The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-12-01
LIFE IN WASHINGT']['O
1t Is Not as Pleasant as Manv
Would Have Us Believe
Some Actual Facts Concerninr tn.
National Capital-Thing. Are
Not ~ They Are Painted
by Space Written.
Especial Washington Letter Il

lopcclal Washington Letter.1'
"Real life in Washington" says one of
the most experienced reporters of the
city, is never depicted in any OF the
local papers, and very seldom referred
to by Washington correspondents. For
some reason or another the city editors
OF the papers published here are op-
posed to the publication of news con-
corning some of the most important
phases of life.
For example, it Is not generally
known that no ladies ride in street cars
in this city. I have been a constant
rider back and forth from the navy
yard to Georgetown and all over the
hills upon the electric lines, and have
never yet seen lady in any street car.
Nevertheless it is fact that there are
three women riding to one man, and
maybe the proportion is greater.
There is comfortable room c. either
side of any of our regular street cars
for ten people. Five women will spread
themselves out over that entire space,
and if another woman enters the car,
no matter if she is feeble and aged,
not single one of the five women
spreading themselves over so much
space will make room for her unless
the conductor requires her to do so.
If there should happen to be lady
in the car she would, of course, make
room for the aged, the infrm, or for
one of her own sex. For my part I
have never yet seen a woman in any
street car in Washington make room
for another of her own sex, or recog-
nize the presence of a man hanging to
a strap, even where there was plenty
of room for all. Moreover, when was
first reporter in Washington used
to give up my seat whenever a woman
entered the door. but l found that none
of them were ladylike enough to offer
me even a bow or a smile, much less
thank YOU so l have ceased giving
my seat to women in street cars.
Il entered the rotunda OF the CAPT.
toll this morning, after walking up the
grand marble staircase on the east
front. To my right, as came up the
stair, noted the figure of Daniel
Boone and the Indian in mortal COM
bat, and the entire group was so COW
ever with dust and begrimed that it
was simply disgraceful. To my left
was the figure of Columbus, holding
aloft globe in his right hand. and the
figure was so disgracefully dirty that it
almost made me blush for my country.
AS l stepped upon the sandstone plat
form at the head of the stairs l noted
the figure of Mars to my right hand,
and a similar statue of Minerva to my
left, both of them so extremely dirty
and filthy that l almost felt like call
ing for the hose and scrubbing brush
in order to an -liorate the disgraceful
condition.
LAS l passed through the costly
bronze door into the rotunda, my blood
boiling with rage at the carelessness
which produced this shameful result.
I noticed upon my right hand and upon
my left hand, and at convenient inter-
walls all around the spacious rotunda,
small square wooden boxes filled with
sawdust for the benefit of tobacco
chewers. These filthy receptacles have
probably been there ever since Charles
Dickens visited the capitol and wrote
his scathing denunciation of the ex-
pectoration habit of the American peo-
pie. There is no dirtier place in this
city than the capitol rotunda and it's
approaches. Some one is responsible
for this condition of affairs, but it
would probably take Lexow investi-
eating committee to discover the re-
sponsible party.
Il do not suppose any paper in this
city would publish the fact that the
central Office of the telephone company