Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-01-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.

as other days. This is OF such COM
mon occurrence that it has led TO the
displaying of placard with the word
closed" printed in big black letters,
so that now when the house is not
open to callers the card is found
dangling by the door knob, where
even the blind can see it. This is the
only way in which the President can
get one days rest from the personal
opportunities of his fifty million
countrymen,
Washington, now known as the
City of Magnificent Distances, will
soon acquire the additional title of
the Statuary City. Hardly year
passes that at least one more statue
is not added to the already long list.
Two if not three more may be looked
for within the near future. A statue
to commemorate the public services
of the late Vice President Hendricks,
the first Democratic Vice President
in quarter of a century, will be
erected here. Another will be the
statue of General Grant by the Grand
Army of the Republic, and third
will be the statue of Maj. L'Enfant,
the engineer who laid out the Ma
tional Capital. This French engineer
made this city his home after dis
charging the trust imposed upon him
by Congress and died here in 1925 in
poverty. His remains were inferred
just outside of the District limits on
the homestead of an old friend with
whom he lived the last few years of
his life. Nothing has ever been done
to mark his resting place, and now
that the completeness and beauty of
his plans are being brought to view
by the erection of stately residences
on the broad streets and wide ave-
uues, and of statues in the many cir
Giles formed by the ingeniously plan
ned intersection of streets and ave-
nues, the wonder is that something.
was not done before to do honor to
the genius of such all engineer.
The excitement in the General Post
Office Department over the appoint
ment to a clerkship of the colored
man Morton from Arkansas is sub
siding. 1t is strictly a civil service
appointment; but it was not known
at the Department that he was col
ored man till he appeared with his
notice Of appointment in hand for
assignment to duty. There is scarce
ly a Department, with the exception
of the Post Office which heretofore
has been an exception, that has not
one or more colored clerks in it. In
the Treasury Department a colored
man fills one of the most responsible
desks, the work of which demands
complex and accurate calculations,
and has recently been promoted in
salary. These men attend to their
duties faithfully, are respectful in
their demands and do not seek social
intercourse with the other clerks en-
ployed, and consequently their pres
ence is not distasteful to either the EN-
ployees or people having business
with the Departments.
The last minutes of the old year
found very few people in bed, and
the new year was ushered in amid
the ringing of fire bells and church
chimes and the booming of guns, and
the prayers of the devout people of
the District. Most all of the churches
held midnight services, anil at half
past twelve A. NJ, more people were
to be found on the streets than at any
time at night since a year ago.
The people of Washington fast the
last day Of the old year, and feast
from the first hour of the new until
midnight of the next day, and suffer
with dyspepsia all the rest Of the
year.
The temperance cause appears to
be growing in Washington as well as
in other parts of the South. 1t is
seldom that wine is to be found on
any table New Years day in a round
of calls. A few years ago it was of
fered in every house, and now it is
not countenanced at all in the best
society. Coffee and chocolate and
like beverages have taken its place,
and as consequence no man dis
graces himself or shalnes the friends
| OH whom lie calls.
The bright sky and mild tempera-
ture had the effect of making every
body feel like calling" and from
noon till 10 o'clock at night the well
swept concreted streets were thronged
with carriages carrying merry par
ties around the circle of their &C
qaintance to give expressions of their
best wishes for happy and prosper
Gus new year.
There was perfect jam at the
White House when the hour for civ
ilians TO pay their respects arrived.
Before that time the Members of the
Cabinet and Diplomatic Corps, the
Justices Of the U, S. Supreme Court,
Senators and Representatives, and
officers of the Army and Navy paid
their respects in the order named,
and entered and left in dignified Or
der, but after that the rush came, and
notwithstanding the most perfect ar
rangements for the preservation OF
order, if man got away with whole
coat or unrumpled shirt he was for.
tunate.
The President was assisted by Miss
Cleveland and the wives of the Cab.
met Officers, and the reception
equallcd in splendor any ever before
held.
After the Presidents reception thu
ladies of the Cabinet Officers repaired
to their homes and there received fol
the rest of the day. At these publ,
receptions everybody is free TO cal
and many persons avail themselves
ofthe privilege to "see" and be "seen.'
1t is the custom for the clerks in thu
Departments to call OH the familiel
of the Secretaries. They are received
with a pleasant smile, and after pass
? ing the compliments of the season
vanish and. are never seen or heart
of again and are as much a strange
and unknown as before the call wa
made.
Among other women assisting Mrs
Manning, the wife the Secretary o
the Treasury, in receiving,were Miss
es Ruby and Susie Tildcn, favorit
nieces Of Gov. Tilden. II.
--]. 500
A EmnInnn Mi Hnhnn