St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-05-06
WASHINGTON LETTER
ESPECIAL correspondence

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washington has heretofore Deen
known as the city of magnificent dis
tances. monuments and statues" salc
Senator Blackburn the other day.
"Henceforth, l predict, it will be known
as the city of apartment houses
They are going up on every hand. The
number reminds me of a crop of spring
| flowers.
"In many respects like these apart
ment houses. They do good in causing
the destruction of old buildings and
the erection in their places OF some
thing more modern and attractive,
which will produce more taxes ana
help take better care Of the city, and,
then. too, they will draw the attention
of a large number of people to the fact
that they can obtain living quarters at
the national capital at moderate rate,
which they can afford to rent in winter
and close up in summer
Apartment houses are not good
places for children, and | am sure
those who are in favor, as President
Roosevelt is, Of large families will con-
tinue to occupy old fashioned Amer
lean homes The people of Kentucky
are, of course, accustomed to large lots
and low structures.
81 think Washinton has taken 60
ing start, and its progress in the next
ten years will astonish the old citizens
and crafty the most enterprising of
the new generation which has taken up
improvements. OF course l am friend
of this city and have never hesitated
by my hand or vote to advance its in
terests. The people Of my state are
proud of the national capital and will
never object to any Improvements
which will add to the attractions of the
city. Here Americans can get more
object lessons to inspire patriotism
than in any other place on EARTH
Rather Ride With the Crowd.
Postmaster General Payne refuses to
patronize his own private elevator,
built to enable him to get in and out
of his office without being waylaid by
the waiting public. He shakes his
head when the idea is suggested to
him. The private cage" runs only
from the fifth floor at corner to the
second, where, because the city post
office has the floor below, the passen-
gers have to get out and walk half the
length of the building and take the
stairway to the ground floor. Mr..
Payne does not like this arrangement
and never has ridden in his own ele-
vator in the recollection of his en-
ployees. Meanwhile the elevator, a
handsome affair and one of the pet
ideas of those who designed the pres
ent post office building, languishes in
oblivion, almost forgotten. The only
patrons are several officials of the bu-
reau of salaries and allowances,
through whose rooms the shaft passes,
and Stephenson, its conductor, only
wakes from his lethargy at the sound
of four rings of the elevator bell, the
official signal that has right of way
over all others in the public convey
ances of the building.
Too Many immigrants.
Commissioner General of Immigra-
ton Sargent has completed a COMPARE
son of the number of immigrants that
arrived in this country during the
months of March last year and this
year. The figures are absolutely star
ting. Mr.. Sargent is not very much
pleased with the character of the lar
ger portion Of the immigrants, as the
greater number still come from coun-
tries that furnish the undesirable
classes.
From European countries in March,
1902, the immigrants numbered 1858,
while in the same month in 1903 they
numbered SS,S27, or an increase of 49,
294. The total number of immigrants
from all countries was 91,666 as COM
pared with 77,4SS in March, 1902. or
the enormous increase of II, 17S for the
month.
Valuable Picture Torn.
1t has been learned that one of the
results of the restoration" of the
White House, as the recent remodeling
of the executive mansion is called. has
been damage, possibly irreparable, to
handsome portrait of Mrs. BENJAMIN
Harrison. The paint has been scratch
ed and in some places knocked off, and
hole three inches long has been
knocked in the canvas.