St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-02-15

/
brary, without encroaching on Pavilions,
reading rooms or exhibition halls, will
accommodate 1000 900 volumes occu-
pying a little less than 100 miles Of
shelving.
The passage by the house of the army
reorganization bill is great triumph
for Chairman Hull and the military
committee but it is not likely that 1t
will get any nearer to final enactment
during the present session of congress
1t has been so generally amended in
many respects that it bears but slight
resemblance in text to the original draft
While it no longer establishes force OF
100, 600 officers and men, it gives the
president discretionary powers to in
crease the army to about that number,
which is really the most important
point. Many Republican senators do
not like the general provisions Of the
Hull bill, and it will undoubtedly be
put to sleep in the pigeonholes of the
senate committee ON military affairs.
So far as Chairman Hull is personally
concerned, his untiring efforts and in
telligent labors in behalf Of the measure
deserve better reward than the ultl-
mate failure Ct the bill to become law
Captain Hull is one Of the most indus
trious members of congress, in which
he is now serving his fourth term from
the Des Moines ia. district. He is a
dauntess fighter and has been engaged
in many hot political battles in Iowa,
in which he has usually been victorious.
There is a pleasant bit of romance con-
nected with Captain Hull's early life.
When the civil war broke out, young
Hull, then about 20 years of sge, enlist
ed for the defense Of the stars and
stripes in the Twenty-third Iowa vol
unteers For gallant conduct he was
promoted from private to second lieu
tenant, then to first lieutenant, and
finally he was awarded captains COM
mission. While q first lieutenant in
1868 he was so desperately wound that
he was sent north. On this enforced
leave Of absence he met Miss Emma
Gregory, and before the young lieuten-
ant returned to the front after having
become healed of his wound he we'd
ded the young woman, who, possessing
rare intellectual gifts and a most
charming personality, has been of great
assistance to the Iowa congressman in
his public and political career
Washington is always interested in
the advent in official life of a unique
and original character. Such charac-
ter is promised in the person of Hon.
Joe Quarles, whom the Republican ma
jority of the Wisconsin legislature has
nominated for senator to succeed John
T. Mitchell. Joseph Very Quarles is
known throughout the Badger State as
quiet jester, and possesses some of
those quaint characteristics and bluff
frankness which made Uncle Jerry Rusk
popular not only among the farmers
and lumbermen of Wisconsin, but also
in Washington, while serving as secre-
tary of agriculture. Quarles is lawyer
and is reputed to be good one. He ad-
dresses jury in quaint and homely
fashion, very much, it is said as he
would talk at the crossroads grocery on
rainy day. But he usually wins his
cases. How he will address the dignified
solons in the senate chamber remains to
be seen, but his constituents insist that
he will be heard from favorably,
As a rule consular reports are not es-
pecially entertaining reading, but the
February issue contains some facts and
figures of most interesting character.
These relate particularly to our growing
trade in the orient, and must be very
gratifying to every American citizen
Consul General Wildman at Hongkonl
reports general and permanent increase
in our trade there and an unusual activ
ity in mercantile circles, owing to tn,
great demands made ON the local marke
by the large American squadron ant
army on that coast. While this latte