Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-22
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS

the thirteenth district AS editor of the
South Bend Register he came in touch with
them all. and once he had their friendship
it was permanent. His meteoric career as
Speaker Of the House of Representatives
and Vice President was in peculiar contrast
with the closing years of his life. Regard
irg his connection with the Credit Mobilier
he denied some things that hurt him more
than If he had made admissions. There is
not a man in the district who would assail
his integrity. His people believed him an
honest man, and he Went to his grave with
that knowledge.
"Colfax left his wife and son some prop
erty. but have heard that they lost con-
! siderable in an Indianapolis bank, which
failed during the panic a few years ago.
Mrs Colfax is niece of Ben. Wade. Col
fax and Wade were members of a party of
congressman ard their families on a west
| ern trip Nellie Wade accompanied ner
VI Gle She was introduced to Colfax. and
| an affinity sprang up between them which
r1pened into love, followed by an engage
ment and marriage. The son is connected
| with mandatory in South Bend
| This story was heard at Chamberlin's:
Frank Dumont, the black-face comedian,
and proprietor Of Dumont's Minstrels, Phil
aGelphia. has form and features not I'M
| like those of Tom L. Johnson the former
single tax congressman from Ohio So
cherubic apostle of Henry Georges ideas
| that it is hard to distinguish one from the
other Dumont was over in New York a
| few days ago. and having little time to
spare, he strayed from the beaten path of
| the R1alto long enough to visit his former
townsman, Manager George Boldt's new
Astoria Hotel. AS he was leaving the pala-
t1al hostelry well-dressed man accosted
him, and, extending his hand said
We'll. johnson, l am glad to see you. l
understand you have moved your family to
New York for the winter. So glad /
am"
You have been wrongly informed
broke in Dumont, who began TO see the
mistake. Il am still living on Vine street,
Philadelphia, and my family was there
this morning when left home"
Come, Tom. don't try to joke me-" the
man persisted.
Il am not accustomed to being called
Tom said Dumont, without the semblance
of smile. 1.-The people of Philadelphia
call NE Frank; and If you don't believe ii,
why here handing him half dozen COM
plimentaries, take these. and bring your
family over to the snow"
The stranger stood aghast for moment.
When he had recovered from his astonish-
| ment, he said:
We'll, I'll be dc if 1 didn't think YOU
| were my old friend. Tom Johnson"
The mistake was adjusted then and there.
est man in the world.
Not less than a quarter of million dol
lars has been invested in mineral interests
in Alabama within the last six MONTHS
said H. G. Mccall, a lawyer and former
newspaper man, at the Metropolitan. THE
yellow fever scare is over and Alabama
is again on the boom. OF course scent
cotton has had tendency to make pro-
ducers blue, but, on the whole. the state
is in excellent business condition This
money invested in mineral property came
from all parts of the country, and it only
goes to show that the richness of Ala
bama's natural resources is appreciated
and recognized pretty generally. There is
a vast amount of gold underlying the
state. The mining of this could be made
practicable and profitable if the right per-
sons with money only took hold of 1t. A
process has been invented recently which
makes easy the separa ton of the precipi-
tate su1phurets from the ore. This must
| necessarily presage the rapid development
of Alabama's gold fields. There is no end
to the iron and coal interests. and north
ern capital and push are manifest every
where. Alabama is truly the coming gar
den spot of the United States. She has
more natural resources than half the states
put together
THE government at present has the
rural free delivery in operation from forty
five post offices in thirty-two States" said
William B. Gaitree, special agent of the
Post Office Department, to a Star reporter
at the Raleigh. THE last state in which
1t was introduced for experiment was Iowa.
have just returned from Brooklyn, that
state. The people who enjoy the fruits of
the experiment there are enthusiastic, to
say the least A farmer living along one
of the new routes wrote to the county
| newspaper that in the event that the gov
eminent discontinued the service he would
be one to contribute So a year for main
tanning it independently.
Il established two routes out of Brook
lyn. The north route is twenty-one miles
in length and the south nineteen. The
number of families that will be served by
the delivery is about 49, if all of them
take advantage of it. This does not in
clude those who may make arrangements
to receive their mail in neighbours box,
which will doubtless increase the number.
Parties living on these routes must pro-
vide a proper box for the reception of
mail near the roadside, which must be so
placed that the carrier may have access
to it without alighting from his convey
ance. Unless these boxes put up with
in ten days from the time the service is
commenced. it is supposed that the party
does not want mail delivered and the serv
ice where boxes are not up provided by
the regulations is discontinued.
Parties not living on the established
routes, and wishing their mail delivered,
may have it left in a neighbor's box by
giving an order for such delivery to the
postmaster. Registered mail is delivered
by order only. Carriers will collect any
matter to be mailed provided sufficient
postage is placed in the box to pay for it,
but in no case are they permitted to col
lect mail unless postage is affixed money
accompanies it. A signal must be placed
upon boxes to notify the carrier that there
is matter to be collected. 1 have suggested
that a piece of cloth be tackled inside OF
the box so that the end may be placed
outside of the box when there is mail to
be collected.
Carriers are allowed to perform errands
for patrons-except that of delivering mes
sages-but they are not expected to do
these favors without compensation. They
are not permitted to carry a note from
one neighbor to another without postage
has been paid and duly counted. They
must not carry a written order to town
for goods without the postage is paid. AS
a matter Of accommodation they receive
money and furnish patrons postage stamps
from the Brooklyn office.
Il have given you briefly an idea OF
what the service is. The establishment OF