The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-12-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Slow Progress of Coast Defense Work.
An Enterprising Fellow Tho
Monetary Commission.
Ispecial Correspondence.l

"OAh' NhiOH 10 uSCrIUetl 10 COuSreSS1On-
al shortsightedness, though some one
else appears to be culpable in at least q
contrlbutory degree, is shown in Score
tary Ayers recent action revoking the
orders to battery of the Fourth artil-
lery to garrison Fort Delaware and
Firms Point, N. j., and postponing
the occupation of these important places
guarding the entrance to the Delaware
until next spring. This is due to an of
fetal report that the old quarters there
are absolutely uninhabitable, and there
fore several hundred thousand dollars
worth Of guns and their mounts are left
without the care they would have were
troops available in the vicinity, and the
men will not have the advantage of be-
coming familiar with the weapons, not
to mention the defenseless position in
which Philadelphia is left Of course
congress will DO asked to appropriate
money for quarters, and this demand is
emphasized by the failure of the de-
partment to man the posts, but many
persons will wonder that the proper Of
ficials never thought of this phase of
tho matter several months ago
An Enterprising Fellow.
There is an enterprising individual i'll
town who for months past has been try
ing to obtain an audience with certain
high official but the high official, being
we'll aware of tho nature of the enter
prlslng individuals wishes, has persist
entity avoided him. This person, how
ever, is versatile as we'll as entcrpris-
ing. One day recently he went over to
Baltimore and called up, over the long
distance telephone. the high official,
who, being aware of no possible reason
why he should not answer call over
tho long distance telephone, which indi-
Gated that there must be matters of im-
portance that demanded his attention,
responded:
els that General a. ?" asked Balti-
more.
Eyes. What do you want?" asked
General A.
"This is Mr.. B. want to speak to
you about u littlo matter" Then Mr..
d. proceeded to tell his business.
Come, come" interrupted General
A., 'this is no matter for tho tele-
phone.''
We'll, when can L see you, then?"
asked b.
Come to my Office at 10 o'clock to-
morrow" growlcd tho general.
And the interview took place
Monetary Commission Hard at Work
Tho monetary commission is constant
ly ut work, and it will bo some weeks
yet before all tho questions it has under
consideration arc disposed Of
Tho members of tho commission are
all we'll known men, but the most noted
of their number is the chairman of the
commission, ex-senator Edmunds of
Vermont, who for 20 years was a con-
spicuous figure III the senate and regard
ed as the leading lawyer Of that body.
The active part he took in the debates
Oh tho Pacific railway funding act and
antitrust laws is still remembered, and
he was tho author of the "Edmunds
law, " which aimed to suppress polyg-
amy i'll Utah. He was, too, member
of tho electoral commission and ono of
those who took part i'll tho trial of An
drew Johnson. Senator Edmunds vol
untary resignation of his seat i'll the
senate was Il subject of surprise and
wonder at tho time. Since his retire
ment to private life he has devoted him
self to his law practice and has seem
ingly never regretted leaving the senate.
Tho Library of Congress.
Mr.. Alvord, tho superintendent of the
art department of the library of con-
Grcss, is hard mt work putting that de-
partmcnt i'll order and hopes to open it
to the public by Jan. l. TO assert and
arrange all tho prints that have accu-
mulated i'll the library is, of course, Il
tremendous undertaking, but when it is
done tho collection will DO useful to the
student as showing tho history and
growth of the cngraver' s art and photog-
raphy i'll this country.
MIR. Alvord has amy quantity of ma
tcrial at his disposal There are now
stored in the library some 70, coo en-
cravings, "A, 900 photographs and go, 900
woodcuts, besides a quantity of other
pictures that have not been classified 1t
would naturally, if it were possible, be
quite useless to display all of these, but
from them have been selected about
1000 prints which will be framed and
hung i'll the gallery.
Tho library has Il rich and very in
tcresting collection of political cartoons,
and among its treasures are more than
300 rare old engravings, copies of tho
old masters, which wcro purchased i'll
the early days of tho library. But just
when and by whom these pictures were
bought is not known. Surely the person
who had tho temerity TO use govern
ment funds for so aesthetic purpose as
the acquiring Of rare old prints must
have been % man of courage and strong
convictions, for utilitarian ideas govern
cd the government expenditures i'll the