The Arizona champion. [volume] (Peach Springs, Mohave County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1883-1891, 1889-06-15
NATIONAL NEWS.
Interesting Items from Our Specia
Correspondent Mt Washington.

on the river front was fortunately
overestimatel. 1t is doubtful indee
that the work has been injured a.
all. The property damags done in
and about the city by the flood IS
almost limited to the enbankment,
of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
which are completely wrecked il
many places. The canal will b.
abandonea, as the repairs would cost
several million dollars more than tn,
company is worth. The old bed
will probably share the fate Of the
Pennsylvania canal way, which
was filed in and utilized for a rail
way. The Baltimore and Chic rail
way will make an attempt to take
possession.
The canal has chiefly been used
for the past twenty years in the
shipment of coal, and its abandon
ment is great blow to the business
Interest of the sleepy oil city Of
Georgetown. The canal was one OF
the Oldest in this country. When
Washington was Pre- ,ilent lie con,
ceived the sheme of q canal follow
ing the general direction that wa
afterwards adopted, and it became a
hobby wi h him. Public interest
was not easily exited in favor of the
project however, and it was 70
until John Adams was Pres;den
that the first ground was broken
President Adams went out to George
town through the villainoas roa | Of
those days, with brass band and a
crowd of several thousand people
and a spade. With all the people
, looking on, and the band severely
decorating the air, Mr., Adams tried
to stick the spade in the earth. ii
5t.uck a root, but the Presidents
blood being up, he fnng aside his
coat and struck again and again un
til he had successfully landed in c
wheel-barrow a pile of earth. There
upon the people cheered wildly and
. the President went home and wroti
< the whole story, including a synopsis
+ of bis speech, in his diary. Th
people OF Washington were soreiy
, disappointed that the canal did not
- 90 through the city and it was pre-
4 dicted that Washington would for
. ever remain puny village, wh'lt
Georgetown would go OH to create
, and greater gloIics, time without
6 end. Alexandria was also a proud
! CONNIE cial city at that time. To
da, the commerce of both towns i
q a meagre farce and only crazy ghost
of great store-houses stand, gaunt
and deserted along the river fronts
FOR old crones to point out and
bewail the past.
The local subscriptions to the Johns,
town sufferers fund pour in from all
classes of people. Politicians and
merchants view with each other il
giving. Amid all the graceful and
grateful evidence Of human sympathy
there are however instances of petty
niggardliness that are surprising. !
saw a subscription list yiste. .d'y
tn It had been through the Pension
Bureau. There were two endowments
together that were in striking con-
trast, the former being for con-
tribution of % cents, and the latter
for 5 dollars. happen 20 know
about both. The man who subscribed
25 cents has been ten years at the
pnblic Grip, draws $500 a year
salary for work that would disgrace
school boy, and has pension OF
$50 per month. He is accredited,
curious to record, to the State Of
) Pennsylvania. The womin who
gave S5 90 is " bright, cheerful
little widow who is struggling along
, on $50 per month with two children
to support, one cripple. saw On
the same list dozens OF % cents sub,
, script on from men whose salary
should make the sum the merest
! trihe to them. The most misery
class Of people L know ore mean
: Government clerks. When a Govern.
{ m ,nt employee begins to be over
economical, he becomes an expert at
: it. He smokes villainous tabacco
in his Office and begs cigarettes OF
his fellows to smoke on the street.