Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-07-23
From our regular Correspondent I
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON .Jnly

washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, July l3, 1891.
Secretary Rusk who has been working
unusually hard-he is never a drope-since
his return from the Pacific coast with the
Presidents party. owing to the transfer of
the Weather bureau and other i'm
portant departmental business incidental
to the beginning of new fiscal year, will
leave Washington this week for vaca-
tion. He will be accompanied by Mrs.
Ru>k, and his son Blaine, and at Chicago
the family will be joined by Miss Rusk who
has been visiting the daughters of Secre-
tary Foster at Fostoria, Ohio. The family
are all looking forward to a delightful
rest at the old Wisconsin homestead.
Secretary Foster, like the level-headed
man that he is, declined to make anv spe-
citic answer to the i've column TRADE which
Mr.. Powderly has launched in the shape of
an open letter addressed to Mr.. Foster.
concerning the trouble about the discharge
of the seven Knights Of Labor from the
than TO characterize 1t as being SO abusive
aud untrulhful as TO place it under the
suspicion of being intended to be used as
democratic campaign document. The
publication of this open letter shows very
bad judgment on the part of Mr. Powder
ly and incorporating therein a copy of a
letter which he knew was taken from the
desk of Secretary Foster without his know
ledge or consent by one of hi. colleagues
on the knights Of Labor executive com
! mittee-Devln and Hays-during the
committees conference with Secretary
Foster, was still worse
No more interesting. soldiers reunion was
ever held in Washington than that of the
| Twenty nth New York cavalry, which
convened here on Saturday. ON that day
twenty seven years ago, the gallant men Of
| 700 in number by an exhibition of sol,lierly
nerve that was not surpassed during the
civil war succeeded in preventing the
! capture OF Washington by Gen. Early. who
] 81
900 men expecting to find it entirely unpro-
tccted. When the Twenty-ffth boldly
mounted the hreastworks and marched to
meet Early's advancing line of battle
ht Supposed them 10 be the >kirmish line
OF the Sixth corps which he knew Was
| expected at Washington and he retreated
thus throwing away an opportunity that
was never to come again 1t was very
Interesting to hear the veterans tell Of how
| President Lincoln, in long linen iuster
and black -louch hat, circulated among
the men on that memorable ,iav and spoke
| words OF cheer 20 them notwithstanding
the gloomy outlook. The old soldiers met
with hearty welcome, as they deserved
-, from the Washingtpnians, many OF
whom remember the JOY with which these
same men, and their comrades now gone
TO answer the last roll call were received
on that other July day
The scientific party from the Agricultur.
a. department Is now on its way to the arid
section Of western Kansas. where the at
/
produce rain by artificial methods The
party carried sixty balloons, ten feet in
diameter when expanded which are to be
hllei with combination of oxygen and
hydrogen gas and exploded high in the air
by means oi an electric wire attached to
the balloons one hundred kites dive feet
high % the tails Of which are to be attach
ed dynamite bombs and other explosive,
and lot of wood mortars to be used to
throw bombs from. These things are TO be
scattered along prairie for mile or TWO
and the intention is to keep up the explo-
sion, continuously for at least two entire
days. The result will be anxiously looked
for here, for while there is nobody who ha,
dared 10 say that the thing cannot be done
there are many who are more or less sccpti-
cal about IT, II 1t is success it Will rank
as one Of the greatest discoveries OF this
age Of great discoveries, and will make
many million acres of land, now almost
worthless, very valuable for agricultural
purposes.
ne controversy between Nr. NiCOiaf,
of Washington, who was Mr. Lincnln's
private Secretary, and other gentlemen as
% whether Mr.. Lincoln favored the nom
inatiou Of Andrew Johnson for Vice Pres
ident in 1864 is an entirely useless one,
and except for the dearth Of more impor-
tant news it would never have gained tie
prominence that has been given il for
some days past in the newspapers, and
even if it were an all important subject the
exchange of abuse between Mr. Nicolay
and Col. Mcclure, editor of the Philadel-
phia Times, would throw no light upon it,
Washington is in dead earnest about Sc
curing next years encampment of the g.
A. r. and the delegates to Detroit will car
ry with them cordial invitation and the
assurance that 10000 has been sub
scribed by the citizens of Washington for
the entertainment of the veterans next
year. A committee of prominent citizens
may also 20 to Detroit