The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-01-10
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
An Interesting Communication From
Well Known Vance County Man.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. LIST, 1895.
EDITOR GOLD LEAF AS you published
a part of private letter to you some
tunity, to give you one for publication,
if you desire to do so.
My natural inclination is to defend the
weak, and correct a wrong. My impress
sions of Washington are very different
from what they were before | came here
to live; for it is the general impression
away from here, that it is one OF the
mOrst corrupt cities on the continent.
do not mean to say but what it has its
share, but certainly not more than other
cities in proportion to its population,
and especially when we consider the great
number of people of every class and
character, who are attracted here on
account of its being the seat of general
government.
have found Washington a most de-
lghtful city to live in; its people pleasant,
polite and agreeable, and fair and square
in their dealings. They give you down
weight and good measure, and the prices
of the necessaries OF life are much cheaper
than | expected to find them. House
rent is high, but when We take into con-
sideration their comfort and Inconvenience,
they are no higher than they are in Hen
derson. There seems to be church on
almost every square, and on Sunday they
| are well attended. On attending st.
| Patricks Catholic church, the largest in
| the city, we were very kindly invited by a
Mr. n. T. Taylor to seat in his pew, and
| heard most eloquent sermon by DR..
Stafford, considered the finest pulpit
orator in the city.
| The Church of the Covenant (Presby-
terian) is model of beauty and comfort.
| attended it at night, and the service
was a novelty to me. After a hymn was
sung and prayer offered, the pastor
stated that the preacher or teacher OF
the present day would get up and preach
| their sermons, and if any OF the cOngre-
| cation did not understand everything,
no one would ask for an explanation,
while our Savior in His teachings was
constantly asked to explain by His
disciples and hearers. just then an usher
came from the entrance with small
basket containing written questions upon
passages of Scripture, asked by the
congregation and deposited in this little
basket as they entered the church. These
questions were taken one at time and
read aloud by the minister and then ex-
planned. There was great number and
variety, and those that were not ex-
planned during the time allotted to service
were kept for the next time, and | will
assure you it was both entertaining and
Instructive This is the church which the
President and his family attend; and to
| give you an idea OF the wealth OF the
congregation, will relate circumstance
heard the other day. After the church
was completed, (and it is comparatively
new the minister said he wanted to have
it dedicated, but did not care to have it
done as long as there was any debt upon
it, the balance of which was only $27 900,
and in few moments the entire amount
was raised by the congregation.
Washington as a city in my humble
opinion has been badly sandered. can
say for it what can't say for any other
| ever visited. have been pretty much
all over it now, and have never yet seen
any outward sign of vice or immortality.
The government employees were given
holiday from yesterday at twelve until
tomorrow, and as we were leaving the
Pension building about dozen gentle
men collected near the fountain in the
center of the court, and sung "The Land
OF Liberty" and it was grand. AS soon
as they finished they were called on for
another, and they struck up that favorite
old hymn NEARER My God, to Thee, "
and as they did every head in that throng
OF 1, 500 was uncovered. They then gave
US the "Doxology," and we quietly dis
persed.
At twelve O'Clock Christmas eve night
was gently awakened by the ringing OF
the chimes, and last night at twelve
o'clock | was suddenly aroused by, it
seemed to me, the blowing of every steam
whistle in and near the city, and this
morning when | asked our friend, Mr..
Ellsworth what in the world was the
matter last night, he said, "Why, they
were just blowing out the old year and
blowing in the new and it was such a
blow that this morning there wasn't a
piece of cloud to be seen.
was down this morning to call on Mr..
and Mrs. Cleveland, but found SO many
there for the same purpose, that l came
back home.
All of us ''Tar Heels,'' attended a re.
ception given by Mr.. and Mrs. Josephus
Daniels this evening, and it was indeed a
; delightful one, and am sure Mrs. ID. is
Josephus' Josephine. H. H. B.