The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-07-09
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks Doings at the Ma
tiOnal Capital -
TIE NEW INDIAN INSPECTOR.

+
hest known as the man who led the rebel dash
on Holly Springs, Dec. 90 1862, by which some
1900 prisoners and nearly g, 000,0 900 worth of
Invaluable stores were captured and Grant over
tland advance on Eicksburg turned back by this
destruction of his depot of supplies. Armstrong
was an officer in the old I'd Dragons in which
he was promoted to Captain June g. 1861, and did
not resign to Join the rebels until Aug. Is, 1861.
He was then given command of picked bri-
pade of Mississippi aud Tennessee cavalry, with
which he made the descent on Holly Springs
meeting no resistance from the cowardly and III
competent Col. Murphy, who was in command
OF course being a Southerner, the proportions OF
the affair are greatly exaggerated and his friends
claim that with about 1000 men he attacked
and captured about 5000, as well as Si.0OO00O
worth of stores. There were really less than
1.5OO men in the garrison. They would have
been sufficient to defend the place, but they
were shamefully mismanaged by their officers.
A NEW PHASE OF OFFENSIVE PARTIsANsHIP.
Some time ago Owen Kellar, of Caldwell,
o. appeared for examination before the civil
Service Commission, and far convinced
that body of his fitness to serve his country as
a civil employee that last week he received an
appointment to a 81 200 cerkship IN the Treas
ury Department, and received q letter from the
appointing powers stating that the place
awaited his arrival. He at once started for
Washington, and ON reaching this city he lost
no time in reporting for duty. lie was as
signed to a position under Gen. Chenowith, the
First Auditor, but that gentleman fatly re-
fused to accept him on the ground that he was
personally offensive to the Democrats in the
district where he lived. 1t has since trans
pired that Keliar took an active part against
Mr.. Warner when that gentleman last ran Tor
Congress, aud was staneh supporter OF Mr..
Taylor his opponent, and Mr.. Warner in con-
sequence thereof wrote to the First Auditor
protesting against the appointment, stating
that Kellar had taken every opportunity to IN
suit the Democrats of his district. The matter
was at once laid before the Civil Service Com
mission by Mr.. Kellar, and that body promptly
reported to Secretary Manning who at once re-
yoked the action of the First Auditor and d.
reeted that Kellar should have the position to
which he had been appointed.
THE NEW MINISTER To BELGIUM.
Lambert Tree, the man who achieved sudden
notoriety last Winter by being defeated for the
Senate by Gen. John A Logan, has been IN the
city for some days, preparing to leave for Bel
GUM to which country he has been appointed
as Minister. He is a trim, tidy-looking little
fellow under so years of age, and resembles an
under official of a country bank moro than any
thing else. His most striking personal pecu-
liarity is said TO be a decided economy in the
matter of personal expenditures. Mr.. Tree.
whose father was Government clerk, studied
law and went ont to Chicago to grow up with
the country, but took shorter cut to fortune
by marrying the daughter of an 1rishman
named McGee, who was one of the first real
estate spectators in Chicago, and, what is most
singular, managed to hold on to the real estate
that he had bought, so when he died he left
large number of eligible town lots for his family.
This Mr.. Tree managed so thriftily that they
are now supposed to be worth about S., 000, 000
He never entered into politics. except at one
time when he was given one of the little Judge
ships around the city of Chicago, whence his
- title of Judge. His candidacy for Senator was
nf tho Of fhp nnfn O.
Donald, the famous gambler and political boss
Of Chicago and it is said that Mr.. Tree could
have been elected at one time had it not been
for his reluctancy to part with the money de-
inanded by some of the members for their votes.
THE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, GAR.
The establishment of the National Head
quarters, GAR, in this city, is progressing.
Commander-inC Chief Burdett has spent much
time in searching for suitable accommodations
for the Headquarters. and has several localities
IN view, but has not determined upon any. The
composition of his staff is also receiving much
earnest attention. So far but two members
have been determined upon-John Cameron
for Adjutant- General and John Taylor for
Quartermaster-G General. Both of these are
cellent selections. John Cameron is one of the
oldest and most untiring Grand Army men in
the city. He has been one of the very few who
have upheld the banners of the Order through
all manner of discouraging experiences, until
velop to its present fine proportions. He will
make a successful Adjutant-General for his
mental habits and methods admirably fit him
for that place. He is precise and methodical,
never leaves anything to chance, and when
anything is done By him it can be relied upon
that it is well done. COmrade Taylor, the old
QGartermaster-General,i is too we'll known to
need any introduction to the readers of The
NATIONAL TRIBUNE
THE WHISKY TAX.
The whisky men are again mustered in force
to persuade Secretary Manning to follow the
course of ex-Secretary McCulloch, and give
them another extension of the time in which
to pay their taxes. 1t will be remembered that
the whisky men have now over 100.000,000
gallons OF high wine, upon which the tax was
due last January. They made vehement
effort to have Congress give them an extension
of time, but this failed, and then they prevailed
on the Secretary to defer the collection of the
tax until August. Now it remains to be seen
what Secretary Manning will do. The argu-
ments of the whisky dealers are the great de-
preston of the times, and the immense amount
of capital they have locked up in their business,
and THAI to force their collection now would
tend to aggrayate and continue the present de-
preston.
NEW SCHEME TO AVOID TAXATION.
An examination ofa barrel of whisky received
from Cincinnati last week showed that a very
ingenious method of beating the eager had
been devised, by making the bung stave and
the one on the opposite side of the barrel three
inches thick. This made an apparent reduc-
ton of about six inches in the internal diane
ter of the barrel, which, of course was quite
important, when it is remembered that high
wines now are made SO strong that they almost
measure double. That is, So gallon barrel
will frequently have So or 80 gallons of proof
spirits in it. 1t was found that about 81 barrels
in one lot had these slaves and the officers have
started cut to examine other lots and see how
far the swindle extends.
MISSING BATTLEFLAGS.
Last week Congressman McAdoo, of New
Jersey, found in the vaults of the War Depart
ment two battlefags which the rebels had cap
tured from regiments of his State. One was a
bunting flag marked 18th N. j." and it was
found among the Confederate property at Rich
mond. The other is silk flag that belonged to
the I'd n. j., and has on it card stating that it
was captured by Private Dickey, of the 5th
Texas after desperate hand to- hand en-
counter. Both flags are torn and blood-stained.
They viii be sent TO the State of New jersey, or
to the survivors of the regiments on application
being made to the War Department.
VISITORS TO THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE OFFICE
Capt Exum r. Saint, Co. E. 4th Iowa Cav,
Newcastle, Ind.
Alexander Roe, LIST Ohio L. A., Steubenville
VIM. Sergeant, 18th Iowa, Urbana, Iowa.
Chas. T. Wilson, I'd Me. Cav, Geo. H. Thomas
Post, San Francisco, Cal.