The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-23
PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON CITY.
Picture OF the Throng on Pennsyi-
vania Avenue.


Julian Ralph in Harper's Magazine
II il interesting 10 watch the people In
the parade before the windows. In the
quiet residence avenues Of the northwest
rem section one may see the rich 10 bet-
ter advantage, in far separated couples
or in carriages, and one may see the man
sions ana gardens. and the nurses. and
those toddlers. who are the iuckiest chill
dren in the Union, for Of all places Wash
tngton City Is the most heayenllke Tor
children. Bat In the mixed throng on
Pennsylvania Avenue there IL a chance TO
see the people OF city SO disunctively
American as 10 contain only $500 FOR
eign-born men and womens The South
erners attract the eye fret. Their soft
hats and Prince Albert coats betray them
The lawyer. the leader in the South. mas
set the fashion for all his people 30 IL
comes that al Southern men dress ike
lawyers-in sober black with long coat
tails. In their carriage one sees strange
conflict OF pride and slovenliness-priie
in the pose of the head. and incidence
in their gait Their women, petted 20 the
spelling point when they are young. are
The life OF the avenue. and Of all Wash
ington City To be typical they must ne
blondes, and we see hundreds OF pure
blondes in the parade. And they must be
merry and much in evidence. having
never been restrained. They are aoso-
luteIy queens at home. and hesitate at
nothing Literature, art. wit, yocaliza-
ton. dramatic entertainment. reform.
eqGestrlapism. leadership Of fashion. So
cial actlvity-there is nothing into which
they do not plunge: and they and their
peculiarties are all intensified ~ WASH
ington City. Their husbands and broth
ers look on In blind idolatry. For them
selves the Southern men only ask 10 be
considered orators; and that they all are
1r h7Fk for = II
ems IN Washington City-hut for their
spirited and pretty women especially? But
there is no need 20 discuss doing without
this leayen In the great lump. And II IS
fitting that they should be most conspic-
uous there, for Washington City is
Southern city geographically True,
George Washington and his tcsty engin-
eer. I'Enf8nt. planned to have 1t grow
10 the eastward OF the capitol, on the
high plateau that was best suited for
city's site. And they intended the White
house TO be a semi-country seat. apart
from the town. The Southerners were IN
control then, and where they thought the
city would come they laid out avenues
for their beloved states-Virginia and
Georgia and North and South Carolina
avenues Alas for their hopes. The gredy
land owners and spectators held that
land Was too high, and We built the city
80 that today the elegant streets are the
ones that bear the names OF the DOWN
east Yankee states.
Next In order Of notahility In the pa
rade are the Western fok-gTeat in num-
bers. as belts the representatives of near
" twO-thirds Of the Union. There IS no
mistaklng them. either. Their men are
bearded. hot-eyed, intense beings, self
concentrated. as you can see in their
every action and movement and CONVEX
sation. Their women include many of
the leaders Of the official and official sets.
and yet taking them big and large. az
the sailor phrase goes. the Western wo-
men ara the ones that come oftenest raw
and I'll a ease IN the formal ultra-con-
ventlonal routine Of the public and social
life where power and place are graded in
one set and etiquette and eating rule tho
other The darkies are very conspicuous
by reason Of their peculiarities and their
numbers. They divide themselves into
TWO bodies The elegant and ambitious
form one. and the law. happy, easy-gotng
work folk and Migrants form the other.
But the darEy mob Is most picturesque.
With its red-walsted nurse girls. is huge
bandanna-crowned 'mammles." its white
bearded rheumatic OLD "uncles" in the
whttewashina line. its ragtag and bobtal
loafers. out at elbow. torgle-iointed. loose
all over and content whenever the sun
shines on them.