Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-12-03
FROM THE CAPITAL.
THE NEW STATE, WAR AND NAVY
BUILDINGS.

II
BUILDINGS.
How Secretary Manning Makes the
Treasury Clerks Prompt--A Damage
- Of One Cent.
Special Correspondence OF the Sentinel -
WAsHINGToN, D. c., Dec. 1, 1856
When the members OF Congress who
have been absent from Washington
during the summer all return, they
will doubtless be surprised at the
change which has taken place both
upon the interior and surroundings of
the Capitol. Congress at its last ses-
sion made very liberal appropriation,
to 1be used in the construction of mar.
BILE terraces at the ends of the build
ing, and for commencing work upon
the. grand stair case at the west front.
w 9rk was eommenced in. March and
has been continued without intermis-
sion during the entire season. The
terraces are being built of white mar
Bile, and viii be about fifteen feet in
height, surmodnted by a substantial
marble railing, and when completed
will add greatly to the appearance of
the building, as seen from the west
front. The terrace upon the north end
is nearly finished, while work upon
that. at the south end is we'll under
way, and ground has been broken up
on the site, of the stair case. The In
terror of the building has been thor
oughly renovated and many of the
rooms have been repainted and fres-
coed.
The new State, War and Navy De-
partment building, the corner stone of
which was laid in March, 1872, is
rapidly approaching completion, With
the exception of short delays occas-
toned by lack Of granite in sufficient
quantities 70 keep the workmen busy,
the work has progressed steadily since
its colnmencement The south wing
was 1eompleted in 1875, and was at
once occupied by the officials of the
State Department. Wnen the east
wing was finished it was occupied by
the Navy Department, as was also the
north wing by the War Department,
when too years later it was declared
ready for occupancy. When completed
the building will have cost very large
sum, the appropriations toward it hav-
ing already amounted to several mil
lions of dollars. The building is 128
feet in height, 342 feet in width and
567 feet in length. The basement and
lower portion has been constructed Of
granite from Fox Island, Maine, while
The uper-structure is of granite ffem
quarries upon the James river, six
miles. above Richmond, Va. When
finished it will without doubt be the
handsomest official building in the
world. -.
An effort is being made by the War
Department to have the various mill
tary companies Of the District. organ
lied into one command. There are
eight distinct military companies here,
four, of which are white and the others
colored, and the difficulty met with is
due mainly to the fact that the white
and colored soldiers do not work well
| together. The coIored companies are
as much opposed to- the proposed CON
solidation as are the white organiza.
| tions.
Serious charges have been preferred
against tile management Of the train.
| ing school of the Signal Corps-at Fort
Myer, and an investigation has been
ordered, which may result in,tlle abol.
ition of the station, or in the transfer
Of its management from the War t.
| tie civil authorities.
The annual repast Of the Board ol
Commissioners of the Soldiers Home
has jusl been given to the PUBLIC. Ac
cording to this report there has been
n very great increase in drunkenness
ssaniong the inmates during che year
| the cause for. which is said to be due
to the existing law for the disposition
of pension money of inmates. About
$1,000 is paid quarterly TO the treas
urer Of the Home, from which the pen
sioneis are permitted TO draw small
sums from 6inie TO time. Much of the
money thus drawn finds its way int
[ Che grog shops in the vicinity pf tht
I Home. Such is the law asit az pres
sent exists. 1t iis TO be Hoped that ii
defenses of the interests oftthe Henlt
that Cnllsress may be able. to correc
this evil. xss.s
1t is probable that the clerks in tht
Treasury Department will in the fu
ture be ut their desks promptly at nine
o. clock. On Friday morning last upor
ARRIVING ut the Department theclerk'
were both surprised and frightened +
find that the Secretary had Issued az
order requiring each of the clerks t.
sign their names upon u blank shee
of paper uptsf- entering The building
! and the doQr-keeper was required t.
Fnote the time of each person s arrisa
4 apft,sste their names. The order warn
68s that Bhase wla6a are iate fpu
-tsfilss iils Ia sueeession will be iiable :.
f-aisa4fssal. =
The iibel< suit of Rev. DR.. Hjck
! against the .E;peaing Star Publishing
'El iempany for $685. 600 has been occu
i Il Hpying the attentions Of the Circui
I I Court during. the week Dc Hick
was. the pastor Of the 'Eaberfsacfc; u
| this city, when Guiteau, the assassin
i was hung, and he was the assassiiia
spiritual adviser. The alleged lfbe
consists in the publication of an alieg
/ ed interview with District Attprne..
1Corkhill, in which it was stated tina
Mr.. Hicks had negotiated for the sab
fafxs4:kaas.,d .krrsoa "a fke MefficaI NJ u