The evening times., 1895-08-26
Senf from Washington

O6llE nUll WdSlllflQEOll
A report is'going the rounds here to the
effect that ex-senator Ransom W as snubbed
few days ago by President Cleveland.
As the story goes, Ransom posted off to
Gray Gables when the acting Attorney Gen
eral decided th;e Ransom's appointment as
Minister to Mexico was Illegal, presum-
ably to see about his denomination. But it
is said Mr.. Cleveland turned the gallant
North Caroiinfan down and sent word to
him at tho gate that he was too busy
to see him. Although this statement
is denied by the Minister, it is interpreted
to mean that Mr.. Cleveland does not in
tend to reappOint him. 1t has been consid.
cred strange that the President has not
made Mr.. Ransom's reappontment before
this and this fact alone gives some show of
truth to the supposition that ne is not to
have the mission. 1t is known that the
friends OF ex-Gov. Crittenden, of Missouri.
who is consul general to Mexico, are using
all their efforts to secure his appointment
in Ransom's place, but beyond this there is
no definite information here on the sub
1ect. Ranscm's friends are confident that
there is no ground for the report that he
will not be reappointcd, and they look for
the denomination daily-H. N Thompson,
in Atlanta Constitution. g.
The work on the new Lafayette Square
Opera House, which John W. AIbaugl. is
building and will manage, is progressing a
n renarka Bile raj te OF speed, and lrcady the
workmeD have reached the roof garden,
and the building will soon be under roof As
Mr.. Albaugh is going to open his new thea
ter in the last week in September with
Lillian Russell's Opera Company, lie has got
to do n good deal OF hustiing to have it
completed by that time. But he declares
that everything will be ready in due sea
son, nd that the curtain will go up at the
appointed time. To do this it is Interesting
to Bote that every part and portion of the
Interior from the decorations down to the
flooring and seating, are now all prepared
in Chicago, and will be shipped to Washing
ton within Il few days. All of this work has
been done in piecemeal, and Will be put
together ON its arrival here like n Chinese
puzzle, so that after few DAYS work the
whole thcater will be completed like a child
bailding n house OF blocks. The building
is entirely OF steel, and so far, although
the outside shell OF brick and stone is al
ready built around the frame work, there is
not bit OF wood about the whole structure.
except the window frames.-J. s. Shriyer
in New York Mail and Express.
Charleston MAY have war ship for the
use of the South Carolina Naval Recerve
if the State or local authorities are willing
TO stand the expense of mainta lining her.
Acting Secretary of the Navy McAdoo so
informed ]. c. Hemphiil, editor nf The News
and Courier. who called a the Navy Depart
ment toconsult the autorities on the subject.
Mr.. McAdoo appeared tn be deeply inter-
csted i'll the advancement of the avaimilitia
in the Southern States, and said tina the De-
partmcnt is disposed TO do everything in
its power to encourage and stimulate the
service.
1t is not possible Ia send to Charleston a
wooden ship, such assnmeof theothe States
have for their training crewds, but there
are several iroD-elad monitors, now 4 the
Norfolk navy yard, 4 bout to BE- sent to such
States as are willing to use them until
other vessels may be availa bic for the Naval
Reserve. One of these monitors may b.
housed over at very little expense, and
made quite comfortable for training quar-
ters for the South Carolina reserve.
In the conversation between Mr. McAduo
and Mr.. Hemphill the fact was stated by
Mr.. McAdoo that some of the naval reserve
fancy that they are in the service for the
sole purpose of taking sea voyages IN Gov
ernment war ships. In the first place there
is no appropriation to defray the expense
of such trips were they deemed advisable.
In the next place there are no ships ava lab
for such cruises. Thirdly, the real intention
of the naval militia service is to teach the
men in the service the art of coast defence
A monitor is constructed for that very pure
pose-coast and harbnr defence-and the
practice needed by the South Carolina
reserve could be obtained ab,ard one of
these vessels.-R. NJ. Larner, in Charleston
News and Courier.
Although Claude johnson, chief of the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, is
positive that his bureau is now turning
out postage stamps in every respect equal
to those which were produced by private
contractors up to a year ago, complaint
as to the quality of the gum on the backs
of the government stamps is as loud as
ever. MFR. Johnson's attention has recently
been called to the poor quality of stamps
WHICH ut has Out, anu OttfditS
that a few samples which were brought
to his attention were simply exceptions
to the general rule, but it is nevertheless
the fact that almost every chief of a
bureau in the departments is roundiy
cursing the character Of postage stamps.
Scarcely one of them takes the risk of
sending private letter without using the
niucilage bottle to aid in making the gov
ernnlent stamp adhere to the letter. Up in
one of the bureaus of the Navy Depart
nient the gentleman in charge called at
tention to no less than sixty different
postage stamps which he had applied with
out getting them stick to letters. These
stamps were bought in five different places
at as many different times, so that it
would appear that the bad cumming is the
rule rather than the cxccption.-C. B.
Lockwood in Pittsburg Leader.
Just a Century Ago.