Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-08-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., AUG. 10, 1885.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SOUTH KEN


TO THE EDITOR OF THE SOUTH KEN
TUCKIAN:
The city had a deserted appearance
last Saturday. All of the Govern
ment buildings and most of the
private business houses were closed.
The President and all of his Cabinet
accompanied by large number of
officials, together with about 1000
other persons left the city the after
noon before to attend the Grant OBJ
sequies, and thousands of others
availed themselves of the general
cessation of all business to take short
excursions into the mountains and
down the river TO Mt. Vernon, the
tomb OF Washington, and to other
points. Altogether the day was
very quiet and solemn one, and eX-
cept for the salutcs fired every half
hour and the tolling of bells during
the day, together with the minute
guns fired from Fort Meyer in the
evening, supreme quiet would have
reigned.
Before the President and his Cabi-
net officers left, however, some of the
hungry office seekers managed to get
few crumbs from the democratic
table. Judging from the number of
prominent Senator's and newspaper
men in the city last week, some pow
erful political influence must have
been brought TO bear on the Presi-
dent for appointments, which it was
hoped he would make before leaving
for his four weeks recreation in the
Adirondacks. You need not there
fore be surprised if some important
appointments in the states are made
during the Presidents absence, al
although it has been stated that he
would take no political cares into
the woods with him.
1t has for years been the custom to
allow departmental clerks thirty
days leave of absence in a year. and
thirty days additional sick leave"
with pay. But this has been chang
ed so as TO allow only thirty days in
all. This leave has usually been TAX
en in the summer months, but so far
this year but few leaves have been
granted in the same months in previ-
Gus years. Many of the clerks are
fearful that if they should take a
leave it might be extended indefinite
ly without pay, and so their courage
to ask for it is very weak. But there
is little need of any one leaving
Washington in summer. AT this sea-
SON of the year the foliage,plants and
shrubbery which adorn our circles
and parks are in the hight of their
glory. The least obscrvant person
can scarcely pass by them without
being concious of a pleasurable emo
ton.
A count just completed of the pub
lie documents stored at the Capitol
shows that there are about 7OO.0OO of
such documents stored there. There
used to be great demand for Agri-
cultural Reports, but not such large
demand Of late years, as most people
have thought; for some years past
there have been as many as 10000
copies year left undistributed.
The Medical Museum, which oc-
cupies the old Ford's Theatre on
Tenth street, made heroic by the as
sassination of President Lincoln in it,,
is in luck. Congress at its last ses-
sion appropriated 100000 for the
erection of new building. The site
selected is the Smithsonian grounds,
where it will stand alongside the
Smithsonian and National Museum
buildings-places well known to
every person who has eyer visited
Washington. Bids just received for
its erection range from $4,000 to
$233,0O0.
The next building erected ought to
be for the Library of Congress, so as
TO relieve the crowded condition Of
the Capitol building, and provide
safe repository for the thousands O.
volumns now stacked up so as to bt
inaccessible.
Lieut.. Greely's health is not as bat
as reported. He is spending the
summer in Massachusetts, and eX
poets to leave in October for Scotland
but his report on the Arctic expedi
ton will be given to the public be
, fore he sails for that country. Thi
report will be printed by the Gov
ernment at its own printing office il
this city.
Great difficulty is experienced ever
, winter in properly and economical
heating the various governmen
, buildings here, many of which cove
) an area of over 10000 square fee
, With the view of remedying the evi
r stock company has just been orga
: nized to heat buildings generally b
: means of superheated water, force
l through mains laid underground
f The water is made to fill the pipe
0 and heated above 2l2 degrees ten
s perature, and is designed to take til
8 place of steam and furnace heat here
. tofore used. If it should ever be adop
: ed by the Government for heatin
its buildings here there will be "mi
f lions in it,"
0 One of our most prominent mel
0 chants has on exhibition in his stol
: window on Penna. Ave., the largei
:. brook trout ever seen. 1t weighe
g ten pounds when caught in Range
! ley Lake, Maine, and measures thirt
G inches from head to tail, and eigl
j. teen inches in circumference. 1t b.
d longs to George Shepperd Page,
@ New York City, one of the be
If known fishermen in the country, an
o was sent here TO celebrated tax
/. dermist to be mounted. 1t will r.
70 turn to New York this week.
% w. ii.