Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1905 — WASHINGTON LETTER [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER

[Special Correspondence.] The appointment of a joint military and naval board to investigate tbe advisability of including In tbe instruction of cadets at West Point and Annapolis lessons in self defense and personal encounter was decided upon at a recent meeting of the cabinet. The present war between Russia and Japan has shown that personal encounter is more likely to occur in war than has been thought. Particularly is this likely to happen at night, when many attacks in the present war have been made. The training of the Japanese in sword play and their agility came in to great advantage. Some time ago President Roosevelt called to the attention of Secretary Taft and Secretary Morton the desirability of encouraging the physical development of the cadets, and subseqnently a course of instruction in Jiu jitsu, the Japanese method of wrestling, was recommended. Big Indiana For Inaugural. The inaugural committee has appropriated $2,000 to pay the expenses of bringing to this city six of the most famous living Indians. They are to ride Indian ponies and wear their tribal robes and war paint and will be about the most gorgeous part of the parade. The Indians who are coming are Quanah Parker of the Comanches, Geronimo of the Apaches. Buckskin Charley, representing the tltes; American Horse of the Cheyennes, Hollowhorn Bear of the Sioux and Little Plume of the Blackfeet. The chiefs will be accompanied by six interpreters and attendants. They will assemble at the Carlisle Indian school and come here with the Indian school cadets. Reviewing Stand*. Preparations are being made for the erection of the stands in the Court of History, between Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets. The president’s stand, directly in front of the White House, will seat about 1,000 people, and the stand directly opposite to this and in front of Lafayette square will accommodate 5,000 people. Both pavilions will be erected by tbe inaugural committee, which will sell the seats. As four years ago, the seats will be apportioned among the guests of the president, the senate and house, the judiciary and the press.

Miner* to Parade. Two hundred miners marching in their mining clothes and torch caps will be a unique feature of the inaugural parade. A delegation of miners returning from the convention of the United Mine Workers at Indianapolis submitted the plan to the president recently, and he heartily approved it. Loeb’a Doorkeeper Reduced. Arthur Simmons, Secretary Loeb's negro doorkeeper, has been reduced to the rank of a common messenger in the interior department. The announced reason was that Simmons “had been there too long” and seemed to have forgotten how to treat people. Simmons regarded himself as Mr. Loeb’s watchdog. Before he would take a stranger’s card in he subjected him to a cross examination that was calculated to bring out every essential fact in his history. If the explanation did not suit Simmons the caller was turned down regardless of rank. He offended the German and Italian ambassadors with his insistent questions, and they were among many complainants. Simmons was appointed a doorkeeper at the White House in President Grant’s administration. William B. Dulaney, President Roosevelt’s barber, has been promoted to Simmons’ place. New Conaol General at Hankow. President Roosevelt has nominated William Martin of New York to be consul general at Hankow, China. Mr. Martin is a native of Dunkirk, N. Y. He was appointed consul at Chinklang, China, by President McKinley and was there during the Boxer troubles in 1900. In 1902 he was appointed consul at Nankin. Portraits of the Sisrnera Complete. Visitors who, strolling through the government buildings here, see portraits of occupants of each of the cabinet offices from the foundation of the government, the signers of the Declaration of Independence and other notables do not realize what a long and tedious task it was for Major Peabody, an officer of tbe state department, to make these collections. As a result of Major Peabody’s labors in bringing to completion this work the government now has likenesses of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence and all but three of the men who framed the federal constitution.

Mr. Rockhlll'a Successor. The appointment of a director of the bureau of American republics to succeed William W. Rockhll), who is to go to Peking as minister from this country, is said to lie between two men. These are William C. Fox, chief clerk and editor of the bureau, and Charles M. Pepper, the well known traveler and newspaper writer. It was thought some time ago that Mr. Pepper stood the better chance, but the chances are now said to favor Mr. Fox. The appointment will probably be delayed for some time, and this may again lead to change in the probabilities. Inasmuch as Mr. Pepper has some unusually strong backing. A Wonderful Timepiece. There is a chronometer at one end of the rear lobby of the senate belonging to the weather bureau and supervised by one of its trusted employees, Mr. Jones. So wonderful a piece of mechanism is this chronometer that it varies only aboyt eight seconds a year. Since this session of congress began it has varied less than one second. v CARL SCHOFIELD