The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-02-03
Senator Wolcott.

which Mr.. Gage is supporting, and pre-
dicted its defeat before it reached the
Senate. In the course of his address
Senator Wallcott indicated that in his
opinion it would be necessary to change
the ratio for the coinage from 16 to
I, to 20 to /. The utterances of tho
Senator has awakened renewed interest
in the currency question which is alb
sorbing even more attention than the
Hawaiin annexation question or the
appropriations.
The Navy department was created In
1888. Just 100 years ago, Benjiman
Stoddard was appointed Secretary.
Trouble with France had become SO
threatening that war was expected and
Washington was made Lieutenant gen.
eral, with Hamilton as Major General.
The United States frigate Contellation
had just captured a French frigate,
whose guns are still preserved in the
Watervlet arsenal. They bear the in
scription "Republique," Francais Lam
une." (French Republic, the first year,
and are among the curiosities of Ameri-
can warfare. John Adams was Presi-
dend and Philadelphia was the National
Capital, but Washington had been laid
out and preparations for removal were
In progress. The principle Editor in
the country was Noah Webster OF New
York who published the Minerva,
which eventually was emerged into the
Connecticut Advertiser and has con-
tinued until the present day. Hugh
Gaine was another publisher who did
well to circulate from 900 to 400 Copies
OF his daily Gazette, being editor COM
poster, pressman and folder as well
as occasionally a carrier. Washington
Irving was school boy of fifteen, but
even then had literary taste which in
two years found development in print.
Ten years later he had his Knicker-
booker history ready for the press, and
ever since then Father Knickerbocker
has been the popular psuedonym for
the metropolis.
If the theories of Professor See, of the
Lowell observatory, be true our star
system is unique in the great star fam
lily of worlds and the generally exac-
eepted nebular hypothesis is essentially
erroneous. 1t is to America that the
old world turns to receive the latest,
and many eminent astronomers think
the most reasonable enunication re-
sarding the nebular theory, which was
first exploited a hundred years ago by
the great French inventor Laplace.
Professor See who is, now in Washing
ton, presenting his researches at the
Naval Observatory, is a very young
man but has devoted himself almost ex-
elusively to astronomical studies since
his undergraduating day at the Misc
our State university.
There has been in the attic of the
agricultural department building
morgue of former secretaries and other
distinguished citizens. Under a STAIR
way, hidden from the light and covered
with dust, is a collection of life-tsize
plaster casts, all rapidly becoming more
or less delapitated. In this art gallery
were recognized three copies of Jere
Rusk in Plaster of Paris two copies of
j. Sterling Morton, one or two ladies'
and several citizens whose names are
not associated with their plaster relics
in The lumber room. The janitors and
messengers of the department are not
under instructions to dust this art gal
Iery; and its future is problematical
the work is probably that of an old
time genius who for years was employ
ed as modeler in the national Museum
and in the agricultural department.
This former employee was a wonderful
artist in his way, especially in his still
life production. He could reproduce
fruits of all kinds in such natural form
that even expert pomologists were fool
ed into attempting to mastcate them,
hut like ether men Of genius, this par
tfcular Individual could not withstand
the temptation of John Barleycor1, and
when last heard from was serving one
OF his periodical terms in the district
work house.
The United States began on the first
OF January the publication daily of ex-
tracts from the reports received from
our consuls all over the world. The
daily publication has been received