Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1906 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Mltlcal and General Gossip of the National Capital. Vrom our Special Correspondent: The nationnl government for once acted swiftly and effectively when the enormous extent of the disaster at San Francisco beeame apparent. It is a satisfaction to be able to record that the bill appropriating $1,000,000 for the relief of the fire and earthquake sufferers was passed in record time without a word of debate. In less than six hours from the moment it was introduced in the House it was through the House and Senate and had been signed by the Presi dent. The only addition to it was made the following day when a joint resolution was passed making it clear that the funds were to be nvailable to buy medicines as well as food. This was a wise proviso, but it appears from the news the government has received that the officers on the spot from Gen. Funston down are not likely to let the letter of the law stand in the way of relief work. They have been in the habit of notifying the department that they had taken certain measures and asking if there was anything else to be suggested. Since the first news of the disaster, the lights have not gone out in the great State, War and Navy Building. It has been like war times. Relays of telegraph operators bavobeeuon duty day and night. Secretary Taft and Secretary Bonaparte have cancelled all engagements outside of Washington to give their undivided attention to the relief work and Secretary Metcalf of the Department of Commerce and Labor has been hurried to the Pacific coast as the representative of the administration on the spot. This detail has been particularly grateful to him as theSecretaiy has a son and a sister in the doomed city and has heard nothing from them since the beginning of the trouble The War Department has ordered practically all the tents in the army to San Francisco and more necessary than tents has ordered the commissaries of all points within reach of San Franciso to buy food supplies in the open market and rush them forward. It was thought that the first train of government supplies would reach the city on Thursday night. The War Department iB sending supplies from as far as the Schuykill Arsenal and early on Friday morning two specials of the Department loaded with bedding and tents paused for a moment in Washington on its flight to the coast. The run of this special is likely to he a record breaker, for the War Department has arrauged to give it a clear track from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and it is believed that once out of Chicago the train will make the run in three days. t t t It has been a great test for the reconstructed array. Such an emergency has not arisen since the change in formation was made in l‘.K)2. But the army is standing up well to the test and the relief going forward promises to be effective and aboye all things quick. The Navy Department has ordered all available vessels on the Pacific coast to the scene of the disaster to aid in the work of rescue. The Pacific Squadron which had sailed from San Diego for target practice was caught by wireless and hurried north, two torpedo boats leading the way. The old Albatross, the big Fish Commission! steamer, was pressed into service on Sunday and all the tenders of the light house service available around that pnrt of the coast have been ordered to San Franisco as fas*, hb steam can take them. t t t The Secretary of the Treasury has done his best to meet the emergency from a financial view]K>int.- He gave orders for the transfer $10,000,(XX) from New \ork to Oakland to meet pressing needs. There i 5530,000,000 buried in the vaults of the sub Treasury at San Francisco but there is no telling how" much of it has been destroyed or how long before it will be available. However, according to a dispatch to the Director of the Mint, the Mint in San Francisco was saved and is almost the only building standing in the down town district. In this there are many millions in coin and bullion that have been saved by the plucky fight that the officials made. t t t The President has been deeply moved by the disaster and issued a brief and effective addressj to the people of the country asking for contributions and suggesting that while the help of the government would be given through the

Wnr Department that private contributions should go to the national Red Cross. This has been done so far as Washington is concerned, for there was a meeting of representative business men in Washington today and before it was over the chairman was able to telegraph Mayor Schmitz of San Francisco that SIO,OOO had leen subscribed on the spot .and that this was only a start so far as Washington was concerned in the relief work. The collection will be made systematically over the whole city and it is believed that all the other cities in the country will be glad to do the same. See Baughman & Williams for tiro insurance. Eyes examined free; latest methods; by A. G. Catt, Eyesight Specialist. Graduate refraction, ist. Permanently located in Rensselaer. Offioe upstairs in new Murray-Long Block. Of all the cakes that Granny bakes give me the grundens bread Eight men and two little boys. If 1 had the wings of a dove how swiftly I would fly, to Roberts’ Implement House and a buggy I would buy, all high class goods at Roberts.