I returned this morning from my third visit to Washington since you left. Affairs at the Capitol ground have not moved rapidly or in other respects altogether satisfactorily. I have repeated to you on another sheet the few essential points of progress and assume your interest in some minor occurrences which I shall here narrate.

On the first of my three visits, having found a man delivering manure on the lower or West Ground, I called the attention of Mr Clark to the mistake and advised what course should be followed to avoid a second handling of materials. Mr Clark, however, who left the next day for the Cape, not thinking that much could be brought on in his absence and pressed with various duties, neglected to countermand his previous orders and consequently found when he came back, early in August, that some thousand loads of soil and manure so deposited that it will have to be lifted and carried up the hill to its proper place. I have given very explicit written directions to prevent the recurrence of such unnecessary labor.

I visited Washington again on the 4th inst. Mr Clark had opened and [70] canvassed the bids for the preliminary grading, of which there were twenty or more, running from 14 to 35 cts. per cubic yard. I saw several of the lower bidders and their bondsmen but others were out of town and I returned to New York to meet an appointment, having an understanding with Mr Clark that he was if possible, to advance a plan in my absence by which the whole contract would have come into the hands of a strong and capable man by an arrangement between him and the lowest bidder. He found this, however, impracticable and concluded to let the lowest bidder go on at once with the work on his own resources. When he undertook to do so, however, he was, as it is reported, interrupted by a “mob,” who threatened to prevent work being done unless a certain rate of wages should be paid — 50% higher than that current in the district on private works. The contractor at once showed the white feather and his hands scattered. The next day, arriving early in the morning from New York and knowing nothing of all this, I walked over the ground and found about 25 second class field hands and as many boys and girls all lying on the ground near where work had been begun, a few smarter looking and rogueish men and two or three white policemen loafing about them. Pieces of paper were pinned on the trees bearing fairly well-written, ridiculous communistic war cries and an officer told me that a man whom he called an “International” had been harranging the mob — which was when I saw it as peaceful, guileless and helpless a group of people in appearance as I ever saw. Fully one third of them were fast asleep. Afterwards I heard them singing hymns. The next day the contractor tried again in a very feeble way and the police easily prevented the slightest demonstration against his going on.

I finally concluded after much talk with the four lowest of the bidders to give them each a chance, the lowest having choice of ground, and so on. Of these four, two are honest men of small means, not regular contractors but probably each representing a cooperative association of poor cart-owners. An-other has been a member of the District legislature and does not promise well but his bondsman is strong and being a dealer in horsefeed &c. he probably has some interest in giving employment to his debtors. The fourth is a regular old contractor, probably a rogue but a close calculator, a driver, an owner of lots to be filled up and of many horses now eating their heads off in idleness. I mention these things because you will see that the work cannot be done at the prices with any direct profit and the probability of failure and of constant attempts at knavery made me very reluctant to deal with these men. However I explained the business very fully to them, assured them that the contract would be broken whenever they gave us difficulty and made the terms of the contract very stringent. Mr Clark thinks the bondsmen very good and they are bound to see the laborers paid punctually. I was the more inclined to make a trial of them because some of the larger bidders very plainly hinted that it would be much better that I should not. One fellow told me that he considered himself entitled to have the contract and at double the market rate as he had fully earned half of all he could get from it in lobbying your bill through [71] last winter, and a “syndicate” of six old public work contractors called on me in a body to warn me that the work could never be completed on better terms than they would offer—viz 35 cts and pay no man less than $1.50 for eight hours’ work.

I had been expecting till last week to put an experienced park engineer in charge of the work at this time but when it came to the point of closing an engagement with my man his demands were so great that I was compelled to abandon my intention. The man now appointed, Mr Partridge, was introduced to me some time ago by and is agreeable to Mr. Clark. He is of New England training, accustomed to hard work and to nice work, a methodical, deliberate prudent man, precise and exacting. He is a resident of Capitol Hill and President of the Washington branch of the National Assoc. of C. Engineers. I had Mr. Radford (of whom I shall speak presently) on to help him in starting and shall send him a rod man, at low wages, who has had several years training in our parks. As soon as he has the work well in hand I shall have him come to New York, review our methods and see their results in the parks.

I employ Mr. Radford in the preparation of working drawings and specifications for grading, sewer, gas, water, basin, curb and gutter work. He is the best man I know for the purpose in the country. I employ Mr Thomas Wisedell in a similar way for architectural work. He was the architect under Mr Vaux of the work you chiefly noticed in the Brooklyn Park. Both work under my daily personal direction and review here and will receive their regular compensation for time employed. Mr Partridge is to be paid $150— per month, to give all desireable time to the work but not precluded from other business consistent with his duties. He intends to have nothing else of consequence.

I hope I have not overestimated your interest in these details.

I have had a correspondence with Mr Dorman B. Eaton, who makes a long series of good suggestions about improvements at Washington. I advised him that you were much more strongly and intelligently engaged with the subject than anyone else. I find here now another note from him asking your address and whether you are likely to be in Narragansett Bay or at N York this summer? He is at Narragansett Pier.

I trust that you are getting abundant rest and refreshment and that Vermont air is doing much for Mrs Morrill.