The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-25
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON D. c..

March ed, 1885.
Mr.. EDITOR:-AmOng the rumors
which have been current here during
the past few days is one to the effect
that Mr.. Cleveland had sent an agent
to Litchfield, Conn.,, to look over the
ground for summer residence, and
that negotiations have been completed
for a lease of a house in that town for
the summer months. The President
has in reality made no plans for the
summer, and it is thought by his friends
that he will spend few weeks in the
Adirondack region late III the season.
Although Thursday was the forty
ninth birthday of the President, there
was no celebration of the occasion at
the White House. In the evening,
however, the President, accompanied
by Miss Cleveland, Miss Van Vechten
and Col. and Mrs. Lamont, attended
the ''MikadO' performance by the
Emma Abbot Opera Company at the
New National Theater. The Presiden-
tial party occupied a private box, and
upon their entrance were warmly ap-
plauded by the audience.
Kansas, introduced in the Senate a
very sensible proposition in the nature
of an amendment to the constitution,
changing the date for inaugurating the
President from March 4th to April 30th.
A great deal can be said in favor of
this measure, and there can be no ser
iOus objection urged to it in any
quarter. There certainly should there
fore be no delay in its adoption, either
by Congress or the legislatures Of the
several States.
The debate upon the Edmunds reSo-
buttons, which has continued during
the week, is beginning to grow wear
isOme both to the Senators themselves
and to the general public, as is attested
by the thin sprinkling of people in the
galleries and the number of vacant
seats on the floor.
Among the bills favorable considered
by the House Committee on Invalid
Pensions during the week were bills to
increase the rate of pension for the
loss of leg or an arm; to increase the
pension for the loss of an eye, and the
EllSbury bill to pension all honorably
discharged soldiers incapacitated from
performing manuel labor. unless such
disability was occasioned by their own
gross carelessnesS or vicious habits.
There has been placed upon exhibit
ion in the National MuSuem, as a
present from the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, the original locomotive
John Bull, )" which was built in 1881 by
G. Of
Castle upon the Tyne, England, for the
Amboy Railroad Company of New
Jersey. The first trip made by the
engine was. on the 18th of November,
1881, in the presence of the members of
the legislature, and it was continued in
use until 1865. Although this is not
actually the first locomotive used in
the United States, it is probably the
Oldest in existence at the present time.
The monthly report of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, about to be is
sued, will contain, under the head of
Frauds upon Farmers" an account of
the manner in which farmers through
out the country have been sWindled in
the sale of hulleSS oats. This fraud
is found to have been imported from
Canada in 1880, since which time it
has made its way into every Western
State, and made local incursiOns south
ward, and is beginning to be heard of
in the extreme east. The losses which
have accrued from the preparation of
this fraud have, it is claimed, exceeded
$4,000 in a single county, and proba-
bly, 100000 would not cover the loss
in Ohio. A loss of 500 by one man is
common, and some cases it has exceed
ed 81 600.