Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-08-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
prom our Regular Correspondent

prom our Regular Correspondent
Washington, ID. U. Aug. O.
If Mr.. Preston. Director OF the U.
s. Mint, Is trustworthy prophet
he decline IN the price of silver Is
likely to con tinue until about one.
fourth Of the present price has
been chopped of. Speaking OF
the matter, Mr.. Preston said: Il
see no future for silver whatever.
IS cents an ounce Is the current
quotation. II is my honest opin'
ION that within SIX months silver
will fail tn 40 cents an. ounce.
There is no demand for 1T any,
where; China is not buying any,
Japan is out of the business, and
there seems to be no demand for it
in any country to any extent, even
to use as subsidiary coinage"
Other men of prominence who
have studied the silver question
long aud earnestly decline to put
themselves on record as positively
as Mr.. Preston does, but nearly
every one questioned whose opin-
ion Is entitled to weight expressed
grave doubts about the future OF
silver.
The Interior Department is now
wrestling with new problem,
which, while IL does not Involve
any great or really important
question is more or less interest
ing, because IN it are tangled up
the official fortunes of two indlvid
nails who have been nominated
and confirmed by the Senate, for
the same Office, aud who are both
on their way, by different routes,
to the scene OF their future official
laborS; but the official labor OF Que
of them will be short lis ed, as his
resignation Will be deman led as
soon rs the official papers can
catch up with him. TAe story is
not so complicated AS might be
Supposed. AS soon as The Sundfy
Civil appropriation bill, which
authorized the appointment OF "d-
ditional U. S. Commissioners tor
Alaska, became a law, Senator
Wilson of w ashlngton, succeeded
in getting w. j. Jones, OF his 5 are
nominated for Commissioner at s..
Michael, and his nomination was
promptly confirmed. Then M.
Jones wrote to Senator Wilson
saving that he didn't want tn"
place anG would resign and the
Senator notified the Secretary of
the Interior. la Orier to sIye
time Mr.. l.. B. Shepherd was nomi
mated and confirmed, aud started
for St. Michael, the Klondlke g0lh
excltemen, having added much
importance to the position. When
the Interior Department be 'rd
from Mr.. Jones. instead of getting
his resignation, it got bis bond
properly approved, aud the notl
Gcation that be had taken the
oa,h of office and started tor 81.
Michael. Both men cannot hold
the same Office, and the depart
ment has decided that MI. Jones
has got to live up to his letter to
S natOr Wilson and resign and t
is supposed that he will do 80 as
soon as he gets the communication
sent bun, bat suppose he shouldu't,
There might lie no end OF trouble
in Alaska befere he COull be re-
moved.
Hon. Benz. B l'ter@Orth, g IN
missioner OF Patents, has issued
all order rCqniring all patent at
torneys to he registered in the I.
Is. Patent Office, and stating the
requirements for registration. 1t
is considered to be one OF the most
important orders ever issued by a
Commissioners of Patents, and to
0e a long step towards the reform
alton of some of the abuses OF
patent prac ice.
OBIIO AIRY.