The morning call., 1890-11-30
RUHAMAH'S
LETTER.
The City Of Washington Is Fast
Taking on Its Winter Air.
There Will Not Be Any Long Holidays for Coz
gress This Year - The Alaska Survey.
Mr.. Burdett-Coutts of London.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL.

Besides the Senators, so many Of whom
have houses here and are in measure resi-
dents of Washington. by reason of their
long fixed stays here, the Congressman are
coming to town. There is much work to be
done in the committee-rOoms, in order to
begin with the very opening of the short
session. Speaker Reeds remarkable course
in announcing his committees straightway
after his election last year, was suggestion
of the way in which he wanted affairs
managed, and his lieutenants are arranging
for the same vigorous attack upon the
winters work for this session. 1t is even
said that Congress will more nearly resemble
business meeting Of full-grown men this
year, and that there will be no adjournment
or long holiday, as in boys boarding.
schools, to allow the statesmen to go clear to
their homes to celebrate Christmas and New
Year day. The Capitol building will not be
deserted for whole fortnight. and Speaker
Reed will only favor adjournment for the
two legal holidays. Thursday, December
18th, and Thursday, January 1st. This
insures much more activity to Washington
during the first month of the session, and
only the Senators with reflections on their
hands will be expected to lag in their
coming.
A special train took distinguished COM
pany over to Brooklyn on Tuesday to wit
ness the launching of the cruiser Maine at
the nayy-yard there. During the last few
years, while all the new ships have been
building, launches and trial trips have be-
come very common pieces of news and the
navy has been altogether to the front
THE ARMY.
The army is enjoying squirt in popular in
terest Just NOW by reason of the Sioux scare
IN Dakota, and the Indian news from Mandan
and Bismarck quite oveTshadows the news
of the bitter Senatorial fight now being
wagcd in that same section. AS General
Miles moves eastward his influence is more
felt here and his plea for Notifications and
coast defenSes will be repeated with in
creasing earnestneSs until Congress really
takes hold of the work. General Miles has
always favored and urged Alaskan explora-
ton and while he was at Fort Vancouver
several expeditions went out from that post
The Ahercrombe expedition went to the
mouth Of Copper River, Camped Tor while,
in 1888, and came back with poor results.
The secOud expedition, under command OF
Lieutenant Alien, went TO copper 1tlNer IN
1885, assembled TO its source, crossed the d.
vide to the T-nauah River, went down to
its junction with the Yukon, and down that
great river to its mouth. Lieutenant
Schwatka followed the prosrectors' wake
over the Cnilkat Pass in 1885, and went Gown
the Yukon to its mouth. In 1884 DIR. Ever
cite, L. 5. A.. worked in the region between
the Chiikat Pass and Copper River, the
same country to which the exuedlti0n sent
out this summer by the Frank Leslie
Illustrated Weekly has been devoting
itself. For the past six years (since
these expeditions sent out by General
Niles there has been no Government work
on IN ~
that OF the Coast SURVEY and the reconnois-
sance Of the Yukon maize last year by MIR.
/. c. Russell of the Geological Survey, who
was prospecting the field for future work.
AT this moment there Is decided Alaskan
boom In progress. Secretary Proctor favorS
sending a large and well-,Quipped military
eXIedilion to TIE Yukon region as soon as
Congress can appropriate the $4,000 he
asks for. The plan is 10 so up the Yukon
from its mouth and establish enc or more
permanent posts on its banks as bases OF
supplies and places of winter refuge.
light-dTaught river steamer and small boats
would be taken up there AMI the corps
would ascend the tributary streams to their
sources and map the watershed OF the
Yukon country. Several young army Off
GERS now stationed here are zsalously work
ing for this Alaska survey and will surely
be detailed to accompany 1t II Congress, be-
tweenits business and quarrelS, will t. Ike time
TO consider Secretary Pfoctor's request.
MOUNT ST. ELIAS.
Major Powell Of the Geological Survey will
send enc or more fed parties to ALASKA this
coming year, and Mount st. Elias viii no DOUBT
be climbed and measured again, as the Coast
Survey authorities are much disnayed at the
slicing that august summit received at
The hands of the Russell expedition. The
latter expedition was sent out this season by
the NatlOna Geographic Society of Wash
ingtOn, under command Of Mr.. /. {. Russell,
who was temporarily detailed by Major
Powell, and permitted to conduct the survey.
The Geographic Society raised an Expiora
ton Fund which il entrusted to Mr.. Russell,
who chose his assistants and started in May
last. He returned few weeks since and
next week will give ar account OF his work
at special meeting of the Geographic So
cIety, to be held at Lincoln Hall. The Rus
sell expedition reports Mount st. Elias TO
be not more than 1900 or 14,000 feet in
height, while Coas. Survey authorities have
heretofore claimed 17,CC0 and 1900 As its
height, and the Russians assured the United
States, Mt the time Of the Alaska purchase,
that we were getting the highest mountain
in all North America thrown in with
the rest of the great bargain. Taking
opportunity at this time of so much inter
est in Alaska, Keith, your San Francisco
artist, has sent East for exhibition his large
painting of an Alaskan glacier. To those
not familiar with this feature of Alaskan
scenery the painting causes amazement,
wonderful azure ice-clffs rising from fore
ground of berg-strewn, gray green glacier
water. The PAINTING has been for a few
days at Fishers art-store. but goes to the
Cosmos Clubhouse for few weeks to en-
JOY the post of honor in the large exhibition
room. Fishers little gallery has had many
visitors, artists. biologists and northern ex-
plorers expressing a keen interest in the
unique landscape. And il is not by Pyatt?"
ask the amazed diplomates, who know only
81 ,fnI he. lad In
Austrian Polar expedition and brought back
so many wonderful ice pictures. WHO else
can paint ice and have had the oppor-
tunity?" they ask, and ''co Monsieur Keith
of California" is being discussed in many
foreign tongues. Mrs. Harrison. General
Greedy and Chief Engineer Melville were
among the adniriug visitors 10 the picture
in one afternoon.
THE CoNDIT-sAuTH-wo WOODS WEDDING.
Justice Fields home was the scene OF a
merry Wedding patty this week, when Mrs.
Fields niece. Miss Louise C0ndit-Smth, was
married to Dr. Woods Of The navy. There
was great gathering of the family friends
and of the Pacific Coast colony in Washing
ton, and there was the additionally merry
time. the bride-cake, the shower of rice and
the driving away with an old slipper on the
carrlage-top. DR.. Woods is stationed in
California and they 60 to the Coast in few
weeks. Mrs. Peter Donahue and Mrs. Z.
Martin of San Francisco. who spent the
summer in Europe with Justice and Mrs.
FIELD, came from New York to be present at
the wedding and will spend a little time
here at the ShOrehan.
Mr. Burdett-Cuutts Of Tendon was one of
the celebrities in town this week. He was
taken to call upon President and Mrs. Har-
rison by Secretary Blaine, and he left them
photograph of Baroness Burdett-Coutts IN
exchange for those which he carries back to
London for the phianthropic little woman
whose name he bears. Another London Wis
itor has been Mrs. T. p. O'Connor, who
came over to Washington, which was her old
home. while the visiting Irish statesman
only came as far as Baltimore Later in
the winter the whole party will be here.
Mrs O'Connor was social favorite and
her father. Judge Paschal. came from Texas
to fill place in the Supreme Court of the
District Of Columbia. She first married
Frank Gassaway, then cashier in one OF
the leading banks of Washington. A divorce
WQe