The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-10-05
WASHINGTON.

The work OF readJusting the salaries or
postmasters will cost the government about
100000.
The list of pensioners which the govern
ment has ordered printed will fill live large
octave volumes.
General G. w. Getty, who has been in
command OF the artillery school at Fortress
Monroe, has been placed on the retired list.
There Is bad feeling between Frank Hat
ton and Z. Il. Smith, editor of the Philadel-
phia Press. The latter charges Hatton with
trying to control the appointment OF Com
missioner of Patents.
The postoffice department has learned
that figures on the postal notes have been
altered by filling hole through q email
figure with bit of paper punched from
higher figure, and removing the written
words with acids.
During the Know-Nothing excitement in
1854 block OF marble for the Washington
monument, presented by the Papal govern
ment, was stolen. An anonymous writer In
the Post claims that the stone was sunk In
the Potomac river above the Long Bridge
and that 1t Is likely the dredgers now at
work will find 1t.
Commissioner Dudley estimates that he
will require but $40, O0,0 900 for pensions for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1885. He
will embody this estimate in his forth
coming report to congress, which will show
that about $40, 00J 00) of unexpended APP
preparation will remain on hand at the close
of the present fiscal year.
In response to numerous inquiries from
parties Interested, the post0fiice depart
newspaper to person without an implied
or expressed request, the fact that the par
ty addressed takes the paper from the post
Office does not of itself create liability to
pay for ii.
The right to use the great falls of the
fpnrtaap M ohnVQ
ton, has been secured by an electric light
company, which proposes to bring the
electricity from that point to central
station and then distribute 1t throughout
that city. Arrangements are now being
made to light some of the parks, and some
lights will be put on top Of the Washington
Monument, now 400 feet high. BY using
water instead of steam for power the COM
pany propose to reduce the cost OF the light
Ex-Governor Fletcher, of Missouri, was
at the treasury department Wednesday.
He called upon Commissioner Evans and
tried to induce him to regard kind OF bev-
erage called ''Phosphated Lemon Rye"
made at st Louis, as a medicinal prepara-
ton. He failed to accomplish the object
of his mission, however, the Commissioner
telling him that the question must be left
to the revenue officers of each locality. The
compound is regarded at the department as
ready-made whisky sour.
CoNFEDERATE BATTLE-FLAGs.
Application has been made to the war
department by the few survivors of the
confederate brigade residing in Norfolk for
permission to use their old battle-flags, now
In possession of that department, on the oc-
cason of a reunion to take place in a few
weeks. There are several hundred con-
federate battle-fiags stored in the war de-
partment. Adjt. Gen. Drum said the APP
plcation would have TO be refused, as
M
dent can give or lend these flags without
the sanction Of congress.
YOUNG FISH.
The improvement on the method of dis
tributing young fish on the part of the
United States commission inaugurated some
months ago has been fully tested and found
to answer an admirable purpose by the de-
livery of the young fish at the most remote
points practically without any loss. Here
tOfore this has been done by messengers in
charge of certain number of cans con-
tanning young fish, and travelling In baggage
cars on express trains; but that mode,
though as many as from twelve to fifteen
large cans of fish were often thus sent, was
found inadequate to the requirements,
and the experiment was accordingly tried
of fitting up refrigerator car, In which q
much larger supply Of fish could be carried
and kept at a uniform temperature, sufi-
GENTLY low to prevent injury to the fish by
the summers heat. This car Is now used
altogether for the purpose and has proved
very successful In carrying out this feature
of the governments scientific work.
AN ARMY OF PosTMAsTERs.
The names of $50 or 800 postmasters will
be sent to the senate by the president dur
ing the next session Of congress. In the
first place there have been about 800 post
masters appointed by the president since
congress adjourned, whose names must be
submitted to the senate. In many of these
cases reasons will have occurred to change
the presidents mind, and he will re-nOmi-
nate the men appointed in the recess. Then
the commissions of about 300 presidential
postmasters will expire during the session.
| In addition to the coo VINO will charge the
senate, at least 80 or 200 persons will be
| nominated to fill vacancies caused by death,
resignation, and removal, and to manage
offices promoted from fourth to third class.
| The amount Of 'infloOence" that can be
concentrated in Washington by the as
pirants for eight hundred postoffices paying
over 81, 000 each defies calculation.
DISEASES AMONG CATTLE.
| During the past summer DR.. Salmon, Of
| the agricultural department. has been con-
Quoting series of experiments intended to
ascertain the causes and means of proven.
| tion of hog cholera and pleuro pneumonia
among cattle. AT the cattle station near
| Washington about thirty cows have been
| subjects of experiment. Fifteen were In
oculated to ascertain IL the lung disease,
which prevails about Washington, was con-
| tagiOus, but no results tending to establish
that conclusion followed the incubation.
Other experiments were made to discover a
system of vaccination to protect hogs and
chickens from cholera. The greatest OBJ
stacle encountered was the lack of stability
| in the hog virus and its liability to deteri-
crate. The virus must be cultivated SO as
to keep q uniform strength, and as the best
means OF doing this is yet unknown 1t must
be ascertained by further experiments.
Better results have followed the investlga-
tons into the character of virus in chicken
| cholera, and DIR. Salmon expresses the
| opinion that the means of protecting chick
| ems from that disease will soon be known.
| AN OFFSET TO REDUCTIONS.
There are differences between the reports
of internal revenue made by the internal
revenue bureau and those made up in the
division of warrants and appropriations,
due apparently to the fact that the informa-
ton on which these reports are based Is
not received simultaneously at the bureau
and the division. Sometimes the figures Of
one are higher, and sometimes those of the
| other. For the first three months of the
current fiscal year the reports Of the bu-
4 l. l.