The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-03-15

i call there some evening about dinner
line. AS Anne thinks | eat too much
anyway, she is going up there some day
while l am at work, but Ill not let her
work me that way, you can bet. She
probably thinks, too, that she can see
the old man again while am not around.
She says she didn't like his greeting,
but have lived so long on the border
of Missouri that have to be Showed"
There has been some snow and rain
and slush here lately, which has caused
me considerable trouble. My old shoes
are worn out on the sole and l have
such sore heel that can't wear new
pair. The consequences is | have to
walk to the Office on one heel and one
toe. This is very awkward mode of
progression, but as it seems to amuse
the multitude, there seems to be some
compensation. The sidewalks of Wash
ington are, for the most part, made of
brick--not the good hard flint brick of
Des Moines laid fiat instead of on edge.
These being of varying degrees of hard
ness, or rather softness, some wear, out
quicker than others, leaving holes here
and there beautifully adapted for hold
ing water. There are also miles and
miles of walks made from some kind of
artificial stone in small squares or heXa-
CONS. These being laid unevenly, or
wearing that way, make very sad the
procession of the lady with French heels
or the gent with sore heel or corns or
improving toe nails. Altogether the
horse and the automobile seem to have
much the best of it, when it comes to
walking. We see lots of people taking
to the street when they want to do any
pedestrian stunts, in preference to the
sidewalks.
Anne is still turning up her nose with
disdain at the colored servants, but as
that is all the kind Washington has, she
will have to overcome her prejudice
some or be worried all the time. She
has been having hard time finding a
washer-women to do her washing prop
erly without charging her more than l
make week. She has resorted to do
ing little light washing in our room.
Washington is great deal cleaner
than most cities of the country. The
absence of any great manufacturing
establishments and the rigid enforce
ment of; the smoke laws keep the build
ings cleaner and winter than in other
places and, by judicious turning, the
week before it gets entirely black.
When the weather is dry the streets are
kept clean, but as there is no money
available for cleaning them in case Of
snow, the people have to wait for that
greatest of snow exterminators, the
good old sun. There is also no law here
compelling residents to clean the snow
off their sidewalks, so it is case OF
wade and wet feet if one wants to &C
any place after snow, because the
people are too COMPOUNDED lazy te
, shovel snow unless they are compelled
to.
While at lunch to-day after writing
> what | did above about our building
= here was talking to one of the watch
r men. He says that there are $50 Office
S rooms, besides the store rooms, closets
S etc., that the building covers four and
r half acres of ground, has two miles ant
l half of corridor, cost $10,750,000, ant
S took sixteen years to build. Now
: Joe dosen't think that is something of
building, let me know, and I'll stretcl
/, my figures little when | write abou
s the Capitol, for l am very anxious to i'm
e press her with the magnitude of thing
S here.
\ am getting along very well with m
: work now and am enjoying life NOR
e than did in the old position. l don
e know how the new boss is standing
}! but as he hasn't yet kicked very hare
| reckon he is getting along fairly vel
e | have not yet heard whisper abou
n more money, Duu am nOU worrying al
II about that yet, for really never e,
:. pected any thing until my six months
IS probation was up.
q haven't any figures at hand, but
= seems to me that Washington must b
e, THE automobile city of the country;
r not in actual numbers, certainly in pr.
e portion to population. The expires
r. companies, breweries, wholesale house
e ETC., have great auto-trucks for the
| deliveries, and it keeps one busy dods
e ing the pleasure craft on the street
20 Anne is extremely afraid Of them sneal
% ing up behind and jumping on her, bl
is as long as she is afraid of them there
N no danger; it is when one gets past til
| scared stage and becomes careless thu
ID the danger comes in. There are prol
k ably thousand of the critters on tt
lr Streets but don't believe the who