Evening star., 1896-02-29
IN HOTEL CORRIDOR

"1 see that the blue book puts Kansas
City az Senator Vests home" said r. G.
King of Sedaiia a. the Howard. Il did not
know that he had removed his residence
from Sedalia- There were two law firms
one In Sedalia, the other In Warrensburg,
few miles west of Sedalia-that for many
years had entire control of Missouri poll
tics. The two firms held the best portion Of
the law business of northern and central
Missouri, but found time to also dictate
political matters. OF the four members Of
these two firms SO closely allied two are the
Senators from Missouri, Vest and Cockren.
One Of the others. Judge Phillips, chose the
supreme bench Of Missouri while Gen. Crit
tenden drew the governorship. All four
were occupying offices at the same time, and
in state or national affairs 1t was neces-
sary for citizen of Missouri to obtain their
influence. The four always worked together.
and 1t might be called a regularly organized
firm of politicians consisting of four men,
bers."
r. D. Lamar of Cheyenne is at the Met
ropolitan, it being his first trip to Washing
ton since 1852 "At that time" he said,
there was not a street or building I was
not familiar with. and these who have resid-
ed here continuously or have visited the city
during the interim cannot appreciate the
difference. The White House was out in
the country. and the patent office was at the
edge of the city on the north. 1t was GER
tainly the muddiest place in the United
States, wagons sticking fast on Pennsylva-
mia avenue. No one lived here who could
live any place else, and parts of the city that
are now exceedingly attractive were dismal
swamps. 1 think there were more and
larger frogs with louder voices than ever
heard any place else. while now 1t Is one
Of the most magnificent capital cities in the
world. The difference good sewerage and
street paving can make is magical I have
devoted week to going around the city and
am not tired yet"
"a source of great expense to the United
States is it's timber land" said George c.
Hadley of Springfield. Mo-, at the Cochran.
I'm the Ozark mountains of Missouri there
Is still good deal of land remaining un-
sold by the government, and there are some
trees growing on 1t that are fit for nothing
but frewood AS Is we'll known, a statute
exists making the cutting of such trees a
mtsdemeanor. Times are hard and money
scarce In that country. so one man stands
as sort of sacrifcial victim, cuts down a
tree, is informed upon. and several neigh
bors are summoned as witnesses, there al
ways being some question as to the mans
guilt. He is bound over by a United States
commissioner, and his neighbors all appear
there, before the grand jury, and on the
being equally divided among themselves
and the family of the victim. If convicted
he serves out his term, his neighbors all
assisting % IN doing the necessary work
about his sterile farm at home. The gov
ernment has expended hundreds of dollars
to convict the man for cutting down a
o0-cent tree. the accused has received his
share of the amount. and every one is
satisfied"
John T. Watkins of Naperville, Cal, is at
Willard's. He is interested in a mushroom
farm out there, and is enthusiastic as
to its present success and future pros
poets. Mushroom farms have been
operated in France for good many years."
he said, land they are protected by law. In
the United States every spring the papers
publish accounts of people in cities dying
from eating poisonous fungi believing them
to be mushrooms. This loss of life is total
ly unnecessary If proper care is taken in
raising mushrooms and the cities would
require licenses or some other means Of
determining that the food comes from
regular farms. and Is not gathered hap
hazard. The raising Of mushrooms requires
close attention and a thorough knOwl-
edge Of the business but with these reaui-
sites there is no trouble to make farm OF
that kind successful, and if the enterprise
was properly advertised and encouraged,
enough would be started to stop the annual
deaths from eating toadstools. and the
markets would be we'll supplied with the
best mushrooms
Il was driving along a road IN the noun
tains of western North Carolina a short
time ago. said P. B. Mayfield. a travelling
man of st. Louis. at the Riggs. when /
heard a wagon coming around a bend in
the road. My horses SHE'D, then began to
trenble, Icing evidently in the most abject
terror. I could not make them move foot,
and when the approaching team came into
sight l saw the reason, and getting out Of
the buggy succeeded in quieting my horses,
so as to allow the strange team room to
pass, the driver of the brutes ahead of me
calling, They won't hurt nothin', stranger,
don't be skeared.' He was driving a team
of full-grown black bears and they were
making about as fast time as a yoke of
loaded with logs. The upper part Of the
wagon was like any other but the wheels
were small and heavy, evidently the work
of local blacksmith. The bears paid no
attention to me or to my team and walked
along le.surely, drawing their load, seem
ingly without effort. but l was glad when
they were out of sight"
R. T. Logan OF San Francisco is at the
ST. James. Some time ago." he said, "the
chamber OF commerce sent out INQUIRIES
through the orange-raisirg districts as to
whether or not dried orange peel could be
obtained In commercial quantities. The re-
suit has been surprising. People realized
at once that rev industry had been open
ed up and that hereafter when frost catches
crop 1t will not result in total loss as
the spoiled fruit can be peeled and the
peeHngs dried. One man has already sant
IN o'oo pounds OF dried orange peel. and
The use for it, which has heretofore haen
limited, has been greatly increased. while
II the supply can be relied upon. the de-
mand will be very large It is used in
various ways. principally for extracts for
naVors ana Tor medicines, but new uses are
round very frequently, and the orange neel
industry promises to become a prominent
one" - oAAA'iieii'
1 am decidedly in favor of the Massa-
chusetts delegation voting for Senator
Lodge In the st. Louis convention" said
w. d. Walworth of Boston at the Shore
man, NO man has any particular claims
to the presidential nomination any more
than any other man, and it is a very fit.
ting tribute for each state to name its par
ticular choice on the first ballot Nat
urally, some of these would drop out after
the first ballot. and then the real strength
OF those who are candidates would he
shown. The nomination would be free from
the suspicion of ring rule or bossism. and
l fully believe it would be more satisfac-
tory te the people at large. while a number