Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-03-10

At reception given recently by foi~
eign minister Il woman was discovered in
the act of carrying off large plate Of
chicken salad. She had slipped it under
rich wrap which she wore and had pro-
ceeded as far as the outer door when a
detective in the employ of the caterer
headed her off. This is hardly an un-
usual occurrence. At the public recep-
tions women thieves have been accus-
toned to steal china, silverware and even
common dishes. So great has become the
nuisance that those giving the receptions
no longer use their own dishes. A cater
er is hired to supply everything and he
also supplies detectives to watch his prop
erty. These detectives are sometimes in
the disguise of maids, who assist the Ia
dies with their wraps, but more often ap-
pear as guests in proper gowns and suits.
A short time ago lady who goes in the
very best Washington society was dis
covered stealing valuable pins from the
dresser at small private dinner. She
was confronted by her hostess and said
she had slipped the jewclry into her pock-
ct so that it might not be stolen by the
maids who were about the dressing room.
The most unique application for Office
that has yet been filed under this admin
istration comes from Alonzo Bradford,
who wishes to be postmaster at Hay
wards, Cal. Accompanying his applica-
tion is n letter Of recommendation, sign
ed by large number of Republican poll
ticians and citizens of the place, together
with an Y ray photograph of his left knee.
The photograph shows that a bullet en-
tered his knee at the joint, pushed up the
kneecap and lodged between the bones of
the upper and lower parts of the leg. The
bullet is still there, it being impossible
to dislodge it by probing, and the only
way in which it can be removed is by
amputation of the leg. Mr.. Bradford
stated that the bullet was received at the
battle of Fort Donelson, and that he had
carried it ever since.
The statement is frequently made that
Speaker Reed is a rich man, but a close
personal friend says that this is far from
the truth. Only lately he said Mr.. Reed
was complaining that he had to live in one
small room at the Shoreham and write for
magazines to exc out his income. The
Speaker receives q salary of $4,000 a
year. His position requires that he live
fairly WELL and with wife it must cost
nearly this sum for regular current ex-
penses in Washington.
There is hopeless lack of interest in
the proposal to legsate against the adul-
| teration of flour and corn. 1t took Sen
ator Mason two weeks to get a meeting
| Of his committee on manufactures, and
then there were only two out of five men,
bers present. The representatives of the
Millers' Association read their arguments
there was no quorum nothing could be
| done.
| 1t has been definitely determined that
the Dupuy de LONE letter was stolen in
the Havana postofiice. 1t was offered for
$3.50 TO the correspondent of newspaper
| in Havana. When he declined it the thiei
| offered il to another correspondent fol
| 500, and then, not being able to make q
sale, it was offered an agent of the junta
and purchased for a price that cannot be
| ascertained.
| There is telephone war in Washing
ton which has got into the courts and Con-
gress, and will undoubtedly result in the
passage of law regulating the charges
and service on some more equitable basis
than we have been accustomed to. The
charges in Washington range from $50 tC
$120 year, according to the distance of
the subscriber from the central office and
the number of messages sent.