The Meeker herald., 1899-06-03
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
AND DEPARTMENT NEWS.

CUSTOM mouse IN new 1Ork, WHICH II
to cost $2,75O,OOO. is the largest build
ing to be erected under the present ad-
ministratiOn, and will be regarded as
an experiment. Twenty Of the foremost
architects In the country have accepted
Invitations to submit designs on Sep
tember 9Th next, and the selection Will
be made by a committee consisting Of
the supervising architect Of the treas
ury and two architects or engineers Of
national reputation. Their flection
must be confirmed by the secr}ary Of
the treasury, the secretary oflthe IN
terror and the postmaster general.
commission Of 5 per cent. Is to Il given
to the successful competitor, which
will make his fees something likt $125,-
900. This Secretary Gage thinks is
sufficient to justify the risk taten by
the different competitors. Ths same
rule will be applied to smaller build
ings, and the secretary is anxbus to
interest the younger generation Of ar
chitects.
Some people think 1t is imprudent for
President Mckinley to drive over the
country roads around Washington with
no companion but his wife, and no at-
tendant but footman, but he does not
does not intend to have his enjoyment
and exercise interfered With by timlu
people. General Grant used to go out
in Il buggy behind a pair of roadsters
nearly every day while he was Presi-
dent. General Harrison did the same,
and everybody knew it The drives
about Washington. particularly those
In the northern part of the District OF
Columbia, surpass in beauty those OF
any other city in the world. We have
no boulevard. but every road INTO
Maryland is good, and the scenery Is
wild and picturesque. Within ten min
utes from the White House the Presi-
dent can plunge into as lovely sylvan
drive as can be found anywhere on
either continent. and nobody ever en-
jOyed the pleasures Of outdoor exercise
under such conditions more than he.
While IT Is true that President Cleve-
land used to keep couple of detectives
constantly by him. General Harrison
and President Mckinley consider such
precautions entirely unnecessary.
The United States geological survey
has just issued an important volume
prepared by f. II. Newell, relating to
the use Of water for power, irrigation.
and other industrial purposes. being
the product Of ten years of experience
and systematic measurement. 1t gives
facts concerning the rivers in various
localities from Maine to California and
shows the grentest. least and average
flow by the months. The greater part
of the volume IL given to facts con-
cerning the rivers of the West, partic-
ularly those used in irrigation. The
Missouri river and tributaries in Mon
tana and Wyoming are described and
figures of the available water inserted.
A large number of measurements OF
the head waters of the Platte river In
Colorado were also given, and the i'm
pOrtance of Its stream to the develop
ment of Nebraska shown. In a similar
way the Arkansas river is described
and data bearing upon the great prob
lem of interstate water placed on rec
ord, the Kansas farmers claiming that
irrigators In Colorado were taking the
water which belongs to them. Similar
conditions are shown to exist on the
Rio Grande, the waters of which are
not only claimed by Colorado and New
Mexico. but also by the Republic of
Mexico, giving rise to an Important
international contention.
DIR. Wines, assistant director Of the
census, has been trying to convince the
authorities of the treasury that 1t
would be economy for the government
to erect special building for the ac-
of the census bureau. No
available building now standing in
Washington is large enough to accom-
mOdate the 5000 or 1000 clerks who
will be required during the next three
years. The employees of the last census
were scattered through half dozen
buildings, which was awkward and in
and caused a great waste of
time. Several of those buildings were
erected by spectators TO accommodate
the census people, and the rent was
large enough to reimburse them for the
cost of the structures and leave hand
some profit. For example, one build
ing, which was erected by syndicate
of which the chief man was United
States senator. cost about $4,000 all
told, and the government paid $4,000
a year rent for 1t for five years. DIR.
Wines argues that two-story brick
building with plenty of light, ventila-
tion and all the cOnveniences necessary
for the accommodation Of the census
bureau need not cost more than $780,
900. whereas the government will be
compelled to pay nearly that much
every year for rent Of buildings.
Washington scientists predict that
compressed air is going to be the mo-
tive power for automobiles In prefer
ence to electricity. gasoline or any 9TH
er method, and there are already sever
al patents pending which apply COM
pressed air to wagons, buggies, car
rin 600 nohS hicyc1nS and ofhor
hicles, as well rs street cars. A promi-
nent western manufacturing concern
has designed a simple, inexpensive and
apparently effective method of moving
a vehicle by means of tank of COM
pressed air concealed under the seat,
and promises to supply the attachment
to any vehicle at cost not greater
than $40. 1t does not propose to man.
ufacture the vehicles themselves, but
is getting ready to furnish the tanks
nd tf,n 0yot, 80