The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-27
There is a Lack Of Cere-
mOny al White House.
Concentrated Food for Those
Who Explore Arctic.
Judge T0rrey's Speciality in Bank
ruptcy Legislation.

WASHINGTON, May p7.-(Special. For
eigners who visit the White House are
amazed at the lack OF ceremony there.
They are surprised in the first place that
so many people are admitted to the presi-
dents audience chamber together. IL Is
not uncommon TO see 40 or 90 men sitting
or standing about In the Presidents room
awaiting chance to say few words In
the great mans ear. such thing as this
was never heard of abroad II u sovereign
gives an audience, IL is 90 one CT two men
together, and their business must he of the
same nature. Foreigners arc surprised,
too. at the freedom with which certain
people move about the executive mansion.
without ceremony employees rush in and
out. Men greet tie president just as they
would any other official, or as If no wero
business or professional man. They do
things 50 differently in Europe that foreign
visitors 10 Washington never tire of talk
ing of our delnOcratic ways.
No Gloves Needed.
Iwent 10 the White House the other
day MS escort of a friend OF mine. Ii
chanCed that was in bicycle costume. My
friend looked usknnco ut the clothes. He
was too polite tn say wcrd but it was
manifest he could not imagine any man
goingin knickorbockers 20 call upon the
president Of The United States. Finally he
summoned up courage enough to say:
"By the way, l have forgotten my
gloves. Can 60 without them? What Is
the regulation concerning such matters at
the White Houseg"
MY friend, f" said /, "you are in the
United States now. You don't need 10
worry about your gloves or anything Of
that sort The president doesn't care If
you wear moccaslns on what not, and prob.
ably wouldn't notice whether your hands
were bare or not"
This gentleman was an American citi
zen, but had lived for many years abroad
and had imbibed tho foreign ideas of pro
priety when coming within the presence
Of u sovereign.
Emergency Rations.
The United States army has been expert
menting with an emergency ration for
forced marches. Tho amount Of food al
lowed per day TO each man was 82 ounces.
With this the men made IA rapid march OF
about two weeks across country, the pur-
pose being to test the adequacy Of light
ration of this nature In maintaining the
was bacon, bread, meat and coffee. AL
though the official report of the test has
not been made public, unofficial reports
are to the effect that the men lost strength
and were very much dissatisfied with the
amount of food.
Two pounds of food per day Is now the
standard ration for sledging parties in the
arctics Many parties have lived for weeks
or even months upon that allowance and
without any appreciable loss of strength.
DIR. Nansen and Lieutenant Johansen lived
upon two pounds per day from March IA
till near the lst Of July, working like
hired men all the time, sledging across the
arctic wastes. Their dogs were forced to
live upon only 10 or 12 ounces each per
day. But the food which arctic travellers
depend upon and that which was served TO
the soldiers in the recent test at Fort Sill
were quite different things. The latter
was bulky, solid food. Arctic sledge food
Is in large part scientific preparation.
The best sort is really an emulsion of ami
NAL tissues, with little vegeta BILE matter
mixed in. It is prepared in solid cakes or
in a sort of powder. When boiled up, three
or four ounces will make good meal for
a hardworking man. Two pounds Of con-
densed foods supply all the nourishment a
man needs. 1t builds up the waste tis-
sues, feeds the blood and bone, IL 1t Is
properly selected. The only difficulty
about it is that it does not distend the
stomach and give that sense of comfort
ableness which man feels after a square
meal. As soon as one learns to do with
out thiB, and TO be content with scien-
tific ration, he finds that he keeps his
strength and has better health than he
would have IL he overloaded his digestive
organs with q greater weight of coarse
food.
A Popular Hobby.
One OF the most popular men in Wash
ington is a stocky built, handsome fellow
of about 45 years. He is here the greater
part of the year, and IL as well known to
the habitues of the Capital City as any
senator or member of the house. The man
OF whom l speak is "a genuine enthusiast,
but an enthusiast of practical sort. He
Is OF that type of men we all admre-the
men who ride "a wholesome hobby and
never give up. Judge Torrey's hobby is
bankruptcy legislation, and for IL years
he has been in Washington when congress
was In session working away at his task.
He has been three or four times within
sight of the promised land, but something
has always occurred TO keep it ont of his
grasp. He has come up smiling after ev-
cry defeat. Every repulse has served only
to strengthen his purpose and TO induce
him to perfect the measure which he hopes
to induce congress some day to pass.
Judge Torrey knows all the prominent
men In Washington as well as he knows
his brother, and they know him. They
admire and respect him. He has hung to
them week after week, month after month
and year after year, and that is the sort Of
thing that commands respect, even when
one does not agree with tho opinions or