Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-03-01

Washington. says a correspondent has
had very few real winter SHOWS and the
people We're almost stapafel by the recent
blizzard which struck the capital and left
the streets piled higL with drifts and
nearly three feet OF snow on the level.
Some of the Western Gofggressmen made
light of the Washington blizzard and
used ii as text for repeating experiences
in Dakota blizzards. But as a rule West
ern men who were out in the storm admit
that ii was genuine blizzard, and about
as severe as they ever encountered any,
where. They find no fault with Washing
tonians for complaining. for il was risk
ing life TO go out in the storm and face the
wind while flounder;ng through the snow
drifts. There were many narrow escapes
and some most perilous experiences. No
criticism could apply TO the people Of the
capital city for suspending business for
one day. as they did. The schools were
closed, business houses were net opened.
and departments of the Government were
so short-handed that little was done Con-
gress was the only branch of the Govern
ment at work, and the Senate had larg-
er percentage of its members present than
had the House. Tue grave and dignifed
Senators went TO the capitol from force
of habit, and they worked all afternoon
and We're sent home in carriages by the
sergeant-at-arms.
1t was with some difficulty that Col.
Bright, the sergeant at-arms, secured
enough carriages, as livery men were not
anxious for business engagements, and
the ordinary hackmen wee few and far
hnfyr NfCf ~
storm, and hackmen We're as Indifferent
to the power of money as were others.
They would not be hired 30 go ont in the
storm. Col Bright could get no one to
supply the carriages for the Senators for
time, but he called up the funeral direc-
tor, who does the business for the Gov
ernment, and said he must have car
riages. The man who furnishes the car
riages for state funerals could not risk
losing his business, and He sent enough
carriages to carry the Seslators to their
homes.
There were some inciG aIas to show that
young men in clerical positions were more
careful and cautious than were their eld-
ers. Senator Cockrell OF Missouri, one
of the oldest men in the Senate, tramped
two miles to the capitol essrly in the day
because he had some important work with
mis- secretary, young man of %. When
he reached his committee room he found
telephone message from his clerk an
nouncing that the weather was too bad for
him to venture out. The Missouri Sen
ator expressed himself vigorously about
the want of energy in the newer genera
tion and wrote his letters himself That
clprk ic unn5arinn x+hap IN Mill 10 AZ.
missed.
The Washington blizzard was only for
one day, but the snowdeifts remained,
and for several days, ard Washington
enterprise, even aided b. the national
Government, was not able 20 reinove them
or open the streets 70 trait again. The
street railroads were tied up, with one
exception
The new system proved a failure in
snowstorm. The fine snow sifted through
the slot and destroyed tie current, leav-
ing the cars without motive power. 1t
ended the illustration that the under
ground electric was the only system for
street railroads, even in cities where they
have only occasional snowstorlus
The most discouraging feature of Wash
ington was the complacency with which
the people accepted the stoppage of all
business. They had been buried under a
snowstorm by the powe 1re, and
they waited for the sa..-, po~., to un-
cover the city. They simply waited for
two days for the sun and the warm rain
TO unlock the city from its snow blockade.
Coal was the great luxury of the capital
after the storm. The coal merchants
were indifferent. They had coal in the
railroad yards, but sno ~ would have to
be shoveled away II get 4. it. They pre-
ferred to peddle out what they had by
the bushel at exorhitah, prices rather
than open up the streets and yards and
get coal to their customers. In many in
stances gentlemen carried home a few
busht Is of coal in their private carriages,
because they could not get the coal men
to deliver the fuel. Other prominent resi-
dents had to close their houses and take
refuge in the hotels because they could
not get coal to heat their houses.