The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-12-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
llSSIOner.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. 90.
Special Correspondence Palutku NEWS.
The President has recovered from his
rheumatism and has apparently recov
cred his o,dtime vigor. The usual pub
lie receptions were held at the White
House during the week.
The production of "Rienzi at Al
baugh's Opera House by Lawrence Bar
rett and his company, during the past
week, WAS grand dramatic as well as
social success. The play was splendidly
mounted, and the leading members of
the company acquitted themselves with
credit. Seldom has there assembled at a
single gathering a more distinguished
audience than that which greeted Mr..
Barrett upon the rising of the curtain On
Wednesday evening. One of the lower
boxes was occupied by the President and
MIS-. Cleveland, accompanied by Mrs.
Postmaster-General Villas, Miss Villas,
and Col. and Mrs. Lamont. The box di-
rectly opposite was occupied by Chief
Justice Waite and several of his associ-
ates, while the faces of General Sherman,
General Sheridan, and several of the
prominent Cabinet officers, Senators, and
members of the foreign legations were
conspicuous in the audience. More than
two thousand persons were present, and
the audience was made up of the leading
social lights of the National Capital
many of the ladies being in full evening
dress.
Mr.. Ingalls, on Tuesday last made a
very spirited attack upon the railroad
companies, which for So long time have
occupied the streets of Washington To
the great disadvantage of private prop
erty interests. Mr.. lugallS introduced "a
bill forbidding the use of streets by any
corporation without first obtaining per
mission from Congress. IL rs hoped that
! this action by Congress Will result in
| compelling the railroad companies to
/ build a union depot upon the outskirts of
/ the city. Mr.. Ingalls, is looked upon by
1 the citizens of Washington as the best
! friend they have III Congress. He has
/ always taken an active interest in Dis
! trict matters. OF the several measures
in which the Senate is particularly inter
ested, and which he proposes to urge
/ during the present session of Congress,
( one relates 10 the construction OF me
mortal bridge across the Potomac, and
office.
The annual sale of the articles which
have accumulated in the Dead Letter
Office, has been in progress during the
past week. and has been well attended.
The fact that the packages are not
opened adds an interest to the sale, as it
* something Of lottery. Few of the
purchasers have the courage to open their
packages be fore leaving the sale, but
tn rntR 70 a
quiet corner in order TO discover what
Dame Fortune has brought to them.
The bidding seldom exceeds a dollar
upon package. y more miscellaneous
and varied collection of articles could
hardly be gotten together.
The work of demolishing the build
ings occupying the site of the new Con
gressional Library is rapidly progressing.
During the past week, in tearing down
the walls of the Carroll buildings. which
occupy a portion of the site and are
among the oldest in the city, the wall
collapsed carrying with ii SIX of the
workmen. all of whom We're seriously
injured The Carroll buildings are
fraught with "reminiscences of We olden
times. After the battle of Bladensburg,
during the war with England in 1872.
they were used by the British as hos
pital. In the course of the late Civil
War they were part of the noted Cap
ital prison, and in taking down the walls
there are found many souvenirs of their
former occupants, among whom are
many notorious characters.
I liz is said that necessity makes strange
bedfellows. No better illustration of
this adage can be had than is afforded
by the Night Lodging House. or
"Tramp's Hotel as it is Familiarity called,
where during the recent cold snap many
of the disappointed office-seekers and
others stranded in the Capital City found