The Washington critic., 1886-09-25
MEN AND THI iGS ABOUT TOWN.

A l,ttlc incident Of the Presidents public
reception yesterday afternoon, which the
ylgilaut representatives of the press have
failed to record, proved to dozen Of the
paper men that the recent repainting Of the
East Room is fully rs Interesting as the re.
decoration OF tho Blue Room. to which they
devoted so much attention. A journalistic
group Of half dozen or more assembled in
the corner behind the President. as they are
accustomed to do, to watch tue progress OF
the Handwriting. When tho reception was
over they discovered that they were 'stuckn
TO the wall or pillars, near which they hal
stood, aud their coats from shoulder to
shoulder and elbow to elbow were embel-
lisbed with the fresh paint lavishly be-
slowed upon the State apartment and ms
yet uhdred.
ftw 'carpes have been placed In the
rooms on the floor of the Postoillce De-
partment building, which is occupied by
the Postmaster.G General and his assistants,
and OF all Nightmares in wool, they form
the boss aggregation. The figures are
startling and the colors in which they are
worked are calculated to sc ire sensitive
persons out OF two weeks growth. And
of all the other scarecrows, the carpet In
Mr. Haynie's room is an easy winner. 10 Is
worthy Of place In Madam Tussaud's
chamber of horrors. 1t is mixture of dull
red, splashed over with dirty green, with
a figure In ultra marine on background of
Potomac flats mud. Delegations have
waited upon Mr.. Haynie and begged him to
yank the tacks out OF his representation
under foot of scene from Dante's "In-
ferno.n But II is all In vain. Mr.. Haynie
is mashed on that carpet, and glories In its
hideousDess. lie says 1t Is there to stay.
Visitors to the Postoflice Department should
lie forewarned Of what they may expect.
They may stand the greenery-gallery car
pets In most Of the rooms, which seem to be
remnants OF the Oscar Wilde craze, but by
no means let them enter Mr. Haynies door
until the blinds are pulled down.
"The last earthquake shock In Charles
tom" said lady from that city, "reminds
me Of one Of the queer effects the first one
had on prominent lady who resided on the
Battery. Her house stood next to q large
old mansion, which fell upon it, crushing In
one side. The lady was terribly frightened,
and after camping ont for few nights, she
left for the home OF her parants In Virginia.
When she arrived In Washington, she went
| to see the wife OF n well-kuOwn official, but
Ttlubcu W 20 lUrlue Tue mousse,
and the lady was compelled to receive her
| caller In the street. The visitor told her that
she had not been inside OF a house since the
| shock, and could not bear the idea OF ding
| into one until her nervousness had worn Oft.
| She said she was afraid to 90 to a hotel
| and although the Washington lady tried tc
| prevail upon her to stop with her, she per
sisted in refusing, and finally returned to
| the railway station and stad there all night
tAlg In. fn.
| -.
| "You can't always tell from newspaper
story how much or how little meaning
statement has" said a gentleman the othei
evening in a party Of friends. "As tc
howfn inquired one. swell, saw in some
paper to-day brief interview with Colone
| G. 7. Beard of Detroit, who has been invited
to speak for the Republicans in the Ohio
campaign in which the Colonel says: q
have been engaged by the Executive Com
mittee every year for the past ten years
and have received from 5000 to 81 ,425 eacl
year for my services and expenses. There
has been q change for the better in my per
sonal circumstances, and this year | shal
go entirely at my own EXPENSE Now, ther,
isn't q great deal In that on the surface, II
thereN "Not much. / presume he drew
thousand In the lottery, or had twenty
five per cent. increase in his salary
swell, not hardly; know the Colonel
and 1t is something even better than that
He's man of fifty or more, and for Ions
time had been making more or less as
newspaper and general writer and as
speaker, for he is a wonderfully bright fel
low and in demand; but he had family Il
support, and was never very far ahead. A
year or so ago, however, his father died II
Brooklyn and left an estate Of such proper
tions that the Colonel gets $40, 900 yea
net out Of it as his share, with a possibilt,
Lord !" exclaimed the other man; 81 should
say he had experienced change for TIN
better in his personal circumstances" an'
the conversation drfted on into the su5jec
Of being born lucky.
| "a.
The best smooth pavement In Washing
ton is on X street, extending from Mint
street to Eighteenth street northwest. /
was laid down in 1873 by Major Crawford
then, as now, prominent contractor. lti
In perf' ct condition to-day, and has not cos
the District one dollar for repairs durin
the eleven years II has been contnuousl
Travelled upon. The net price received b
the contractor for laying this pavement wa
$40 per square yard, aud was put dow
under Governor Shepherds "extrayagant'
administration Of District improvements
The pavement is a combination Of asphal,
coal tar and sulphur, and was known at tn
| time as "Eilberts yulcanIZed.n ~