The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-04-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
HOW THINGS LOOK At WHITNEY )
ARSENAL.
SECRETARY TRACYS FIRST or
FICTAL VISIT
uAIrS OPPOSED TO TUE GREE
STAMP.
m. Ua. u Decided Preference for the He" '
A Pathetic Feature in the VIII
of the Lace Henry D.
Hunt.
rspeciai 10 the ftuRs.i

fSneciai ~ the 1tuHs.
WASHINGTON. April At il generally
conceded that the residents of a city are
the last ones to visit those objects which
visitors lay so much store by, and often
times come from great distance 10 see.
Especially is this the case with Govern
ment employees and the permanent habit
mes of Washington. Many of the for
mer never even visit the various de
partmcnts. or the hundred and one OBJ
iects of attraction which make Wash
iugton so famous. A gentleman who has
lived for the past fifty years IN tins city
said 10 your correspondent a few days
ago that he had never yet been to Mount
Vernon.
The newspaper correspondent a. how
ever, one of that class who visits every
thing and sees everything. Even when
he takes day of and goes on some eX-
cursiOn, or escorts perhaps some friend
around the city, he confines his attention
10 those places which will afford him an
opportunity OF writing them up al some
future time.
Perhaps it was in view Of being able 10
get subject that your correspondent,
a few days since paid visit to the navy
yard. in company with "a friend who
wished to see ali OF Washington in one
day.
Taking the avenue cars the maynard
was soon reached Ii is located on what
Is known a. THE Long Branch and
years ago was hrstClass nayy-yard.
" ith the increase of the size of msn-Of-
war. and the necessity for more depth of
water. ship building has however, been
conducted ON very small scale az this
ward for a good many years, and the
place has received an impetus from Mr.
Whitney, ate Secretary of the Navy
proposed plan TO convert 10 into one OF
The finest arsenal- I'm the world. Already
some millions of dollars has been apprO-
priated by Congress for this purpose.
The usual sentry conironis one at tho
entrance to the maynard. and ON al
most every building az every entrance TO
This Government reservation can be seen
one OF the nations defenders leisurely
tramping up and down prescribed path,
worn smooth by constant ambulalory ex.
crcise
Whitney's Arsenal. as it has been
christcned is at present in a state of
chaos and disintegratiOn Old buildings
are being pulled down 10 make room for
larger ones. and Others are being length
cncd out and raised 90 meet the require
ments Of new machinery which lays
scattered about the grounds ready ior
being put into place.
Laihs. planes. hammers anil other
minutir. which did service twenty year,
ago, are for the nOncc being utilized in
lifting up guns for the new vessels al
most ready for sea OF course these OBJ
sOlcle and ancient machines are made
Quate 20 present demands. bat new and
improved machinery has been ordered
and "a great deal OF 10 has already been
delivered When the shops are all put
into running order and the plans already
formulated have been completed, guns OF
the largest size will Dee manufactured here
from castings, which have already been
ordered from various i0undries in diilcr.
cnt parts of the country
There are now some 500 men employed
about the yard, and 10 is the intention of
The government 10 have q force of I 800
men constantly employed In this arsenal
There are many interesting features 10
be seen i'm the nayy-yard. but perhaps
most interesting Is The fact that after
{ twenty-five years of waste. dishonesty
and incapacity IL was reserved for
Democratic administration and Demo.
cratic Secretary of the Navy 20 deyelOpe
plans which will enable this nation 10
keep abreast of the times, and enable il
10 be independent of any foreign
country in the manner OF proyid
ing itself with means of de-
Tense The present administration will
not dare 20 make any retr0grade move
meut in this matter, and in fact the re-
cent calamity which has taken place in
Samoa seems 10 have intensified the de-
sire OF all officials 20 increase rather than
decrease the usefulness and capacity of
Whiney's arsenal. The Secretary of
the Navy to-day paid his first official
visit tO the uayy-yard and seemed pleased
with what he saw, and expressed his in
tention Of carrying out to the utmost of
his power his predecessors ideas in re-
gard to making success OF the under
taking
There has been no infusion of new
blood into the departments Of the Gov.
eminent by the return of the Republican
administration. Indeed as general
rule, where Democratic appOntees have
been dismissed their places have been
filled by those Republicans who had IRE
yiously held them four years ago. Third
Assistant Postmaster-General Hazen is
one of this class OF new otlice-holders.
In conversation with the Times cores
pendent to-day, he said that he was sur
prised to find how very few changes had
been made under the Democratic admin
istration, especially among the clerical
force. When asked In what condition he
found his division, be replied That
several new and radical changes had /
been made and for the most part for the /
better; that the office was I'm first-clas~ /
order, and that so far as be had I
been able to see up TO now, there were no .
'aulis to be found vita the management
IF it urifier the late administration
In speaking OF the green postage stamp
which was adopted in place OF the rel. /
Il the time the rate OF cOstage Was re-
iuced, he remarked that he did not
hink this change was particularly good /
me, but would say nothing a. 20 his in-
enliOns regarding this stamp, although
me could infer from what he did say
hat the green stamp would have 10 20.
Testimony such as the above goes
0ng way towards discussing the Oft
epeaieI cry that under the Democratic
the postollce service was
lismanagcd.
The will Of the late Henry j. Hunt, Of
he United States Army, was filed to-
ay, and contains pathetic feature. By
be will considerable Of his property was
III 10 his son, Lieutenant Henry J.
Iunt, late OF the United States Navy.
no was married shortly after his return
'0m the Arctic regions 10 the daughter
Adjutant-General Drum The will
equeaths 10 the son the ribbon and
agile Of the Order of the Cincinnati.
General Hunt was very fond Of his
IN, who was one Of the most promising
iicers in the navy. Lieutenant Hunt
as one of the officers OF the United
-ates steamer Rodgers, which went in
arch of the Jeanette, the Arctic ex-
4