Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-01-26
lMPRE SSIONS
The National Capitol as Seen
Through Northern Eyes.


continually revolves here
in the nations capitol and the pictures
oftenest presented are political or social,
many times the latter Commercialism
is practically an unknown force here
and those who cater to the three-hundred
thousand and more population are
largely aliens. Its city of politics,
society and titles. Generals, Colonels
and Counts are as common as colonies in
Vermont and while the ever changing
is always alert to be presented
to every newly arrived dignitary the
actual NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and repre-
sentatives-find little time to hobnob
with aristocracy.
Red tape is rampant, prevailing
throughout every department of the
government. Notwithstanding all this
if you have friend at court rest assured
that everything will come your way.
The chief topic of conversation is politics,
what will Senator So-and-So say to
the gentleman from New York or who
will defend the Presidents policy on this
or that question. The barber who shaves
you (and by the way he gives you very
ordinary shave knows all about the
House minority leaders plans for the
coming week and he can tell you who is
to deliver the oratorical bouquets on any
particular day. The clerk in the cigar
store and the fellow who cuts your steak
in the meat shop are likewise perfectly
familiar with the routine of scheduled
events. They do not learn all this from
the press. It's an intuition with Wash
lngtonians to know what's going on.
Thousands of department clerks are
housed in the scores upon scores of board
ing houses to be found in this city and
with these government employees will
be found liberal sprinkling of men and
women otherwise employed. This mix
ing, which is more or less distasteful to
the government servants, puts in circu
lation thousand clues to what's going
on and the newspaper man that could
not write an entirely new story here
every twelve hours would be decidedly
dense.
To my readers who have never visited
this city l would say that it is truly
magnificent. 1t is a city of distances,
beautiful parks, the finest streets to be
found in America, and as for residences
they range from the lovely cabin of the
"cullud" gentlemen on the outskirts to
the mansions of millionaires, the latter
occupying the most prominent sites to be
found in the city. There is no hurry in
Washington. The eight hour day is in
vogue in the departments of the govern
ment and as the only business to be
transacted is that of unrolling and re-
rolling the gigantic reel of official tape
there is ample time to linger over ones
rolls and coffee longer than though they
were part of the whirling industrial
life of New York city, Chicago, Boston
or any of a dozen and one other in
dustrial centers
Actions and wearing apparel are
decidedly deceitful here for many a
woman gowned in a jacket built by Red
fern is struggling department clerk at
5000 per annum while the man with a
ophat cane Prince Albert coat and laven-
der spuds has the problem of his life before
him to put up front on $1,000 per year.
He is likewise one of the cogs in Uncle
Sans official wheel. have always had
hankering for a LOB" in Washington.
have gotten over it. The uncertainty
about ones occupation here would drive
me to acts unbecoming gentleman. 1t
is not unfair to say that Washington is
more or less political graveyard. 1t
contains an array of individuals whose
political ambitions have long since
persisted on the rocks of fate and their
destiny is being fulfilled daily at $1,000
per annum at a clerks desk in a depart
ment. Many a sad-eyed little widow
with her raiment of mourning drawn
about her as she goes to her daily work
at clerks desk wishes that things
might have been different and that her
dead partner had sought other lines of
employment than that of assisting in
the winding and re-winding of the reel
of official tape.
Already | have met a score of Yer.
mont people and many that Register
readers will be glad to learn about How
ever I'll tell you more about this wonder
full city of politics and especially about
some of its politicians next week. No
need of an overcoat here. Pansies are in
bloom as are also soft naples. SHAW