Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-10
THE EVENING STAR.
Washington News and Gossip.

IdE LIN lNU SlAh.
Washington News and Gossip.
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS sTo-DAY.-Internal rev.
nue.. sss6, 90; customs. 1864, ,4l66s.
SECRETARY EvARrs returned to the city tc-
day.
GOING HONE TO voTE.-Employes Of the gov
eminent in this city who are entitled to vote in
Ohio have been granted ten days leave OF
absence to 60 home to cast their ballots at the
coming election.
GEN. MERRITT's BATTLE WITH THE INDIANS
In dispatch to Gen. Sherman, dated the Sth,
and forwarded to-day from st. Louis Gen.
Sheridan says ''lt Is reported that Merritt has
had an engagement. Particulars not officially.
known It IS reported and probably so tnat he
killed 81 Indians"
GEN. sHERMANreturned to the city this morn
ing and was at the War department to-day.
INDIANS DESTROYING THEIR OWN FOOD SUP
PL1Es.-The Indian Bureau is notified that the
goods which were on the way to the White
river Ute reservation and alleged t0have been
where Major Thornburgh'S battle occurred.
included 437 sacks of flour, besides number Of
the dy g gods }a ana cha Sa
reported to have destroyed them.
STANDARD DoLLARs.-The Treasurer OF the
United States reports that the total amount of
the standard silver dollars coined is s42 $50;
amount on hand in Treasury offices SS1 ,7OS Cos;
amount outstanding in circulation 11,O54,O7O.
Presentation. Chas. w. Jones and wife,
OF Florida, and Hon. B. Wilson, West Virginia,
are at the National Hotel. -. Geo. r. Young,
father Of John Russell Young and of James
Rankin Young, the well-known journalists,
in lhfn far1n
disease, aged 81 years, =. Justice Clifford and
family have registered at the National Hotel
today, for the winter. DIR. Fred. Hum
S. L. Tilley, finance minister of the Canadian
government, is at the Riggs House. -. Capt.
A W: johnson. U. S. N, is at WIZARDS. 80.
Maynard, at Constantinople, Capt. J. H. Kid
der, U. s. Navy, and DR.. Geo. NJ. Stermburg,
U. s. A., are at the Ebbitt.
LOTTERY LETTERS IN THE MAILS.-The ruling
made by the Post Office department last Satur-
day that all letters addressed to lottery COM
panies or to persons as agents OF such CON-
panfes must be treated as .unmailable, has not
been rescinded, nor has the enforcement of the
accompanying order been suspended, as seems
tofbe supposed in some quarters. On the con-
trary, IL Is being rigldly enforced: The post
the Postmaster General that he should refuse
to deliver any such letters, and should send
them all to the dead letter Office. The mis-
to have arisen from the fact that no authority
has yet been given to pOstmasters to detatn
letters mailed to persons known to be lottery
agents, but not addressed as such. The depart
ment Is, however, pursuing an investigation as
to the extent of the business done and the
methods by which the statutes and the recent
with view to determining whether post
master at an Office of delivery who has judicial
notice OF the business engaged in by a company
ana 1tS agents, can hold letters which arrive In
large numbers addressed to an Individual whose
connection with the lottery company is not
openly stated.
MOVEMENTS OF U. S. NAVAL VEssELs.-The
speedwen arrived at the New York navy yard
yesterday afternoon on her way to Washing
ton. The Kearsage left Annapolis yester-
gay gay for Hampton Roads. The Powhatan
THE Shenandoah, at Sandy Hook, was yes
terday ordered by telegram to proceed on her
cruise to Brazil. The Nipsic, at the navy
She will leave in day or two for Norfolk, and
will, 1t is understood, proceed to join the Euro.
PISea Pean squadron. EYd The Essex was sighted off
her way to Philadelphia from South America
LETTERS NOT DIRECTED TO A POST OFFICE
The Postmaster General has received letter
from Congressman Wait, Of Norwich, Conn.,,
expressing the hope that the late order requlr-
ing all letters not directed to post Office shall
be treated as unmailable matter and returned
to the sender or to the dead letter Office, shall
be revoked. he points out one case where the
order would operate disastrously to the people
OF the town Of Sprague. In that town there are
two post offices-Baltic and Hanover-and most
under this order would have to go through the
dead letter Office. Judge Key, in his reply,
states that one reason for the order is that at
least Is per cent Of the arrests for stealing let
tiers have been based upon the taking Of those
not addressed to post offices. There are AZ, 600
post offices In the United States, and it is
0Yn1 fn rf%a f1ra
Office service to be able to locate all the post
offices, without expecting them to know that
matter addressed to Sprague, Conn.,, goes to the
Baltic post office, while other matter, also ad-
dressed tosprague, should go to Hanover.
NAVAL oRDERs.-Co Commander C. NJ. scoon-
waller from special duty connected with the
N1psic and ordered to command that vessel.
yard and ordered to the Nipsic, Master Perrin
Busbee to the photographic Ofice. Lieut.. John
5: Newell from special duty connected with the
Chief Engineer David Smith, Passed Assistant
Engineer David Jones and Assistant Engineer
T. I. Burgdorff. from special duty connected
Passed Assistant Paymaster j. @. Barton, Cadet
Engineers j. H. Baker and W. M. Mcfarland,
and BoatsWain John Brown, to the Nipstc.
CRITIC1sNG GEN. MERRIrT's REPoRT.-A
press dispatch from Chicago says" General
Merritt's report is criticised as giving no i'm
portant facts respecting the situation on Milk
river, and as being taken up with the laudat1on
Of various subordinates, the nature of whose
services he has failed to disclose, and whom he
should at any rate commend In future written
report" General Merritt's report or course has
not Deen the subject OF any unfriendly criti-
cism by the officials Of the War department
He could praise his subordinates to any extent
that he might desire without any fault being
found with him, provided the praise was de.
served; and he is not an officer given to gush.
The department Is satisfied that ss soon as
possible he win furnish full information Of his
movements.
REVISION OF SALARIES OF SENATE, EMPLOYEES.
1t is understood that the committee to audit
the contingent expenses of the Senate have de-
cided to report in favor Of substantially the
following changes in the compensation of clerks
in the secretary's office: Those now receiving
$2,592 per annum to be reduced to $1,000, eX-
cepting the financial clerk, which remains un-
touched. Those now receiving s., ,22o to be re,
duced to s., 100; and those now receiving $2,100
to remain as they are; changes and reappolnt-
ments being made to egualize their duties as
istration Of that office BY making only two