The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-05
IN THE CAPITAL CITY
Bruce Keenan, Writes Interest
ingly of Washington, D. c.
TELLS OF INTENSE HEAT
5000 Clerks Employed in the
Census Department.

To the Eagle Bruce keenan, Of this
city, who is in the census department at
/ Washington, writes entertainingly Of the
work now in progress there as well as
His letter reads:
Don't let any one deceive you about
Washington climate. The most deceiv-
ing thing about Washington climate is
the thermometer. 1 would advise any
man who expects to get any comfort out
OF the summer weather in this climate
to get a thermometer and hang 1t in per-
petual view. If anything will deceive him
as to the actual condition it is the Their
mometer. When he reads temperature
81 degrees he is startled, reads again
with the same result If anything will
make him feel comfortable it Is 10 know
that he is in an atmosphere IL degrees
below blood heat. But remember the
thermometer is the greatest liar IN
Washington since congress is on vaca-
ton. 1t does not express the truth, the
whole truth If ever you went into
wood in the low land when the air was
damp and just before rain and feel the
sense Of that abominable closeness: you
sweat abundantly and exert yourself with
excessive difficulty. The air is "murky,'
sticky close and Oppressive"
condition the thermometer does not tell
about.
The atmosphere under such conditions
is copious in hydrogen, which we do not
need, and poor in oxygen, which We do
need. We ask for bread and get a stone,
for oxygen and get hydrogen. This is the
condition of Washington. II lies almost
on the level of the ocean. It's lowest
level marks the limit of high tide. The
atmosphere from oeeanward is humid and
oppressive. Add to this the natural heat
of this latitude the expaflse of asphalt
pavement which is an absprbant of heat,
and you will not wonder that Washing
ton is place not TO be in during the
summer months You will not be sur
prised that the people occupy their front
door steps until an unseemly hour dread
ing to go to bed upon which they viii
have feeling Of oppressiveness rather
than restful slumber. Kansas is sum-
NOR resort compared with Washington;
and it illustrates the difference between
a dry air and humid one.
Not many people are unemployed in
Washington. so far as appearances go,
unless you include the boarding house
keepers. They are working on half time
since congress went away. The complaint
of falling off in population hy the
homegoing Of congress seems rather fan
ciful than real. The total congressman
clerks who have left the city Would hard
ly exceed the number of census clerks
employed since April the first. a number
not far from 2,5eo. Notwithstanding the
boarding house keepers and the hotel
keepers are heroically kicking on their
lack Of prosperity. If Mr.. Bryan should
want good. positive evidence that pros
perity has not arrived in the United
States, l should recommend to him TO-
600 boarding house keepers in Washing
ton, D. c.. To make a list he could re-
sort to a city directory and cross off the
government employees and class every
body else as a boarding house keeper.
unless specially set down as having some
other gainful occupation. Their evil
dence should be taken prior to September
as matter of fact, and may be relied
upon to be adverse to the idea that the
nation IS prosperous. After September
the tune may be relied upon to change.
1t is asserted by some that the list OF
occupations, people classed as manufact-
unng. includes about 1900 employees IN
Washington. What OF it? If this be
true. it would not justify a city of more
than 5000 souls, which the population is
six times that number This is a large
city; a beautiful city 1t has art, and
letters. and refinement and good schools, |
and theatres. 1t is the capital of the
greatest nation on earth and its public |
buildings and the city itself becomes the |
distinguished honors II wears. Yet It is |
a city where people live and are engaged !
in matters OF state, employed in the de- |
partments, and are patrons OF boarding |
houses 10 the extent exceeding that of any |
other city OF its size in this nation. II |
the capital had not been located here,
Wa shfnston had not been; If the capital |
were 10 be taken away Washington would |
cease to be-a contingency unlikely ever |
TO- happen. It would be an ideal condi- |
ton II .bs capital were located near the |
center OF the country. somew here to the |
west OF the Mississippi. There il would |
be more easily accessible for all the peo- |
pie, but that will never happen. Imagine !
the location OF the capital Of the United |
States IN Kansas, for instance. and think /
what a real estate boom it would make. |
Wizards hotel at enc time the finest !
hotel IN this city, and around which. in 1
times past. cluster politics and historic /
interest has long since been surpassed
by such hotels as the Shoreham in La
Nor Asndie. Its old fashioned low mas
siveness "a 10 give away TO moderniza-
ton wilards viii disappear. II viii
be rebuilt. II may be so in name out
not so N fact. When one recalls the
hotels in the vicinity OF the willard |
Shoreham Sorman6ie Cochran. Riggs.
Ebbitt. Arlington. Regent National
and 81. James. and then re-
fleets that the new willard is 20 De the
greatest Of them all he has q new evi-
ience OF the propositions Of the hotel in
dustry IL Washington
The mos important new industry IN !
Washington Is she census bureau There
are now employed nearly 400 persons
N the census Office IN all the depart
meats. On the wall Of the main entrance
IS = no;ice stating that positively no
more appointments vii - made except
from those On 4he eligible list TIE eli
zi5ie Est contains sone 1.sr9 persons who
azvs passed Ire exzT1si ration ard have
only a chsnce % . possible s7poiatraE r.
n the temporary roll Not one n rsa
z these viii likely go appointed even
% the temporary roll No spPo.nt1en-s
have been made except CT sxaniaafsoz.
below TIE assistant director. save con-
ION lahorers- There has 5een 70 EsviA-
ion FROM tsis n ere -srxe k1-ra IN