The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-11-05
Our Washington Letter
From Our Regular Correspondent.

AOCO'
The are no sensations Ehere this week.
The Congressional districts have monopo-
lized them for the time. Washington is
about the only city in the United States
which does not re5ound just now with bat
tie yells and wild huzzahs. The noise of
the fray does not reach it. The streets are
silent and one can sally forth on business
or pleasure without Icing over-run by a
frantic mob. The people are mostly sober
too-intox cated neither with sprtuous IL
quor nor with excitement. They do not
have handfu!s of electioneering documents
stuck under their doors every hour during
the day, and their morning papers are not
entirely filled up with dent nciations. vim
dications, fagellations, imprecations, adu!-
ations, and defamations.
Tomorrow, however, the political com
plex ion of the Fiftieth Congress will be de-
termined and pnblic interest and public
men will at once turn again toward Wash
inglon. In every dir ection there is busy
preparation here for Congress and the
coming season. There is smell of new
paint in the corridors of the Capitol,
the postofice of the House of Representa-
tives is filled with scaffolding, and the
desks of the members are packed in heap
in tie speaker's room. Order will soon
come out of this chaos, but there will he no
special difference in the appearance of the
Capitol when Congress convenes. Every
thing will be fresh and clean as usual but
no appropriation was made except for the
annual renovation and repair, and there
can be no extensive changes.
The Department clerks seem 10 take less
interest in the Congressional elections this
year than ever before, and the number
who have gone home to vote can easily be
counted. Indeed, none of those who live
at any great distance went home for the
purpose. In every Department, except
one, employees who had leave due them had
permission to go at this time. The except
ion was the Post Office Department. The
! Postmaster General requires that there
| shall always be on duty 80 per cent of the
working force of each bureau and division
of his Department.
Washington is growing now with marvel
lous rapidity. Hundreds of handsome
residences have been built since last spring
| The absentee of three months sees changes
and improvements on every side. Since
the long drouth and devastation of the
trees by caterpillars, residents think the
streets meyer looked so untidy and i'll kept,
but visitors insist that it is still the clean.
est and most beautiful city in the country.
One of the largest projected improve
ments is the building to be erected by the
Mexican government for its representatives
in this county. Thinking men of the COM
munity have long predicted that foreign ma
tions would recognized the advantages to be
derived from the possession of a legation
building in Washington. The British gov
ernment was the first TO take the step, and
her substantial structure on Connecticut
avenne has been a source Of pride to her
ministers, and also to visiting Englishmen.
The estimated cost OF the Mexican build
ing is $4,000. 1t will be located on ]
street, near the residence of Chief Justice
Waite, and in architecture it is to be
French renaissance. 1t will embrace the
residence of the Minister and the business
offices of the legation. Since a lead has
been taken in this direction, it is probable
that other foreign legations, Russia, China,
and Japan will soon be provided with
handsome buildings owned by their re-
spective Government.
The city has been full of new people dur
ing the week. The autumn races attracted
many despite the weather. and then there
are always scores of bridal tourists here at
this season. They come in greater number
every fall. At this moment there are Just
twenty-one of these interesting couples
stopping at the Ebbitt House alone. They
always go over to the White House to see
the President and the suite of handsome
parlors, and they are always anxious of
course, to see Mrs. Cleyeland. Few
of them catch a glimpse of her these
days except by accident. She has held no