The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-06-07
WASHINGTON Eelrer.
(From our regular correspondent.l
WASHINGTON, d. c., June 3, 1899.

eneQ universal s~ylBJabhy HoiV oho WY
| Morning Post has already begun to
receive subscriptions for the relief of the
sufferers at J ohnstown. General Schofield,
acting Secretary of War is by direction of
the President already considering means of
relief and by tomorrow some plan will be
submitted BY which the National Treasury
NAV furnish sGccor. The President sent a
telegram of sympathy Saturday. and re-
quested the Mayor of Johnstown to make
a sight draft on him for his subscription.
The local humiliation has reached a high
err point than ever attained during the flood
of 1881. which was d mid-winter disaster.
The loss to the Government and to corpor-
atoms and private individuals is very great.
The loss of life fortunately will not reach
half a dozen in this vicinity. Pennsylvania
avenue is tlooGed and the street car lines
have closed travel. No trains arrive from
the west or north. Boats ply avenues a
mile for the river proper. The reputation
of George Washington as a sagacious
engineer in selecting the site. of Washing
ton for the Capitol is suffering a severe
strain. The extensive improvements on
the flats are nearly ruined.
The great ponds of the I. 5. Commits
sion filled with carp flooded and the fish
escaped yesterday much to the delight of
the small boy. Acarp twenty inches long
was caught on Pennsylvania avenue, oppo-
site the National Hotel. In the evening
thousands of the fish were attracted by the
electric lights, and could plainly be seen
disporting in the flood.
Nearly two hundred pounds of letters
addressed to Mr.. Cleveland during his
presidential term were consigned to the
flames the other day. They were epistles
from cranks, and represented the oldest
tumble of insane whims that could be i'm
agined. They did not generally consist,
as might nave been expected, Of requests
| for official favors. The cranks who address
the President are generous and long only
to give, not to receive. The letters were
| full of advice on civil service reform, tariff,
| foreign affairs, Samoa, Oklahoma-every-
thing, except the White House rats. There
was nearly two hundred letters from one
David God, seemingly on as many differ
ent subjects. Many Of the epistles were
from people evidently deinented on religion,
and in these letters the strains of piety are
interrupted with worse TRADES offilthy OBJ
scenity, b~lasphemy and biltingsgate than
ever fell from a Seven Dials fisherwoman.
Expurgated Of the filth, the collection
would have been of value to a dime mu-
scum.
As a specimen Of the most curious letter
is the following from Vermont;
"Dear Mr.. President: When | got up
this morning and went to light the fire, l
found the stove pipe gone. looked all
around the house for it, but could not find
it. Finally | found it leaning up against
the door on the outside of the house. The
weather is warm and pleasant now and l
can get along very we'll without any stove
pipe. Very truly your friend, j. II. Whit
ing"
What DEVILS dance OF ideas is this? The
writing is fair and legible; the signature is
made with a flourish. There were a dozen
letters from the same man on as i%nconse-
q%nential subjects.
Sir Julian Pauncefote is the last man you
would select as a swordsman-especially a
knight Of the foils. He is heavy in figure
and indolent in manner, his eyelids are
fleshy and the expression of face dull. Like
most elderly men of his class in England,
the British minister shows in appearance
the triumph of wines and rich foods over
the once splendid physique that early train
ing developed. And yet Sir Julian gives
promise of making fencing popular in fash
ionable society here. Those who know
him say that he is the most skillful and
enduring foilsman seen here in years.
These upper class Englishmcn are always
physical surprises. There was Lord Sack
vile; he had the same bored indolent man.
ner, and yet he was a magnificcntly pre-
served man aad could reel off ten miles on
the high road in a name that would
make a professional pedestrian e~nvious.
Land Commissioner Stockslager handed
in his resignation Saturday and it has been
accepted to take affect July /. Ex-Goy-
crnor Stone, of Iowa who was appointed
Deputy COMMISSIONS of the General Land
Office several weeks ago is expected to sue
coed him, his appointment as Deputy hav-
ing been made for the purpose Of familiariz-
ing him with the work of the office prior
to his election.
The President has finally promised to re-
ceive the Anti-Mahone Republicans of Viz
ginia, on June II. What they will accom-
plish is easy to see nothing. The Presi-
ident is evidently inclined to snub them
and is simply putting off the torture for a
few days. WESTON.
During the storm of June l, near Wash
burn, North Dakota, the sky was black
with a mammoth flock of ducks, estimated
at from 500, 900 to 1000, 900. Suddenly
there came in quick succession four vivid
flashes of lightning, and swarms of birds
fell in heaps to the ground. 1t is thought
at least 10, 600 were killed.