was possible. The stable
offended Mr.. Lawry, however, and he
avenged himself by building a wall nine
feet high between his los and the sena-
tors. This wall rises aL,ve the only
window in Senator Paisner's dining
room, so darkening il that it cannot be
used except by artifciallight. 1t also
shuts off the view of an adjacent park
in which the rich man toos delight; but
Mr.. Lawry, being also rid, can afford
obstinacy, and the sen,tor has no
means of inducing him to remove tho
obstruction
This reminds me of business tran
saction which took place between a
noted Washington philantlropist and
wealthy lady of the city. Mr.. w. w.
Corcoran owns the Arlington hotel and
TO enlarge and extend its limits
he sent word to a lady VIII, lives on an
lot, just to nameher price for
her property, as he wanted to remove
it for the benefit of his hot,l. The lady
replied: Tell Mr. Corcorm that as |
would like to extend my fl.wer garden,
L wish him Just to name his price for the
Arlington hotel"
The President is at work now on his
message to congress, and The cabinet
officers are getting ready their annual
reports. The newly organized civil-ser-
vice commission is doing little else than
becoming familiar with the routine
work and forms of the Office. Mr.. Ed
gerton, of Louisiana, was elected presi-
dent of the triumvirate. He and the
second new member of the commissien.
Mr.. Trenholme, of South Carolina. were
both friends of Chief Justice Waite.
They met each other for tie first time
when they vent to the stat department
to take the oath of office from Secretary
Bayard. As they are said 10 have fallen
in love at first sight, harmony may be
expected in the new civil-service board.
They will need all possible harmony
among themselves this writer, for there
is little doubt that congress will subject
them and the civil-seryics law to a
steady fire of criticism.