Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1895 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

Statistics received at the Indian Bureau show that gaged in farming, stock-raising and other civilized pursuits. During the year they raised over 1,373,000 bushels of corn, and other grain and vegetables in proportion. They own 200,000 head - of cattle and 1,284,000 sheep. About 22,000 Indians voted at the last election. It is estimated that 30,000 out of the total Indian population of 247,000 are church members. Out of the 247,000,189,000 are self-supporting and 35,000 pay taxes. There has been received at the navy department a sample of steel, three-fourths of an inch in thickness, which had been pierced by a rifle bullet of a caliber less than that of the present army rifle, or about The sample is interesting in that it shows the -torpedo-boats may be rendered useless by good shots from such rifles. The distance from which the steel sample was pierced was about two hundred feet. A torpedo-boat armor, her boiler and explosives, might easily be pierced at this distance, or before she could make her projectile dangerous to a ship. The bullet was of steel and pointed. It made a remarkably clean hole in the steel. Secretary Morton has issued a special order regulating the importation of sheep and lambs from Canada for immediate slaughter. These will be admitted into the United States hereafter when accompanied by certificates having the following new and more liberal provisions: “A certificate from the official'veterinary inspector of the port of export or district in which the animals were raised or fed, stating that no contagious disease affecting sheep has existed there during the last three months. An affidavit from the owner or importer that such animals are from the district covered by the certificate; that they were not elsewhere during a period of three months preceding shipment, atffi that when not driven they have been shipped direct to the port of import in clean or disinfected cars.” The Navy Department has determined to give */ie cruiser Atlanta a thorough overhauling next winter if Congress can lie induced to appropriate the necessary funds. It will cost about S3OO,(XX) to do this, but if the plans in contemplation are carried out the Sid Atlanta will be practically n new ship when she emerges from the hands of the workmen. She will be given new boilers, perhaps some of them of the tubular type, new triple expansion engines, and with twin screws instead of the single screw she now carries. The result will be to make the vessel a sixteen-knot ship where she is now capable of only thirteen, tminerense her horse-power from 3,000 to 5,000, and in addition to iucrease her cold capacity by at least 100 tons. The changes will not stop here, however, for the present bat-V tery will give way to rapid-fire guus of the

most modern type, making the Atlanta as good a fighting ship as any of her size in the navy, . .