The silver star., 1899-04-20
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
AND DEPARTMENT NEWS.


Ayre Whipple Of New York q sitting
for full length portrait Of himself.
The portrait Is being painted In his pri-
vate apartments OF the White House.
Mr.. whippie painted the portraits OF
ex-President Harrison, General Miles
and Secretaries Sherman, Herbert
Tracy and Elkins.
President Mckinley calls upon Vice
President Hobart every afternoon, ana
Mrs. Mckinley sends him basket OF
flowers from the White House con-
servatory every morning. 1t Is only
three minutes walk across Pennsyl-
vania avenue. and the President gen.
orally goes alone Sometimes he stops
| At the house while returning from his
afternoon drive. On these occasions he
simply inquiries at the door, but usual
| ly when he walks over he chats 1T
| tie while with the distinguished sick
man. who is still in bed. but feeling
better.
The city of Washington is full Of
candidates for appointment in the CEN
sus office. few of whom will obtain
positions Most OF them have wasted
the time and money 1t has cost them to
| bring them here. Some are already
destitute. having paid their last dol
| lar to pay their railroad fare and a
| few days board after their arrival.
! There seems to be a most extraordin-
ary and almost universal misapprehen-
sion regarding the law providing for
the census. No more appointments
will be made before next year, and
then only upon recommendation Of the
senators from the various states.
| AS a result Of conferences held Tues
day at the State Department and q:
| the British embassies, efforts will be
made to have the Samoan high COM
mission make n quick trip across the
country. reaching San Francisco in
time to catch the boat leaving for Sa
moa on the 18th. This is regarded as
distinctly favorable turn In the ne
gotiations. and as indicating that the
three governments are very near to
complete accord on all the points Of
the commission. 1t makes practically
certain that Baron Speck Won Stern
berg. first secretary OF the German
embassy, will be the German high COM
missioner.
An order issued by the War Depart
ment has mustered out the following
general officers: Major Generals James
II. Wilson. FitZhugh Lee. Joseph
Wheeler. John p. Bates. Samuel B. NJ.
Young. Adna II. Chaffee, William Lud-
low, Leonard Wood: Brigadier Cen
erals George w. Davis. Theodore
Schwan. Lloyd Wheaton, Charles
King. Frederick d. Grant. Robert p.
Hughes, Samuel Ovenshine. Irving
Hale and Robert II. Hall. The above
nomed officers are mustered out to en-
able them to accept commissions as
act OF March g 1899. 1t IL expected
they will soon be re-appOinted as
brigadicr generals under that act.
There were 39s colored commissioned
officers and 9.761 colored privates and
non-commissioned officers serving
among the volunteers during the Span
ish war. The Ninth and Tenth cavalry
and the Twentyfourth and Twenty
fifth infantry of the regular army are
composed OF colored men under white
officers. aggregating about $500. 1t is
impossible to ascertain. even approx
imately. how many colored men are
serving in the navy. because they are
not designated. but they must have
numbered from 800 to 100 when the
navy was at Its full war strength, max
ing total OF about 1900 colored peo-
pie in both branches Of the service.
The crop report OF April Just issued
by the Department of Agriculture
gives n discouraging outlook for win
ter wheat. Its condition is reported a.
17-thnt is. % below standard and sew
| en- points below the condition reported
at this time last year. which was "a.
The crop last year was about the aver
age for the last ten years. So that the
crop this year will he eleven per cent.
below the average. The cause OF the
poor condition is not attributed to the
l.<.x On f..A- =
Of the winter. but the frequent sud-
den changes In the temperature. The
condition Of live stock throughout the
country. with the exception Of hogs,
| shows that II suffered even more than
the wheat from the terrible winter.
DR.. ". n. Bigel0w, chemist OF the
Agricultural Department. told the
court Of inquiry Thursday that the
canned cOrned beef was wholesome
and nutritive prOduct-even more uu-
| tritOns than fresh beef. because of the
prcpondcrance Of protoids. He also
gave the details Of his general inyes-
| tIgati0n In the canned beef supply.
showing the meat to be a generally
satisfactory ration. Professor Mallet.
professor OF chemistry mt tho Univcrsi.
~ OF virginia. presented n contrary
view. He expressed the opinion that
u
test OF the character Of u food product,
saying that various conditions neces.
snrlly must bc considered. He did not
regard the canned roast beef ms q de.
sirable ration.
The condition Of war which has ex.
listed between the United Htates and
Spain since April 81. 16DS. terminated
Tuesdny when the Inst f0rmalIties for
the restoration Of lrace were per-
formed by the exchange Of rntiiica-
ti0ns Of the pence treaty. Coincident
with this President Mckinley issued
his proclamation declaring that tha
war was Mt nm end and the appoint
ment Of Bellnmy Storer was deter.
mined upon M United States minister
TO Spain. The principal ceremony Of
the day occurred In the reception room
Mt the white House. where tho ex.
change OF rntificatlons took place mt
o'clock. In anticipation Of the his
torlC character Of the event, many
| svrA <.l ftsn