Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-05-23
WASHING TON LETTER.


rivaled the White House this week
in the number of visitors it has re-
ceived. Mr.. Palmer has been kept
so busy receiving the crowd that he
has not had time to make changes.
He has made about half dozen APP
pontments so far, but says it is his
purpose 10 re-organize the entire
establishment just as fast as he can
get time enough to decide upon good
men for the principal places in the
office.
The Post Office department has
held up lot of star route mail con-
tracts in different sections Of the
country and it is thought they will
be declared void and new bids adj
vertised for. The following are the
contractors interested: w. II. Smith,
G. w. Underwood and j. w. Pigg,
of Missouri, and S. 5. Chappell, of
New York. The trouble arose from
the fact that the names Of the con
tractors, the sureties and the wit
ncsses were all signed in one hand
writing. An investigation soon
proved that all the names were
signed by one of the witnesses-a
woman-who claimed that she had
authority from the parties to sign
for them. 1t is held by the Depart
ment to be irregular and illegal, if
not fraudulent.
The Attorney General has received
an explanation from u. S. Marshal
Jones, who went to Oklahoma with
five or six hundred deputies, large
number of which took advantage of
their being in the country before
settlers TO stake claims. The report
is not at all satisfactory and the
chances are that before this letter is
printed Jones will be dismissed. The
deputies that staked claims will also
find it pretty difficult to hold them.
Commissioner Tanner deHies most
emphatically the published report
that he proposed using lot of Elk
Commissioner Blacks private letters
of political nature that had been
placed in his hands by an employe
of the Pension Office. He has none
of Gen. Blacks private letters and
would not use them if he had, but
he has a batch of official letters to
various officials of the Pension Of
| fee that will show the manner in
which the Office was made to serve
the Democratic party during the last
administration. These he proposes
to make use of when the proper
time comes.
A delegation Of miners and smelt-
ers from the west have been heard
by Secretary Window and Assistant
Secretary 1ichenor this week. They
want the ruling of the Treasury,
which admits lead ore from Mexico
free of duty as precious metal if
the silver contained therein exceeds
the lead in value, changed. They
claim that this ruling is very inju-
rious to the large smelling interests
of the western states and territories.
There was another delegation, priu-
cipally from the east, that claimed
the present ruling to be proper.
Secretary Proctor returned from
his hurried trip of inspection to the
western military posts this week and
expresses himself as much pleased
with what he saw. He goes to the
West Point military academy in a
few days.
The resignation of Solicitor Gen
oral jerks Of the Department Of
Justice has been accepted by the
President. This is the position that
made the hard feelings between
Senators Sherman and Quay Al
phonzo Hart, of Ohio, is getting in
ahead of the Pennsylvania man.
Ex-Congressman Tom Ochilree,
of Texas, claims to have control of
all the federal patronage in Texas.
Perhaps he has, but it would be just
as we'll to remember that Ochiltree
has long been promising candidate
for the lying championship Of the
world.
Presidential appointments have
L.. a