Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1889-07-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Ifrom our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July Is, 1883

The climate of Washington has
again shamelessly bet raye'l us all, the
thermometer recklessIy plunging into
the nineties. With lew except ions the
capital during he past week has been
the hottest town ia lac United States.
Those able to go have made haste to
leave the city. The president is nam
bcred among he unfortunate, and will
not be able tn Join hi, family at Deer
Park before next week. The number
of ult a-faslionablr people in official
life that have followed the Harrison :
to that charming mountain resort H.
surprising. Mrs. Commodore this and
Mrs. Rear Admiral that are there ~
full force. The Elkins family carriage
is drafted int q the service of Mrs Har-
risOn and the babies and Rev. Mr..
Scott, her father, and the schemes
that the naughty spoilsnen have con.
cOct ed to yet possession oi the presi-
dent when he goes tn Deer Park are
deep laid. The seat of government
will practically lie in the mount aims
for the next month.
During the Sullivan X ilrain fight this
week the department. : were practically
deserted by employees, and the t-le
gra ph bulletin boards became he cen
ters Of attraction ior every one. hi.l
or low. Probably Sl5,OOO changed
hands here on the result, though nc
heavy gambling was done. Authenti,
news OF the fight arrived about five
o'clock in the afternoon. The excite
ment reminded one Of that common n
lew years ago in renewing election re
turns from the October 81 atcs. Foi
some reason the White House tele
gra ph operat torconsi,lerately remained
Oh duty all the evening, and his wir,
being in direct connection with tn,
Western Union line hearing the news
OF the battle, he could not help receiv-
ing the account. Uncle Jerry Rusk in
nOcently meanderel over from his
lonely quarters 1T the Ebbitt. and
Secretary Tracy also found business
at the executive mansion. Sccretar
Noble, though the hour was rat her I'm
usual for n cabinet meeting in time al
peace, somehow happened to drop in
and was shocked To hear that his col
leagues were deep in the mysteries oi
the fort ty-iourth round. Post master
General Wanamaker was there. deter
mined to see what brlites men can
make Of themselves. In tact, The feel
ing throughout the city was one OF in
tense interest. There was general sat
isiactiOn ia the result, al, hough Wash
ingtOn IL so close to Baltim imore that il
was iavOrably influenced 10y the ST.
ries Of kilrain> = wonderful staying
qualities and thereby lost "a neat sun
Oi money.
| Commissioner Tanner is tastiIi tn,
sorrows oi official liie The ineyitabl,
reaction which follows "a too pro
nOunce,l success has set in, and tn,
commissioner : life is not II happy one
The removal Of his private secret AIRY
by Secretary Noble has been iollowe,
by an order from the interior depart
ment prohibiting the promiscuou,
L
its turn. was followed during Mr.. Tan
ner's absence on Monday 10y the dis
charge OF three members of henIedica
corps oi the pension bureau. Com
missioner Tanner refuses io acknowl
edge that his relations with the srcre
tary are strained or that these Ills
charges are intended as rebuke. On.
oi the discharged employees, II Dr. Car
penter, alleges that he was discharge
because he was too liberal IN allowin.
big reratincs al pensions.
Rerating, as Il system, was discov
cred by Gen. Black as u very neai
means of showing that former admin
| istrat ions had not dealt literally Will
the soldier. These rerat ings. however
were not allowed to greatl depict,
the treasury 10y their size. and wer,
generally restricted to the doubtful
states. They attained their greatest
number during the campaign al last
fall.
COrpOral'ranner sacc-ssiOn a pow-l
was regarded by n vast number ot ex
soldiers as an unalloyed BLESSING. tn,
cry was "the old ilag and appropria
tiOns." There was to he enough none,
for all. and one would have but toasl
to receive. In the pension blrea,
itself is ~ small but powerful clique q
pensioners, whose members are con
tinually applying for Increase. An ~
sistant chief Of one Oi the divisions ha
applied for Increase seven times in tin
last three years. This clique saw ;
golden chance to obtain reral ings, am
in about the time it takes to tell it ;
dozen Of the crowd had myst eriOusl,
had their claims reeOnsidere,l obtain
ing thereby from eight or nine hundre,
to thirty-iive hundred dollars each
They literally passed ON the merits q
each Others claims. The game linall.
attracted the attention Of the secre
tary, with the result described.
The muttered threats heard agains
the secretary from a small circle q
these people he does not heed.