Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-06-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MONITOR
WASHINGTON, June Sd.

The awful deluge In Pennsylvania
awakened universal sympathy here,
and the morning Post has already be-
gun to receive subscriptions for the
relief of the sufferers at Johnstown.
General Schofield, acting secretary
of war, is, by direction of the presi-
dent, already considering means of
relief, and by tomorrow some plan
will be submitted by which the ma
tional treasury may furnish succor.
The president sent a telegram of SYM
pathy Saturday, and requested the
Mayor of Johnstown TO make a sight
draft on him for his subscription.
The local inundation has reached
higher point than ever attained dur
ing the flood of 1881, which was a
mid-winter disaster. The loss to the
government and to the corporation
and private individuals is very great.
The loss of life fortunately will not
reach half dozen in this vicinity.
Pennsylvania avenue is flooded and
the street car lines have closed travel.
No trains arrive from the west or
north. Boats ply avenues mile for
the river proper. The reputation of
George Washington as a sagacious
engineer in selecting the site of
Washington for the Capitol is suffer-
ing a severe strain. The extensive
improvements on the flats are nearly
ruined.
The great ponds of the U. S. fish
commission filled with carp flooded
and the fish escaped yesterday much
to the delight of the small boy. A
carp twenty inches long, was caught
on Pennsylvania avenue, opposite the
National Hotel. In the evening thous-
ands of the fish were attracted by the
electrical lights, and could plainly be
seen disporting in the flood.
Nearly two hundred pounds of let
ters addressed to Mr.. Cleveland dur
ing his presidential term were con-
signed to the flames the other day.
They were epistles from cranks, and
represented the oldest tumble of in
sane whims that could be imagined.
They did not generally consist, as
might have been expected, of requests
| for official favors. The cranks who
address the president are generous,
and long only to give, not to receive.
The letters were full of advice on
civil service reform, tariff, foreign af-
fairs, Samoa, Oklahoma-everything,
except the White House rats. There
were nearly two hundred letters from
one David God, seemingly on as
many different subjects. Many of
the epistles were from people evident
| ls I~---~--4~l ~nli~ion and i'm these
letters the strains of piety are inter
rupted with worse TRADES of filthy
obscenity ,blasphemy and billingsgate
than ever fall from the mouth of n
Seven Dials fisherwoman. EXpur-
gated of the filth, the collection would
have been of value to dime museum.
As a specimen of the most curious
letter is the following from Vermont /:
"Dear Mr.. President: When / got
up this morning and went to light
the fire, | found the stove pipe gone.
| looked all around the house for it,
but could not find it. Finally | found
it leaning up against the door on the
outside of the house. The weather
is warm and pleasant now and | can
get along very we'll without any stove
pipe. Very truly your friend,
j. II. WHITING.
What devils dance of ideas is this
The writing is fair and legible; the
signature is made with a flourish.
There were a dozen letters from the
same man on as inconsequential sub
jects.
Sir Julian Paunceforte is the last
man you would select as swords
man-especially knight of the foils.
He is heavy in figure and indolent in
manner, his eyelids are feshy and the
expression of face dull. Like most
elderly men of his class in England,
the British minister shows in appear
ance the triumph of wines and rich
foods over the once splendid physique
that early training developed. And
yet Sir Julian gives promise of max
ing fencing popular in fashionable so
ciety here. Those who know him
say that he is the most skillful and
enduring foiIsman seen here in years
These upper class Englishmen are al
ways physical surprises. There wa;
Lord Sackville he had the same bor
ed, indolent manner, and yet he was
magnificently preserved man and
could reel off ten miles on the higl
road in a manner that would make |
professional pedestrian envious.
Land Commissioner Stocklage
, handed in his resignation Saturda.
and it has been accepted to take eff
;, feet July /. Ex-Governor Stone 0
, Iowa, who was appointed Deput.
7 commissioner of the general land of
, flee several weeks ago, is expected +
succeed him, his appointment as dep
uty having been made for the purpos
of familiarizing him with the work o
the office prior to his election.
The president has finally promise
L to receive the anti-Mahone republic
IS ans of Virginia on June IL. Wha
N they will accomplish is easy to see