Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-23
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
THE COMING LIGHT ON ALASKA.
An Interesting Report from a Signal
Omcer-Keifer az n Desk POuudeP
Congress and the Races-Federnl
Aid 10 Public SchOOls-Agaln Mr..
ShipheFd.

WASHINGTON. May N.-Mr. E. W. Nelson,
who returned from Alaska q few months ago,
after remaining four and half years in North
ern Alaska for the Signal Service, has just
made preliminary report of his work and Of
his proposed publications.
Mr.. Nelson secured an unbroken series of
meteorological observations covering the time
he was in Alaska, and the report on this will
make part of the report of the Chief Signal
Oficer for 1881.
A more careful study, however, is to be
made Of the data obtained and of additional
material, and a new paper prepared. Com
bined with this will be paper on several new
points of Importance in the physical geography
OF the region. Mr.. Nelson travelled extensively
over parts Of the country that had fever be-
fore been visited by travellers, and traced the
course Of many heretofore unknown streams,
located lakes, bays and mountains that had
never been heard of, well enough at least to
give future surveying parties guides that they
otherwise would not have had. Some of
the most interesting of the Information
gathered by Mr.. Nelson was obtained
from the Eskims, and relates to the
ethnology OF the race. He brought back an
tAteuStNo anu COmpleL0 series OF &peClmeD9,
among which are about nine thousand imple-
ments and carvings, illustrating the mode of
life OF these people and their handiwork. His
notes OF their customs, the vocabularies, and
his collection or photographs are very interest
ing and important, and General Hazen pro-
poses. il Congress can be induced to make the
necessary appropriation. to publish a series
q VapSSIs wSicS IGperSN Nasnn on the
pairing the manuscript. The papers will form
a very important contribution TO ethnology,
and will add an interesting chapter to the his
tory OF North American aborigines. Mr.. Mel
son has about $500 ornthological specimens,
with full notes and sketches of the brightly
colored parts of little known water fowl. This
material will be used as basis for an elabo-
rate contribution to the history of Arctic and
sub-Arctic birds, which will describe all the
species known to Alaska. Many OF these spe-
cies have never been described in an Ameri-
to science. It is proposed to accompany this
work with beautiful Illustrations, which will
add materially to its value. This part Of the
work is very nearly completed. The manu-
script OF the ornithology will be ready for the
press early In June.
Another part Of the work Will consist Of de-
tailed account of the mammals of the territory,
with special reference to their distribution and
abundance. Mr.. Nelson has brought back
several hundr~d specimens. and has full field
notes with which TO illustrate this compare
lively unknown subject
The large number Of fishes and the notes
upon their numbers and distribution, will
make the archaeological report one of great
practical. as well as scientific value. One of
the most important features of the fish report
will be the series of sketches representing the
life colors of some of the most important
varieties.
The subjects, other than the ornithological,
will be taken up and treated as rapidly as is
consistent with accuracy and thoroughness.
Whether this important mass of information
shall be given to the world depends entirely on
Congress. II the necessary appropriation
shall be made. General Hazen will have the
work out at as early day as possible, other
wise Mr.. Nelson's work in Alaska will probably
fail of doing all the good IL ought.
sHIPHERD AGAIN.
Shipherd, the great premature, has got on
his ear. He has plenty of room for such stand
ing ground Because the House Foreign At
fairs Committee refused to conduct itself as
Shipherd desired, he has declared that he will
have nothing more to do with the committee.
This is really very hard on the committee.
Shipherd further declares that he will give to
the press and not to the committee certain
documents In his possession. ALI joking aside,
this will be very hard blow to the press. In
deep. mysterious ways he gives it to be under
stood that these documents will be in the ma
ture of packages Of dynamite, and many peo-
pie look forward to the publication
interest. do not; believe they will be a
burden to the flesh and a weariment to the
reader. When shipherd started out he pro
claimed that he was going to pull down
shake He will, if am not greatly mistaken,
be found to be as premature in his talk about
his documents as he was in his prediction
about his so-called testimony. The fraud is
too deep in his skin to warrant any confidence
being placed in his premature predictions.
KE.FER, THE eAvEL MAN.
They are notorious facts that Keifer not only
loses his head without any provocation waht-
ever. but gets all at sea without any reasonable
cause His incompetencY Is so glaring that
the natural resnlt Of 1t is now being demon
strated every day The House pays no atten-
ton to its Speaker. No one recognizes in
the Speaker any qualities as leader, and
consequently he cannot rule the House and
sustain any degree of decorum. In @. her words,
he cannot maintain order. 1t requires some
thing more than gavel and desk to pound
On to manage the House of Representatives
Keifer has only got the gavel and the desk. He
pounds and calls for order often enough. but
he never secures order. His pounding on the
desk quiets things for moment, but as soon
as he gets through pounding the disorder
springs up again. Keifer will be known in his
tory as the 'gavel state sman."
THE EFFECT OF THE RACES.
The attendance of Senators and members
upon the sessions of either house has been very
slim for the past three or four days, as the
afternoon drew on. The seats were pretty
welt occupied up to about two O'Clock p. m,
when there was noticeable thinning
out BY half-past three the ab-
cause OF the dispersion of the solons was about
three miles away. The National Jockey Club
was giving at the race track series Of very
interesting races The races commenced at
three o'clock In the afternoon. Everybody
was there except few members and Senators,
who preferred to stay in their seats in attend
ance upon public business The aforesaid pub
lie business would not have suffered much if
all of them had gone to the races. And then
those who stad away from them would have
had better time If they had gone.
NATIONAL AID TO EDUCATION
gave you a few days ago the principal
points of the bill agreed upon by the House
Committee on Education and Labor in regard
to the aid to be extended by the government to
the cause of education. That bill has provoked
a great deal of discussion among members of
the House. Many of them are opposed to the
bill, while the general sentiment Is in favor of
the government doing something very practi-
cable to the cause of education. The general
provision of the bill, not the principle involved
is what provokes opposition. When the bill
comes up for passage-as there is a good
chance that it wili-it will be so amended in
important particulars that the committee will
hardly be aDle to recognize its bantling.