The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1898-02-09
IMPORTANCE OF COALlNG STATION.
Both of the Johnsons of the House of
Representatives Live at the
Same Boarding House
And Many Compile atlons Result. Speaker
Reed Favors an EARLY
Adjournment.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8. -[Special. 1.-The
friends Of the annexation of Hawaii have
made point on their adversaries by using
as an illustration the experience Of the
German and Russian fleets In the far east
ern waters. 1t will be remembered that
the cable dispatches told US few days ago
That the Russian feet at Port Arthur was
badly hampered by lack of coal. A Japa-
nese contractor who had undertaken to
supply the fleet had defaulted ON his con-
tract, and the big ships were left without
fuel. About the same time came news that
the feet Of Prince Henry of Germany.
which had sailed from the fatherland with
such a flourish of trumpets, had been
stalled In the Indian ocean on account of
lack of fuel. AS a matter Of fact the
German feet had been compelled to de-
pend upon the courtesy of England for
fuel at various points along the route.
These facts have served to bring to the
front the very great Importance of having
ooaling stations in various parts Of the
world where 1t is expected fleets are to
maneuver.
Great Britain long ago realized this,
and the result is that all over the world
that nation has immense supplies OF fuel
for her battleships and cruisers. No other
power approaches England In the complete
ness of arrangements for ooaling, outfit
ting, repairing and cleansing the bottoms
of laval vessels, no matter where they
may be- and no other nation approaches
England In control Of independent cable
lines for direction of the fleets in time of
war.
The friends of annexation have turned
these facts to account by making the mr.
gument that Hawaii would be worth very
much to the United States as a naval coal
ing and outfitting station If for nothing
else. In this view they are supported by
the best naval authorities. IL Is agreed
that Honolulu could be fortified SO that it
would be in no moro danger OF capture by
an enemy's fleet than any other American
city. Our ships would have the immense
advantage that they could steam out TO
midocean, and there recoal, while the enc
my's fleets would have consumed the coal
which they carried by the time they had
reached Hawaiian waters. The only way
in which they could regain this loss of adj
vantage would be by capturing Honolulu,
and while the naval authorities admit
Honolulu might fall they pertinently OBJ
serve that IL would be better for this coun-
try perhaps to have Honolulu than San
Francisco fall into the hands of the enemy.
Too Much johnson.
There is ono boarding house In the city
of Washington which has case of too
much johnson. 1t Is a modest but COM
Portable house on Twelfth street, where
both the Johnsons Of the house of repre-
sentatives one from North Dakota and the
other from Indiana, have their habitat.
The number of mistakes which occur be-
tween too much johnson in one house Is
something amazing, and occasionally the
mixtures are of most laughable sort
This reminds me that there Is great
number of duplicate names in the house.
Whenever the roll is called, we hear the
same names called over and over again.
There are In the house two Bakers, two
Boutelles, three Clarks and two each OF
Cochran, Cooper, Curtis Fowler, Gill
lett, Howard, johnson, Jones, Lewis,
Norton, Pierce, Stevens Stewart, Stone,
Taylor, Walker, Wheeler, White, Williams
and Young. For once the Smiths do not
enjoy the honor of leading all other names
in the house. There are four Smiths, but
thore are also four Henrys.
1t is remarkable fact that every letter
In the alphabet is represented In the house,
excepting only and X. The column is
represented by Mr.. Zenor. When house
roll is called. the spectators in the galleries
never fail to laugh at some Of the odd
names Mudd and Booze are sure to bring
forth litter, while Sauerhering, Louden-
Slayer and Cow herd produce smiles. But
what's in a namei 1t happens that every
one O, the gentlemen bearing these odd
names Is fine fellow with good record
Of public service behind him.
These are most discouraging days for
seekers after oonsulships They go to the
state department with their mouths nicely
Gxed for enjoying some plum like snug
place In sunny France worth S2, 800 or
VS. 700 year, with nothing much TO do
aed plenty OF time to do 1t In. But this Is
v Get they find to be available Port Row
an Ont, 1870 year; St. Pierre island,
SsSn year; st. Georges BERN uda, $3.50
a year; Durango, Mexico, $3.50 year; La
Paz, Mexico. e40O year. Saltillo, Mexico,
$500 q year, and Tonerife, Canary is
lands, $500 year. Inasmuch as consul
has TO pay his own expenses TO and from
his post Of duty, 1t Is easy to figure out
that II man were TO accept one Of these
distant posts, spend four years there and
be as economical as possible In his expend-
Nures no could return without Spending
more than 5000 or $500 In addition to his
pay. But even then he would have TO in
cur the risk Of dying Of yellow fever or
some other oontagion anu never coming
back at all.
A Terse Cablegram.
A few days ago the state department
officials were much puzzled by q cable
gram which they received from consul
In distant part of the globe. II consist
ed OF but a single word, and It's breyity
was supposed TO be due TO the fact that tho
cable rates from that couRtry arc soma
thing like g. 80 word. The message
read, yellow" That was all. The state
department people were al loss at nrst
10 know what the consul meant They
guessed he wanted New York newspaper
or that no had used some code word noe
put down In the department. records or
that he was dissatisfied with bis post and
was trying 10 characterize 10 In slang. bnt
40 the end they concluded no mennt 70 in
form them that yellow fever bad broken
out where 10 WA, and tht{ Hrait-
. .