Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-12

MY observation is that the department
clerks are Just as much Interested In the
political campaign now on" remarked an
old official, las during any previous cam
paign for the past twenty years. but they
will not show any signs Of their interest
this fall. at least in the way OF voting. 1t
Is the state laws which are to blame Tor
this. however, for in many of the states,
during the past six years, laws have been
passed which require all voters to register
two weeks prior to the election. This shuts
out the government clerk effectually. for
there are but very few of them who can or
will stand the expense Of two trips to their
homes, even II they could get leave of abb
sence Nine-tenths Of them prefer and do
use their leaves of absence for other pur-
poses. Indiana, where so many election ex-
periments have been tried by the different
parties. as they have been in power, start
ed of in the crusade against nonresident
voters. Ohio followed the next year. and
then other states fell into line. Maryland
was the last to pass q law Of this kind.
Though the civil service law 2as given
clerks feeling Of security as far as their
tenure of office Is concerned, 1t by no means
smothers political discussions among Them
or causes them to become non-partisans
They bark as loud as they ever did. even II
they do not bite as they formerly did. They
would like TO vote If they could, but they
cannot afford it,
y
THE sale of watermelons Ii practically
over, far as this season is concerned,
IL ough the supply would hold out some
weeks yet If there was a market for Them"
observed a leading commission dealer,
whose firm handles thousands of water
melons during the season. There is nom
sensical superstition OF belief In many
minds. and especially among the classes
no he
melons. that they induce fevers as Septem-
Der arrives and progresses. and that ON
this account they are somewhat dangerous
70 eat Nothing could be more erroneous.
The food furnished by a ripe watermelon
Is actually cure for feyers. OF course
bilious complaints and the old-fashioned
chliiS and revers are more liable to all
curing September than any other month
simply because the nights are cool and the
Gays hot People expose themselves too
nluch during the evenings, cooling off as
they think. but really taking on these
troubles The innocent watermelon is
blamed for it all. and on this account Its
sale IS practically closed. The shippers
have to send watermelons to the northern
markets. for there is steady sale for them
in the markets of New York and Boston
Tor over month after the people here
abouts stop buying them. the season how
ever. was good one. all things considered.
Inc watermelons were never better. though
canteloupes were never scarcer or worse"
X
Architects are now brought face to face
With the bicycle question" said a prom
inent architect, land they are studying the
question as to the best means to house
them in connection with the new houses
they are to build. At present a bicycle Is
in nine cases out of ten a nuisance and a
thing detested by the average housekeeper
1t scrapes of the paint from the wood
md h.
the halls as Well as the floors The
lamp is particularly disagreeable, for
IL ninety-nine cases out of every hun
died 1t leaks. In daytime 1t Ia easy
enough to handle them. but at night there
are lew who can get them into the ordi-
rary English basement door or In area
ways Neither is 1t convenient for them to
be got into houses by the rear alleyways
l. we are to keep the wheel We have to ar
range Tor housing 1t. and this is the prob
lem that architects are now STUDYING
confess that 90 far have learned much
progress has not yet been made with IL
Trough the general idea seems to be to ar
range recess on one side of the front to
hoid at least two wheels. Already tenants
IN looking at houses for rent give as much
attention 10 the matter of storing their
wheels as they did in former years to stor
lg their wood and coal One of the COM
pilcations In the matter Is that the kind Of
foiks who ride wheels and who want handy
places to store them are, as a rule the bet
ter Kind OF tenants and the kind that house
owners Always want to please and satisfy
III they can"
y II X
The remarks and questions of Ii Hung
Chang in connection with the ages of the
older persons with whom he comes in con-
tact Is nothing remarkable, though II
strikes many as something new" volun-
teered prominent member Of the Oldest
Tnh ah
said. that ever talk to any one, man or
woman. who Is over seventy years of age
who does not ask as many questions as
regards age as Ii Hung Chang. 1t Is the
old. old story. that one touch of nature
makes the whole world kim Ii Hung
Chang Is laughed at for asking Questions
that are often asked by the parents or
grandparents Of those who do the laugh
Ing. Some years ago it was my good for
tune to meet Gladstone at his homo in Eng
land. / had a letter of Introduction to him
and his first remark to me was I am an
older man than you are As matter of fact
ne Is ten years older than 1 am. though do
lot carry my age by any means as well as
he does. Three Of four persons who saw
Gladstone the same day 1 saw him were
first addressed by him as regards their
ages When a man passes his seventy-fifth
milestone as Ii Hung Chang has 1T matters
rot whether he Is a Chinaman or Christian
he gives frequent thought to the ages of
those who he comes In contact with 1t is
not surprising. therefore, that he asks ques-
tons about ages as Lii Hung Chang does
The first portion Of our meetings Of the
Oldest Inhabitants Association, and 1t has
been so since the days of DR.. Blake, the
first president. and Nicholas Callan, the
first secretary, is largely devoted to a COM
partson of ages. and to me no part of it Is
more interesting, as l know 1t is to others.
These questions of Ii Hung Chang have
been Of great interest to me. for the reason
that, though they came from a man who
lives on the opposite side of the world from
US, they show that there Is not much diff
ference among men. II matters not from
where they come. Indeed, 1t gives me a
better idea of Chinese character than 1
have ever had. 1t shows that they. too,
though their faiths and hopes are based on
different ideas from ours, are constantly
cognizant of the fact that there is an end
to human life. My previous idea was that
Cinnamon seldom thought Of such things"
+
THE campaign orators, in speaking Of
the use and want Of money" said a broker,
get things beautifully mixed. for the rea-
son that they have no practical knowledge
Of the question. There Is a great deal Of
talk heard of the scarcity Of money in do
ing the volume of business. Now. the fact
Is. that money only performs per cent Of
the business of the country. Ninety-fye