Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-08
Chicago Markets.
Some Of the Latest Phases Of the Weather
Bureau Trouble.

| WHY LIEUT.. PURSSELL ASKED TO BE RELIEVED
TROUBLE NOW AT THE BALTIMORE STATION
MoNY.
Charges and counter charges "you did
this" and "well, you did the other" have
been the order since Executive Clerk Nc
Laughlin first held up Observer Crane pro-
motion and the rumpus in the weather bureau
commenced. Today there have been new de-
velopmen.s in the way Of charges and counter
charges. Since the day Lieut.. PursseIl differed
SO radically in his testimony in regard to .
conversation held in Maj. Rockwoods room
with the testimony given by Prof.
Harrington, Maj. lockwood. Chief Clerk
Smith and Private Secretary McCady strained
relations have existed between Lieut..
Purssell and Prof. Harrington. Today this
| strain resulted in Lieut.. PursseH sending a
letter to the Secretary of Agriculture, asking
that he be relieved from duty at the weather
bureau and be recalled to his regiment, giving
as his cause for this action discou-tesy on
the part Of the chief of the weather bureau
toward him in one of the corridors OF
the Agricultural Department, and further stat
ing that for some time, ON account of his
testimony,he had been given no regular line OF
duty This communication was sent to the
weather bureau by Secretary Morton and was
returned with letter FROM Prof. Harring-
ton. In his letter Prof Harrington gives an
account of his alleged discourteous act at the
Agricultural Depar tment by stating that on &C.
count OF the testimony given by Lieut. Purs-
SELL which, he states. was entirely untrue as to
facts, he had refused to hold any personal
conversation with the lieutenant but
had told him that Official bust
ness he was ready to meet him as formerly. In
regard to the assignment of duty Prof. Har-
rington sent list of the assignments which
had been given Lieut.. Purssell. The matter
rests now in the hands of the Secretary, al
though it is probable that as ne desires it and
on account of the strained relations Lieut.
Purssell will be sent for duty to his regiment.
TROUBLE AT THE BALTIMORE STATION.
Another development has been the tact that
charges and counter charges have been made
from the officials stationed at Baltimore Some
time ago {. P. Cronk, the observer
| in charge at Baltimore, reported E.
{. Meredith for characterization. and now
Dir Meredith has come back at Mr.. Crork
with charges OF reckless mismanaSement OF tie
Once. Mr.. Cronk is one OF the Old men in the
service. and Tears one Of the highest reputs-
lions for Ell cheney. Mr.. Meredith is a
son Of Congressman Meredith Of Virginia
| and has been IN the service about eighteen
moa tbs. tie was FIRST stationed II. Nashville.
bat the observer there and young Mere ii;h
cyIid not get along toy Their and Mere
dlth was transferred to Lynchburg. Va, neay
his own home. Here, however, thing were
| alb out the same. Gr. Meredith and the OBJ
ser'er IN charge faiied to agree and for
ond anne Mr.. Mt.eGIIn was transferred, this
Time 10 Dal.irlore, Whsre he seems 20 have lad
a similar diSaS Teemeat with the Oh err err. An
lnSl ecior LAS oeeu SEM 10 Baltimore to look
mo the ma.ter aaC re:oc..
TIE DOCUMENTS IN THE CASE.
One portion OF the es,imonv which has
ben presented in me w,a.,l<- bureau inyesti-
ga,ion has never been gwen to the public.
This is the large mass o! coyre,Yonience
which has beea t"Aen ron .aa MES and
paced Al evidence. This currC-n cadence al1
oIciaI CocGaea- q maze no ssFer!i large paci<-
ages and III! IN many htiie SPACES in al
81 The cases. III 1teatd 20 In. rus
Iowu henu case the:c . B. ,et:c. OF septeu-
Der 10, %, from Iovushend ap.r.~iug tor
u position in the bureau. with al Judo 49,
men5, suow.n3 that 1t was sent 10 iIo.. Hau-
ring on. } hi was the application WI. Il FL.
Mclaughlin claims By the inuorsemen. on AZ,
which reads, His record can be found az
pllcatlon 10 the c!era should haze
been safhcen, to call Prof. Harrington al ell
ton to che fact that ToWnshend hrd been dis
charged from the service withous a cnaracier.
Anu he- document is strong Endorsement OF
Iownshend from Lieut.. Craig OF tIe signal
service for his bravery in staying at his post in
Jacksonville. Fla, ii the time OF the yellow aver
epidemic. twill be remembered that telegram
Was sent to Observer Myers at Pixies Peak.
asking him to send full record of Town
snend : Official career there. The main point
in the reply which NJ. Myers sent is the in
Closure OF letter written to MIR. McLaugh
lin on March T. i'll which Myers tells of
the spree which Townshend went on at Colo
RADIO Springs and OF MS disappearance for q
time. The letter ends, ''jswouid be sorry to
lose his services, rs he is a good man, and L
trust this matter can be fixed up in
same way consis tent with the requirements of
the service" Another document shows that
Townsheni was discharged from the service
without character.
In regard to the much -talked-of compilers,
there are nota great many documents. Among
them, however, are Lieut. Russels re-
port, in which he rates Mrs. Baker at
one time as low as two when ten consti-
tuted perfect and seven merely passable grade.
THE PERRY AFFAIR.
The Perry affair. however. has drawn out a
large number Of letters and documents. There
is long petition from prominent citizens Of
terms that Perry be retained, and using
such expressions rs 'he has given en-
tire satisfaction" and I'VE haze full confidence
in him asa business man and a gentleman"
There is then 4 letter from the chief OF the
weather bureau to Representative Long, dupli-
Gates OF which were sent to Senator
Mills and Coke. This letter is strong
arrangement Of Perry. 1t speaks of the gravity
of his offense. tells OF the forged observations
sent to the department. and OF the manifold er-
rors which were continually appearing
in his work. 1t also tells OF COM
plants received in regard to curious finan-
cial transactions in which Perry party.
Among other things it says: Absolute acc uracy
OF the data Is the very essence Of the SER
vice. The records of this bureau duly GER
titied are accepted evidence in the courts
OF law. From the nature OF the
case it is very difficult to prove when these
forgeries are committed: when. therefore. this
Office succeeds in bringing guilt home to an
observer. to cordone such an offense would be
widespread in its evil influence on the morale
and work of the bureau
Another interesting letter. dated February
81. Is from Representative Long. asking if
Perry should make an acknowledgment Of his
guilt Ii 1t would alter the action OF the bureau
III The matter. Following this is
one OF February ~ from Perry to
Long in which Perry expresses sorrow in q
general way. but says that he desires the Off
GERS Of the bureau to feel assured that
the matter was no deliberate FAINT of HIS