The sun., 1897-12-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
All Indians Not Cruel = John and the
+ Eaglets-No Mere Longhand-0sn
sral Miles Denies Some Stories.
Especial Correspondence

sral Miles Denies Some Stories.
Especial Correspondence
"Nct all Indians are cruel and hard
hearted" said an Indian agent who
was in town not long ago looking after
some business before the interior de-
partment. "Some Of them are as kindly
disposed and as tender in their feelings
as their white brothers are supposed to
be- The popular idea Of the Indian ia
not always the right idea, and to illus
trate this l will tell a story. Out in the
country where | have been staying re.
Gently we hunt rabbits for sport, and
every precaution is taken to preserve
this game, that our sport shall not be
interfered with. The eagle is the rab-
bits greatest enemy, and hearing that
one Of these noble birds had nest in
the vicinity undertook to destroy it.
John, an Indian who often accompanied
me on my hunting expeditions. was
asked to 60 along.
"We found the nest without Difficult.
ty and caught the young eaglets in the
act Of devouring rabbit. 1t was an in
teresting sight, and we watched them
for some minutes. In the meantime the
mother eagle had returned and circled
about the nest high above us.
"What shall we do, John?' I asked
at length. Shall l throw the nest down
on the rocks, or shall we pick them of
with our guns?'
"'Let's go home, said John after
long deliberation, and let the helpless
little things grow up in peace.
$50 the red man gave the white man
a lesson in mercy, and we left the little
eaglets to their mother"
Lonshand Copying Abolished.
Large bodies move slowly. The gov
ernment is about to adopt business de.
vice that every wide awake merchant
and business man has used for years.
Assistant Secretary Vanderlip has is.
sued circular letter to chiefs Of bu.
reaus and other officers of the treasury
department abolishing the ancient sys-
tenn Of copying official correspondence
in longhand for permanent records.
Ever since the organization Of the gov
ernment it has been the practice in the
treasury and other departments to copy
into large record books all outgoing cor
respondence. This has been done at con-
siaelau,e expense and with some danger
Of error. This extra work is now regard.
ed as wholly unnecessary, as copies
equally as permanent can be made with
the typewriter.
General Miles Denies Some Stories.
l recently saw General Miles and
asked him about his $3.50 stateroom
putting the question as to whether that
was not high rate for Uncle Sam to
pay for one mans passage. General
Miles replied
'That story was made out Of whole
cloth. 1t was lie from beginning to
end, but it has seemed to me too silly to
need contradiction The truth is, when
I was ordered to go to Europe engaged
an ordinary first class stateroom. When
I stepped on board the ship, l found my
room occupied. By some mistake it had
been assigned to lady Her baggage
was in the room, and could not insist
upon her leaving it. One of the man
ayers Of the steamship company hap
pened to he on beard, and he very gen.
erously gave me another room which
happened to be vacant without any ad-
ditional charge
"Then your stateroom did not cost
$75O?"
"No, it did not, was the reply.
"Did it cost you &50O:'
NO. replied General Miles. "It
did not, and nothing like it. The actual
rate charged was that of the ordinary
first class passage and no more
"HuW about your trouble with Ad-
miral Miller, general: 1t is said that
You crowded him out Of the buckingham
Palace hotel III London. y
No Trouble With Admiral Miller.
There is not word Ct truth in
that, replied General Miles, II can't
think how the story originated, but |
see that it has gone the rounds Of the
press The admiral and myself were
both guests Of the English government
Our accommodations were arranged for
us at that hotel We had nothing to do
with making the arrangements, and our
names were placed over the doors OF our
rooms before we went there. The other
guests had their rooms assigned in the
same way Over one room was posted
the nanlo of the crown prince Of siam,
another bore that of the Duke of Wurt-
temberg, a third that Of the Grand Duke
of Russia and SO it was with all the
guests. The rooms to which was as
signed were a small parlor at the front
and sleeping apartment in the rear,
having windows opening out upon a
court Admiral Miller's name was over
the door Of his rooms and mine was
over my rooms | never saw the admi-
raj rooms and | don't think he ever
saw mine. The story was misstate-
meut from beginning 10 end. -
Caught In His Own Tres.
WASHINGTON man who nridnC him.