New-York tribune., 1896-10-25

COMP had as his guest for some days Professor
Chflstie. Director OF the Royal Observatory at
,ureehwicn an0 his son. who were on their way
noihc from Jaran. where they went to witness
tne total eclipse OF the sun Professor Christie
was much interested iE the Naval Observatory
Whlch nc visited several times At the National
Museum he made an agreea BILE call on Professor
Langley, and received the honor one accorded
70 rev people Of being invited TO Professor
LahRiey's physical laboratory.
The new Corcoran Art Gallery. which has been
ticaliy finished. The exterior with the exception
Of some carving. Is entirely complete but there
still remains work to be done inside the build
Ing. 1t is hardly probable that the keys will
be handed over to the trustees before late in
the winter. and the gallery will not be In order
and open TO the public until spring The An
ished building is one OF the handsomest in this
city OF handsome buildings. and great salts
faction TO those who have had IL In charge and
nave watched Its progress from the beginning.
1t Is admirably situated to the southwest OF
the White House and the State. War and Navy
Departments facing the Mall Its lines are
simple and noble. and the interior arranged after
the most approved plan for a great picture gal
lery The lower floor will be devoted to the
display OF marble and bronze statuary. and on
this floor is the large lecture room. which will
be used also for the exhibition Of pictures not
properly belonging to the collection OF the gall
lery This is semi-circle. lighted from
the roof and arranged in amphitheatre fashion,
with three tiers of seats facing a stage. which
is only little below the height Of the highest
tier.
In planning the new gallery. the needs Of the
Corcoran Art School. which has grown in a few
years to be thriving institution. were especially
considered. and the arrangements for its COM
fort and convenience very complete Spa
cious and well-ghted study rooms are grouped
about the lecture-room. and can be entirely cut
or from the rest of the gallery. so that the
students may be free from interruption. The
picture galleries are on the second floor. and
have been arranged with an idea to a classifica-
tion of the canvases. which up to now has been
almost impossible. owing to the plan of the old
gallery. over the main corridor there is one
large room; on either side of the two stairways
Whlch are opposite each other there are two
rooms; there is one over the eastern entrance.
ON the south front are situated three small gal
leries The walls of the galleries. into which
strips OF wood have been placed for convenience
In hanging the pictures. will be covered with
ordinary burlap. dyed dark terra Gotta.
lhe building Of this new gallery has been
matter or great expense, making il necessary
Tor the trustees to anticipate the income and
Dolrow nearly SoOOO00 A part of this indebted
ness VIII. of course. be liquidated by the sale Of
the old gallery. but with such a debt on their
hands the management naturally have not
been inclined to spend any more money than Is
actually needed, and during the last few years
comparatively few pictures have been bought
This year no new additions have been made to
the gallery.
The lot of a contractor is not always a happy
one, especially of an army contractor out on the
plains. who sometimes agrees to do more than
hQ
fuential citizen of the capital, the foundation
OF whose fortune made from army con-
tracts. who says that while following this
business he learned that Honesty is the best
policy" Once upon time he contracted to
to certain Army post. To meet this contract
he planted his ranch thick with cabbages which
grew to prodigious size. but try as he would
every scheme known to farmers, these cab
bages would not head. Their great leaves
turned out instead of in. an1 when harvesting
time came there was not properly headed cab
bage in the lot.
Now, l had always been told" said the ex-
contractor that those big, green, loose cab
bages were no good for sauerkraut: that not all
the brine in the world would make them fer
ment, and for this process the juice contained
in the hard. white heads was absolutely neces-
sary. But those big green cabbages had to be
used for my sauerkraut, otherwise | could not
meet my contract Well, had those acres Of
cabbages chopped up filled the barrels nearly
10 the top with IT. and put in my brine. Then
| rode twenty miles To the next ranch where
my neighbOr had the finest great white heads
Of cabbage in the country. some OF them weigh
ing four and five pounds | bought all he could
spare at the gilt-edged price Of - cents d
pound. This made my sauerkraut pretty ex-
pensive. but IT was that nothing. | had to
have them to make the stuff ferment. These
white cabbages I cut up carefully and spread
them five or six inches deep over the green cab
bages Then. when the sauerkraut was prop
erly fermentcd. delivered IL at the post.
SO that's the sauerkraut.' said the Com
missary inspector, a great long lanky German
American. Looks pretty pale, don't IT,?
with that. to my alarm he thrust his arm 10
the bottom OF the barrel and drew out hand
full OF the green cabbage.
said. gleefully. That green cabbage's the stun.
/ don't take no stock In the white kraut: amt
got no body And. with evident relish. he swal-
lowed the handful
After that / was always honest. perfectly
honest, in my dealings with Army posts"