St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-12-31
LIFE In WASHINGTON.
Il Is Not as Pleasant as Many
Would Have Us Believe.
Some Actual Facts COncernlng the
National Capital-ThfnEs Are
bot a. They Are Painted
b. Space Writers.
Special Washington Letter ]

sopcCIal
"Eeal life in Washington" says one of
the most experienced reporters of the
city, ais 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. have been a constant
rider back and forth from the navy
ward TO Georgetown and all over the
hills upon the electric lines. and have
never yet seen a lady in any street car.
Nevertheless it is a fact that there are
three women riding to one man. and
maybe the proportion is greater.
There is comfortable room on either
side Of any of our regular street cars
for ten people. Five womenwiii spread
themsnives out over that entire space
and iranother woman enters the car
no matter if she is feeble and aged
not 4 single one of the i've women
sprealiing themselves over SO much
spacc 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
re oms.for the aged. the intirm. or foi
one Of her, own sex. For my part
| have never yet seen a woman in any
street car in Washing ton make room
for another of her own sex. or recog
nize the presence of man hanging tt
| n strap, even where there was plenty
of rcem for all. Moreover. when wa:
first > reporter in Washington l uset
to give up my seat whenever a woman
enterSd the door. but found that none
of hem were ladylike enough to offel
me eyen a bow or smile. much les
a sthink you.' SO l have ceased giving
| nv seat 10 women In street cars.
II entered the rotunda OF the capi
tol this morning. after walking up TIT
grand marble staircase on the eas
'front.' To my right. us l came up th'
stair.si noted the figure OF DAME
Boone and the Indiar in mortal com
lat. and the entire group was SO Gov
| ever with dust and begrimed that
was simply disgraceful. To my lef
was the figure of Columbus, holding
aloft q globe in his right hand. and tn
figure was so disgracefully dirty that
almost made me blush for my country
As stepped upon the sandstone plat
form Mt the head Of the stairs l note
the figure of Mars to my right hane
and q similar statue of Minerva to m
left. both Of them so extremely dirt
and filthy that almost felt like cal
ing for the hose and a scrubbing brus
in order to ameliorate the disgracefu
condition.
"As passed through the cost
bronze door into the rotunda. my bloc
boiling with rage at the carelessnes
which produced this shameful result
! noticed upon my right hand and upo
my left hand. and at convenient intel
walls all around the spacious rotund;
small square wooden boxes filed wit
sawdust for the benefit Of tobacc
chewers These filthy receptacles hav
probably been there ever since Charlie
Dickens visited the capitol and wrot
his scathing denunciation of the e,
pecsoration habit of the American pee
pie. There is no dirtier place in thi
city than the capitol rotunda and il
approaches. Some one is responsibl
for this condition of affairs, but
would probably take Lexow invest
eating committee to discover the n
sponsible party.
Il do not suppose any paper in tn
city would publish the fact that tt
central office of the telephone compan