AT THE NATIONAL CAPITOL
IMPORTANT DOINGS OF THE SEN
ATE AND HOUSE
A Few Items to Suit Our Buy Readers Who
Have Not the Time to Peruse Lengthy Ac
ceusts of Space Writers.
MONDAY.
At the concluHion of Morgan's re
marks these bills were pissed: Appro
priating $135,000 to compensate the
Old Point Comfort Development com
pany for the destruction and removal
of the Hygeia hotel trom the govern
ment reservation, old Point Comfort,
Va. ; resolution granting to the New
York and New Jersey Railroad com
pany the right to construct and operate
- an underground railroad under land
owned by the United States in New
York. The senate at 4:10 o'clock went
into executive session and at 4:40 ad
journed. Sills were passed to authorize the
president to appoint and retire William
McCarthy Little as a captain in the
navy ; to grant an American register to
the steamer Beaumont; to construct a
lighthouse and foir signal station at
Burdctte's island, Washington ; to issue
a patent to certain lands to Buffalo,
Wyo. ; to grant the Central Arizona
company a right of way through the
San Francisco mountain reserve and
extend the coal lands laws to the dis
trict of Alaska.
A bill to open to settlement 50,000
acres in the Kiowa, Comanche and
Apache reservation was defeated 35
to 32.
TUESDAY.
At a caucus of Republican senators
it was decided to continue considera
tion of the Panama canal treaty in ex
ecutive session until the measure was
disposed of. This was agreed to with
out question by the supporters of the
statehood bill, it being understood
that their favorite is not to use its ad
vantageous position in the order of
business.
While Mr. Depew was continuing
his speech in the senate in opposition
to the statehood bill, Mr. Teller de
clared that himself and the country
had been insulted by some of Mr. De
pew's references to the unequal repre
sentation in the senate. Mr. Depew
replied briefly and the mutter was
dropped.
The house began consideration of the
navel appropriation bill under tie
operation of a rule which made the
new legislation relative to the in
crease of the p1 rsonnel of the navy and
the naval academy in order.
Mr. Littlefield of Maine and Mr.
Sulzer of New York had an interesting
clash before the naval ' ill was taken
up, the former charging the latter with
having perverted the record.
WEDNESDAY.
After listening in executive session,
for three hours to Mr. Morgan's con
tinuation of his speech in opposition
to . the Panama canal treaty, a vote
w as taken on his motion for an inquiry
into the credentials of Senor Herran,
Colombia's representative in negotiat
ing the treaty. The result was the
motion was defeated by a vote of 33 to
39. .
Amongst a batch of nominations sent
to the senate were those of Inspector
General Breckenridge and Quartermas
ter General Lndington to"be major
general 8 and at onco to go on the re
tired list. General Breckenridge would
not have retired under ordinary condi
tions until 1906, but he takes the sop
of promotion anrt retires three years
sooner. This officer made a deter
mined fight against the section of the
general staff bill which abolished the
inspector general's .department and
succeeded in defeating it. While he
saved hia corps, however, he will not,
it seems, continue longer to direct it.
THURSDAY
After having. been amended in sev
eral important particulars, the naval
appropriation bill -passed the house.
Among other things it provides that in
the event of the combination of bidders,
the secretary of the navy may' order
vessels constructed in government
yards. That official is also given dis
cretionary power to expend $500,000 in
the construction o' submarine torpedo
boats. The sum of 110,000,000 is ap
propriated 'or "domestic" armor, al
though it was objected to by Mr.
Gaines, a Tennessee Democrat, who
remarked, addressing the Republican
side: "This is the foulest' trust you
ever pressed to your bosoms."
From what occurred i" the senate
executive session it would appear that
Mr. Quay has joined forces with Mr.
Morgan in opposing the Panama canal
treaty. The Pennsylvania senator an
ticipates an extra session, and the pres
ident informed a number of visitors
at the White House that he should call
one.
The president sent the name of .Turtle,
William R. Day to the senate as asso
ciate justice of the supreme court in
place ot Justice Shiran, resigned. He
a so nominated John K. '.Richards, at
present solicitor general, to succeed
Judge Day on the eircuit bench.
FRIDAY.
Another day was spent by the senate
in executive session, discussing the
Panama canal treaty. The so-called
administration senators are thoroughly
alarmed at the outlook for the treaty
and are willing to hold out the olive
branch and make almost any sort of
compromise except permit a vote on
the statehood bill. The friends of the
latter measure keep a bold front and
express confidence in their ultimate
success or an extra session. The state
hood leaders appear to be perfectly
willing to accept the responsibility for
this outcome.
The iiouse passed the fortifications
appropriation bill, adopted the confer
ence reports on the bill for the protoc
tion of the president and on the legis
lative, executive and judicial bill, and
then spent three hours wrangling over
the Fowler currency bill, finally ad
journing without taking any definite
action upon it.
Some time ago a resolution provid
ing that Rear Admiral Schley, retired,
should be given the pay and allowance
of a rear admiral on the ,"active list
was passed by the senate. When it
came up in the house yesterday it was
tabled.
SATURDAY.
The statehood compromise, which is
. .. .. J t I 1. i 1 . L I I ..
in the senate and remove the blockade
proposes to admit two states, one to be
Oklahoma, according to its present
boundaries, with a proviso that Indian
territory shall be added to Oklahoma
in 1900, when the treaty obligations
with the Indians will not be in the
way. The other state is to be composed
of New Mexico and Arizona under the
name ot Montezuma, "with a proviso
that when the present teriitory of Ari
zona has a population of 300,000 people
it shall become a separate slate, pro
vided that the people of' the territory
affected, vote in favor of being divided
from New Mexico.
A communication from the president,
transmitting a request of the anthracite
coal corrynission, asking for permission
to publish 500 copies of its report when
completed, was laid before the house.
The message of the president said he
concurted in the request.
The less some men know about a
fiiven subject the more they tiy to
show off.
TELEPHONE ON THE LOCOMOTIVE.
The cause of nearly all the train
Wrecks on the railway lines of the
country Is the severing of all connec
tion between the train crew and dis
patcher, while the trains are In mo
tion, and, while the automatic signal
apparatus now In operation on some
of the roads has done much to Insure
the safety of railway travel, there Is
no doubt that the telephone recently
patented by Alva D. Jones, of Louis
vllle, Ky., would still further "mini
mize the loss cuused by these acci
dents. This Inventor claims to linve
solved, the dlflleulty of maintaining a
contact through the trolley device run
ning on the telephone wire which par
allels the railway line, and It will be
Interesting to note his method of over
coming' what has hitherto been consid
ered an almost Insurmountable obsta
cle to the use of a locomotive tele
phone. While the weight of the trol
ley Is carried on the wheel In the cas
ing, a sliding contact In the form of
an absorbent pad Is the Intermediary
TRAVELING COW TACT OF NOVEL FORM.
through which the current reaches the
receiver In the cab. This pad Is kept
moistened by a Jet of steam derived
from the boiler, which passes first
through a body of soluble chemicals,
such as common salt or saltpeter, of
such a character, as to Increase the
conductivity of the pad. An adjust
able support pivoted to the side of the
cab carries a rod, on the upper end of
which the casing surrounding the cob
tact device Is mounted, and It Is pos
sible to contract the whole apparatus
beneath the cab window when the en
gine Is not out on the road.
GRANT RELIC PERISHING.
House In Which He Wrote Soma of
Hie War Orders.
The Grant cabin standing In Fair
mount Park, Philadelphia, which has
proved a relic of Interest to historians,
soldiers and all visitors to the park, Is
rapidly falling to decay and unless ac
tive steps are taken to preserve It not
only Philadelphia, but the entire coun
try, will lose a valuable historic sou-
THE GRANT CABIN.
venlr which can never be replnced. In
1809 a movement was started to save
the Civil War relic from destruction
and the park commissioners promised
seeral G. A. R. men that the neces
sary steps should be taken. As yet
nothing has been done and once ognln
the people send It n petition to save It.
Fom this cabin, which then stood on
the bluff at City Point, Vn., Grant
wrote his elaborate letters to Lincoln
and Stanton, his orders to Sherman for
his march to the sea, his order remov
ing Butler and the one which trans
fered Schofleld across the continent.
From there he summoned Sheridan to
the command of the Army of the Po-
IBs
If n I IS 3
STREET CRfE5 IN'CXIRO.
Hnndi and Voice That TrtTtltrn
Hear la 'the Barrptlaa Cltj.
Take a chair outside a busy onfe
spar the market place and tram center
and watch street life. There are no
hungry men, no starving, pinched child
faces, no finger worn mothers, for this
Is a land of plenty, and the people's
wants are few and simple. Thus pun
shkie and laughter spray a welcome
fragrance over the novelty and ro
mance of the gay city's streets. ITuie
Is a street melodist twanging a monster
one stringed "something" and accom
panied by a nose ringed girl who tups
deftly on a species of tambourine,
while bystanders ejaculate "Allah, ul
laht" the Arabic word for applause.
If not quite lu accord with your preju
dices concerning music, well, mnalalsh
(never mind), It is not nearly so dis
tracting as a street corner at home, and
they will go away If you tell them to.
The baboon, the donkey and boy are
In evidence, with a score of performing ;
tricks that are very original and cer-.
talnly funny, and you console yourself
with the hope of a minimum of cruelty
la the training.
A fruit seller, basket on bead,' with
luscious grapes and figs, saunters by,
singing In a quaint minor: "O grapes.
O sweet grapes, that are larger than
doves' eggs and sweeter than new
cream! O angels' food, delicious figs,
bursting with honey, restorers of
health!" There is a drink seller, bent
under the weight of the odd shaped Jar
slung over bis shoulder, a lump of ice
projecting from Its mouth, conjuring
custom In a similar strain as be struts
up and down, making the air resound
with the rhythmical clap clap of twa
brazen saucers: "O refreshment of the
weary! O quencher of parched lips!
O blessing of heaven!"
Another street cry which may be
heard In the main street of Abbassleh,
a suburb, contains the following entic
ing announcement: "Tomorrow, O peo
ple, I am going to kill a camel! The
doctor says, It Is yonng and healthy.
Oh. Its flesh will be tender as the quail
and Juicy as lamb. Its price Is but Vt
plasters (7 cents) a pound. Do you love
the sweet flesh of the camel? Then
;-ome early and be satisfied." Not the
least picturesque figures In the streets
are the city police, In their neat white
drill and red tarbouches In summer and .
blue serge In winter.
FRUITS AND FLOWERS.
From a twenty-year-old mulberry
tree 21S pounds of leaves have bees
picked In a year.
String beans may be obtained during
the entire summer by planting once a
month for successive supplies.
Some trees re much more unfavor
able to the growth of plants beneath
them than are others. The worst are
the yew and the ash.
Whenever water Is given to rot
plants enough should be used thor
oughly to wet the soil around the root..
Mere sprinkling of the surface does lit
tle good.
The next time you have a bouquet of
flowers to keep add a very little cam
phor to the water in the vase and bi
bow much longer Its freshness will be
retained.
One of the most satisfactory plants
for house culture Is the yellow oxalls.
It will blossom freely If given sun and
water, and Its bronze brown folluge
ets off its pretty yellow bloom rarely.
Peppermint For 8lecplenrni.
A physician declares that he find
peppermint water an efficient remedy
for sleeplessness. This Is a very sim
ple cure, and It will not bring forth,
from the organs of professional oplu
ton any declaration-of unsafeness. It
Is added that a mixture of spirits ot
chloroform und peppermint water giv
en in hot water to the victim of Insom
nia will produce sleep, but perhaps in
the case of the admixture of chloro
form water may claim a decided share
In relieving the trouble. It Is at least
eusy to try peppermint wuter, and the
theory of Its action is believed to foe
founded on its effect In withdrawing
blood from the brain by attracting a.
fuller flow to the stoiuacn.