The herald., 1896-12-15

liberal indvidual-with other peoples
money-who looks upon the sojourner as
lawful prey. In the time -honored role
of lodging house keeper he simply wants
all you possess-nothing more. Are you
a senator, a supreme judge, or only
second-class clerk on a beggarly thou
sand a year, it is not necessary to inquire
the price for which he will shelter your
defenseless head-all he asks is the full
amount of your salary. Comparatively
few of the victims board" where they
''room." for here the European fashion
prevails of feeding at hotels and res
taurants or being served en- casa by
caterer. Since time out of mind Wash
ington has been celebrated as the grave
yard of hotels and newspapers, from in
Vulnerable failures in both lines of en-
terprise. Certainly it is not undue mod
esty in the matter of charges which has
brought so many Bonifaces to the wall.
but probably because their profits were
swallowed up in high rents, which go
on unabated during the half year when
the capital city is a desert of tenantless
hostelries. But the coming of congress,
like the overlooking of the Nile in thirs-
ty Egypt, makes the waste places bloom
again.
Opening day is always a gala affair,
marking the official Inauguration of the
social as well as the political season, and
the hardfought campaign that took
place during the recess. The weather
was perfect as only a Washington Win
ter day can be when it tries its best The
air was bracing but balmy, the sky
cloudless blue. and the genial sun gilt
tered upon the facades and marble walls
of the public buildings and smiled broad
ly upon the yet green grass and foliage
in the countless parks that grace this
al ST
early hour the streets leading capitol
ward We're thronged with Kaleidoscope
humanity-all classes colors and condi-
tions trending toward the common Nee
ca. Gay equipages. drawn by prancing
steeds, conveyed the diplomats and the
more wealthy and prominent in official
life, side by side with ramshackle, one
horse cabs and nondescript two-wheel-
ers. The street cars We're crowded and
thousands toiled up the hill on foot.
Statesmen whose names are household
words in every civilized country; Amer
lean citizens &C African descent; sports,
pig Cinnamon. ladies of fashion,
courtezana. school ma am tourists, the
bridal pairs whom. like the poor, we
have always with US, formed an
unorganized civic pageant worthy
of Democratic America. The ma
tional aoropolis never looked bet
ter, and patriotic shirt fronts sweled
at the sight of the great white
wings and classic outlines of the Won
derfu editice. above its long marble es-
panade; its Corinthian columns. pilas-
ters, facades and stately entrances
adorned with colossal statues, and its
enormous dome upholding the figure of
liberty We tell ourselves with COM
mendable pride that there are 5000, 900
pounds of cast iron in that big dome
alone. and that acres and acres are en-
closed within the capitol building, to-
gether with miles and miles of tile
paved corridors and frescoed walls and
marble stairways and wonders too nu-
merous to mention in one short day. And
just across its wide plaza rises the near
iy complsted library. its golden dome
and golden torch all bathed in golden
light, snowy marble walls shining like