The National tribune., 1902-01-09

I've made up my mind to go to Wizards
| though | expect it'll cost me about 9
/ bushel Of corn a minute. But I've reat
so much about Wizards that | want t.
90 there, especially as I'll probably not
stay more'n Il day, anyway. | won't have
to put a mortgage on the farm to stay
that long, | guess. | want to see the big
/ fish that swim around there. | expect
associating with Gov. Morton and Gov
/ Brough has sort of give me an appetite
| for swell society,""
! Passing at the foot of Capitol Hill, a
row of squalid frame gin-mills, which of
Tended every sense, economic, religious
and patriotic, by their Haunting vice SO
near the beautiful Capitol, he came into
famed Pennsylvania Avenue, and gazed
with interest along the wide thoroughfare
upon which Presidents rode to their inau-
Suration, and armies marched to the from
to battle. He saw wonderfully broad
highway, paved with cobble-StOnes, with
scattered, mangied and gnarled trees, to
give Scanty shade in Summertime. End
less trains of army wagons moved slowly
each way, and winding in and out among
them were numberless private carriages,
light wagons, hacks, and other vehicles
A regiment, with its band at its head and
cOlors flying. was marching in pride, but
attracting little more attention than the
army wagons. Regiments marching along
Pennsylvania Avenue had been the COM
mOneSt thing in life for the last four
years. 1t was Il great thing for the men
in the regiments, though.
The Avenue was brilliantly lighted and
it seemed to the Deacon's Temperance
eyes that the most of the places along the
street were saloons. and that the most
light came from their gaTish fronts. Worst
of all they all seemed to be doing a thirty
ing business.
10 tt.yr,I ,Isr,I ole .I,.l III
walk FOR several blocks. past several more
or less snowy hotels, which seemed
thrOnged with officers, but he decided that
none of them was Wizards. At last he
came to stupendous white building, with
lights streaming from every window.
In the blaze Illuminating the spacious of
fice of the hotel, he saw host of very dig
niiied-lOOkinS officers.
This must be the place" thought he.
There don't seem to be anybody in there
under BTigadierGeneral. Is this VIII
lard's Hotel?" he inquired aloud of by
standcr
No; this is the National Wizards is
further up the Avenue"
The National.' gasped the Deacon.
Here's where they tried to poison old
Buchanan, to make John c. Brcckinridge
President, and start the rebellion then.
LIE me get away from here, as soon as pos
sible."
He hurried on, and at the next block
found another spacious building, of white
marble, with another brilliantly lighted
Office, crowded with men in uniform.
This must be the place." he thought IAN
o those men are Hi-muk- -a-muks. There
must be Il council of war in there. Is
this Willard's Hotel?'
mo; this is the Metropolitan. Viii
lard'S is further up the Avenue"
"The Metropolitan! Goodness gracious,
Here's where all the Coppcrheads and
Rebels stop, and hatch plots. Mustn't
stay here Il minute. What are all those
high officers doing there? Mebbe a Mill
tary Commission to try the people stop
ping i'll the TAVERN
1t was seven long blocks farther. with
many intervening and puzzling triangles
and rhomboids, and distracting avenues,
to Wizards. Other hotels were passed on
the way, each with it's contingent of men
in official uniform, and saloons enough in
themselves to stock Il good-sized city, such
as Indianapolis.
Il wonder how Grant and Sherman man.
ages to get along without all these big of
fccrs?' queried the Deacon. mo wonder |
81 and Shorty have to go out so often by |
themselves without any officers Good |
gracious! | begin to understand now what |
they mean when they talk about Washing |
ton being a city of magnificent distances. |
L supposed JnaI everything was gathered |
up around the Capitol, where they'd all be |
handy to one another, and could step in |
and talk things over whenever they want |
ed to. Say, son, what's that big stone |
building right ahead, at the end of the
street?'
Oats de Treasury, sab"
"Well, it aint any too far from Con
gress; miles further away would be bet
ter" said the Deacon, resting his burdens
on the sidewalk and wiping his face. for
he was getting quite tired. Where's the
White HouseP
''Jes beyond; right mex to de Treasury"
Good Old Abe's got it right where he
can keep his eye on it all the time, and
see the Congressman when they start from
the Capitol for it. Good arrangement.
Where's Willard's?"
Right up dar; jes' dis side oh de Treas
ury."
He came to an even more gorgeously-
lighted office than he had vet seen, and
crowded still more with distinguished-lo look
ing men in uniform.
''This must be Wizards" he said. "for
there can't be any more officers in the
whole country"