Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1901 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

When the next Congress convene* It will find itself in a scene of regal magnificence, well worthy of the imperial reign on which we have entered. The oak desks and cane-seated chairs, so characteristic of democratic simplicity, will have given place to mahogany furnishings and heavy leather chairs, the ceilings will be richly and newly frescoed by the lending artists of the day. Nor will the refurnishing be confined to the chamber itself. The committee-rooms will be fitted up in a style not excelled in the handsomest private residences. The rugs, curtains, portieres, tables, desks and chairs will be of the finest' and most expensive quality. The rooms will be fitted with great plate-glass mirrors and frescoed in the best art. Most of the rooms already have mirrors and are handsomely frescoed, but this will be as nothing to what they will be with costly rugs, lounges, curtains and mahogany furniture. Live stock receipts 'at the five principal markets of Chicago, Kansas City,' Omaha, St. Louis, and St. Joseph during 1901 show remarkable gains over last year, both as regards April and the four months ending with April, the official re ceipts of cattle, hogs and sheep in the four mouths just ended showing an increase of 359,417 head, as compared with the corresponding four months of 1900. The rise in the price of corn is pointed out as being largely responsible for this increased movement of live stock to market, it having become more profitable to sell com at 25 per cent above last year's price than to keep the stock on such high-priced feed. The receipts of spring and winter wheat at the eight markets of Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Duluth, Kansas City, St. Louis, Detroit, and Toledo for the harvest year to April 30 were 10,840,722 bushels more than a year ago, a gain of approximately 0 per cent. The rapid disintegration of the Philippine insurrection is shown by statistics given out by the War Department. The compilation of reports covers the period up to April 17, 1901. Up to Jan. 1. 1901, the total number of insurgents captured or surrendered was 21,497, together with 5,048 rifles, 56 field pieces, something over 3,000 shells and balls, 573,860 rounds of ammunition, aad 19 tons of powder. From Jan. 1 to April 17 the number of captures include 247 officers, 2,459 men? the number surrendered whs 820 officers. 6,492 men; making a total of 1,067 officers, 8,951 men; or a grand total up to that date of 31.415 insurgents captured and surrendered. To this is to be added 1.998 rifles captured, 4,300 surrendered, a total of 6,298; 45,000 rounds of ammunition, 408 bolos, and 24 pieces of cannon. Seenator Allison says he is too old to run for President in 1904. He declines with thanks the nomination which some East-

ern newspapers have tried to thrust upon him since he came to Washington a few days ago. The lowa Senator was much pleased to receive from Governor Shaw a telegram urging to become lowa's favorite son. hut he says he has no intention of complying. “Why, I shall be 75 when the convention of 1904 meets,” *aid

Mr. Allison, ‘’and you could not convince our people that a man of 75 is not old. Some one else will have to pose as Itywa’s favorite son, for I will not. I am serious. I mean what I say." It is not likely the United States Consulship at Pretoria will go begging, notwithstanding thefa< t that Secretary Hay's son, Adelbert Hay, came back to this country almost impoverished after a tour of duty in that place. He said it was impossible to live in Pretoria as the United States Consul on the salary of $2,000, and it was said he had spent In a single year in a legitimate way In maintaining the dignity of the country more money than his father receives as Secretary of State. There are several candidates for the place, however, and each is willing to go to South Africa for the $2,000 allowed by the government. They are perfectly willing to try to live on that stipend and maintain the dignity of their government without waiting for an increase of salary by Congress. —-:- t Serious embarrassment has been caused the Navy Department by the strikes of machinists all over the country. At the Union Iron Works in San Francingo only 300 of the 5,000 employes are at work on the government vessels under construction at those yards. These will be delayed in completion in consequence of the trouble with the workmen. At Newport News the workmen have left the government jobs, ami there consequently will l>e further delay in the completion of the battleship Missouri, which already has been delayed to the extent of costing the contractors a penalty of near’v $500,000. The regular troops now in Cuba, some 5,000 in strength, will not be recalled from the island probably until the situation is actually settled. The War Department does not propose to withdraw the troops until the necessity of their presence on the island is certainly past. It is possible that the United States Government will retain n military station on the island, but no information on this point is vouchsafed by the War Department people. Ten dollars for food for th* office cat is perhaps the most curious allowance ever made by a Postmaster General. An kem of this kind was sanctioned the other day by Postmaster General Smith. The food is for the office* cat of the poetoffice at St. Paul, Minn. That office is an ancient affair, and is so densely populated with rodents*that it is necessary to keep * cat in the office for the purpose of <re<-reasing the number of rata. This is one of the few instance on record where a eat has been placed upon Ao payrolls of Uncle Bam.

SENATOR ALLISON.