Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1902 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

Comparatively few Senators have established homes of a permanent nature In Washington. Not of them maintain a housekeeping establishment. Of the eighty-eight Senators now holding seats in Congress thirty-three live in hotels and ten live in apartment houses. The popularity of hotels and apartment houses as abodes for Senators is enhanced for several reason? peculiar to the lives of public men. A house carries with it social responsibilities which are not always easy to avoid, however agreeable it might be for the Senator to rid himself of them. But a life in a hotel does not mean that the Senator Is taking but a small part in social affairs. Some of those whose entertainments are the most lavish patronize hotels, especially since during the last few years all the large houses have made extensive improvements, in which the idea of lavish entertainment on the part of guests has been a prominent factor. The Fostoffice Department has under consideration the question of placing on one of the postage stamps of the new

issue the head of some woman who is connected with the history of the country. No pari ticular person has ' been decided upon, altuuugh there is no doubt that Mart h a Washington will be the woman so honored. This will be the first recognition of worn-

an upon any of the government securities issued by that department. Nothing more beautifully illustrates the small thrift of foreigners than'the mails. While we write for transmission abroad over 73,000,000 letters a year we receive only 59,000,000. While ?£ unpaid and short-paid letters we send 1,369,752, the foreigners afflict us with 2,165,552, on which we are obliged to pay postage. While we send abroad 49,157 postal cards with paid reply they send us only 27,713. We write more single cards than they do, beating them nearly three-quarters of a million in a total of 7,800,000. In short postage they impose on us annually to the sum of about $300,000. For sending and receiving this mail our government pays $2,250,000 a year. The postal receipts for March, as compared with March of last year, for the fifty largest postoffices in the country, show a net increase of 10 per cent. The total receipts of the fifty offices were $5,267,666. The largest increase was 37 per cent, at Denver, with Dayton, Ohio, second, with 30 per cent. Fire offices reported decreases in receipts, viz.: Indianapolis. 28 per cent; Ixmisville, 18; St. Joseph, Mo., 13; Albany, N. Y.. 10, and Lowell, Mass, 4. The figures for the two largest offices showed receipts of $1,103,216, an increase of 11 per cent for New York, and receipts of $8.89.750, an increase of 5 per eent for Chicago. The government blue book, just from the -press, gives the names of all employes, their place of nativity, from where appointed, place of employment, and rate of compensation. The book shows there are more than 2,700 Smiths on the payrolls of the government, not counting, perhaps, half as many more who are drawing pensions. Of these Smiths something over 400 go through life as plain John Smith. The Jones family is a close second, with 1,800. while Brown and Johnson are neck and neck for third place, not missing the 1.000 mark far. It is not generally known that the Agricultural Department has learned te forecast the plagues of forthcoming seasons. From certain signs discovered by its agents in Western States the chief entomologist has concluded that the coming summer will be marked by an unusual injury from grasshoppers. The department is thus enabled to warn the agriculturists in the infected region and prevent a large portion of the injury the insect* would otherwise cause. Senator Pettus solemnly arose the other day as if to address the Senate. His tall and venerable form towered above hu colleagues. The Senate became silent, waiting for the words of •wisdom which would fall from his lipa. With every eye upon him Mr. Pettus reached around into the tail pocket of his long frock coat and drew forth a plug of tobacco. Then he took a chew and sat down without saying a word, Everybody smiled. In accordance with an order issued by the War Department all the old gold lace epaulets, straps and trappings on hand at the various quartermasters’ depots throughout the country are to be sent to the Philadelphia mint, to have the gold and silver extracted. The government will be well repaid, as there is an enormous quantity on hand, and more money lies in the new course than selling to private parties, as formerly. Whitelaw Reid and the members of his special embassy to the coronation of King Edward VII. have decided to pay their expenses out of their own pockets. They have so informed the authorities here. It cost Mr. Reid $20,000 out of his private purse to keep up the dignity of an American representative at the Queen’s diamond jubilee and the forthcoming event will probably be fully as costly. Senator Hanna of Ohio is one of the most remarkable men in Congress. He is sometimes gruff in his manner and might easily give the impression that he is a hard man to enter into conversation with. While he Is one of the busiest men in the world, he always finds time to listen to persons who beg his ear. Senator Hnnna has one peculiarity that stands pre-eminent. He never eats alone. If he is not with some one he invariably enters into conversation with the waiter or some one nt another table. He is a lover of good things.

KARTHA WASHINGTON