Evening star. [volume], August 22, 1909, Page 8, Image 8

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
BUSY EVERY MINUTE
How Baggage Hustlers Handle
Your Trunks.
VACATION SEASON TAXING
There's No Confusion at All, and
Why?
IS SIMPLE WHEN YOU KNOW
System of the Classification of Bag
gage. According to Check
Numbers.
These set-away days of the summer va
cation period are busy ones In the bag
gage room of the his Union station. There
is not a time during the day or night in
this season of the year ?when there are
not several hundred trunks piled in that
extensive room underneath the huge wait,
iug rooms sexeral baggage cars fast till
ir.ir up with luggage of all kinds, and yet
more baggage being brought in trom
w agons or from the cars of incoming
trains.
There seems to be a Niagara whirlpool
of baggkge of all kinds In the huge base
ment room. A stream of trunks of all
sizes and shapes is flowing in from wag
ons and added to the sea of others in
the middle of the whirlpool; still more
pieces of luggage from trains that are ar
; iving every few minutes increases the
volume. Every few seconds a. trunk or
two is pulled out of the center, goes hum
ming along the outskirts of the mass and
tinallv disappears. With all this whirling
of trunks, the pool itself seems to re
main the same in size.
Yet it is not a whirlpool or an eddy of
trunks, for there is a system in the move
ment of each piece by which the em
ployes of the baggage room know where
to lay their hands on any particular piece
after a search of half a minute or so.
There must be that system. You deliver
> our .trunk into the hands of a baggage
man at your home and the next time you
see it is a few minutes after your ar
rival at your hotel in Atlantic City, or
wherever you go for your vacation, when
you tind it In your room ready to be un
packed. And thousands of these compact
w ardrobes pass in and out of the huge
terminal here every day. with just the
same accuracy as to destination.
It is this system which is the especial
source of p-ide to a citizen of the United
States, after his return from a trip to
P^urope or to any other country on the
globe. In few other places has this sys
tem reached the high development it has
attained in the railway terminal of the
National Capital.
A Bewildering Sight.
When you walk into the baggage room
of the Union station a short time be
fore your train is due to start, you are
startled at the apparent conglomeration of
trunks you catch a glimpse of in the
basement.
"I want my trunk checked to Atlantic
City, to catch the 1 o'clock train," you
request of the baggageman who greets
you at the counter, naming a time not
many minutes distant. He takes the
? heck which the transfer man has nlven
you and goes to get one for Atlantic City.
You have twenty-seven pounds excess
weight." the baggage checker remarks,
turning to you in a few seconds.
If you wondered how your trunk was
to be picked out of that mass on the
biggage floor, you are astounded at the
knowledge of that baggage clerk in
knowing the exact weight of your par
ticular trunk?177 pounds. Tf you
doubted his wowl and confirmed the
weight, you would, find that in prac
tically every case the baggagemen are
right as to the weight. You hear other
baggagemen telling other travelers lined
aiong that counter of the weight of
their trunks or remarking that a trunk
J1 is a couple of hinges broken off. They
st-em to know the weight and general
condition of every trunk.
You pay the charge for excess weight
as cheerfully as you can and start for
your train, which a basso-voiced usher
has been calling for some minutes. You
wonder whether your trunk will get
onto the train you take?and you hope 1
it will, because there are some clothes |
In It that you want at the dinner hour
at Atlantic City that night. But you do
not worry. And there is ample proof
that there was no need for worry when
your trunk reached your hotel room
fronting an ocean or overlooking a d?'ep
valley before dinner that night.
Simple When You Know How.
How is it done? The system is
simple and yet complete. When a trans
fer man. with a waeon. calls at your
home for your trunk he gives you a
check with a number on it, and places
another check with a duplicate number
on the trunk. When a trunk is deliv
ered in the baggage room of the station
from a wagon it has the check of the
transfer man upon it, and it is to be
identified by the number of that check
until it has been reche<ked for an out
of-town destination. Tt is weighed as
noon as it reaches the baggage room
and a record of it is entered on a small
slip of paper. This record shows the
number of the transfer man's <he?k?
technically known as a claim check?
and the transfer man who delivered it,
the weight of the trunk and its condl
t:on. whether good or dilapidated.
This record slip is sent by a pneu
matic tube to the counter where the
public is waited on. One slip may con
tain records of several trunks, and so
it is necessary to classify the trunk
records so that the weight of them can
be quickly and easily ascertained by
the counter clerk when called upon to
cheek the trunk to Its destination. To
accomplish that there are several large
< harts on a back counter, which can be
reached by a few steps on the part of
the clerk.
These charts are so ruled that all the
trunk "claim" checks can be classified
according to the last two figures in the
number. Thus claim check' 18523 would
be classified under the "23" column, or
.'~;K under the "."6" column. Opposite the
full number entered on the chart is
plated a record of the excess weight, if
any. As these charts are frequently
changed there are seldom more than two
*, or three trunks entered under one of the
several heads.
By this arrangement the counter clerk
is able to learn in a few seconds whether
anv specific trunk he is called upon to
check has excess weight. He gives you
it proper check, with a new number,
marked witli the destination of the' trunk
and the railroad over which it is to pass,
writes or stamps the destination on a
train check with a duplicate and then
sends the claim and train checks to
gether to the room below.
You Needn't Worry About It.
? Xu further attention to the trunk is re
quired on the part of the traveler. In
practically all other railway terminals
ttie trunk owner must wait at the coun
ter until the counter clerk has gone
into the baggage room, picked out the
particular trunk desired, changes the
claim check on it for a train check and
then returns to the counter to deliver
a duplicate train check to the owner.
No such wait is required of the trunk
owners who have business in the baggage
room of the Union station; he is saved
t h:ct time to talk with friends who haye
escorted him to the station or to hasten
onto the train to secure a good seat.
The baggageman has an identification
< la tn check number and he has orders,
through the tr ain chec k sent him. to
check that specific trunk, of the hundreds
on the baggage floor, to some point out
s de of Washington. At Podunk or Pump
kinville it is easy for the station bajrwage
master to look over all the trunks in
the station until he finds the right one
there will probably be not more than
two to look over. But in the terminal
of the National Capital there are hun
dreds. Obviously there must be a sys
tem of * lassifying th? pieces of baggage
so that one specific piece can be found
qui< kly and easily.
There is. Fiom the ceiling of the bag
wage room there are hung rows or num
bers. One way the numbers run from
1 to 0; the other way they begin with
1 or 2 and continue the same numeral
throughout the row. Thus the 1 numbers
are in a row. one back of the other,
j Each trunk that comes Into the station
: goes under one of those nine rows, ac
] cording to the initial number of the
I claim check. A trunk bearing a check
numbered 336 would be under the 3 row
of numbers: one bearing 18523 would go
1 into the 1 row. The trunks are all on
end with the check numbers showing.
I and it is an easy matter, therefore, for
! the baggageman to find a piece of bag- j
I gage bearing a'specific claim number.
There is a clever schema in this classi- j
fication of the trunks according to the '
initial figure of their claim check num
bers. In case there are three or four
trunks in the same party they would
j probably bear consecutive numbers, such
! as 21. 22. 23 and 24. When they are J
; classified according to the initial figure
they will all be put in the 2 row and
thus kept together: and the baggageman
will find all four trunks together. If
classified by the Inst figure each would
j be in a separate row.
Load Thirty Mail Cars ft Day.
As soon as a trunk has l>een checked
j for an outgoing train, by the exchange
' of claim check for train check, the
. checker pulls if out of Its row. The
j trunk handlers hustlers, as they cue well
called quickly spot these trunks out of
j line, load them onto hand trucks and
carry them away. From the hand truck
a piece of bairgage is loaded onto a wag
' on truck, with many others to so on
the Siime train; that truck is wheeled
onto mi) elevator, hoisted to the train
j platform above, and the baggage is with
; iri a few minutes packed away in the
! baggage car on the right train. The
j loading of haggape cars begins often
times several hours before the trains
' pull out. thus enabling the baggagemen
: to keep the room cleared as much as
; |>osslhie and avoiding a grand rush to
j get all baggage loaded onto a train a
minute Iwfore U is scheduled to start.
Trunks on Incoming trains- go through
reverse process. After being hauled
from tlie baggage car to the baggage
| room they are classified in tlie same way
! as the others.
Those thousands of trunk* which are
! handled In a day In the iig terminal
| must be distributed among the baggage
: cars of 111 trains that leave the station
j every twenty-four hours: and trunks
coming from the same number of trains
must also be properly cared for. The
owners o? the trunks rarely see them in
their passage through the station, but
the system is so perfect that rarely does
the wardrobe of a traveler go astray.
; Baggage room reports show that about
90.000 pieces of luggage were handled
during the month of July, an average of
i 3.000 per day.
But. the worries of the baggage de
partment employes do not end with the
j handling of trunks, dress suit cases and
: the like. To their lot falls the care of
i all lost articles found on trains coming
j into Washington or around the station
j itself. About .'{00 such articles are turned
I in in the course of a month, and they
: are of a spicy variety. Of course, there
(are plenty of umbrellas, coats and small
handbags, but once in a while live ani
mals fall to their keeping. All such ar
ticles are kept three months to be
claimed by the rightful owners. At the
; end of that t'me the unclaimed articles
are given to the finders.
j Thete is also the parcel room, which
I comes under the caix of the baggage
, agent. It is open day and night every
day in the year, and in the course of a
month 23/suo packages, on an average,
are checked In and out.
Load Thirty Mail Cars a Day.
The baggagemen also are called upon
to load thirty mail cars every day, and
they handle, on an average, about S,6oo
tons of mail every month. This means
a daily handling of about 2*6 tons, or
573,333 pounds of mall. Much of the
milk of the city also passes through the
hands of the men under the genera! bag
gage agent, the records for July showing
that 385,190 gallons of the lacteal fluid
was delivered at the L'nion station in the
I thirty-one days of the month.
Eighty tons of newspapers are handled
: in a month by the men under the bag
1 gage agent, and he also takes care of all
! the mail matter in Jhe railway mail serv
ice. It is estimated that about 300,000
letters in that service alone pass through
! the baggage room of the f'nion station
, in a month, 6,700 valuable packages and
0,300 ordinary packages
! More work comes to the baggagemen
j when a theatrical company opens an en
gagement in Washington. Nearly all the
l companies have at least one baggage car
j full of trunks and scenery, and all com
panies have a large quantity of luggage
I which must be handled promptly.
For performing this multitude of duties
? about ISO men are employed, working in
| twelve-hour shifts, so that a part of
I them are on duty all hours of the twentv
, four. As is the case with all the activi
ties of the big terminal, the baggage
room comes under the general jurisdic
tion of the superintendent of the Wash
ington Terminal Company, A. M. Keppel.
; Tn specific charge of the baggage room
j is tlie general baggage agent, W. J. Fit
tall, and he has as his assistant and
j chief clerk T. S. Burton.
ADOLPH'S SCHEME GOES AWRY.
How He Planned to Win Back His
Wife.
NEW YORK, August 21.?In the se
clusion of the Tombs Adolph Schloss Is
meditating tonight on the ironic futility
of his efforts to effect a reconciliation
with his wife. In addition to his do
mestic troubles he now has a thorough
ly angry and puzzled police department
to placate, "his wife's gone to the coun
try," his children are in the care of the
Gerry Society, and he's locked up.
Yesterday the two children, one four
years old and the other thirteen months,
were found abandoned in Central Park
Pinned to the baby's carriage was a
; pathetic note, signed with t'neir mother's
? initials, and indicating that she intended
to commit sulcld#. While the police, in
the hone of finding the woman's body,
were busy dragging the park lakes to
day, S' hloss turned up at the Gerry So
i ciety's building to claim the children.
On being questioned, he admitted thut
i he had written the note signed with his
wife's initials, in the hope?precisely
, how, lie could not explain?that when his
: wife, wiio refuses to live with him read
it in the papers, she would be drawn
back to him.
Thus far the wife lias not been heard
of, and tomorrow Schloss must plead to
a charge of abandonment.
TWO DROWN WHILE FISHING.
Postal Card Received Back Home
Conveys Significant Allusion.
SYRACUSE, N. Y.. August 21? News
i was received here today from Jasper,
! Ontario, telling of the drowning there of
i Mrs. W. H. Stevens and her sister. Miss
Bessie Jones, of this city. Their ho<it
was upset. It was thought that the wom
en. whle fishing, attempted to change
; places in the boat.
A few minutes after the dispatch was
' received by the family, a letter carrier
! delivered a postal card, written by Mrs.
J Stevens. The card contained a picture of
;a cat and the printed words: 'Don't act
; as if you had as many lives as a cat.
'Take care of. the one you have."
Fall Style Book Received.
S. Kann Sons Co. announce the ar
rival of the Fall Quarterly Style Book
of Indies' Home Journal Patterns, and
in looking through this interesting fash
ion magazine one notes many decidedly
new departures from the styles of the
three months past. The new Moyen age
; style Is shown in many variations, and
j many examples of the plaited skirts
' which are scheduled to be the vogue this
winter are illustrfUed.
The Quarterly contains about 18S paces
of fashion pVtures and ties liptions. Two
j'ages in color, showing the new weaves
! in wool goods and silks will be of much
1 interest to tfie woman wso Is undecided
, about her winter wardrobe.
Plans of English Labor Party.
j Spoi-iiil Catili-ffram to The Slnr.
EON DON. August 21?The labor
party will, during the autumn, engage
; in a campaign which It has never at
; tempted before. Arrangements are now
nearly completed for a series of meet
ings extending over October and No
vember in over fifty constituencies
which the party has decided to contest
at the next general election. In all,
' twenty-two labor members of parlia
| ment will take part in the campaign,
i and they will go out in parties, each
I doing u week's campaigning.
UNDER EXTREME RULE
British House of Commons
Taxes Land Values.
EARNS RESPITE OF WEEK
Legislation Long Held Up by Hand
ful of Unionists.
ACTION OF LOEDS IN DOUBT
i
Many Clauses of Budget Remain for
i
Action and Opposition to
Continue.
l>ON'DON". Amrust 21.?Having succeed
ed by means of an all-night sitting of
tiie house of commons in passing through
the committee <>f the whole those clauses
of the budget imposing a tax on land
values, the government has given the
members a week's release from their
arduous labors, during which time less
i contentious measures will be considered.
! The tight over the budget, which will
I fairly revolutionize the system of taxa-1
tion in England, has been one of the
1 most strenuous in the history of the par
j liament.
A mere handful of unionists, as com
pared with the huge liberal majority,!
has been able to hold up legislation week j
after week, until the government, though
loath to introduce guillotine methods In1
order to limit the discussion, was forced
to bring in new rules of procedure, j
which authorized the chairman to de-j
clint to consider purely blocking amend- j
mentK
1
Passed in Different Form.
The last of the land taxation clauses!
I has been passed by the committee, but
j their form Is quite different from that
originally introduced. The chancellor of
i the exchequer has made a number of
I very important concessions, chief among
! these being: in regard to the valuation of
j land. Under the bill as introduced the;
I cost of the valuation was imposed upon
the owner. This charge has been taken1
over by the state, which will be called
j upon to spend for this purpose $10,000,000.
; This Is more than the tax will produce]
. during the first year. ?
The property of friendly societies, which
own lands valued at upward of $.V)0,000,
000, is also exempted under the new tax
ation. This is a concession to the labor
unionists, who form a large majority of
j the shareholders of the societies.
Right of Appeal Preserved.
Another amendment made to the bill
! came a-^ a result of criticism by the lord
I chief justice. It was originally pro
: posed that the valuation placed upon
property by commissioners appointed for
I that purpose should be final, but the lord
| chief justice point'-d out that this would
: be in direct contravention to the British
constitution, which expressly gives the
right of appeal in all cases. The govern
j ment, therefore, amended the bill, al
| lowing the right of appeal.
! Another much criticised provision of
the hill imposing a tax upon unmined
j minerals was also withdrawn, and a tax
ion mining royalties and rents was sub
I stituted. The government, however,
maintained the principle of taxation on ?
land values, and it Is now attempting to
! justify its policy in the campaign through-]
out the country, in which all the cabl
] net ministers are taking part.
i The unionists are just as busy in op
position to this policy, and the country
is occupied with the discussion as to
whether or not the budget will be pop
! ular. The masses seem to favor the
measure, and some unionist newspapers,
! recognizing this, are urging the party to
give up the fight and turn its attention
' to tariff reform. The leaders are sup
, ported by a majority of the party, how
ever, and are insist'ng that the contest
j go on until the bill reaches the house of
j lords, when the hope is expressed that
l the upper house, ignoring all precedents,
j will either amend or throw out the meas
i ure, and thus, they believe, force the gov
' ern to appeal to the country.
Position of Lords Doubtful.
It is doubtful whether the lords will
take the extreme step of interfering with
taxation, which has heretofore been con
sidered the prerogative of the house of
commons alone. Even if they did take
such an extreme step it Is considered
doubtful whether a general election would
follow. ?
Lewis Harcourt. first commissioner of
works, in a speech yesterday said that it
would be rash to assume that only one
course is open to the government. If tiie
house of lords, by refusing to pass the
bill, plunged the country and the consti
tution into chaos, the cabinet, he said,
could be depended upon "to tender such
advice to the sovereign as would best con
duce in tiie immediate future with the
predominance of the will of the electors."
In some quarters this is taken as a
threat to confer enough liberal peerages
to overcome the unionist majority.
Clauses Remaining.
There are still many clauses of the bud
get to be dealt with, upon wiiich the op
position promises to continue Its fight.
The first of these deals with the license
duties, which in their present .form are
based upon one-half the value of licensed
premises, irrespective of the nature of
trade. The holders of licenses strongly
object to this, and in order to meet their
views the government probably will pro
pose a tax to be levied on the amount of
liquor sold. Other clauses deal with
changes in the death duties, the income
tax, the stamp customs and like duties.
MOSQUITOES KILL A HORSE.
Driver's Life Saved by Flight From
Virginia Marsh.
Special Dispatch to The S"tar.
CAPE CHARLES, Va., August 21.?A
report lias just reached here of a val- j
uable horse, belonging to Samuel Alberts
of Beaver Dam, being killed by mosqui- j
toes last night.
Mr. Alberts was driving the horse]
along a tract of marshy land a few
miles from his home when he was at-1
tacked by a large swarm of the pests,
which were so thick that he was unable I
to see tiie road for any length ahead of|
him.
The swarms of mosquitoes increased
as he drove farther and they continued
their attack on him, sinking their bills
into his face and body.
Tlie man was forced to flee, leaving
the horse in tiie road, and wrapping a
blanket about him to ward off the at
tack he took refuge in the home of a
neighbor. When he returned with assist
ance later the horse was found dead.
The mosquitoes at Beaver Dam are
reported as being so annoying to the
residents of that section, that people will
not venture outside their homes at night
without a covering about their heads
for protection.
Kerosene and strong-smelling lotions
are being used and tires are being burned
to rid tlie community of the pests.
As to Corn.
From the Kansas City Journal.
People often wonder, particularly those
who have traveled for hundreds of miles
throuuh the corn bell, what becomes of
the corn which is grown every year. In
! the year 1908, when the total crop was
j 2.086,000,000 bushels, 241,000,000 bushels
| were consumed 1n flour and grist mill
products, R.OoO.OOO bushels in tlie manu
facture of starch, D.OW.OOO bushels for
malt liquors, 17.o0o.00t) bushels in the
production of distilled liquors, 40,000,000
bushels for glucose. 190,000.000 bushels for
export and 13.000.000 bushels for seed,
making a total of 518,000,000 bushels, or
1 !>..'{ per cent of the entire crop. The
remaining SO. 7 per cent, or 2,118,000,000
bushels, seems to have been used almost
entirely for feeding.
It pays to read the want columns of
Tlie Star. Hundreds of situations are filled
through them.
Annual August Furniture Sale
The fourth week of the sale will be the largest and best. Fall is only a few weeks
away and the opportunities to save money will be appreciated. Hundreds of new pieces
are arriving daily and are being placed on the floor. Much of the new fall goods will
be placed on sale at August Special Prices. Don't miss the opportunity?it's an im
portant event.
A Deposit Will Reserve Goods for a Future Date. Deliveries Made as Requested.
Parlor Furniture.
Specials in Mahogany Odd Chairs.
Leather-seat Rockers.
Was S16..V.
Was Slfi.oo.
Was $18.00.
Was ?17.00.
Was $25.00.
Was $24.00.
Xnw.
Now..
Now..
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Now..
Now..
*14 .50
$13.00
.$15.00
.$11.Oil
.$22.00
.$21.00
Was $25.00.
Was S2:>.?*>
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Was $HMH>.
Now. .
Now...
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Now...
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| s IIII
Sl7.?l0
.siVim
s i :t.???
Reductions in Three=piece Suites.
Divan, Armcliair and Rocker, in velour
Divan, Armchair and Side <"hair, in damask....
Divan, Armchair and Side Chair, in velou,
Divan, Armchair and Side Chair, in tapestry....
Divan, Armchair and Side Chair, in tapestry
Divan, Armchair and Siclf Chair, in tapestry ...
Divan, Armchair and Side Chair, in tapestry....
Divan, Armchair and Side Chair, in tapestry
Was
,$35.on
...$54,00
. mi
,. .$.-?*.*HI
,. .$47.<*?
. .$54.00
,. .SKO.OO
.. . *7"J.<*?
$25 Brass Bed, Fall Width, $18.00
Mahogany Chiffoniers.
Was $39.0O. Now $32.00
Was 50.00. Now 42.00
Was 46.00. Now 40.00
Was 24.00. Now 20.00
Was 20.00. Now 15.00
Was 37.00. Now 34.00
Was $41.00.
Was $30.00.
Was $33.00.
Was $35.00.
Bedroom Furniture.
Specials in Mahogany Dressers.
$32.00
Now. .
Now..
Now*...
Now...
. $20.00
. .$22.00
...$25.00
Was $24.oo.
Was $44.00.
Was $25.00.
Was $35.00.
Now...
Now...
N ow
Now...
Now
$:{0.i?o
$40.00
$38.00
S50.00
$38.00
S42 '"O
$40.00
sir. <?u
. S 22.00
. $;m.0ii
. $22.00
. $32.0* ?
Was $2">.00.
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Was $i!2.0i>.
Was SI(>.00
Was $'.> .5o.
W'.is $f?.50.
Was $11.0o
Was $10.50.
Was MQ.oO.
W'iis $K.0O.
Was $7.00.
W as $ i .50.
Now .$17.00
Now $15.00
Now *14.00
Now $14.00
Now $8.50
Now }7 W
Now $0.50
Now $3.00
Now $S.OO
Now $7.on
Now $6.00
Now $5 50
Mission Tables.
Was $_'1.no. Now $15.00
Was $23.00. Now $15.00
Was $16.50. Now *14.00
Was $2S.0i? Now $25.00
Was $15.00. Now $13.00
Was $15.on. Now $}O.50
Was J17.00. Now $14.50
Was $11.oO. Now $u.5m
Was $24.0o. Now $21 jmi
Was $14.5'). Now $12.50
Was $HMiO. Now $M 50
Was $6.50. Now $5.50
CARPETS CLEANED
MATTRESSES RENOVATED
HAPPENINGS IN ALEXANDRIA
P. J. MURPHY CAPTAIN OF NEW
MILITIA COMPANY.
Increased Republican Vote Forecast
ed for November Election?Po
licemen's Big Excursion.
Spf-rlal Convupnn'lencp of The Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, August 21, 1901*.
A new military company, which will
be independent of the regular state com
pany, was organized tonight at a meeting
held at No. 132 North Royal street. The
following officers were cl~psen: P. J.
Murphy, captain: W. W. Demaine, first
lieutenant, and J. Y. Williams, second
lieutenant. Cart. Murphy was formerly
captain of the old Alexandria Light In
fantry, which disbanded several months
ago.
It is stated that the new company
starts out with a membership of nearly
100. The non-commissioned officers will
soon be named by the commissioned of
ficers. Another meeting will be held
Thursday next to complete arrangements.
There is considerable activity among
the republicans In this city over the
coming gubernatorial election in Novem
ber, and it is claimed by local leaders of
the party that the republican vote in
this city In the coming contest will ex
ceed by far the republican vote here
tofore cast here. It.'Is also pointed out
by them that the slim vote polled in
the recent democratic primary Is signif
icant and well worthy of consideration.
Up to the present time, no plans have
been made by local leaders for campaign
work in this city, although it is expected
that within the next month, and from
that time on until the campaign opens,
politics will enliven the city with stump
speeches by prominent leaders in the
ranks of the party.
Soldier Boys Off for Outing.
Thirty-five members of the Alexandria
Light Infantry left here at 6:30 o'clock
this evening for a week's camping trip to
Colonial Beach. The men were in com
mand of Capt. F. L. Slay maker and
Lieuts. Beverley and May. A large hum- |
ber of friends of the members of the
command assembled on the wharf to see
them oft". Drills, guard mounts and other i
soldier work arc scheduled for the week.
[ Services at Christ P. E. Church tomor
row will be conducted by Rev. R. K.
Massif of the Episcopal Theological Sem
inary. The pulpit at St. Paul's P. E.
Church will be filled by Rev. L. B.
Combes. At the Immanuel Lutheran
Church night services will be conducted
by Rev. S< hroeder of Washington. Both
services at the Second Presbyterian
Church will be conducted by Rev. Halli
day, and at the First Bap'1st Church the
pulpit will be occupied by Rev. M. E.
Parrish, Resident clergy will occupy the
pulpits at the other churches.
More tickets have been sold for the po
licemen's excursion Tuesday next to Mar
shall Hall than for any ex cursion that has i
?been given from Alexandria this season ?
and the excursion will doubtless be well
patronized. There will be three trips to
the resort during the day, one in the
morning, one in the afternoon and one
in the evening. Proceeds from the sale
of tickets will be applied to the uniform
fund.
J. D. Normoyle, real estate dealer, has
sold to Harry D. Kirk for Miss Grace
Thompson of Washington a two-story
brick dwelling house on the west side
of Columbus street, between Queen and
Princess streets, known .as 308 North Co- J
lunibus street. This house has just been )
erected by Robert Thompson.
Glass Factories Overhauled.
The various glass factories in tills city
are now being given a general overhaul
ing, preparatory to the reopening, Sep
tember 1 next. At many of the fac
tories extensive improvements and alter
ations are in progress. It is expected
that the usuj ! complement of blowers
will be emiil yed. Many of the em
ployes of tit" factory are now return
ing after t' ir annual vacation.
Joseph I. Crupper of this city is In
Roanoke \ ?., attending a meeting of the
state esc utive committee of the repub
lican party. The various candidates
nominated at the recent convention at
Newport News, Va., are also attending
the meeting.
N. S. Greenaway. clerk of the corpo
ration court, returned today from a trip
to Boston and Nova Scotia.
Judge L. C. Barley of the corporation
court left today for a trip to Bath
county, Va., where he will spend some
time.
Raleigh Green of Gulpeper. Va.. vis
ited in this city this evening.
Mrs. E. C. Lyles of Hartford, Conn.,
who has been visiting her parents. Mr.
and Mrs. George Whitton, 702 North
Columbus street, has returned home,
accompanied by Mrs. Lyles' sister. Miss
Alice Whitton.
Killed by a Kissing Bug.
Special Cablegram to The Star.
LONDON, August 21.?Ab a result of a
sting of a kissing bug Mrs. E. A. Detihon,
the wife of a Northwich draper, recent
ly died. A few days before Mrs. Deti
hon's lips became swollen and painful. A
physician was called in and found two
small punctured wounds in the lips, the
result of a sting by some insect. The lip
was treated, but death resulted.- The
severity of the sting, the doctor "aid,
would depend upon whether the insect
had been on any decaying vegetable mat
ter.
WHEN THE CRUEL WAR WAS ON
DISTRICT GUARDSMEN HEAVILY LADEN.
BUSY TIME FOR THE 1ST SEPARATE BATTALION.
1ST FIELD BATTERY IN ACTION.
LAUDS DISTRICT MEN
(?Continued from First Page.)
onous field ration that was served during
the "war.'"
Maj. Neumeyer, commissary officer of
the brigade, is going to return to Wash
ington by rail, but before leaving he is
making preparations to give the men ex
cellent rations on their return trip.
Passes Issued for Shore Liberty.
Lieut. Col. Harvey is the commanding
officer of the troops on the transport Mc
Clellan. and this evening he issued orders
permitting the commanding officers of the
different organizations to grant passes to
the men for periods not exceeding twenty
four hours. The men who have been es
pecially diligent in their work during the
past week are given preference in the is
suing of passes.
"Taps" is sounded on the transports at
10:30 each evening. In order to avoid
accidents the men are required to leave
their side arms 011 board when out on
pass. Guards are placed at the entrance
of each dock to -see that the men who
go out on pass present a soldierly ap
pearance so as to reflect credit on the
District. Many of the Blue army and
other Bostonians have visited the trans
ports. and it is expected that there will
be a larpe crowd to see the District men
off when they leave Monday afternoon.
This evening many officers and men of
the District have given dinner parties in
different parts of the city, and many
members of the Blue army have accepted
invitations to join in the festivities after
the week of strenuous campaigning. Col.
Simms of the 2d Infantry was host at a
dinner given this evening to a large num
ber of his officers.
Col. Ourand of the 1st Infantry is com
manding officer of the transport Sumner.
He has issued orders setting forth strict
regulations for the policing of the shin
and the safety of the troops, but at the
same time he has permitted a liberal al
lowance of passes. In order to give ths
men the maximum amount of liberty the
guard duty on board has been reduced to
the minimum, but it is performed with
diligence, as the District troops have al
ready been impressed with the importano?
of strict order and sanitary regulations
011 board the crowded transports.
At present the members 01" the 1st Sep
arate Battalion are performing guard
duty on the McClellan, and many of the
j officers of the guard have commented
; upon the good service rendered by the
! colored troops in that respect.
Wireless Telegraphy to Be Used.
The members of the Signal Corps com
pany who came to Massachusetts by
train will return in the transports, and
have made arrangements to fit out a
wireless apparatus between the two boats
so that orders and other information
may be transmitted from one to the
other. Communication will also be estab
lished with stations along the coast, and
an effort will be made to keep the peo
ple in Washington informed as to the
progress of the voyage, t'hief Kle -trici in
Boteler and Sergt Martin will have
charge of tlie wireless on the Sumner,
and First Sergt. Williams and Private
McLennan will be tlie operators on tl e
McClellan. The Signal Corps company
of the District worked during the ma
neuvers with the signal troops of Nen
York and Connecticut, the quota fro.i.
each state being assigned a certain duty.
The District men did excellent ser\ i? .
especially in telegraph, as they had s( \ -
eral expert operators.
The band of the 1st Infantrv is 011 the
McClellan. and that of the _d Infant y
on the Sumner. Concerts will be given
on the decks every day. and certain hours
in the morning have been set apart f"i
band practice. In order that the men
may be kept in good physical condition
they will be put through a course of ex
ercises each day to take the place of
drill. There is an emergency room, or
hospital, on each ship, and a good num
ber of physicians, but present indication
are that they will not have a great de ?I
to do. Every possible precaution has
been taken to insure the health and com
fort of the men. and the general opinion
among the officers and men of the Dis
trict troops seenis to be that the brigade !
is about to return from the most in
structive annual field exercises they have
ever liad.
Living Better.
From the Cleveland I.eader.
.Americans revisiting Europe, after
years of absence, are struck by the wider
range of food available. There are more j
fruits. The vegetables cover a better
range of taste*. The wasou is longei for
fiuits and vegetables alike.
The same change is going on in this
country. Tne tendencj is always toward
a wider distribution of food, longer pe
riods of abundant supply, and increased
familiarity with agreeable and whole
some products of the earth. Witness the
way that apples are kept all the year
around and the unfailing stuck of or
anges, and thr common use of grapefruit
where it was unknown twenty years ago
There hare been great gains in canned
fruit and vegetables, as well as in keep
ing tliem in their natural state.
The plain truth is that the world I*
living much better than it did a few
years ago. There is constant progress in
Hie direction of comfort, and it is strictly
true that the luxuries of one generation
become the necessaries of the next. All
the time the tendency is upward, and
tiie temporary checks experienced in
time of extreme business depression a:?
growing briefer and less serious.
"Waterway Iirprovements in Texa*
from ilic Little Rock Gazette.
We recently called attention to the fact
that the city of Beaumont and the county
of Jeff, rson in Texas had voted
in bonds for the improvement of the
N'ei lies river and the Sabine-Xeches canal
to a depth of twenty-tive feet, in order
that an outlet to the gulf might be
secured.
Orange county, Texas, has just voted
$100,000 for the deepening of the Sabine
river from the Sabine-Xecties canal t<>
the city of Orange. I^arge vessels ui-e the
river now, but improvement work is
needed.
The city of Houston Is spending a big
sum of money in providing additional
facilities for deep-water navigation of
Buffalo bayou, connecting that city with
the gulf. ?
These far-sighted and progressive Texas
communities are willing to spend their
money to get water transportation. In
stead of waiting on the congressional
Hercules, they have put their own shoul
ders to tiie wheel, and their own hands in
their own pockets.
Hubby?What! You paid f5rt foi that
Easter hat. It's monstrous?it's a sin!
Wife (sweetly)?No matter; the sin will
be on my own head!-Liippincoit's Maga
zine.