Evening star., 1898-09-16

4, there was not as much disturbance on
the surface of the water as would be ordi-
| narily visible or apparent in a trip from
| Baltimore to Fort Monroe in the Ctesa-
| peake bay No attempt was made to force
| the Seneca along at top speed, but the cap
| tain seemed content with an average of
| about two hundred and sixty miles a day.
| Under ordinary conditions. and with the
| class of vessels in the service such as
| competition for carrying the mail will en-
| gender. the trip from New York for San
| Juan could be made inside of four days.
| OF course. all the interest aboard con-
tered around Admiral Schley, and more
| affable, agreeable travelling companion
| could not be desired. Thoroughly demo-
| cratic in his tastes, he never seemed hap
| pier or more at his ease than when seated
| ard instructing them in the manner for
| which he has become famous. Nothing
| escaped him, from the glaciers of the arc
TIC to the minutest forms of his own Ches-
| apeake bay. and upon each topic he
| showed his wonderful fund of information
| as well as versatility.
! Tho second evening out from New York
| While the admiral was seated forward
| surrounded by an eager, attentive group
| OF listeners. somebody suggested the pos
slbll1ty of storm overtaking the vessel
before morning. Casting his eyes upward,
! Admiral Schley replied: That is not likely
| Tor the lambs are aloft tonight
Ihls reference to the fleecy appearance
| OF the clouds was voted an apt simile and
l
| that could have been framed for the heav-
ems were full of shifting shimmering.
| heecy vapor-like growths which reminded
the beholder of nothing much as the
| nnest qualty of wool after 1t had been
| carded.
| Nobody ever seems to tire of hearing Ad-
| mlral Schley talk, and from the time he
| arose in the morning until he retired late
| in the evening he was not permitted to
| SuHer from ennui or lonesomeness or lack
| of attendance These attentions on the
| part of the passengers We're taken in good
| part by Admiral Schley, and when refer
| ence was made to his having SO many
| friends, he replied very promptly, Il have
| friends everywhere"
| Suggestion for Capitol Frieze.
In the course Of a conversation, during
! the last hours Of the admiral aboard of
| the Seneca, he made a suggestion in regard
| to the unfinished panel in the frieze of the
| Capitol rotunda at Washington. Attention
| was called to the fact that nothing of
| historic Importance had been designed to
| finish out that band around the great cir
GUAR room, which. beginning with the dis
covery of America by Columbus in 1892
| had portrayed other historical evl lhts down
| to the finding of gold in California in 1919.
| Admiral Schley's suggestion was an appro-
pirate design for this panel would be a
! picture showing the departure of the crew
! Of the Brooklyn. in Santiago bay, to re-
| ceive the surrender of the Cristobal Colon.
| 1t was his idea that the picture should
show Captain Cook and the brave men of
| the Brooklyn at the time the vanquished
Spaniards upon tkeir disabled warship were
| cheering the oncoming victors. AS Ad
mfral Schley described the departure of
his brave bullies,'' as he called them to
receive the sword of the commander of
| the Colon there was a tremor in his voice
and suggestion of tears in his eyes.
1t was remarked to the admiral that all
| sorts of subjects in connection with the
vacant nanel + he C3pitoI iDcu6irp
event of the civil war or the Columbian ex-
position at Chicago had been suggested,
but nothing seemed to fill the bill as
well as his suggestion about that his
torlc scene at Santiago. 1t was prob
ably the first time that the cheers of
a vanquished body had been heard spon-
taneously in behalf of their victors, and
IL could be taken an indication of an
era of good feeling between the soldiers
Of the country, whose ancestors had dis
covered it and those who had been instru-
mental in developing and bringing the same
country to the front Of the nations of the
world.
The Postal Commission.
Next in Importance to the members of
the peace commission. who are to make
arrangements for the evacuation of the is
land, are the members of the postal commits
sion, who are to give increased postal facil-
tiles as the direct outcome Of the Ameri-
can occupation. This commission is headed
by Major James e. Stuart. for many years
the post office inspector-in- charge at Chi
cago. For the purpose of carrying out his
new detail Major Stuart has absented him
self only temporarily from the ID Illinois
Infantry, which he will rejoin at the con-
clusion of his labors as the chairman of
this commission.
1t is the intention of Major Stuart and
the other members of the commission
which consists of Charles F. Trotter. John
NJ Masten, William NJ. Mooney and Martin
A. Macdonald as secretary and Interpreter
TO the commission, to visit every portion of
the Island Of Porto Rico to examine into
and report upon the conditions, operations
and requirements of the postal service on
that island. In order that all may be rep
resented. and that the inquiry might be
made complete and comprehensive the
commission was chosen from the various
branches of the departmental service to
examine fully into the postal service in
Porto Rico as 1t his been and still may
be conducted under the Spanish system,
and as 1T has been modified in those por-
tions of the island occupied by the forces
of the United States
Their instructions to inquire into the
extent and efficiency with which the postal
service is still operated, administration of
pest offices, collection and delivery of mail
money order and registration systems, car
rter and transportation methods, the num-
Der, efficiency and pay of the employees
in the various branches, as well as the
sources and amount of revenues and it's re-
lation to expenditures They were further
more TO examine especially into the meas
ures, which may become necessary in max
ing the existing service conform as far as
practicable to the rules and regulations
which govern the postal service of the
United States.
While the post offices or stations already
established are primarily to handle mail
to and from the land and naval forces
Of the United States they will also carry
on the general postal service of the COM
munities in which they are located. AS
the American occupation advances this
service will be extended
None of the members of either cornroie