The evening times., 1895-08-24
Gossip Of fhe Dau.

An official of the Geological Survey
tells the following story on Col. Baldwin,
who superintendent the last survey I'm In
dian Territory:
when Col. Baldwin," he said, "made
his last report he recommended to the d.
rector that until the labors of the corps
were completed the law making it a pun
ishable offense TO import whisky into the
Territory be suspended. He gave as the
reason that the great number of snakes in
the vicinity in which the Government Off
cials were working rendered such request
necessary. In making their researches, he
stated. they had to cut through long tracts
of dense underbrush. In the course of one
mile, IL was stated, as many as 8, 200 rep
tiles were counted. 1t was absolutely
necessary, he reported, to carry a supply
of liquors as antidotes for the bites OF the
vipcrs and the small chest of medicine
taken at the outset had been exhausted.
Whisky alone was the only safeguard against
the poisonous bites"
"It Is safe to assume that few cities In
the country will make a better showing
al the coming Tcmplar conciave than WASH
ington." said q prominent member OF that
order last night.
-Four communicates of the District
Will be in tho grand parade on Monday,
and, while q great many communicates
may Outshine them In point OF numbers.
very few. II any, will excel them In per-
sonnel. for il will he n very hard matter to
find a more representative body OF men
than those who Will represent the District
at the conclave, and the citizens OF WASH
ington need have no fears that the honor
of the city will not be thoroughly upheld
by them while in the city OF culture"
THE grade crossings question has two
sides," said n resident of Northeast Wash
ington yesterday. 1.-TWO sides, and both
against the citizen.
''Tbe Baltimore and Ohio Company, in
trenched behind the peculiar provisions
of charter obtained years ago. when
Washington was comparatively a vii
iage, refuses to fence its tracks, and declines
10 take proper precautions against acci-
dent ut the crossings. That is one side.
The other phase of the question is when
some one is unfortunately run down by a
anu tDt SdSc Stth luto SOuAts'
The company enters its usual plea of reck
:cssness upon the part of the citizen and
again hides behind its charter. 1t doesn't
have to insure anybody's safety and there
fore doesn't do it.
I'm a majority of cases the jury will
find a verdict In favor of the attorney who
knows how to present the company's char
ter in its most favorable aspect
''Win Congress do anything? 1 guess
not"
There has been this year a great falling
off in the revenues derived from the sale
of soda water. " remarked n druggist to a
Times reporter. las compared with last
summer the quantity OF hot weather drinks
sold only reached about 50 per cent of the
previous season. ~ .n
There are only q couple OF drug stores
here that have approximately held their
soda water trade, while the Others have
sustained bad slump. do not know the
reason, but do know that tiy. soda crop
is 4 comparative faii,-re.
Even the beverages containing more or
less alcohol, which were last season largely
used for beating the devil around thestump,
pie now evidently get straight out-and-
out drink. OF else content themselves witt.
plain, unadulterated water
1.-THE streets of Washington have never
been in such condition as they are this
summer, " remarked a entleman this
morning. ''The attention OF the proper
officials should be called to the matter. The
are full of dust, and every
little breeze transports quantity OF ii into
the eyes OF pedestrians.
THE sweepers used now are wholly de-
ficient in that they skim over the surface
and leave as much dirt as thc5 take up. or
a good rain would. be OF incalcu
liable value, but nevertheless the street
sweepers are employed to keep the streets
clean. and it is their duty TO do it in wet
and dry weather alike"
The total number of applications for
made at the clerks office in
the last thirty days is fifteen. This is a
fair average for all like periods the num-
Der seldom exceeding a ecore, while of
tener it is scarcely more than half as many.
The conclusion is drawn by the officials.
however, that the number of citizens
naturalized yearly is by no means on the \
1ecline.
The District OF Columbia is, they say.
the poorest place in the country on which |
TO base calculations relative to naturalized
for the reason that the principal
induccment which causes citizens of other
to throw off allegiance to their |
own sovereigns-the fact that they may
here assist in governing themselves-is |
ost in the sixty four miles encircling Wash. |
ngton. |
Out of every 100 applicants the average |
number of each nationality is as follows: |
Germany, Al; Great Britain, including Ire |
and, ETC., AZ; Turkeys, France, 4; Italy; |
3; Norway, 1; Sweden, 1; Denmark, 1, and |
Russia, 1. Among citizens of other ooun- |
ries who have at one time or another 1
lied their intention are people from
Austria, Switzerland, Ecuador, Holland. |
,orca and Greece.