San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-16
WASHINGTON LETTER..
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July Is, 1891.

WASHINGTON, July IL, 1881.
Secretary Rusk, who has been
working unusually haId-he is n eve z
q droDe-since his return from the
Pacific coast with the Presidents
party, owing to the transfer Of the
weathes bureau and other important
departmental business incidental to
to the beginning of new fiscal year,
will leave Washington this week for q 4.
vacation. He will be accompanied by.
Mrs. RusK and his SOD, Blaine, and at
Chicago the family will be joined by
Miss Rusk, who has been visiting the
daughter of Secretary Foster, at Eos
toria, Ohio. The family are all look
ing forward 10 delightful re st at!
the old Wisconsin homestead.
Secretary Foster, like the level
headed man that he is, declined to-
make any specific answer to the five
column TRADE which Mr.. Powderly
has launched in the shape of an open,
letter addressed to Mr.. Foster, con-
corning the trouble about the dis
charge of the seven Knights OF Labor
from the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, further than to characterize
it as being so abusive and untrathful
as to place it under the sus-
picion vi poips Ahtonuou W ~"
used as democratic campaign
document. The publication Of
this open letter shows very bad
Judgment on the part of Mr.. Powder
ly, and incorporating theT Elm q copy
of letter which he knew was taken
from the desk of Secretary Foster
without his knowledge or consent by
one of his colleagues on the Knights
of Labor executive committee-D, "
lin and Hays-duriI e the commit .
tees conference with Score.
tary Foster, was still Horsas
No more interesting soldiers redn.
ion was ever held in Washington
than that of the Twenty fifth New
York Cavalry, which convened here
on Saturday. On that day twenty
seven years ago, the gallant men of
the old twenty-fitth although only
about 700 in mum Der, by al exhibition
of soldierly nerve that was not sur -
passed during the civil war, sucGsed-
ed in preventing the capture OF ?
Washington by Gen. Early. who. had
swooped down upon the town vita
10000 men expecting to find
it entirely unprotected. When
the twenty.fifth boldly mount
ed the breastworks and march
ed to meet Esrly's advancing line of
battle he supposed them to be the
skirmish line of the Sixth corps which
he knew was expected at Washington
and be retreated, thus throwing away
an opportunity that was never 10
come again. 1t was very interesting to-
near the veterans tell of how PTesi~~
dent Lincoln, in long linen dustsr'
and a black SLOUGH hat, circulated
among the men on that memorable
day and spoke words of cheer to them
notwithstanding the gloomy outlook
The old soldiers met with hearty
welcome, as they deserved to, from
the Washingtonians, many of whom q
remember the joy with which these
same men, and their comrades, now
gone to answer the last roll call were n
received on that other July day.
The scien ufic party from the Agri-
cultural department is now on itE"
way to the arid section of western q.
Kansas, where the attempt IL to be-
made on q grand scale to produce rain
by artificial methods. The party car
ried 60 balloons, ten feet in diameter
when expanded, which are to be flNsda
with q com bination OF oxygen sBdt
hydrogen gas and exploded high in
the air by means OF an electric wire
attached to the balloons; 100 kites
five feet high, to the tails of which
are to be attached dynamite bombs.
and other explosives; and q lot of " GOD
mortars to be used to throw bombs.
from. These things are to be
scattered along prairie for mile or.
two, and the inten ton is to keep w
the explosions continuously for So
least two entire days. The result
will be anxiOusly looked for here, tor
while there is nobody who has dared
to say that the thing cannot be done,
there are many who are more or Tess ~
sceptical about it. If it is saccess it
will rank as enc of the greatest dis
coverIes of this age OF great discover
les, and will make many million acres
OF land, now almost worthless, very
valuable for agricultural purposes.
The controversy between Mr.. Mic.
olay, of Washington, who was Mr.. =,
Lincoln's private secretary, and other :
gentlemen as to whether Mr.. Lincoln .
favored the nomination Of Andrew ,
Johnson for vice president in 1884 is o..
an entirely useless one, and except
for the dearth of more important
news it would never have gain e6'tne
prominence that has been given it Tor =
some days past In the newspapers,
and even if it were an all important
subject the exchange of abuse be-
tween Mr.. Nicolay and Col. Mcclure,
editor of the Philadelphia Times,
would throw no light upon 1t.
Washington is IN dead earnest
about securing next years encamp-
ment of the @. A. r., and the dele
gates to Detroit will carry with them d
q cordial invitation and the assurance.