The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-08-24
ABOUT PEOPLE,

I
| Commission.
ABOUT PEOPLE.
| 1t is understood that Mr.. Holmes Conrad, of
| Virginia, the Assistant Attorney General in
| charge of the Court of Claims will shortly be
! transferred to fill the vacancy created by the
| resignation of Assistant Attorney General
| Msury. Mr.. Conrad's present duties conine
| him to the defense of claims against the United
| States whereas under the new assignment be
would represent, together with the Solicitor
| General the interests of the United States in
| tho Supreme Court
Judge William Mclaughlin, OF Lexington,
| Vs one of the veteran Judges of the Circuit
| Court, is here to advance the interests of the
| claim of Washington and Lee University against
the Government on account of damages done
| by the Union soldiers during the war. bill
to provide for the payment of the claim is be-
| fore the Senate.
Representative Pence, the new member from
| Colorado, who made quite an impression by his
| speech in the silver debate the other day, is
young man, 50 years of age, and looks even
younger than he is. From the outset he had
| the attention of the whole House to a degree
that but few of the older members can secure,
| and he had it unbroken to the close. His
moderate manner of dealing with the members
of the old parties while crticising their action
and policy was material point in his favor.
| Mr.. Pence is native of Indiana, where he be-
|
in 1879. Until last year he acted with the
! Democratic party.
| Capt. Skinner of Fulton County, nomip ated to
be Pension Agent at Pittsburg. supersedes PEN
sion Agent Bengough, who refused to resign.
| The only other candidate for the place which
| Capt. Skinner got was Alex. Wilson, the Pitts
| burg tobacconist, who was backed by the Repre-
sentative in Congresstof the Twenty fourth
| District, Mr.. Sipe.
| Sergeant-at-Arms Snow of the House, last
| week informed the friends of Col. Ike II i'll that
| he had decided to retain that gentleman in the
position of Assistant Sergeant alarms Col.
! Hill has been an exceptionally popular official,
| and his reappointment will be well received
generally. His wide acquaintance and knowl-
| edge of the duties of the Office make him one
| Of the most valuable men at the House end of
| the Capitol.
Bradley B. Smalley. whom the President has
| appointed Collector OF Customs for the District
| of Vermont under the Secretary of the Treas
ury, is one of the most widely-known citizens
of the Green Mountain State. He is Demo-
| crat Mr.. Smalley occupied the same position
during the former GeEeland Administration
| During the last campaign he was Chairman of
the Committee on Speakers for Mr.. Cleveland,
| OF whom he is personal friend. He is Chair
man on the Committee on Awards at the
| Worlds Fair, President of the Ogdensburg
q Lake ChanIplain Railway Company, and
! Director of the Central Vermont Railroad.
The Womans Rescne League at meeting in
| Boston passed resolutions recognizing the able
efforts OF Representative w. S. Holman, of In
diana, on behalf of women as bread winners
although he may have made mistakes in his
choice of men and names for Speakers of the
House Of Representatives during his 80 years
continuous service in Congress-" The resolu-
tions congratulate the grand old man of the
House of Representatives on his trivial mis-
takes and safe return to the Capital of the Ma
tIoD. and wishing him a successive raturn for
80 years to come"
Senator Kenna, OF West Virginia, died poor
leaving large family unpfovided for. Col.
Bright, the Sergeant at Arms has appointed
Arthur Kenna, one of his sons, page. Mrs
Kenna received a recess appointment as Post
master at her home, Charleston, W. Va, and
the receipts of the office have since increased
so as to bring it within the Presidential class,
her name will undoubtedly receive the imme-
date confirmation of the Senate when sent in
ARMY AND NAVY.
The old Nantucket, after years Of idleness
has been turned over to the State of North
Carolina for the use of the naval militia. The
Nantucket is one of the vessels known as the
war monitors" whose construction followed
upon the success of the Monitor in the his
tOTic engagement with the Merrimac. The
Ajax, the Canonicus. the Mahopac, and the
Manhattan, which are of the same type,
now lying out of commission at City Point. be-
| low Richmond. The Passaic is at the Charles
town Navy-yard.
The Navy Department is rapidly dispensing
| the ships which were concentrated for the Ma
val Review There are now but two vessels
left which are intended for foreign service, the
| Baltimore and the Newark. The Baltimore is
| at the New York Yard and she will start for
the China Station. The old Lancaster will
| then be ordered home. She has been on the
| Asiatic Station since 1891 having made the
Man ha 10 Of
| Good Hope. The Newark is fitting out at the
| Norfolk Yard for duty as flagship of the South
| Atlantic. The Yantic is at present the only
vessel in the South Atlantic, and upon the
| rival of the Newark she will return to the
| United States, and will probably be put out of
| commission.
Ordnance officers of the Navy are looking
with interest to the coming trial at the Indian
| Head Proving Ground of the first 10 inch rife
built for the new ships. The gun was manu-
featured at the Ordnance Shops here. and is at
the Proving Station waiting trial. Two of
these guns are now completed, and several
| others are III various stages of completion.
| Twelve IN all are required for the batte-ships
| Indiana, Massachusetts, and Oregon. They are
| effective high-powered rifles, about 40 feet long
| and over four feet in greatest diameter, while
their projectiles. each of LOO pounds weight,
| are propelled by charges of $50 pounds of pow
der.
The q. S. s. Alert is homeward bound. Since
the departure of the Petrol, now in the Bering
| Sea fleet, the Alert is the only modern vessel
| in the Asatic Squadron. She has completed
her tour of service, and when she reaches San
Francisco will be put out of commission and
| undergo complete repairs.
Reports received by the Adjutant-General of
| the Army indicate that recruiting has been I'M
usually lively during the past two months.
| The Summer months always find the enlisted
strength of the Army materially lessened, the
men who would ordinarily enlist finding ready
employment on farmsi This year the force is
within GOO of its required strength, and the
men who are accepted are of good standing.
This condition enables the au thorities to choose
| their recruits, and the standard has been kept
| up.
The San Francisco has boon on a cruise with
! 40 young men of the Pennsylvania Naval
| Reserve
Lieut. Powhatan II. Clarke, of the 10th Cav,
who is reported 10 have been drowned near
Fort Custer Mont, was the bean ideal Of sol
der. being of commanding pin ysique, muscular,
and active. Many stories are told of his bravery
| on the frontier. On one occasion, in 1885. he
rescued colored Corporal who had been
wounded by the Apaehes and left on the
| field. At tho risk of his own life Lieut.. Clarke
| carried the Corporal on his back to a place of