The National tribune., 1903-02-26

IN IS0l.
the most elegant costumes, the most glar-
ing colors, the broadcast crinolines, rustiing
in silks and most closely initiating the
white ladies and gcntlemeh."
washington City" is the title of an
Monthly for January, 1861, by G. W.
Bagby. The following extract taken from
that paper seems indeed curious at the
present time and almost incredible:
Planned on 4 scale of surprising gran
deur, its architectural execution is almost
contemplate. = 1t is a city without
commerce and without manufactures. 3
- The site Of the U. S. Treasury, it is
the home Of everything but arfiuence. Its
public buildings are splendid, its private
buildings generally sQualid. The houses
are low. tie rents Eiea The streets are
broad, the crossings narrow. The hacks
are black and the horses are white; the
squares are triangular, except that of the
Capitol, which IS oval; ard the water is
so soft that it is Lard to drink it even
With the admiXture of alcohol. 1t has a
monument that will never be finished, a
Capitol that is to have dome, a scientific
institute which does nothing but report the
rise and fall of the thermometer; and two
pieces of equestrian statuary which it
would be waste of time to criticise.
1T boasts streamlet dignifed with
the name of the river Tiber, and this
streamlet is of the size and much the ap-
pearance of a vein in a dirty mans arm.
1t has n canal, but this canal is a mud
puddle during one half Of the day and an
empty ditch during the other. - At
ter fortnight of steady rain, the sun
shines out and in half an hour the streets
are filled with clouds of dust. .
The men are fine looking, the women
homely. 80 Notwithstanding all
these impediments and disadvantages,
Washington is progressing rapidly. 1t is
fast becoming a large city, but it must
always remain a deserted village in the
Summer. Its destiny is that of the
Union"
EARLY WAR DAYS IN THE NATIONS CAP.
ITAL.
Capt. Thomas NJ. Woodruff, who served
during the civil war in the 9th Inf, writes
pleasantly on early War Days in the
Nations Capital for the War Papers of
the Minnesota COmmandry of the Loyal
Legion. He was in the Capital at the
beginning of the civil war, and describes
the public buildings in the following
words:
;, "These buildings were not what you see
them now, nor was the city such as it is
at present. The dome of the Capitol had
only reached to the second tier of columns,
and the House and Senate wings were
quite incomplete. The north front and in
ner court of the Patent Office were in
course of construction; the Post-0ffice was
only about one-third completed; only the
east front of the Treasury building ex-
isted. The State Department stood upon
ground to which has been extended the
north wing of the Treasury. The War
ana Navy Departments we've old three
story brick buildings, on ground where
now stands the beautiful granite pile COM
prising the offices for the State and the
Two last-named Departments. The Wash
ihgton Monument had, by the voluntary
contributions of a grateful people, reached
10 one-thlrd OF its proposed hight, and had
practically come to a srandstill-which
now is apparent by the sharp line where
the cleaner marble shows a renewal of
the work by means of Congressional an
preparations. PENNSYLVANIA avenue and
about one mile of Seventh street were
practically the only paved streets. and for
these cobblestones were used, from be-
tween which, for half of the year, there
was tile ooze of some of slayedom's
nastiest slime, that during the rest of the
year became palpable dust, typical of
the dark cloud that had settled over the
southern States, that just needed the
emancipation Proclamation to clear AWAY
and let in the wholesome sunlight of free
DOM" W.
WASHINGTON AS A CAMP.
Our last quotations are from the pen of
theodore Winthrop, that gifted young au-
thor whose Cecil Dreeme" gave such
promise OF genius that his death by bull
let at Big Bethel was greatly deplored
Doth in this country and abroad. At the
request of James Russell Lowell, then ed
itor OF the Atlantic Monthly, he wrote two
articles for that magazine, and from his
washington as a Camp" that appeared
IN July. 1861, few days after his death.
tie following extracts are taken:
We marched up the hill, and when
the dust opened there was our Big Tent
ready pitched. 1t was an enormous tent.
the Sibley pattern modified. A simple soui
in our ranks looked up and said, "Tent:
Canvas! don't see it. That's marble"
Mhereupon a simpler soul informed us,
Boys, that's the Capitol" And SO 1t
was the Capitol, as glad to see the New
YORK 9TH Regiment as they to see it. The
Capitol was to be our quarters, and I
was pleased to notice that the top of the
dome had been left off for ventilation. The
18th had had a wearis0me and anxious
progress from New York. We Ind
marched from Annapolis. sss They
gave US the Representatives Chamber for
quarters. . = = Some of our companies
We're marched up stairs into the galleries.
The sofas were to be their beds.
Most of US were bestowed In tfo nmphith-
eater. Each desk received its man. He
was fO SprifhIa nm n hv dov o,rA .ln..