Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1904 — WASHINGTON LETTER [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER

[Special Correspondence. 1 The board of education of the District of Columbia has decided on a departure In the treatment of the grounds around the public school buildings of the District and has enlisted the aid of Building Inspector Ashford to carry out his ideas. Wherever the extent of the grounds around a building will permit it is proposed to beautify them with shrubbery'and flowers and ornamental walks, and in the case of some of the larger sites spaces will be set aside for gardens for the pupils, where gardening and botany may be taught at the same time that the grounds are beautified. Mr. Loeb and Carrie Nation. Several months ago Carrie Nation, the hatchet wielder.from Kansas, came to Washington and created a scene at the White House, raving in the office of Secretary Loeb like a mad woman. She said she had been told that the president smoked cigarettes on the steps of the capitol at Topeka, Kan., and that he drank whisky while on his way through that state in his private train. She wanted to know whether this was true, but before she could ask the question or get an answer she had become excited, made many threats and had been led out of Secretary Loeb’s office to the fresh air.

Punched the President’* Picture. Secretary Loeb did not have an opportunity to get even with Carrie Nation until a few days ago, when he received a letter from Miss Lucy Page Gaston of Chicago, saying that Carrie Nation hnd walked into the quarters of the A nticigarette league there and punched a hole in the picture of I'resideut Roosevelt with her umbrella. When Miss Gaston remonstrated with her she declared that the president chewed and smoked tobacco and was “no good anyway.” Miss Gaston disputed this point, and when Carrie Nation said she would pay the league SSO if it could be shown that the president did not use tobacco Miss Gaston wrote Mr. Loeb and” asked him to help her make SSO. He promptly wrote her a note saying thut the president never used tobacco in any form in his life. Mr. Loeb is waiting to see whether Carrie Nation pays the SSO. Special Work For Mr. Robb. By direction of the president, Assistant Attorney General Robb will have as his special work for perhaps a year to come the completion of his review of the investigation bf the several divisions of the postoffice department, upon which he bus been engaged for some time. Included In this are the final work orj the New York office, the Chicago office, the charges against Postmaster Merritt of Washington and those against Edwin C. Madden, third assistant postmaster generaL Details of these charges are not procurable, but they generally allege carelessness in administration of the public work, and, in some instances, are specific accusations against officials connected with the offices to which reference bus been made.

Last Arctic Expedition. Secretary Hitchcock has brought to the attention of the government of Alaska the fact that a reward of 5,000 rubles lias been offered for Information leading to the finding of the Baron Toll’s arctic expedition. It is considered probable thut the expedition may have stranded In Alaskan waters, and the governor of the territory is requested to give wide publicity to the reward. Changes In the House Restaurant. The members of the house decided during the last session that there should be a change in the manner and method of conducting the house restaurant, and during the summer a number of change's will be made. A new feature, which is expected to prove eminently satisfactory, will le the construction of a number of private dining rooms. It Is realized that parties of members are oftentimes anxious to discuss private matters while at luncheon. This privilege they have been denied so far by the public character of the restaurant. ■ Wanted a Beneficial Lea. Jonas Grist called at the White House a few days ago to make a request of the president and was placed under arrest as an alleged crank. His home is In Perryville, Md. lie said his brother had trouble with one of his legs, and he (Jonas) wanted the president to give him a permit to take up a collection. “I want to get him a beneficial leg,* he said, “and I thought the president would give me permission to take up the collection.” “Don’t you mean an artificial leg?” Jonas was asked. “I certainly don’t,” was his response. “I mean a beneficial leg.” The Agricultural Year Book. The year book of the department of agriculture will be Issued early In June. It will comprise an edition of 500.000 copies, of which 470,000 are reserved for the use of senators, representatives and delegates In congress, and the remainder is reserved for those connected with the work of the department. The Washington Monument. Colonel Symouds, the officer in charge of the Washington monument, has reported that the shaft was not damaged by the lightning bolt which struck It recently. The bolt entered the top of the shaft, burned out the telephone there, passed down the iron framework in the elevator shaft to the lower floor, through the shaft alley to the motor room, where it burned out a relay coil on the switchboard, and then passed along the electric cable to the engine room, in the boiler house, where it entered the ground. The boiler house to several hundred feet distant from the monument CARL SCHOFIELD.