Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-09-16
FOR POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS.
Postmaster General Gary VIII Recommend
Their Establishment to COngress-In-
sane Indlans-PublIc Health De-
partment-Troops for Alaska.

WASHINGTON, Sept 15-In accord
ance with the desire of the secretary
of agriculture to promote more extend
ed experiments in the use of steel track
ways on wagon roads, the office of road
inquiry has made arrangements with
the Umbria iron works, of Johnstown,
Pa, for rolling special rails for this
purpose, these arrangements to go in
to effect as soon as definite orders from
responsible parties amounting to one
mile of track are received. The di-
rector of road inquiry and the en-
gineers of the iron company, after
much discussion, have agreed upon a
plan of track which promises to meet
all requirements. 1t uses no wood
in construction and no cross ties
for support, but consists of
simple inverted trough or channel
of steel for each wheel with slightly
raised bead on the inside to guide the
wheels, each channel resting in a bed
of gravel and the two tied together oc-
casionally to prevent spreading Spe-
cial devices for remounting are pro-
vided at each joint The bearings or
tread for wheels are eight inches wide,
the thickness about seven-sixteenths
of an inch. The weight Of
the structure is about 100 tons
per mile of single track road,
and it will be furnished in small Sec
tions at the rate of $500 per mile,
The first order for track has been Civ
en- by the New York state agricultural
experiment station.
For Postal Savings Banks.
WASHINGTON Sept 15.-Postmaster-
General Gary is devoting considerable
attention these days to an investiga-
tion of the wisdom of establishing
postal savings banks. When in the
last congress bill was sent to him
providing for such institutions he de-
clined to indorse it, because, as he said,
he had not had an opportunity to in
vestigate the subject lie has since
taken up the matter, reading all the
literature bearing upon it he could
procure and seeking opportunity to
discuss its merits with those familiar
with it. The result is that he has be-
come convinced of both the wisdom
and the utility of postal savings insti-
buttons and has decided to have bill
prepared providing for their establish
ment and to recommend its passage by
congress. He has not yet decided upon
the details of the plan, but will soon
give his attention to them.
Insane Indians.
WASHINGTON, Sept 15.-Commission-
err Jones, of the Indian bureau, has had
an investigation made at the different
Indian agencies of the number of in
sane Indians at each of them. The
poll shows only GS insane Indians in
the country and some of these are re-
garded as idiots rather than lunatics.
The largest number reported at any
one agency was eight. and White
Earth, Mimi, and Flathead, Mont,
each return that number The census
was taken to furnish a reply to ques-
ton from congress as to the advisable
ity of establishing an insane asylum
for Indians.
Public Health Department.
WAsHIgGToN, Sept. IA bill is to
be introduced at the next session of
congress creating a national depart
ment of public health and providing
for secretary, who will have a seat
in the presidents cabinet and take
rank with the secretary of agriculture.
I he bill was drawn by DIR. Warren L.
Anderson, OF Pen sacola, Fla, and sub
mitted to Senator Mallory, who is to
It.
Troops for Alaska.
WAsHINGToN Sept l5.-It was prac-
tically determined yesterday that two
of 80 men each should be
sent to Alaska one to remain in ST.
Mchaers and the other to go into the
interior The department, however,
is waiting for further report from
Capt. Ray, now in Alaska, before issu-
ing orders for the troops.