Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-18
EMBLEMS OF WASHDAY
That Disturb the Peace of Some of
the Capitals Citizens.
THEY HANG OUT ON THE LINE
And Flaunt in the Eyes of the People as
They Pass by the Spot.
INTERNATIONAL QUESTIONS MAY ARISE
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. J

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.l
WASHINGTON, d. G., Feb. IA thrifty
instinct has got Herr P. w. Buddecke,
Chancellor of the German Legation, into a
curious quarrel with his neighbors Herr
Buddecke has in front of his house one OF
those pretty, but small parked enclosures
common in Washington. In this enclosure
poles and lines have been erected, and upon
these lines the Buddecke family washing is
hung out to dry once week.
As regularly as washday comes the Bud
decke garments, large and small, men,
tionable and unmentionable, faunt the air,
and merrily swing in the breezes. When
the wind blows hard these various garments
lures of the Buddecke households various
figures. There in swelling outlines are the
neither limbs of the Chancellor himself,
rudely dismembered from the official trunk,
which appears upon another part of the line
in bullying magnifcence There are pitiless
efigies of the Buddecke ladies, done to
shameless perfection in many colors and
textures.
The Neighbors Protest in Vain.
There, too, are the figures of such other
members of the family as may have the
privilege of being hung on the line. Herr
Buddecke's neighbors made frequent and
courteous protests against these exhibitions,
partly upon grounds of propriety, and partly
because this voluminous family wash cut off
the street view from neighboring windows.
But the Chancellor was unmoved by these
protests. None of his neighbors used the
little parks in such fashion, but that was
hal ND h. fhrrft Nv
habits with due regularity. At length the
disturbed neighbors, tired of vain protests,
began to look up the law Its a difficult
matter, however, to deal with an attache of
a foreign legation. International law guar
antees foreign representatives. from arrest
in most cases, and they are really almost
law unto themselves. AT length, however,
steps were taken to obtain warrant for
Herr Buddecke. 1t has not been issued as
yet, however, and meanwhile the aggrieved
neighbors are talking to the reporters.
Objec. to Having Their Views Cut on.
DR.. B. Nelson, who lives in the second
house from the Chancellor, said: ''This is
an old matter with US, and Mr.. Murphy and
myself talked over the drafting of bill to
be presented to Congress to give US relief.
You see, Mr.. Murphy's view down New
Jersey avenue is thoroughly shut off on
wash days, and it is regular habit for me
to pull down the blinds every Monday in
order to keep out the sight
81 have no yard of consequence and am
forced to send out my washing to a laundry.
If 1 should attempt to hang out the clothes
in front the police would quickly stop me.
But the Chancellor can do as he pleases It
seems to me he should be amenable to the
law, as he owns the house and lot and paws
taxes on them" One of the district off
cials said: ''This may lead to an interna-
tional question. The complaint will most
likely be Investigated and perhaps a note
sent to the Chancellor with the intimation
that hanging clothes on the parking Is OBJ
jectionable to the neighbors.
An International Question May Arise.
s'Then if the Chancellor refuses to abate
the nuisance letter might be sent the Ger
man Minister, reciting the facts in the case,
and calling his attention to such a pro-
nounced infraction Of the proprieties on the
part of lis subordinates. IF the Minister
fails to come to time and admonish his Chan
cellor, the next step would be an appeal to
the Secretary of State to exert his diplomacy
in securing the desired concessions. It
promises to become celebrated case before
the end is reached
Everybody is Justly amused at the
thought Of international complications
a question of drying linen, but the sturdy
German stands by what he believes to be
his rights and is determined to have his
washing done at home so long as his su-
periors do not interfere. 1t has been
pointed out that the Chsncellor's neighbors
are lucky in that the Buddecke family do
not cling to the rural German custom of
having monster washday ence in three
months instead of little one once week.