Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-02-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 1850

1t has been tolerably lively IN
Washington this. week, in a political
sense at least, and the Democrats
have had their little "boom' to the
fore. The meeting of the Democrat
ic National Committee attracted
hither numerous representatives of
the party from all sections, resulting
in considerable quickening of the
party pulse and stiffening of the
spinal column of the Washington
end. Evidently the Democrats here,
in Congress and out, feel a great
deal better than they did, which can
only be accounted for upon the theo-
nv that contact with their brethren
from the outside has infused new life
and confidence. There was quite a
contest over the selection of a place
for holding the Convention to nomi-
nate a candidate for President, but
it was finally settled in favor of Gin
cinnati, with a pretty unanimous
feeling that it was best, and that the
date fixed, about three weeks after
the Republican Convention at Chica-
go, was good policy. / do not think
the decision has any significance
whatever as to candidates. 1t was
not victory or defeat for any of
them in particular, and the only pos
tive indication gathered from the
general tenor of the talk among Wis
itors was that of an undoubtedly
strong opposition to Tilden.
The Senate Committee on Agri-
culture has lately been giving consid-
cradle attention to the subject of
producing rainfall by artificial
means. General Daniel Ruggles, of
Virginia, has been before them two
or three times explaining his meth
cd, for which he has recently obtain
ed a patent, and which consist of
sending to the cloud realm cartridges
of dynamite or smaller explosive ma
terials, in skeleton balloons, and to
explode them either by the fires, or
by magnetic electricity through little
metallic wires connecting the bal
looms with the earth. General Rug
giles, as the result of many years of
Study and investigation Of this sub
iect, claims that the diffused mists
passing over arid regions or local.
ties suffering from unusual drought
may readily be consolidated into
rainfalls by conclusions and vibra-
tions thus artifcially produced, and
he has therefore suggested to the
committee that Congress may pro-
vide a small appropriation for ex-
penditure by the Commissioner OF
Agriculture to test the practicable
ty of aiding the agricultural inter
ests of the country in this manner.
The committee has listened to Gen
eral Ruggles' statements with much
interest, and requested him to pre-
pare an amplifed. memorial on the
subject.
One of the curiosities of Washing
ton is DIR. Mary Il. Walker, whose
name and fame ought by this time to
be known in the remotest quarters OF
the Union, for she has been much
written about and every visitor to
the Capital asks to have her pointed
out. She is slim, understood short
haired, sOber-faced woman who
wanders about the city and the Cap
itOl, wearing the dress of a man, even
to the boots and walking stick. She
formerly assumed the bloomer cos.
tune, but has within year or so
past adopted the male attire without
reserve. For years she has been a
claimant against the Government,
now for q pension and then for some
thing else. She was not long ago
appointed to place in the Treasury
Department but not allowed to Oc-
cupy desk in the room to which
she had been assigned, and after a
long contest succeeded in collecting
several months pay, on the ground
that she had been ready to perform
the service and prevented from doing
so through no faults OF her own.
The Senate Pensions Committee
has just rejected this w0man's appli-
cation for an increase OF pension.
She sought ut Chattanooga, in 1864,
the position of Assistant Surgeon,
but n board of medical officers, after
examination, reported that her knowl-
edge of medicine and surgery was
very little, if any, more than that of
the ordinary house wife, and assign
ed her to duty as hospital nurse.
The Union officers allowed her to
wander outside the lines and to be
taken prisoner, an arrangement hav-
ing been made that she should act as
a spy while in the hands of the enc
my. She was gone about four
months, and upon Der return the