The Mena star., 1898-03-02
VALUABLE SEEDS.
The Agricultural Department Utiizes
 Its Seed Appropriation.
ALASKA BOUNDARY TREATY.
BarthhoIdt's Railroad BilI Paased-Appli- cations for Re- Enlistment in the Navy Meat Inspection-Pension BiII Fa-
 vored-secretary Long's Order.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-Secretary Wilson, of the agricultural depart ment, in pursuance of his determine tion, as far as practical, to utilize the agricultural seed appropriation in se- curing new, rare and valuable" seeds, dispatched Prof. Niels k. Hansen, pro- lessor of horticulture at Brookings, S. D., to eastern Europe and Asia to se- cure seeds and plants and to ascertain what the people at the original cradle of mankind had been doing to adapt plants to their conditions. Prof Han sen Is now preparing his report for publication after trip involving many thousands of miles of travel The trip was a successful one, many promising varieties were obtained. About three car loads of seed will be distributed to state experiment. stations and others. These seeds, it is expected, will be chiefly of value in the arid regions, the purpose of Prof. Hansen's trip be- ing to obtain such as were distin- guished for resistance to drought and heat.
 Boundary Treaty In the Senate.
 WASHINGTON, March 1.-Senator Tur- pie made an effort in the executive ses- sion of the senate yesterday to secure the ratification of the treaty between the United States and Great Britain locating the 141st meridian as the boundary line between Alaska and British America, but failed to succeed because of objections made by Senator Pettigrew. Senator Turpie complained that the treaty had been on the calen- dar for almost a year, and said the senate owed it to the executive branch of the government to take action. Senator Pettigrew said that the treaty ed upon by the senate. He asserted that in it's present shape it was a most essential concession to Great Britain, and said that if it was accepted with out amendment, making Mount St Elias the initial point on the south, it would be found, when too late, that the Canadians had got decidedly the better of the bargain. Action was post poned.. NS
 i;arthoIdts Railroad Bni Passed.
 WASHINGTON, March 1.-Representa-
 
 Kansas x Gulf railroad went through the house yesterday. The northern terminus is to be the extreme northern pat of Nebraska. The route will be southward through the center of Ne braska and Kansas, through Oklahoma and the Indian territory, into Texas by way of Denison and thence to the gulf at Galveston. The road is capi- talized at S26, 00O, 900 and is backed by The purpose is to create d trunk north and south to bisect the transcontinental lines and handle bushes between them and the gulf. The bill passed at the close of the last congress, but with 200 others failed to get the presidents consideration.
 Applications for Re- Enlistment
 WASHINGTON. March 1.-The navy department is receiving a large num- Der of letters from men who have served a term in the navy offering themselves for re-enlistment. Assist ant Secretary Roosevelt is separating all applications of this class from the rest, and is having the records of the applicants previous service looked up. Where it is found to have been satis- factory the word accepted" is written after the mans name and the applica- tion is filed away. In case the in- crease of 1, 300 sailors asked for by the navy department is granted by con gress, Assistant Secretary Roosevelt thinks he will be able to recruit the additional force largely from trained seamen.
 Meat Inspection.
 WASHINGTON, March 1.-The decision of Judge Rogers, of Fort Smith, Ark, yesterday holding the United States federal meat inspection law to be un- constitutional apparently causes no concern to the officials of the agricul- tural department under whose admin istration the law is executed. They regard the decision as one largely technical in character which will not affect the practical operation of the law when applied to the inspection of export to foreign countries.
 Gibson Pension Bsll Favored
 WASHINGTON, March 1.-The invalid pension committee has agreed upon and favorably reported the Gibson bill, extending the benefits of the June 27, 1890, act to men who served less than six months in the confederate army, and who joined the union army before September 1, 1864, and did not enlist out of prison in a northern state. The bill provoked an animated dis cussion, but was finally agreed to by a vote of eight to four.
 Secretary Long's Order.