Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-01-04
WASHINGTON CITY.
From our Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON. D. c., Jan. End. 1888.

1
| WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. End, 1888.
Washington society is just getting ready
to begin round Of receptions and parties
which will sustain its reputation of being
the social center of the land. The death OF
ex-Secretary of the Treasury Manning has
had the effect of causing temporary cessa-
tion of social gatherings in official circles,
but the grand reception at the White House
will be held Son Monday as planned, and
will formally open the social season. After
that, the President and Mrs. Cleveland will
hold afternoon or evening receptions each
week throughout the season. Social Ell
quette allows the President to hold the first
reception of the season, and after that, the
members of the Cabinet and Foreign Minis
tiers vie with each other in giving grand
parties. 1t is generally acceded that the
most successful in this line are Secretary
and Mrs. Whitney who give sometimes two
week, and frequently pay three or four
thousand dollars month for floral decora-
tions.
Washington has two citizens of whom it
may well be proud; both have attained
world wide fame, the one for his wise and
generous donations for charitable purposes,
and the other as man of letters, and both
live near together on the same street
refer to Mr.. W. W. Corcoran, who. last
Wednesday, celebrated his ninetieth birth
day at his house within mile of the place
at which he was born, and George Bancroft,
his Junior by less than three years.
A great many people who visit this city
spend their time at the Capitol or other gov
eminent buildings, and go away without see.
| ing some of the greatest curiosities. In one
of the museums are two bullets which met
| in the air. They are fastened together and
| almost shapeless, but still it is possible to
tell from their appearance which was fred
| from Confederate and which from Union
rifle. In one eff the rooms of the Treasury
is twenty dollar bill executed with pen
and ink. 1t was SO we'll done that it cir
culated as regular bill almost worn out
before it was discovered to be counterfeit.
The person in charge says that the man who
made the bill has been engaged in the work
for eight years, and is still st large. It is
estimated that with his skill, should he de-
vote a like amount of labor to some legiti-
mate work, he could earn at least thou
sand dollars, but he appears to prefer run
ming the risk of receiving long term in
prison, just for the pleasure of deceiving the
people. There is another man confined in
an insane asylum near the city who shows
almost as much skill in the same direction,
but the bills he makes are unlike any ever
made by the Government. On one side he
has two large locomotives with the Capitol
between them, and on the other portrait,
probably of some member of his family
The details are carefully worked out, but,
of course, such bill would deceive no one.
When he has comp eted bill he hands it
over to his physician to be passed, as he
thinks him to be an accomplish.
t. -, hob hot
bs geological garden in this CITY, to be
supported by the Government. A low build
ing has been erected just back of the Smith
sonian, and the few animals collected by
Mr.. Hornaday, the naturalist, on his recent
trips through the west in search of buffalo
and grizzly bears, have been placed there
in. Should the Government take hold of
the project in earnest, in few years we
will have collection that will rival those
of London or Paris. H.
SERIOUS AoCIDENT.-The Rev. Jacob
Thomas and his daughter-in.law, Mrs.
Abraham Thomas, met with an accident
on last Thursday which came near being
fatal. They were coming to Harrisonburg
in q top buggy, and as they were coming
down the hill at Emanuel Cromer's about
two and-a-ha miles south of Harrison
burg, the mail wagon came rattling up be-
hind. This so frightened Mr.. Thomas
horse that he started to run off. He ran
into stake and rider fence and upturned
the buggy and the occupants were thrown
violently tosthe ground. Mr.. Thomas was
severely bruised and cut about the head
and face aud remained in an unconscious
condition for some time. Mrs. Thomas, it
is feared, was hurt internally. MIR. Thomas
was able, by Saturday, to go to his home,
but Mrs. Thomas is still conaAcd to her
bed at the house of a gentleman who lived
near the scene of the accident. Mr.. and
Mrs. Thomas are among the. most highly
respected people of our county, and the
entire community is sincerely sorry for
their misfortune and earnestly hope for
their speedy recovery Rockingham Reg
lister