The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-02-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
spos,'s Regular Correspondent
WasHrSerox, Jan. 30. 1893.

] took Mace here today, will he remembered
az long as any of those who witnessed the
scenes attending IL shall live. IL was an
tended to be private; that is, SO far as
the general public is concerned, invita-
lions having been extended only to the
President, Cabinet, Senators and Repre-
scntatiyes, high civil officials, officers OF
the Army aud Navy, the diplomatic corps
and few Of the closest personal friends
Of the Blaine family, and the seating ca
pacify of the Church Of the Covenant be-
ing less than 500, ii was necessary Tor
many Of those Invited to stand during the
short services; but the people were there
s,l the samc--thousand of them; they
could not get into the church, hut they
crowded the streets from the Blaine resi-
dence to The church, aud followed the
PROCESSION to Oak Hill cemetery, where
the remains Of the most popular Ameri-
can of his time were buried beside the
grave of two Of his children, Walker
Blaine and Mrs. Coppinger.
At first there was disposition to
erumblc because the funeral was not held
in the Capitol, where much larger crowd
could have been accommodated. No build
ing in the world could have held all who
wished to attend, but when it was learned
that the funeral was arranged according
10 the wishes of Mr.. Blaine the murmur
ing ceased. The services we're as simple
rs they could possibly he made, prayer
nj the house and the reading Of the Pres
bvterian burial service and prayer Mt
the church. The church was profusely
decorated with growing palms and ever
green's. and cut flowers from the govern
ment Conservatives, but they were ar
ranged with such perfect taste that there
was withal no appearance of OBSERVATIONS;
on the contrary it impressed the beholdcr
as picture Of rustic simplicity, but it
was the simplicity of educated artistic
taste, and not of nature. have seen the
funerals of many prominent people, but |
never saw so much feeling disdayed
among the masses as today on the streets
of Washington.
According to the figuring of Navy
Department official the cost of the powder
used in the firing Of thirteen guns at sum
rise, forty-four ut sunset, and one at half
hour intervals between sunrise and SUM-
set, at each military post and flagship or
naval station within reach Of the War and
Navy Departments, on the day of the
funeral of cx- President Hayes, was greater
than the cost Of all the powder burned at
the great battle of Gettysburg.
The clause in the Legislative and Ex-
ecutive Appropriation bin, reported to the
House last week, requiring the clerks in
Government Departments to work eight
hours day, instead of seven as at pres
eut, has raised hubbub among the clerks,
and Influence" is already ut work to de-
feat it. The Revised Statutes of the
United States requires that these clerks
shall work eight hours in winter and ten
hours in summer, but the law has always
been dead letter. Representative Dock
cry, of Missouri, is the author of the
clause requiring eight hours work. Among
REPRESENTATIVES who are outspokcn in
favor of it arc Damkhead, of Alabama;
Carrutl,, of Kentucky; Outhwait, of Ohio;
Chapman, of Michigan; Simpson, of Kan
sas, who says: "1'hc farmers work sixteen
hours u dav. Surely the we'll paid clerks
in the Government Offices onght to work
ut least eight" O'Bonnel, of Michigan,
who says: II would be very glad to get
Job where had only eight hours of work
Ii day" O'Neil, Of Massachusetts,: Green
leaf, of New York: Henderson, of North
Carolina, and Enloc, of Tennessee. The
department. clerks have, through their
wives and female relatives, q social "puil"
that few people outside of Washington
can appreciate. and this "pull' will be
used to kill this eight hour business,
which would interfere with the attend
ance AT more thxn one give O'Clock tea,
if it was enforced.
Time makes more Roadway breaking up
monopolists than Congress does, although
il does not make near so much fuss about
it. Time will knock ont monopoly that
has squeezed the public for all that it is
worth for good many years in few
weeks, when the patent on the most i'm
portant parts of the Bell telephone will
expire.
The House has authorized an investiga-
ton of the whiskey trust, and Of the ex-
penditure OF money by the Panama Canal
Company in this country, together with
the relations between the Panama Rail-
road Company and the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company, the Southern Pacific Rail
road and other corporations. There have
been many scandalous stories told anu
printed about these corporations and the
hope is general that the investigation
will lie thorough enough to either prove
or disprove them.
The application Of the Government of
Hawaii for the annexation OF that country
to the United States has sprung on inter-.
esting and very important question upon
Congress aud the administration when
neither of them hare the time to consider
it MS ia should lie considered.
February . and 10 have been set apart
for the consideration by the House OF the
bill to repeal the Silver law, but it is
doubtful whether vote will be reached.