The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-03
CALLS A HALI on LEWIS.
DEPARTMENT TELLS HIM HE USES
HIS FRANK TOO rREELy
so1th Bead Man lnventa . Marship
to AnaiAtiate spanish Arnaes-
Summer Citizens Defensive Tor-

i Special DispascA 30 the Post-In;eiligencer.
/ WASHINGTON May a. few days
ago Congressman Lewis received notice
/ from the postoi;ica depars ment that this 5
] the time OF the year WHEN thu annual
/ weighing af mails distributed by the rail-
roads throughout tbs United States was
| taking place For a period Of about two
months the mails are weighed every day,
/ and according 10 this Weighing the govern
ment bases its transportation for the whole
/ year. Mr.. Lewis attention was called
/ TO this fact because 1t had been noticed
| by the postofiice department that he was
| sending on; daily large quantities OF pub
lie documents. farmers bulletins. seeds
and other matter. bearing his frank. 10 his
| constituents. All OF this matter was duly
weighed and went 10 swell the receipts
/ OF the railroad companies, not only al this
time. but for the remainder OF the year.
| The department. therefore. asked MIR.
Lewis to withhold such documents until
after the weighing time had passed.
Mr.. Lewis replied that, contrary 10 the
assumption OF the department that he
WAS sending out documents Ia promiscu-
Gus job lots for the sake Of scattering
them broadcast, he was only sending those
which had been personally applied for
by his constituents. who We're making
demands upon his time and attention 10
the extent Of from fifty 10 one hundred
letters day. Nearly every letter. lie
stated. required that some public docu-
ment be sent 70 satisfy the wants % the
writer, and that he was merely doing his
best to get what everybody asked for.
He assured the department that he would
send cut only such documents and pub
locations as were asked for. but must In
sist upon supplying those that he was
able to obtain at the earliest possible mo-
ment.
Levi s. Doriand. OF South Bend Wash,
has filed an application for patent on an
airship which he has invented, and 10
which the attention of the war department
has been called He offers TO make the
government present of the patent for It's
own uss, provided it will secure him In
the Use OF his patent for private purposes
IN this and other countries. He offers, also.
to come TO Washington and superintend
thu construction OF one for Immediate
use of the navy in the present war. at
salary Of $1o0 month. provided his trans
portation Is paid from South Bend to this
city.
He declares that his airship would decide
the trouble with Spain In less than three
months after il Is completed. and the cost
would be nothing compared with that OF q
battleship. He details how completely at
his mercy would be the Notifications and
feet air craft can be constructed inside OF
sixty days the cost being from sie,Q00 to
$4,000. according 10 It's size.
1t might be stated in this connection that
an inventor Of this city has also a war;
stfp of the air invented. on paper. which he
/ has Offered to the government free OF
cost. provided the government will furnish
| the money to build it. He estimates that
$4,000 viii construct his Aging warship,
but he is carefully guarding the pans and
specifications from the curious eyes.
Some members OF congress who have
been taken into the secret however have
agreed TO introduce bill approprafing
money 10 construct the ship. and this has
been done in both houses.
The state OF Washington appears to be
prolific of inventors, not the least of whom
is Hans Paulson. of Sumner Pausen some
time ago invented n torpedo net. which he
offered to sell TO the Russian government
through It's ambassador here. Paulx,fi In
now in communication with the war depart
ment. having invented a torpedo intended
rather for defense than offense. In order
To he used effectively, ship must run
away from the enemy. His plan is TO get
UP stern chase from the enemy.s vessel
and when the latter IL following In the
wake. the torpedo is launched from the
Quarterback of the fleeing ship of war and
lies quietly in the wake until the pursuing
vessel reaches 1t. Then the torpedo Is fred
ny an electric wire. and the destruction OF
the battleship is complete.
Paulson has also invented an army target
which commends Itself ON the ground of It's
extreme cheapness Ii consists of a paper
bag. abou; the size of man inflated with
air. When bullet penetratcs the tag, tho
air escapes and the dummy target COL
lapses. Pauiaon suggests the manufacture
OF several thousand Of these SO that they
may be set Up I'm "A field like an army. and
then in target practice l. would be possible
10 learn how rapidly our soldiers could
NOW down an advancing column of the en-
envy by counting the number Of paper bags
left standing at the close OF an hours en-
gagenent.
The beauty OF Pauison's Invention In that
the paper bags tan be used many times by
simply pasifng a piece OF paper over the
bullet holes and reinfating the bags The
war department has received very cab
crate letter from Pauison regarding this
Invention, but In the hurry and hustle ~
preparing for war was obliged to reply 10
him that the department was not at this
time experimenting with targets.
Paymaster T. b. Webster. of the navy
department, formerly stationed at Port
Orchard ard well known In Seattle, WIS
eeurs-marttaled for various negIects and
dismissed from the navy on March 5. This
matter has not been generally known. but
several former friends of Webster, WIN
have written TO the secretary of the navy
recently regarding sums OF money loaned.
have been thus Informed.
About twenty-five former patrons Of the
postoffice which WAS recently discontinued
AT Star Lake Wash. are vigorously pro-
testing against that action. They believe
il was the work of a man who had A
grudge against the postm.siress. and they
assert Il there was any petition for the dis
continuance, IL was not signed by any OF
the genuine patrons of thc Office They
say that the cost Of maintaining the office
would not be more than 500 4 year and
that without the office some OF the pat
rons are obliged 10 go seven miles for their
mail The case has been referred Il, d spa-
clas inspector TO investigate and report
The Fourth Assistant postmaster eeuer-
al informs Representative Lewis that in
accordance with his recent request il has
been decided to establish a poStofyice AT
Sarisn Lake, Whatcom county. He fur
Their states that IL will be necessary 10
%ax, rhf rcrzk-