The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-11
A RICHMOND INVENTION
EXCITING CONSIDERABLE INTER
ESTINTHE FEDERAL CAPITAL.

EXCII ING CONSiOEhNoLc lN cH
ESTIN THE FEDERAL CAPITAL
: Valuable Medium for saving LiNes-the
Mount Vernon Avenue Bill-Eepabiican
EnianeIoments- s-CongressionaI Proceed
ings and Capital Notes.
WAsHINGroN. june Special. No
electric invention has excited more in
terest in Washington than that Of the uni
yersal Electric Railway signal COMPANY"
which was wrought out by Richmond
man, and is now owned by "a Richmond
company. None Of Edison's patents have
elected "a greater degree Of interest, and the
indications are that the Richmond company
has regular bonanza. None Of
the stock can now be bought, the holders
ail refusing TO sell. But the financial pro-
mise OF the patent is entirely secondary.
The almost certainty that it viii save life
and property by preventing ralii0ad acct
dent, il the element of public interest.
Had this device been in Use. the collision
reported in tO-day's papers from kaneas
lives of a dozen persons saved.
TIE MOUNT VERNON AVENUE BILL.
The House Military Committee have 50
far as lis power goes. put veto on Repre-
sentative Lees bill for the construction Of
Mount Vernon avenue. a boulyard 20 run
between Washington and Mount Vernon.
TODAY the subcommittee TO whom the sub
iact was referred. reported against il, and
The full committee voted 10 postpone
the matter indefinitely. The last
Congress appropriated $4,000 for survey,
which was made hy Colonel Hams. of the
Engineer Corps. He reported that the cost
OF the contemplated avenue would exceed
S5UOO0O. The Virginia Legislature voted 10
donate TO the Mt. Vernon Association
the states claim against the United
states. for Sl20.000 for money adj
Vanccd for the erection Of public build
ngs in Washington when the National cap
itll was permanently located. OF course
this donation was conditional upon the final
approval cf the plan by Congress.
General Lee is by no means disheartened.
lie can get the proposition before COngres,
despite the action Of the committee, and ii
j. believed that on a square vote it Will
carry.
REPUBLICAN ENrANGLENiENT.
As this session of Congress progresscs
the Republicans get into a more intcrmina-
Die tangle. Now the tarih bill is in col
lis,On with the silver bill, and the friends Of
the latter openly declare that unless they
can get free coinage there shall be 10 taril
legislation. Senators stewart, Teller, Jones.
of Nevada. aud Plumb are on the war-paih
for free silver. They declare that the re-
m0nelizalion Of silver is Of more consc-
quence tO their people than any matter now
pending ana that 10 faithfully serve their
constituents it j. their duty to fight
for free silver. These Republicans oc-
cupy the vantage ground. II is with
20 their power 90 compel rccog-
milton of their demand. and they seem
determined % use their power. Chairman
VI ekmey. Of the Ways and Means, is IN
distress. ile spends more than half his
time u the senate, pleading with Ecpubli-
cans to support his bill. senator Plumb Is
an ayoWcd opponent Of the Mckinley bill,
and since his attack made in open
senate the other day. a. reported in TIE
TINES Dee has been fairly be-eiged by Re-
puhlcans 90 "csaseiiehtinc and support the
bin lor the par.ys sake senator Plumb
declares tha, hc viii not let up unless the
..eod bu-s" coa-e their tight on silver.
senator Daniel To-day presented two Pc
titi0ns one from King George county, Ter
free coinage, and one from charlotte cnun-
tN. in behalf 0l the Farmers Alliance sub
Treasury bin.
SPRING AND WINTER WHEAT
The statistical returns Of June 10 the Do-
paItmcnt OF Agricultural incSldce preliml-
nary estimates OF the area Of wheat. both
spring and winter. and is conditions.
While several states increased ilc area oi
winter whpa; last autumn, the heavy le-
lucti0u uy Ilowin1 aud planting in other
STATES ,0 replace the winter killed wheat ia
lllno., and Indiana. and to limited
cNirnt in t}.O Or Three other states, has r.
ducDd thr acreage in every wheat growing
state Oi ANY prominence except Kansas ana
Oregon. The percentage, represent the
actual area now growing in comparison
with acreage harvested last year, and I'M
ciuie al fnat WAS seeded last filil except
Nh4t has been replaced hy other
crops. The general average j, Hl.2 o
reduction OF So per cert of last years winter
wheat area. The percentage Of the princ'-
liai STATES are a- follows: New York. 'N.
Pennsylvania. 1; Nirginia, ~; Georgia. s.:
Texas. 1J; Kentucky. %; phiO. %; Michi-
gan. 9l; Indiana. ~; Illinois. -; Missouri,
Hd: Kansas. lO9; California, %; Oregon,
lt.
An increase in acreage OF spring wheat j.
reported. except in Wisconsin ana Dakota.
The percentages are: Wisconsin. 81: Min
ue~oiq. IT'S: Iowa. lOi: Nebraska. 100; the
Dahotas. 90. There j, also an increase IN
Colorado. Washington and the Territories.
The general percentage is lWi.S
Taking winter and spring wheat e.
r.td-r the percentage Of jast ycai ,
nr, iafi i- .l. showing net loss Of near
iF ou. rud thfce-iOurln million acres. ine
estimated area of lS>J was 3S.l-j, ,NJJ acres.
Condition of growing winter wheat has de-
clincd fl0m 50 10 Io,l since the lst OF May.
Sight improvement is noticed IN New
York and Pennsylvania, and in Ohio
and California. The condition oi
wheat in Indiana, Illinois, and
Texas remains NJ the same low figures -
last month. \ decline is apparant in Mich
igan. Missouri and Kansas and in nearly all
the Southern states. The plants are gem
erally thin on the ground and lacking III de-
yelOpment. the patches 0f bare spots are
more conspicuous as the season progresses.
The averages of condition Of principal
states are: New York. 93; Pennsylvania.
g>. Virginia. Il: Georgia, 80; Texas, 81;
Tennessee, -: Kentucky, So; Ohio, -;
Michigan. go; Indiana, G3; Illinois.
81: NJ ssouri. -; Kansas, ~; California.
81: Oregon, 81. The following are some 0i
the spring wheat percentages Of condition:
Wisconsin, -; Minnesota. -; Iowa, ~;
Nebraska, 80; Dakota, 80; Colorado, ~.
The average OF entire spring wheat breadth
IS 9l.2. The reported area Of oats IS "e.';
condition. s9.S. Area Of barley. ISL; con-
dtion. SG.i. Area o. rye, $50; condition.
J2.3. Area Of clover, 1901; condition, 9j.l.
THE THREE NEW VESSELS.
Proposals to build the three vessels pro-
vided for by Congress were opened at the
Navy Department this morning. \ large
assemblage Of naval men were interested
spectators. and manifested considerable
surprise at the small number Of bids r.
ccNed There were three bidders for the
building of armored cruiser No. , &, 100 gons
displacemenD, the limit for which Is S5'yDl,-
nOl which were as follows: The
Union Iron Works. OF san Francisco. accord
ing 10 the departments plans and siiecihcs-
lions $a.lOD.0O0, and according 10 their
own plan $3.OOO.0OO. Cramp d sons, OF
philadelphia, ON department plans. -, lJO,-
Ooo. Their own plan. $2YSJ,WO. The
Risdon Iron and Locomotive Works OF san
Francisco made only one bid-that ON the
a.. Of - flulN