Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-13
A CITIZEN OF OHIO
Who Wrote About Washington
Thirty-si1 Years Ago.
SOME STRANGE STATEMENTS
His Reflections Upon the Morality Of States
men and the Citizens-A Visit to the White
House-Claims for Government Clerkships
and How Some Neglect Their Duty.
Written for The Evening Star.

| ago were cqucinteU with the AutnOr OF u sfnai
volume entitled 'The Mysteries of Washing
ton. by Citizen of Ohio understood to be
Caleb A:water, and can recall the days. the in.
cidents and the people Of which he wrote. To
many of the younger generation his descrip
ton of his journey from Columbus, Ohio. il
interesting and the politician of today will be
surprised by his account of visits to the White
House and the departments. while old Wash
ington families will recall numbers of those
named by him. The work is small volume OF
two hundred and eighteen pages, entitled
Mysteries Of Washington During Several
Months of the Session of the Twenty-eighth
Congress. By Citizen of Ohio Printed by
G. A. Sage, E street near 9th. in 1914 and copy
| righted by Caleb Atwater.
ITS DEDICATION AND PREFACE.
| He dedicates the volume to Senators. Repre-
sentatives and their officers, las a small token
OF high regard for them as officers of the gov
eminent of the United States and as men de-
voted TO the best interests of their country In
the preface he states that he writes for the
Amusement and he hopes for the information
| of his countrymen. and the next volume will
be on the humbugs Of the city, and if deemed
necessary to reform the public morals the third
will be on the crimes of the city. The book, he
| states contains no malice or i'll will toward in
dividuals, whom he wishes to reform. not to de-
stroy, by exposing vice and recommending
| virtue. He expresses his happiness at being
able to say that the people of the District have
| been growing batter for twenty years past, and
| several. perha all, Of the departments are
better conducted than formerly. There is in
them l. better system.
The preface bears date June /, 1884,
FROM COLUMBUS To WASHINGTON.
In the first chapter the journey from Column
bus to this city is described. Leaving in the
stage with six or seven others they reached
Wheeling, $50 miles distant. in exactly twenty
four hours, but were too late for the stage for
Cumberland in season Tor the railroad cars ne 1t
morning. They remained over till next morn
ing and took the stage over the mountains, and
lie states flat the driver insisted on stopping Mt
every tavern passed. during the night. and the
tavern keepers were aIite lmpOrtunate for
them to stop and get warm by their large coal
fires In the bar rooms. These arts OK the drivers
and tavern keepers, he states, produced the
effect desired, for they arrived at Cumberland
two hours too late for the train that day and
we're detained till the next day. Leaving Cum
berland the next IN morning. in ten hours he was
IN Baltimore. passing over $50 miles of railroad.
lie speaks of putting up at Bradshaw's in Bal
timore. and. leaving there at 8 o clock the next
day. he arrival here at 10 o'clock on New Year g
day.
STRIKING CONTRAST NOTED.
He states that he expected to have seen at
least 100000 people on Pennsylvania avenue, as
he that day fourteen years before Now
no crowd. no hustle no noise no stir; but he
learned from some clerks at supper that there
had been a levee of clerks and officers who
were dependents on the heads of depar tments
and they called it a crowd of officers and Office
seekers. The nation had increased in numbers
greatly since 1880. but only 1000 officers
| attended at. the White House. whereas 100 900
people thrOnged the avenue fourteen Years be-
fore. The change wis striking and told the
different feelings of the people toward the cap
tain CTyler) from tb ose formerly evinced toward
the old general tJacksony. Both days were
equally fair and the avenue in better condition
The officers of the government had doubled in
number around tho Chief Magistrate. but the
people were not here now.
WASHINGTON HAD IMPROVED.
He remarks On the improved condition of
the city since lie left it in August, 1882. noting
the new building for the post Office and new
patent Office of dimensions quite too large for
any use to which tho nation ought to devote
it." and it seemed to him that it would fall
down in a lew Years" He continues: Wash
ington had now assumed more of "a citv-likc
aspect instead of its old one Of long strag-
Cling village. More churches had been built
| In various parts of the city and no disgusting
sights of begGars and prostitutes met the eve
These circumstances added much to nv satisiac-
ton on M first day visit. Washington
no longer presents the outside of vice. and tina.
| circumstance speaks highly of those who have
| so zealou,y labOred to improve the morals and
| mend the hearts of the great mass of the citi-
zens. Their labOrs must have been great
| otherwise such success would not have followed
their works" He speaks of having attended
divine service in several of the churches and
always found good preaching. orderly and even
devout congregations. I'm the streets have
! never seen an intoxicated person, whereas
twelve years before l have seen fifty such
IllO - in a Hau of han H.,
Of Congress = During this long visit of
| several months, constantly visiting all the pub
lie places. have not seen one member of Con-
gress either intoxicated or in any wise misbe-
having himself OH any occasion"
AN IMPROVED STATE OF MORALS.
"There may be vice here, but it no longer
exhibits its disgusting front in public. have
not sought for it nor wished to find it. 1t is true
the passengers see signs in several places on
the avenue with the words billiards or
billiard saloon printed on them, but other
wise the stranger would not know without in
quiry where the gamblers resort for gaining
what they call an honest livelihood The re-
| Elections drew from such premises assure me
| Of an improved state of morals in the nation
itself i'll many respects. We may hope that
moral feelings and moral principles will one
| day govern this great republic through its rep
| resentatives in our Legislative assemblies" He
| expresses the hope that our highest officers
Will De sODeT, nOheSt ana fnOral men ana saws
| many of the older officers are SUCH naming
Gen. Henderson, Col Albert, Gen. Bomford,
| Gen. Gibson, Col Totten and others. He saws
the low estimation in which men in high places
but Of opposite character are held will pro-
| duce good effect. They stand out as beacons
| on the ocean of life to warn off every mariner
from such an iron-bound coast. The success
| which has always attended the sons and daugh-
| tiers of such good men and the total ruin which
| has followed and overwhelmed the children OF
wicked officers of the government teach the
same lessons of prudence, wisdom and virtue. ~
AGAINST GOVERNMENT cLERxsHIps
| He says 1t argues but poorly of an aristoc.
racy in this country to see in the offices az
minor clerks the sons of highly respectable
| fathers, unless it be in cases where man with
| a family is reduced by misfortunes and losses
| He expresses regret that the young men OF
| this District early in life accept clerkships
instead of setting out for themselves. whereby
| they can be more independent, with the pros
| pect Of rising '.as respectable men, and useful
| ones, too" He states that he had been told
| that it was not very uncommon for 100 such
young men, during Office hours, to walk the
| streets, stand in the refectories drinking
| spirits, lounge about the two houses or saunt tel
| about the rotunda, with an umbrella over
| their head, leading about some female friend
and while these loafers were so engaged the
older clerks, and older men, with families Il
such clerks with high salaries (often the high
est ones) ought to be dismissed In a day anc
| substitutes found In the western states who
have almost nothing here in the departments.
VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE.