The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-26
SET OF QUEER QUESTIONS
Novel Inquiries PropOunded to Clerks
BY q Congressional Committee.
Required to UnrAvsl Intricacias of CoHsan-
guinity and Affinity That Will Worry
Some of the Employees into Insanity.


official departments of the government
here have received o set of questions which
they are required to answer for the infor-
nation of the con gressional committee
which has Just entered upon what Is said
TO be two years investigation into the
workings of the executive departments of
the government In Washington. The in
quries propounded have struck the major.
ity of the clerical force with mingle con-
sternation and amusement. The intrica-
cies OF consequently and affinity they are
required to unravel are quite beyond the
powers of many of them. The first
two questions propounded on these
topics are comparatively easy. Each
government employs is required to
declare whether he hos q son or daughter,
q father or mother. q brother or sis-
ter, an uncle or aunt. cousin,
nephew or niece, or grandfather or
grandmother. In the service of the w ASH
IngtoD department Alter he or she has
successfully overcome these preliminary
difficulties. it Is then made necessary ior
each 10 declare whether there IL IN the Ov-
ernment service any great-grn ndfather OF
great grandmother. or gre t-ErandsOn or
great Rrandd augbtsr. and then follows q
bewildering list of great IN cles soDs and
great uncles' daughters. great nncies
grandsons and great uncles Rranddough-
ters. and cousins of every degree.
After these come questions as TO degrees
of affinity, and these are the most perplex-
ing of all. After the gentle female clerk
has declared upon her honor that
she has no grandsoD-ln-law. no grand
daugh ter-in-law. or granddaughter or
grandniece-in-law in any of the govern
ment departments she or her fello
of the opposite sex is required to make
declaration that there Is not, TO the best of
her or bic knowledge or belief. any person
in any branch of the government service
loving relations: Great grandfather
in-Isw, great grandmother In law.
great grandson IN : law. great grand
daughter-in-law. great uncle in law.
son-in-law of uncle, daughter-in-law
of great uncle gand son -in-law OF great uncle.
Rranddsughter of great uncle, sOn-in-law
of first cousin. dauRhter-In-l law OF cousin.
son-in-law of nephew. daughter-in-law of
nephew, sOn-in-law OF niece or daughter
ln-lsw of niece"
It's the abstrusive calculations OF her.
edity involved In the answers to these
questions. particularly from clerks from
Kentucky, Virginia and Georgia and other
States where family ties are of DerDlexlng
intricscy, whIob, 1t Is said. Is causing some
of the clerks unavailing bewilderment.
Tho Rescue Crevasae Widening.
WASHINGTON. June 25.-The following is
furnished to the United Press by the chief
of the Weather Bureau from the observer
at New Orleans:
--latest reports say the Rescue crevssse Is
five hundred feet wide and widening rap
idly. About twenty large plantations and
some smaller places. aggregatinR some
twenty five 90 thirty miles along the river
and some fifteen miles back. will be more
or less under water. entailing loss OF
about 81. eco. 600 in crops in Iberville. st.
James and St Johns parishes. The over
flow will cross the country to Bayou Foun-
taine and Machine. ultimately reaching
Lakes Maurepss and Pontchartrain. The
maximum stage has doubtless been
tionary or falling river. due to the Gre
vases"
Even Chance of Escaping Choie-a.
WASHINGTON, June o. Surgeon-gen-
eral Wymsn. of the Marine Hospital
Service. referring TO the outlook for cholera
in the United States during the present
summer. said: I'VE have an even chance of
escaping the cholera altogether this year.
Should it arrive it will certainly
not become epidemic. It's non ap-
pearance thus far proves that no germs
have lived over the winter In this
country IL was feared might happen.
The prospect now Is much better than
expected 1t wonld be AT this time. How
ever. It should not be forgotten that the
disease did not reach the United States
last year until August. There Is plenty of
| time for tronble yet" IL cholera should
thinks that it would be quickly stamped