The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-08-14
N AND DEMOCRAT, BLOOMSBURY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, PA

4
few crumbs from the democratic table.
Judging from the number Of prominent
Senators and Newspaper men in the
city last week, some powerful political
influence must have been brought to
bear on the President for appointments,
which it was hoped he would make be.
fore leaving for his four weeks recrea.
ton in the Adirondacks. You need
not therefore be surprised il some i'm.
portant appointments in the states are
made during the Presidents absence,
although it has been stated that he
would take no political cares into the
woods with him.
1t has for years been the custom to
allow departmental clerks thirty days
leave OF abcence in year, and
thirty days additional "sick leave"
with pay. But this has been changed
SO as to allow only thirty days in all.
This leave has usually been taken in
the summer months, but so far this
year but few leaves have been applied
for, compared with what have been
granted in the same months in previous
years. Many of the clerks are fearful
that if they should take a leave it
might be extended indefinitely without
pay, and SO their courage to ask for it
is very weak. But there is little need
of any one leaving Washington in sum-
mer. AT this season of the year the
foliage, plants and shrubbery which
adorn our circles and parks are in the
height of their glory. The least oh.
servant person can scarcely pass by
them without being conscious of a
pleasurablc emotion.
A count just completed of the pub
lie documents stored at the Capitol
shows that there are about 100000 of
such documents stored there. There
used to be great demand for Agricul
tural Reports, but not such large de-
mand of late years, as most people have
thought; for some years past there
have been as many as 10000 copies
a year left undistributed
The Medical Museum, which occu-
pies the old Ford's Theatre on Tenth
street, made historic by the assassina.
tion of President Lincoln in it, is in
luck. Congress at its last session ap
propriated 100000 for the erection of
new building. The site selected is
the Smithsonian grounds, where it will
stand alongside the Smithsonian and
National Museum buildings-places
well known to every person who has
ever visited Washington. Bids just
received for its erection range from
$4,000 to S233,OOO.
The next building erected ought to
be for the Library of Congress, so as
to relieve the crowded condition of the
Capitol building, and provide a safe
repository for the thousands of volumes
now stacked up so as TO be inaccessible.
Lieut.. Greely's health is not as bad
as reported. He is spending the sum
mer in Massachusetts, and expects to
leave in October for Scotland, but his
report on the Arctic expedition will be
given to the public before he sails for
that country. This report will be print
ed by the Government at its own print
ing Office in this city.
Great difficulty is experience every
winter in properly and economically
heating the various government build
ings here, many of which cover an
area of over 10000 square feet. With
the view of remedying the evil stock
company has just been organized to
heat buildings generally by means of
superheated water, forced through
mains laid underground. The water
is made to fill the pipes, and heated
above 2120 temperature, and is design.
ed to take the place of steam and fur
mace heat heretofore used. If it should
ever be adopted by the Government
for heating its buildings here there will
be millions in it.
One of our most prominent mer-
chants has on exhibition in his store
window on Penna. Ave, the largest |
brook trout ever seen. 1t weighed ten !
pounds when caught in Rangeley Lake,
Maine, and measures thirty inches from
head to tail, and eighteen inches in cir
cumference. 1t belongs to George
Shepperd Page, of New York City,
one OF the best known fisherman in the
country, and was sent here to a cele-
brated taxidermist 70 be mounted. 1t
will be returned to New York this
week.