Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1892-07-20
Interesting Washington Letter

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EDITOR TRIBUNE:-l have been in
terested in reading the TRIBUNE from
week to week, and find in it the same
loyalty ito Republican principles
which were SO faithfully expounded
in the La Sale Qll,,) County Press
twenty years ago by the same editor,
/ used to set up little type, play the
devil and get a little Gliding for
whistling in said office; later on con-
tributing locals from neighboring
town. In the meantime the editor has
grown grey in the service and the
readers of the tribune will do we'll to
practice the precepts laid down by
its editor.
started out in this letter to write
something about the national capital
towards which many minds are just
now directed in view of the great
gathering here in September of the
G.. A. r. Already sixty thousand
veterans have secured quarters, and
fifty thousand more are expected. No
less than half million people will be
in Washington during the last ten
days of September, which will be just
double its population. | believe the
city is equal to the emergency.
Thousands of government clerks are
unmarried and board, so that it may
said that Washington is city OF
boarding houses. 1t is to be deplored
that the present congress refuses any
money from the United States treas
ury to help defray the expenses of
the eneampment, inasmuch as the
United States owns a large amount OF
real estate in this city, untaxed, for
which it shares in all local expendi-
lures. The acts of congress go on
record and the voters next November
will Judge of these acts whether they
are good OF not. | have spent much
time in the galleries Of the fifty first
and fifty-second congresses. lnuch to
my disgust and amusement, as we'll
as interest and pro.it. The liFty- first
lost many peers whose places have not
yet been filed in the fifty-second. 1t
is hoped the next session will make a
much better showing than the present
one.
A few words of description of the
city and I am done with this
hasty sketch; and if any further infor-
nation is desired of me by readers of
the TRIBUNE concerning Washington,
I shall be pleased to communicate
through its columns in another letter
The city Las a population of about a
quarter million, about one-third
colored. Three commissioners ap-
pointed by the president, govern,
with congress. Seventy thousand beau
tiful shade trees line the streets, which
form a perfect bower over them and
makes the city less affected by the
hot sun in sunstroke than more north
ern cities. The capitol is geograph-
ically in the centre, with avenues
running out diagonally, like the legs
of granddady-long-legs, but the fin
est business and residence portion is
northwest Of the capitol. The streets
running east and west are lettered
from A to w towards north and south
trottt -rtto-v cppru%,rr ourccro rtff-
ming north and south are numbered
in the same manner, as those running
eastoand west are lettered. All streets
| are paved with asphalt and are swept
nights by horse power sweepers'
There are several lines of street cars
by horse power, storage battery, troll
ley and cable. [ think the cable
system best. The city W alter comes
from the great falls of the Potomac,
eight miles north, and while it is pro-
nounced perfectly healthy, it looks SC
near like lemonade it can easily be
mistaken for it, especially after a hard
storm. The river has rise and fall
of about three feet, from the tides
and while the sewerage is not perfect
| the prevalence of malaria is not SO
| marked as in former years, before the
Potomac flats were raised by filing in
The colored race is separated into
schools and churches by themselves,
but they have the same seats in other
public places. On a moonlight night
the street lamps (gas) are not lit, SO
that when a cloud comes along and
shuts out the moon the streets are in
total darkness. Street lighting is
certainly not we'll done here. A large
number of Southerners reside here, and
my experience with them prompts me
to state that they are not up to the
times in vogue in northern states.
They are very social and amiable
class, but slow to fall into line with
the progress of their day. The visit
or is apt to spend too little time in the
capitol building in every room exam
lining it's bronze doors and great dome,
the latter,-a noted traveller has said
was not uuexcelled even by St. Peters
at Rome should be studiously OBJ
served. Statuary hall is q place in
which the noted men of Our early
national history became famous, and
it now contains marble statues of