Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-09-11
DOTS.
Washington During Adjournment
Life IN the Parks.


Life IN the Parks.
Special correspondence Of the INrER-0cEAS.I
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.-Therei is anoth-
err thing about the dilatory conduct of
the postofRce department that you
might be interested in. You see there
was a town started in Cavalier county
named Langdon. It wasn't named at
first. The people didn't know what to
call it, but they finally decided to call it
Langdon. In the meantime they had
applied for a ~postofice. Not knowing
what the name of their town would be,
they did not know what name to give
to their postoffice; but as the principal
signer of the petition was Hon. Patrick |
McHugh, the appointment clerk in the
department established the Office and
named it "McHugh." When the town
was incorporated it was named Lang
don. 1t was so called on all records,
and the business men used that name
on their letterheads. The people asked
the p~ostofice department in the winter
of 1884 to change the name of the Office
to Langdon. But, as there was already
a postofice in Pembina county by that
name, the department refused to make
the change. But the people showed
that the Langdon Office was not a town,
and that its name could be changed
without detriment to any one; but the
name ofjthe town of Langdon could not
be changed without injury to many PEG
pie and to considerable property. So the
matter hung. The chief of the appoint
ment division would not take up the
case and invite the attention of the first
assistant to the matter. That official
and the postmaster general knew moth
ing of the matter. The people there
through a certain gentleman called the
attention of the John Smith family to
the matter, and as John had been q de-
partment man, he managed to get the
change ordered. So now the postotfice
at McHugh is no longer in existence.
The name of the metropolis of Cavalier
county and the name of her postoffice
is Langdon.
There are a great many delays in the
accomp!ishment'ot public business. 1t
is not always easy to understand why ;
but don't you know that the old story
of "money makes the mare CO." might
apply to the cases of some of the Off
Gals. Wealth oils many machines.
When you want anything accomplished
in the departments here you ought not
to be at the expense of a penny more
than the mere cost of stamps and sta
%tionery. The departments are yours,
and you should have speedy and cour-
teous replies to your requests. But, as
it is, you either have to hire an attorney
to go to the departments for you and
attend to your business, or you have to
"fx" some of the fellows in the govern
ment office. Fact. This is q govern.
ment of the people, by the people, but
not for the people. Since Abraham
Lincoln made his Gettysburg address
there have been a great many changes
in the world, and especially in the civil
service of the country. Permit me tc
: remark that it would be we'll if more
: changes we're made in q certain direc'
ton.
The cool wave which has recently
, struck this city has been in the nature
of a fortune to many people, in that ii
has saved them many dollars in doctor
bills. The excessive heat of the first
g days of September made very many sick
y and some Of them seriously Ill. The
change has been beneficial.
IL 1t would make you tired to 60 through
= one of our large parks any night in
9 summer and see how many corsets are
being broken. One would judge thai
there had been a contract taken out by
some Of the young men to destroy Sc
many corsets per night. They make q
!. regular business of it; and the girls who
bring the corsets into the parks under
their dresses seem to like to be there
when the corset-squeezers get in thei:
! work. 1t is the hugginest time 20,
ever saw.
The soldiers and sailors ut the arsena
and navy yard have all they can attene
" to in the love.making line. 1t woul,
y please you any evening to see thei
frantic efforts to keep up with the girl
% in the matter of flirting. What tn
y Washington girl don't know about fiji,
70 %tations isn't worth knowing. There az,
little girls here only thirteen or fourteen
years old who would make q Dakot'
70 mother hot under the collar. If som
70 Of the young minXes were under tn
70 eyes OF u good Dakota mother Their
70 would be a great many slippers worl
" out on the broadside of the misses
10 They are too forward and too fast. The,
know too much.
n During the absence of congress Wash
ington is itself. When congress is her
y Washington is great big metropoli
8 and a business boomer. When congress
y is away Washington isa big, lazy, sleepy
dead southern city. The old familie
take no thought for the morrow wha
they shall eat, drink or wear. The.
seem to believe that sufficient unto tn
u day is the evil thereof. There is n
~ business or hustle in them. Even
northern man. acclimated here. become