Evening star., 1898-12-08
Many Callers Were Seen by the
President.
HONORED BY GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
An Interesting Relic of the RevoIu-
tionary War. .'--.
JOHN PAUL JONES FLAG

When Congress is in session the White
House is always point of lively interest,
senators and representatives constantly 60
ing and coming. especially up to the hour
for Congress to assemble. After that hour
visitors of various degrees of prominence
await opportunity which seldom comes, to
see the President.
Today was not an unusual one in the
number of visitors, but the President saw
and talked with a score of members of Con-
gress, constituents with them, and several
members of the cabinet.
The visiting senators included Messrs.
Hanna, Deboe, Carter, Nelson, Lindsay,
Bacon, TiIIman, Elkins and Wellington;
members of the House. Hopkins, Walker.
Bailey. Meyer, Mahany, Skinner, Dolliver,
Adams, McMilin, Booze and Dick of Ohio.
Senator Deboe was with George ID. Todd
of Louisville. and Kentucky affairs were
discussed. The President congratulated
Representative McMillin on his election as
governor of Tennessee. They were warm
friends in the House years ago. Senator
Wellington and Representative Booze were
with the collector of the port of Baltimore.
Representative Bailey said he called in
regard To a Kentucky matter.
Notified of His Election.
A committee of the National Geographic
Society called on the President this morning
10 inform him of his election an honor
airy member of the society. The committee
included W. j. McGee of the bureau of
American ethnology, vice president of the
society; F. II. Newell Of the geological sur
vey, the secretary; Col. Henry F. Blount
Charles J. Bell and Prof. Willis L. Moore,
superintendent of the weather bureau, of
the board of managers of the society.
The chairman of the committee assured
the President that the action of the society
in offering him the highest honor in the
gift OF one Of the leading scientific organiza-
tionS of the country was q recognition of
the changes in civil geography of the past
year and of his own instrumentality In eX
tending the humanitarian principles on
which the American nation Is founded, add
ing that the action was designed as a token
of appreciation on the part of the scientific
element of the American people.
The Presidents Acknowledgement.
In accepting the election, the President
assured the committee that he esteemed
the proffered honor the more highly as COM
ing from the most conservative class of
citizens Referring to recent changes in
civil geography, and to the extended recog-
milton of the principles of free government.
he assured his visitors, in his character
istic way, that the progress of the year
was the work of the American people as
whole, of whom ne is bat one.
The distinction of honorary membership
In the National Geographic Society Is care
fully guarded. The honor has been con-
ferred in only fourteen cases during the
eleven years OF active work by the society.
Nearly all of the honorary members are
residents of other countries, and the list
includes the most distinguished geOgraphers
of the world.
Revolutionary Relic.
Mrs. Harriet r. p Stafford Of Cottage
City. Mass. saw President Mckinley today
and showed to him one of the most precious
historical relics in the United States. 1t
was the flag of John Paul Jones. the first
stars and stripes that fioated on the high
seas. the first American flag saiuted by a
foreign power.
Mrs. Stafford has decided to give this flag
and other naval relics in her possession TO
the Smithsonian Institution. The flag flew
from John Paul Jones famous ship. the
Bon Hornme Richard. The other relics con-
sist Of John Paul Jones' boarding sword, a
musket captured from the Scraps. and
letter from the marine committee of Phila-
dephia written in 1854 The flag and other
relics were presented by the marine COM
rnittee to Lieutenant James Bayard Stat
ford, father of Mrs. Stafford's husband.
Lieutenant Stafford served as volunteer
on the frigate Bon H0mme Richard. and
later as nidshipman on the frigate Alli-
ance
originally about fifteen feet long, but has
been so long at the mercy of patriotic relic
hunters that 1t has lost two yards of Its
length.
Mrs. Stafford says that she has shown
the relics to thousands of visitors, but that
her Old age prevents her continuing this.
Therefore, she desires TO give the relics to
the institution.
Engineer Comm ISIS ionership.
Good authority at the White House to-
day says that the President has not yet
settled the question of the permanent Sc
lection of an Engineer Commissioner for
the District
This and the PRONUNCIATION of a civil ser
vice order are two things eagerly awaited
by the local public. The civil service or
der still hangs fire because the President
has not had time to finally revise 1t and
append his signature.
ExemptinE the Printing Office.
Owing to the great interest TO be made in
the disposition of the government printing
office It may be said that the order does
not affect that institution. so far as can be
learned. If the President exempts the print
ing office at any time he will do 80 in d
special order. The opinion of the Attorney
General that the office is not legally within
the classified service has been before
the President a long time. 1t has not been
made public, as the President has the only
copy.