News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-03-01
FROM WASHINGTON.
From our RsGalarC Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
Feb. 20, 1888.

m~inistration, the levees, state n
and receptions at the White House.
More Cabinet houses have been open
to the public this season than last
year. The Secretaries of the State
and Navy re-opened their houses that
we're closed last year, aud have en-
tertained generously. The Secretary
of the Treasury has also entertained
by card receptions. The house of
Secretary Bayard, after having been
closed for two years, and opened this
year, has been the source of much
pleasure by its gracious and unosten
tatious hospitality. A great many of
the resident Washingtonians have
passed the days and nights in drink
ing and eating, dancing, receiving
and being received, and the roll of
carriages along the smooth asphalt
has been the prevailing sound upon
the avenues from 3 o'clock in the af-
ternoon until 3 o'clock in the morn
ing. Even the Sabbath day of rest
was not excepted from the entertain
ers calendar. 1t is a matter of con-
graduation that there have been few
startling or sudden casualties among
the prominent people of the Capital.
Strangers have not refrained from OIL
fering Inequalities, but have added
teas, dinners and receptions to the
overcrowded tablets of society round
ers. The Lenten season that began
last Wednesday extends to the first
day of April. The first week OF 1t
has been deeply, solemnly hushed.
After the first seven days, however,
the city will be demurely animated
socially. Numbers of teas were mer-
cifulIy postponed until the quleter
season, when a "tea" is the approved
mode of bringing people together on
an afternoon. Five o'clock teas, that
have rage in Paris, will be popu-
lar here for quiet Lenten designations.
Then there are always dinners, even
in Lent the church-going will make
the afternoon streets gay, though the
devotees wear quiet dresses and purple
violet breast knots. Quiet card par
ties are enjoyable, and conUerSaztones,
art lectures, talks, and all sorts OF
semi-literary entertainments and clubs
flourish for the next five weeks. Mid
Lent will witness some large society
events and after Easter the merry we'd
ding bells will ring, for the short sea-
son, with its attractive girl beauties
and attentive SWANS, left many incip-
lent firtations on hand that the quiet
of the pe~nltential season will develop
into matrimonial engagements.
Since the publication of a local pa
per several weeks ago, of the news
that the Secret Service detectives would
report all Government clerks who fre-
quent pool rooms and other places
where gambling is INDUCED in to the
chiefs of the bureaus in which the
sporting inclined clerks are enjoyed,
there has been a perceptible falling
off in the number of Government en-
ployes in these places. For a long
time it was a source of much trouble
in some of the departments as to what
could be done to induce the clerks who
were afflicted with mania of ''playing
the horses" to give it up, for in many
instances they were valuable clerks
and were running themselves and
bringing their families to want by
sinking their salaries in the Golfers of
pool room sharps. After mature
considerations, it was decided to
"shadow" all patrons of gambling es-
adjustments, and note those in Gov
eminent employ. If, after being
warned, the clerk does not cease gam
bling he will be dismissed.
Members of the House get all sorts
of requests from their constituents.
Some want seeds enough to plant
their farm lands all over some want
books enough for a library ; some
want only an autograph. One mem
Der, who has a district near here and
endeavors to comply as far as possible
with all requests, was looking over his
mail the other day, when suddenly he
threw himself back in his chair and ex-
claimed 81 thought it would come to
this" A colleague turned to him
quickly to know what the trouble was.
The stricken member handed him a
pOSIdl CdIu Ou HulCu was hllbGCHs
"Hon. -: Please send me the De-
parrment Of Agriculture if you can.
Yours, ETC., R"
The work of preparing the new and
scarcely finished portion of the War
Department for occupancy progresses
as fast as can be expected, consider
ing the limited force at the disposal of
the Department for a purpose. Thus
far the current business, which is by
no means light, in view of the many
demands for information from Con-
gress of all the various bureaux, has
been carried on without material in
corruption. By the end of the month
the whole business of transfer will be
pretty much at an end.
LENox.