Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-11-30
WASHINGTON LETTER
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


Speaker Reed again when the House
meets in two weeks, is expected by
his friends to arrive in Washington
soon. Having no contest for the
speak ership, to which he will be nom
mated by reclamation in the Repu b.
lican caucus on November 80, there is
no occasion for his being in
Washington much before the day
when the caucus meets. His
friends say that he will take no part
in the contests over the subordinate
offices OF the House, except to advise
that they be restrained AS much as
possible, with view to party har-
mony. AS to the committee places, Mr..
Reed, according to his friends, has
practically completed his list Mr..
Reea's friends say that it will DE
found, when his committees are an
nonnced, that he has made the best
use possible of the material at hand,
and that it will he seen that he has
at least, not hurt his presidential
prospects by his selections
PROGRESS IN COUNTERFEIrINa-W
p. Hason, chief of the secret service
division, treasury department, reports
that during the past fiscal year his
officers made SO3 arrests and secured
ISL convictions. They captured
counterfeit money to the face value of
over ~, 500, 900, and also recovered
1913, 600 stolen United States post
age stamps. In regard to the
prevention of counting, Chief
Hason says: "The numerous coun.
terfets produced by the photo.
photographic and similar processes
during the past year confirm the state
ment that this art has made it COM
parative.y easy to initiate the most
skilfuly engraved designs. 1 must
now call attention to the fact that
several of the most dangerous coun-
terfeits OF late were printed ON paper
containing distributed silk threads.
This suggests that in the use of pecul-
lar tints and combinations OF tints,
and by having designs prepared and
engraved in the highest degree of the
art, lies the greatest safety against
counterfeiting.'
"TERRApIN CHARLIE" Among all
the victims Of the recent balloting my
sympathy goes out most to Charlie
Gibson of Maryland "Terrapin
Charlie" the Adonis of the Senate
who had seemingly only just begun to
taste the sweets of high Office holding,
and who will now be forced to expose
his pulchritude to the unfeeling test
OF law OF trade. Up to the present
moment Gibson has been the luckiest
fellow in public life. He was elected
to Congress first Oh account of his
manly duty and his culinary skill,
qualities which rank high along the
eastern Sho'." When, after IL
few years his people concluded
to try new cook, Charlie deter
mined to seek consolation by becom-
ing d candidate for Clerk of the
House. This was in the Fifty-second
Congress. He wasn't very sure OF
getting it, and to provide for the fu-
tire he entered into contingent part
nership with the proprietor of third
rate hotel here in Washington, the
specialties of which are it's midnight
lunches aud its lar. Ii Gibson failed
OF the clerkship he was to go into the
business. Then, by a wonderful stroke |
Of fortune, Germans colleague in the
Senate died suddenly. German
looked around for a harmless and /
good-natured person to take the place
and the dazed Gibson found him
self lifted out of an uncertain
scramble for the clerk of the House
into seat for six years in the
highest Legislative body in the
world. And all without raising u
finger himself. If German had car
cried the Legislature again suppose
Charlie would have dropped into an
other six years engagement at spec
tacular craftsmanship, for certainly
nobody could better meet the German
requirements. As it is, cannot
imagine what he will do unless his
hotel offer is still open. And what
Respondent figure he will present,
beamlng over the register and calling
'FRONT.'!
STATESMEN ON WHEELs-One of the
most entertui ming features of the com
ing session will be the study OF states.
men on wheels. They are all at it.
Tom Reed set the pace up at Grand
Beach this summer and the others
were not long in catching on. 1t is
not the first time the big fellow from
Maine has established precedent.
One of the most enthusiastic of the
new cult is Chandler. He has been
reading over the White Mountains
this fall and the first thing he did
after striking Washington this
week was to take spin through
the grounds of the Soldiers Home.
Justice Gray and Justice White are
two other wheelmen. They ride
special weight, and don't indulge in
tricks, but ut plain, straight ahead
roading they do very well aud their
style is not lacking in dignity either.
Joe Cannon arrived in town this week
and the first thing he did was to hunt
up William Pitt Kellogg and take him
down to the Van Ness school for
first lesson. Joe has beeu for years
one OF the sights of Washington on
horseback. and lie cuts IN equally strik-
ing figure on the wheel. The BIZ
cycle will Ire great boon to mem
bers of congress- They are died down
80 that most of them practically go
without exercise from the beginning
to the end of u session. Very few OF
them are able to have their own turn
outs, but there will be comparatively
few now who will not invest in wheels.
The possibilities are immense. The
life of tue Congressman will be light
ened. frightened and lengthened;
and what II boom it will give to good !
roads!
Samuel l.. Clemens tells the public
that he Is not lecturing for his own ben
a A. Al 49,