The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-03-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
when Washington Was "A Small VII
Iage-A Commission For Contested
Election Cases--Capital Gossip.
fsnecinl Correspondence.l

Especial Correspondence
The approaching celebration In wash
lngton of the occupation Of the city IA
the seat Of government has excited
new interest I'm the development OF
Washington from village OF small
size 70 the very large and beautiful
village that It seems TO persons accuS-
toned to dwell in cities of much less
size. II Is no repr0ach to Washington
TO speak Of it a. "A village. for that tie
scrlptlon Is applicable to II without or
Tense. In 1900, according 10 a report
made IN that year by Thomas Monroe,
the city commissioners clerk, the pop
ulatlon was 1900 aud consisted mainly
Of workmen on the public buildings,
The government clerks then lived
chiefly I'm Georgetown There were
then in the city only 3D. buildings, Of
which 100 were brick and 263 frame.
4 map ut that time prepared by com
petent officer showed each building by
dots. and + street evidently was the
best settled street I'm town. From the
frequency Of the dots along street
where there are now many slnall
houses held 10y lowly owners, II may
be possible to prove that those small
frame dwellings were owned 10y the
workmcn who were here in $500 ana
who sold them 10 purchasers. who 10
turn disposed of them 10 colored p"o-
ple. who have managed TO retain them
in the hone Of great advance IN
values. II Is bare map compared
with one Of the city as IL is today. But
II resembles all maps Of Washington
in It's strict conformity to the plan oi
| the original engineer, VI. Pierre En-
FAINT About 40 years passed before
there was n pavement Of any KIND ih
Washington. and It was during the
forties that gaslightlng plant was es
tabllshed. Some time after that water
was introduced to take the place of
pumps. and that before there was "A
sewerage system.
For Contested Election Cases.
81 have wondered sometimes Whcth-
or a commission Of a judicial charac-
ter and sufficient tenure Of office 10 in
sure Independence OF action could not
be created to pass upon contested elec
ton cases In the house said Repre-
sentative Robert W. Tayler Of Ohi'
the other day. Mr.. Tayler has beer
one OF the most efficient chairmeh 81
elections committees that the house
has had for many years, and his com
mlttee has considerable influence
"Such n commission" continued Mr.
Tayler. should be composed Of mol
Of high character, whose sole duties
should be to study the evidence II
these contests and report to the hous'
impartially It's findings. The constl
tuition, to be sure imposes upon th'
house the duty OF determining the qnal
incations OF It's members, ana tina
function could not be delegated to
commission. The work Of the com
mission could however. be advisory
Its decisions. il made 10y eminent men
would be respected 10y the house an'
could be accepted with assurance tia
something Ike justice was being done
The house Of commons, am told, use'
10 follow the method now In yogu
with us In settling election contests
but recently commission. something
OF the character ! have suggested, Ia
been authorized. and | am told tina
Il works very satisfactorily
Deaths of Representatives.
The death Of Representative Har
mer, father Of the house. remove
from that body the last Of the "bii
four" who for so many years repre-
scented Philadelphia in the lowe
branch OF congress. The four Phila
delphla members who served year aft
n year were Samuel Randall, Judg
w. d. Kelley, Charles O'Neill and MI
Harmer. Two Of Mr.. IIarmer's col
leagues were the fathers Of tn
house" when they died, these bein
Judge Kelley and Mr.. O'Neill. JudS
Kelley was elected to 10 congresses
serving % years. Mr.. O'Neilrs recou
was the same. while SIR. Randall wa
elected to II and served - years. MI
Harmer's record was the same as MI
Randalrs. This makes the third dealt
this session, these being Representa-
tive ChickerIng of New York ant
Messrs. Eppes of Virginia and HarmeI
Since the Flfty-slxth congress wa
elected in November, 1898, there hav
been ten deaths.
. "Out Of Sight"
They are still telling in certain cir
Gle here In town Of the sayings AT
doIngs Of a gentleman from Vlenn
who spent part of January here. Iii
English was quantity correct, and h
prided himself particularly on bein
able to use slang. The expression
"Out Of sight" pleased him immense
", and after learning IT he took til
first opportunity possible Of using Il
, The opportunity came one day whe
he was invited out to dinner. AS j
entered the drawing room the hostes
greeted him and asked him how b
was feeling. The gentleman fror
Vienna looked about to see that every
body was listening, and then he sal
proudly:
"Ah, madam, feel so you can't Sc
me at air.
Mr.. Cochran of Missouri had bee
bothering Boutell Of Illinois with que'
lions, and Boutell grew tired. FINAL
he remarked that Cochran reminde