The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-05-23
RANDOM NOTES.

friend writes me asking about the authenticity
OF the letter OF Andrew jackson, quotations from
which were published in THE SUNDAY HERALD
The friend making these inquiries Ia a prominent
mana state Senator, Democrat, and wlthal only
twenty-four years OF age. Solemnly impressed with
the Idea that the Democratic party IA the party OF
economy with big E,) he writes to ask II II Is not
the "polcyh OF that party to "reduce expenditures
Answering my friend, and others OF his ik, would
like to say First, that the letter referred to ia gen.
uine, and can be inspected at any time II PRO.
nounces in most vigorous and unqualified way In
favor OF making Navy equal to that OF any o,hct
power on the face OF the eloce, and while II con.
dcms the policy then advocated by the Whigs, as Ii
Is now advocated by Blaluel Of raising surplus to
be distributed among the States, 1t urges the ncces.
sity OF an Increased expenditure for the Navy and
for fortinca,ions. little more Andrew jackson,
and little less Holman, in such matters. wepld
benefit the Democratic party.
Mr.. Boyles committee has patiently investigated
the Fan Electric business. The public has found
verdict OF "nothlng proved This Is not due to any
want OF faithful performance OF duty by Mr. Boyle
or his associates IL is due to the fact that nothing
was TO he found out by the process OF special COM
mittee. The public are pretty well assured OF the
fact that most special committees are useless waste
OF public money.
"Where was Moses when the light went out9, In
the dark, promptly answers the youth OF to-day
But Moses Bradshaw wants 10 get out OF the dark
10 which Postmaster General Ilatton relegated him,
and turn on the light where further disclosures will
make him prominent. Which reminds me OF Field
ings story OF the hghwayman, who was hung, who
said that he began his with the idea that he
wanted publicity. Now, Moses comes OF a family
that thrusts Itself upon prominence. Having been
kicked out OF the Post Office Department, he wants
TO he kicked into the Government service. And as
preparatory boost in this direction he has enlisted
certain persons in an inquiry into the affairs OF the
Post ONCE Department.
al have officially examined into these affalrsr y
said member OF the House Committee on Post
onces and Post Roads to me on Tuesday last, "and
| md that the cost of stamps and stamped enyel-
opes has been cheapened from year year In the past
twelve years. have no doubt that the next letting
Will show another reduction. am willing, for one,
to make any investigation that may be suggested,
but ask first that we may call upon the Postmaster
General Tor facts before we enter into any Wild
goose chase"
"There is no par, of the money appropriated in
the River and Harbor bill that Is more absolutely
wasted than that spent on the Mississippi" said an
ohicer OF engineers employed on the Improvement
OF that river. "rhe attempt to narrow the channel
VIII prove falure and I'm sorry the responsibility
was not left In the hands OF the Mississippi River
Commission. There is nothing but mud 10 rest the
mattresses against and the works will all be washed
away some time or other. My theory of that river
Is that the place to improve is on Its bottom Take
Plum Point Reach, where was on duty. The river
Is there very wide and constantly shoaling and
shifting Its channels. This is because the bottom IL
hard, being here composed of gravel. The way to
improve this Is by slutce-dredging the channel TO
deepen 1t. The immense quantity OF silt carried
down the Mississippi has to be deposited some
where. III the river is confined within It's banks II
must be deposited in the CHANNEL and the bed Of the
river will be constantly rising, the bed of the River
Po In Italy has And then 1t cannot be kent from
breaking out of Its banks during foods, only the
crevasses will cause more destruction than they
now do.'
The usefulness OF the Patent ONCE has received a
somewhat equivocal demonstration lately 1t an.
pears from memoranda found upon the person OF a
skiful housebreaker recently arrested in New York
that he had spent considerable time in Washington
making a thorough and syste matte examination OF
the models and drawings Of locks In the Patent
ONCE taking copious notes for future reference of
such as he thought might be most useful to him.
Now, that is an example OF professional zeal worthy
OF Imitation. "When the enerprising burglar Isn't
burgling" he can be studiously preparing himself
Tor success in the future. The ingenuity which In.
ventors have lavished in trying to keep him out Is
ouoJect 10 spenu MS leisure lime
upon. The most complicated combinations for
hamperlng his freedom Of access to buildings nd
safes are minutely described and illustrated In the
Patent ONCE. He may therefore learn much that is
interesting and novel and useful to him in his pro-
fessionai capacity. True, the example OF the young
man who took all the trouble to learn so much is not
entirely encouraging. The untmely Interference of
the police has checked his career before he had
made use Of his researches In the Patent oice but
others who tread in his investigating footsteps may
be more fortunate.
MAI. Bailey, the patent attorney, who figures
prominently In the latest startling affidavt of Mai.
Wilbur In relation to the Pan Electric inquiry stated
yesterday that II there was any great amount OF
money flying around to be used for bribing and
undue influence he only wished there had been
some for the payment then Of some OF the legitimate
attorneys fees. Two years after the grant of tho
Bell patent or In ISIS, when he and Pollok dissolved
partnership, Bailey stated TO Pollok In set
ting up their business that the Bell account was
"n. 81" that Bell had no money then, and the Bell
accoun,now long due, could not be properly classed
among the assets. He said further that such was
the mpecunlousness OF Bell that Pollok out OF the
Kindness OF his heart, paid the final Government
fees In several OF the Bell applications between 1916
and 1878 to save them from forfeiture. It would
appear at that time that neither Bell nor Gray had
any great Idea Of the future Importance OF this great
Invention.