The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-06-27
FROM WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.

From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 20, 'S5.
1t would seem from the evidence of
the architectural experts now being ex-
amined upon an investigation of the
Capitol architect, Mr.. Clark, that the
reign of shoddy commenced in this
country good many years ago. From
this testimony we are informed the very
walls OF the Capitol, which we assumed
would stand the wear and tear of CEN
turies of politics and politicians, have
long been in state of disintegration,
decay and destruction. The iron dome,
weighing S,009, 200 pounds is about to
fall upon the heads of the unfortunate
visitors in the rotunda, without mo-
ments warning, because of the shoddy
material with which it was composed,
the shoddy printing that was put into
the paint, and the shoddy labor with
which the iron beams were joined to-
gether. Even the bronze female that
surmounts the dome to represent the
freedom shriekers, is warped out of all
shape and looks as though it had just
emerged from case of secondary rick
cts. OF course the architect Of the
Capitol has his enemies, and they may
overstate matters somewhat, but | wish
that you could see some of the botch-
work about this Capitol, for which we
have paid first and last about seventeen
millions of hard-earned dollars.
The Regents of the Mount Vernon es-
tate have just got through with their
annual meeting These Regents are all
ladies, and that is doubtless the reason
of their interminable session. From
one of the reports read, it appears that
more people visited the memorable man.
sion this year than ever before, save the
Centennial year, Consequently the
captain of the steamboat which carries
all the passengers to Mount Vernon, and
has the exclusive monopoly of the bust
ness, pocketsd more than the usual
amount of patriotic lucre. The board
has resolved to make some extensive ad.
ditions and repairs upon the property,
conspicuous among which is the rehab-
ilitation of the banqueting hall at the
north end of the house, which is called
the New York room, and several hum
dree dollars are TO be devoted to the
propagation of plants. pastime TO
which Gen. Washington paid much at
tention. The Pohick Church where the
immortal George worshipped when in
the flesh, is old-fashioned enough. The
pews are simply boxes with uncushioned
seats, very much as ] remember those in
many of the New England towns. The
backs of the pews are 50 high that no
encouragement whatever is given for
the display of millinery, and the bald
heads that show their polished surfaces
over the top of the rails, look too funny
for anything.
A colored watchman in the Treasury
was driven to incurable insanity the
other night ON being told that the Re
publicans were bent on killing him for
holding an Office under Democratic ad-
ministration. This is the sort of diver
sion that the Republicans all along have
been indulging in to retain their hold of
the negro vote, which, in Virginia and
Maryland, counts for good deal. This
African gentleman was from Virginia,
and had been one of Mahone's best lieu
tenants in many q Virginia campaign,
but he was intelligent enough at last 10
see the uses to which he and his class
were being put by the scalawag crowd
that Malone led by the nose, and he
flew the track. The elimination of the
best part of the negro element from
Mahone's forces, has broken him up
completely, and he who was only two
short years ago the master hand of the
political destinies of the old common
wealth, is now so poor that he finds none
to do him reverence.
Through the munificence of Mr.. VIM.
III. Vanderbilt, the magnificent presents
made to General Grant during his tour
around the world in lS7S-'T9, have been
deposited in the Treasury Department
for safe keeping until proper arrange
Inents are made to place them on eNhib-
ition at the National Museum. These
gifts required fifteen huge boxes in trans
portation from New York City here, and
of course there is nothing in the whole
list that cannot be ranked as either rare
or costly, The onyx cabinet from
Mexico, presented bv President Iturbide
| and othe rMeXican dignitaries, embraces
awonderfully rare andvaluable collection
of stones, and there are snuff boxes, ,and
necklaces, and bracelets, and finger
rings,and writing secretaries, and casketf
without end.
To show the great necessity of a civil
service reform in this country, it is only
matter of justice TO the promoters OF
that reform to give some Of the questions
propounded to applicants for positions ,as
indicative Of what requirements in the
way of attainments are necessary to per.
form satisfactory Government work
This is one: "Name the bones of the
Tarsus." OF course a Government
clerk who cannot name the bones of the
Tarsus is not competent to figure upon
the payroll of the departments. Here
is another: "What are the diseases sup
posed to be due to filth? and name the
two most common forms of malaria
fevers and the more common sequetaC
of these diseases?" If to these be added
the query: What cases of fully developed
idiocythe civil service reform has brought
to the surface in the last two years? We
have no doubt that the commission it.
self viii suggest the answer.