The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-09
CAPITAL LETTER.
Autunanal Sights and Scenes in
Washington.
HakinC Up the Leaves and Preparing the
Capitol Grounds for misunderstanding
the Spnrrows from the EN-
ecutlve Mansion.
Especial Corrcspondencc.]

Especial Correspondence
That the melancholy days havo come,
tho saddest of tho year, is manifest, es-
pecially in the grounds surrounding tho
Executive Mansion. The sere and vel
low leaves of autumnal death have
fallen from their lifc-limb and trunk
upon the verdant surface of mother
earth, there to slumber and decay, lust
as human life GIBBS into mystery and
thus mergcs itself into another life
which is termed immortality. Tho
leaves that fall and adorn tho grassy
slopes, mounds and wales about the
White House are'shorn OF their power
to bcautify and decorate. The fiat has
gone forth that these fallen leaves,
which are merely transnigrating from
one chemical body into another and in
tangible form, must be removed. Every
leaf is painted with tho matchiess
beauty of the skillful hand of Divinity.
Every stamcn and every tissue is mar
vel picturesque beauty from the won
dcrland of nature, not microscopic but
cvidcntiary, to mortal ken. Nevcrthe-
less the order has been issued by that
magnificent Malthusian cxccutioncr,
the head gardener. and every leaf must
be swept and ralled from its place and
carried away far from the land OF it's
birth, far from the tomb selected for it
by nature.
Thirteen may be an unlucly number,
but that is the number OF workmcn en-
ploycd to care for the White House
grounds. There are eighty acres to he
superintendent. outside Of the drives and
foot-wallls, which sweep IN scmi-circlcs
about the White House. There are
mounds. trees, fountains, drives, hot
houses. gardens, flower exhibits and
groves enough to entertain and even be-
wilder the visitors who daily thronr
these famous and scmi-sacrcd precincts.
l'y the way. let me tell Won hero that
while all the marble buildings of mod
crn times in this city are white, the
White House is not naturally white.
1T is built OF rcd sandstone, painted
white and derives its name from the
paint, rather than from the material used
in Reconstruction. This statement is ex-
trancous from my theme, but the fact
just occurs to me, and tell it here for
that reason.
Not very far in the past the work of
removing the debris from the White
House grounds was resultant in a differ
cnt system. The leaves were not carried
away to the Potomac's banks and there
burned. as now: but they were packed
into the basins Of the great fountains i'm
different parts of tho grounds after the
water was turned OF, and over the leaves
were artistically arranged evergreen
trees. thus blankcting warmly the ma
sorry to prevent it from cracking dur
ing the winter inclcmcncics.
In those days tho most interested
spectators were the tramp dogs of the
District Of Columbia who awaited tho
completion Of the work in order that
they might burrow therein and make
comfortable beds for +hcir hibcrnations.
at the bottoms of the fountain beds
they made their homes; and during the
,oldest weather that visits this latitude
they wcro cozy and comfortable. Tho
former head gardener was mcrciful. and
he did not order forth his myrmidons
with hay-fork, staff and club to drive
the CANNES from their palatial poachcrs
lodges. All winter long and until the
swallows came again the tramp dogs re-
sided III their novel houses, coming
forth with reluctance and lght ting for
their homes with such vigor as man
never displayed in battling for his
Washington boarding house The little
yellow dog who became famous as the
grand marshal in the inaugural process
sion when Garfield was escorted to tho
Capitol TO assume the duties of his hirh
Office, was one OF the tramps who had
wlntcrcd in the north fountain, opposite