Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-23
Washington News and Gossip.

celebrations, how the South Washington
schools made happy Christmas for many poor
people, where members of the cabinet and
congressman live in this city, telegraphic gen.
eral and local news, etc. The advertisements
are classified as follows: Auction Sales, Ladies'
1oods, Sewing Machines, Books, Educational
Inc Trades, Dentistry, Attorneys, House-fur-
nishings, Financial, Wood and Coal, Specialties,
professional, Medical, Steamers, Potomac
River Boats, Railroads, Undertakes.
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS To-DAY.-Internal
revenue, 1927 1863; customs, ISAIAH.
The CONTINGENT EXPENSES of the War de-
partment tor the last fiscal year amounted to
So6,516. "a, which was 81 ,923.76 less than the
appropriation for that purpose.
PATENTS IssUED.-Patents were issued yester-
day to residents of the District as follows w. H.
Babcock, suspension device for lamps; r. Bex
4. Scott, pipe joint; James w. Somerville, tank
Tor Water-clOSetS; r. II. TAYLOR conduit for
electric wires; Mary c. Walling, stamping ma
chine.
AMONG THE PRESIDENTS CALLERS to-day
were Secretary Bayard, Secretary Endicott,
Senators Jackson and Butler, Representatives
Weaver with Dr. Martin, of Des Moines and
Mr. Burroughs, of Grinnell, Iowa; Brown, jack
son, Davidson, Sessions, Morrison, Wheeler
Seney and Anderson, of Ohio, with a squad OF
".
SECRETARY WHITNEY is expected to return
from New York tomorrow.
NAVAL ORDERS.-Lieut. Commander Chas
II. Davis, ordered to ordnance instruction at
the Washington navy yard; Passed Assistant
Paymaster A. X. Michler. to the Tallapoosa, 9Th
detached from the Naval academy and ordered
to the Juniata; Lieut.. Samuel Belden, from the
Juniata and placed on waiting orders.
THE LEAVE of Capt p. D. vroSm, Sd cavalry,
has been extended one month, and that of
Capt Geo. f. Price, 9th cavalry, has been ex-
tended two months.
Major r. s. VICKEY, surgeon, has been re-
lfeved from duty in the department of the
Columbia and ordered to proceed to Washing
TON, ana report to the surgeon general for duty
In connection with the army and navy hos
pifal at Hot Springs, Ark.
HOLIDAYS FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
AT the cabinet meeting yesterday it was de-
clded that the departments should be closed at
noon on the days Immediately preceding
Christmas and New Year and Ill day on those
mondays. During holiday week no other holi-
days are to be given, and the departments will
Transact business as usual. This decision was
reached because of the backward condition of
work In the various departments. 1t was
thought that If any more holidays were granted
there would be serious accumulation OF work.
DEATH OF REPRESENTATIVE OWENS WIFE
Mrs. w. ID. Owen, wife of the Representative
In Congress from Logansport, Ind, died at S14
18th street, in this city, of consumption this
morning She had been an invalid for some
TIME ana her death was not unexpected The
remains will be taken to Logansport for inter-
ment.
PERsoNAL.-Mr. Blaine is said to have COM
pleted all but about one hundred pages of the
second volume of his 'Twenty Years in Con-
gress. MIR. John B. Mccarthy, the we'll
known newspaper man, has been appointed
fornia.-Senator Hawley, of Connecticut, Rep
resentat1ves Henly, ofCalifornia, and Willard of
view view; 1ork were registered in New York last
nIght.-MaJor Lockwood, chief clerk of the
Interior department., has gone to his home in
New YORK state to spend the holidays--Mr.
Nicholas NJ Bel, the chief of the foreign maffs
diVlsion, Post Office department., has gone to
ST Louis for the holidays.-Dr. Pope reports
Senator Millers case as more favorable to-day
.nan "hen ne arrived here, and that he is
SLOWLY recovering from the fatigue of the
journey.
The District Appropriation Bill.
PREPARING THE OUTLINE-NO LEGISLATION
ON THE BILL THIS SEsSIoN-THAT MUST GO
TO THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE.
Mr.. Courts, the clerk to the House committee
on appropriations, is occupied in preparing the
outline OF the District OF Columbia appropria-
ton bill according to the estimates for next
year, so that the committee when appointed
can handle it more easily. There can be no
legislation on this bill this year, and all recon-
mendations involving legislation will have to
go to the District of Columbia committee The
legislation that committee has put upon this
bill in small way from time to time has been
OF great advantage to the District, particularly
In such matters as perfecting or increasing the
police or fire department force. Any increase
OF this sort must now he secured by the district
committee. The proposition for Congress 70
advance money to complete the street i'm
proponents all at one time. the halt to be paid
with the sewerage last Congress, will have to
come through the District committee. The
proposition is generally spoken of favorably, as
1t secures a saving of money to both the District
and the general government and then. too the
remarkable success OF the experiment as to the
sewerage has proven that this plan Is entirely
practicable. Some of the members are aston
1shed at the promptness OF the District in pay
ing up the previous advance already when
they had five years, If they wanted, in which to
pay it.
Mr.. Shelley, of Alabama, who was the author
OF the sewerage bill in the last House, is not now
in Congress, but there are several others who
Will take an interest in the matter.
Divided Democrats.
COMING TROUBLE OVER THE SILVER QUESTION
1t is expected that Congress will become in
volved in bitter contest over the silver ques-
ton soon after the Christmas HOLIDAYS. The
democratic party is badly divided on The cues
ton, and there is no telling what the outcome
may be. Representative Reagan says he fears
The Monkey and the Powder Horn.
A TENNESSEE DEMOCRATS STORY WITH AN AP-
PLICATIoN.
A Tennessee democrat, who is not altogetherin
harmony with the administration on the civil
service question, says it was the intention of
the party to go only little way in that direc-
ton, and Mr.. Cleveland has gone altogether too
far. He says the situation reminds him of the
story of the monkey the sailor brought home to
his Wife, The monkey got to be o household
pet, and was always about the kitchen when
the good woman was at work. The yard was full
OF chickens, and every now and then they would
come into the room to pick up crumbs. When
ever they became too much OF a nuisance the
good woman would throw a few grains of DOW.
der In the fire to frighten them out with the
flash. One day the sailors wife was away, and
the monkey undertook to run the kitchen. He
watched the chickens very carefully, and when
tie kitchen was pretty we'll filled with them he
took down the powder horn and threw it all in
the fire, blowing himself and all the surround
ings sky high.
The killing Of Surgeon Maddox.
AN OFFICIAL DISPATCH CONFIRMS THE NEWS
Adjutant General Drum telegraphed for off,
cial Information regarding the reported en-
gagement OF Lieut.. Fountains force with the
Indians, and this morning received the follow
ING Of no in,