Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-01
PEACEFUL AND PATRIOTIC.
Washington Lets Politics Rest For
Little Season.
PlLeRlMAogs TO MOUNT VERNON
Thousands wcnd Their Way TO the
Old Homestead and Pass the
Day Amid Its Spring
time Glorics.
WASHINGTON BUREAU, The OMAHA BsE.
5l3 FOURTEENTH STREET,

WASHINGTON BUREAU, THE OMAHA Be. \
5l3 FOURTEENTH STREET,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., April 10. J
In every essential particular this has been
as Sunday in the nations capital. There
was u complete suspension of Official bust
ness all day and from IL o'clock TO CONNER
cial business was transacted. Bright ana
beautiful the morning dawned, but as the
day wore away it became cloudy, and finally
"A light rain fell. Few people were or tho
streets. There was general attendance at
the services in the various churches which
were splendidly decorated with flowers ana
patriotic sermons and songs were
heard. AT 10 o'clock the Seventh street
wharf was lined with men, women and child
rem bound for Mount Vernon, George w ASH,
ington's old homestead, on the west bank Of
the Potomac, and sixteen miles below the
city. Two heavy loads of human freight
were carried down on the steamer Corcoran.
The people took lunches and spent the
day on the charming greensward overlooking
the classic river. The trees are putting forth
their vendure, the flowers are bursting out
and the sceue at Mount Vernon was an un
written poem. All along the Virginia shore
and across the river along the Maryland
shore people wandered during the afternoon.
AT O'Clock the packet steamer Excelsior
left Georgetown and wentup the Chesapeake
CANAL W SaDlu johns DTluge ana Otler re-
sorts with load of fishermen and tishet-
women Picnic parties went out in every
direction. The famous old dueling grounds
ut Bladensburg were visited by thousands of
people in carriages. An exploring mania
seemed to seize the populuce in all stations of
life. All was uuiet at the white house.
The three typewrlters which put on paper
both cheerful and unwelcome missiyes to the
office seekers, were nolscless.
There were no visitors. The army of
brides and prOOmS had nithar lnft ba a,,tIr ~
were curious no longer. Late in the after.
noon the broad clean avenues were thronged
and the. lines OF fast growing green soft
naples fairly burst their buds under the in
fluence of the rain and sun.
Mr.. Blaine was the only cabinet officer in
the city. He sat in his hotel reading and re.
ceiving the friends who called. He expressed
regret at not being well enough to 20 to New
York, but congratulated himself that he
would be on duty when the president gets
, back
William II, Burgess, who lives down at
Alexandria, in sight of the Washington mon
ument, pn, and who in 1886 assisted in building
Washington's new tomb at Mount Vernon,
was on the streets in his native town all day,
telling the hundreds who visited the anti
quated church George and Martha were wont
to atterd, now the face of the father of his
country looked ifty-three years ago
~ was u lad then" said he, "but / remem-
her that, in removing the bodies of George
and Martha to their present tomb
we decided to open the coffin. /
looked in and saw General Washngton's
face. The body was well preserved and the
features were intact. There was nothing to
indicate the time he had been dead. min
ute after the exposure to the air there was a
collapse and nothing was recognizable The
face looked like his pictures"
The only politics talked was in connection
with the death of Chairman Barnum, of the
democratic national committee Senator
Pugh, of Alabama, and ex-Attorney- General
H-rl nt,1c Snt, ,t.N,.f y -
will be the natural successor They antici.
| pate an almost complete reorganization of
the party management. 1t Is intImated that
, there will be more regard paid to the tariff
protection element in the party so far as
organization is concerned. but there will be
no deviation from free trade principles when
it comes to framing the platform and making
up the general issues. PERRY s. HEATH.