The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-06-25
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Logan and Sherman Statues In
Process of Construction.
Old Landmark Removed Hawaii Side
tracked For Tariff Duty on Goat Skins.
Congressional Jottings.


tracked For Tariff Duty on Goat Skins.
Congressional Jottings.
From Our Correspondent.
Congress, having appropriated $5OOOO
each for statues to Generals William T.
Sherman and John A. Logan, some time
since, the work on the latter has been
commenced in Iowa circle, where it will
be erected. The fountain in the center
of the circle ahas been removed, and the
foundation for the pedestal nearly COM
pleted, and will be ready for the mason
ry in few days. Upon completion or
the mason work, all will be ready for the
pedestal. The pedestal will mark a new
feature of construction in work of this
kind, as it will be of bronze, and appro-
priately ornamented. The statue will
also be of bronze, and of heroic dimen-
sions. The designs are all completed,
and it is hoped to have the pedestal in
place by next December and the whole
work ready for unwilling during 1898.
The equestrian statue to the hero of
the march from Atlanta to the sea-" al
ready mentioned, it is proposed to erect
on the grounds south of the treasury
building, looking toward Washington
monument. The designs for this work
are far advanced, and it will be pushed
to early completion.
Visitors to the patent office are fire.
quently carried to "the vault" and al
lowed to gaze through the palings of the
wooden door that leads to the sepulchral
apartments, with their imaginations ex-
cited by the story of the contents of the
place. 1.-THE vault of the patent office
consists Of a series of rooms and cor
ridors, in which the papers in all the
abandoned patent cases are filed. When
an inventor has filed his claim, and from
poverty, which prevents him from
prosecuting it, or from a change of opin-
ion regarding the merits of his device,
decided to press it no further, the whole
case is sent to the abandoned files room.
Every year since the organization of the
patent office the contents of that room
have been added to. The rules of the
patent office require that these files shall
be kept absolutely secret, and no one is
permitted to pass the wooden gate lead
ing to them, except a small number of
trusted employees. What thoughts OF
geniue lie buried in the vault what in
ventions are there indicated, no one
knows, and no one can know. For all
the world knows, the missing link may
lie hidden in the vault Thousands of
cases are there, each wear being covered
by heavier layer of dust. 1t occasion
ally occurs that an inventor, who has
abandoned his claim for a patent, re-
wives his case and secures a patent, but
that is not often.
I am told that President Mckinley has |
decided that the government printing
office is not under the rules Of the civil |
service. It is said that after having
heard the arguments on both sides of |
the question he has decided that the ap-
plication of the civil service law to the
government printing office has been re-
voked by the provision in the act pro-
viding for public printing last year,
which makes it incumbent upon the
public printer to pass upon the fitness of
employees in his office.
A very large number of prominent Re-
publicans have urged upon the president
the propriety of taking the big printing
office out of the classified service, while
the civil service commissioners have
claimed that the provision of the public
printing act requiring the public print
er to determine the fitness of employees
of his office in no way conflicts with the
civil service law.
The president, however, is said to have
been convinced that the law does not in
clude the printing office in the classified
service, and that it is proper for him to
announce that fact in an executive or
der.
By delaying this action until after the
adjournment of congress. dismissals will
then be made with a view of perma-,
nently getting rid of men not pleasing
to the administration, and when con-
gress reassembles in December, the pub
lie printer will be enabled to make sew
eral hundred appointments of men and
women upon the recommendation of
congressman.
An old landmark has been removed
from the White House grounds. It is the
small frame building that has stood at the
extreme northeast corner of the grounds
on the Pennsylvania avenue front. 1t
has been used from time immemorial
as lodge or sentinel box for watch
men especially assigned to the duty of
guarding the northern and western front
of the treasury building. No one knows
exactly when it was built, but 1t has
stood there as a silent sentinel ever since
the stirring days of the war, over 80 years
ago. 1t has outlived it's usefulness, how
ever, as more modern and better means
have been adopted for the protection Of
Uncle Sans strong box.
Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British am
bassadOr, is one of the most persistent
of Washington. Nearly every
fine evening the ambassador, who is the
ranking member of the diplomatic corps,
can be seen taking an outing. He rides
a three-wheeled machine, constructed
so that it rides nearly as easily as would
g bicycle. The ambassador is strong of
build, and appears to thoroughly enjoy
his outings. He is always accompanied
by one of the ladies of the family, all of
whom are accomplished cyclers. A favor
tie ride of Sir Julian's is through the SOL
diers' home, and he usually climbs the
hills without dismounting.
The attitude the administration has
assumed on the Hawaiian matter is not
although the treaty itself was
ia