The National tribune., 1899-10-05
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

Washington is the paradise of bicyclers
In no city in the world is the wheel as much
of a joy and comfort to1its possessor as in
this. The streets are broad, nearly all
asphalted, not too crowded with vehicles.
and the grades are easy, A man or woman
can go to any part of the city on wheel
more easily and quickly than by any other
| means-even by electric cars But what
wheel for ordinary travelling is its employ
Inent by workingmen and others in their
daily business. They carry their tools and
supplies on their wheels. Every day I see
plumbers going back and forth between
their shops and places where they are at
work, with pieces OF pipe and other fittings.
Electricians, carpenters and painters do the
same. Every morning as | come down
town on my own wheel / meet an iceman
| carrying about 25 pounds of ice to some
Customer who is off the line of his wagon.
Women carry their purchases rome from
| market on the wheel, and the other day !
saw negro riding home with a kitchen
table on his head.
There were 1923 shade trees planted in
the streets of Washington this year, and
fS6 old trees cut down. The trees planted
were Norway, sugar and soft NAPLES, pin
and red oaks. llndens and plane trees (mis-
named sycamores). The ravages OF
beetles upon the elms have decreased, and
these trees are beginning to be favorites
again. The pin oaks are also coming into
high favor. The plane trees are liked for
the wider streets.
Last Saturday morning ex-Postmaster
James p. Willett entered the Postoffice
Building and ascended to the fifth floor tn
see some OF the officials there. Not finding
whom he wanted, he started to walk along
the Corridors, and in some way walked
into an open elevator shaft from which the
guards had been taken away to facilitate
the handling of the heavy furniture now
being placed in the building He fell a
distance OF nearly 30 feet striking the bar
Of the freight elevator, and being Instantly
killed. His back was broken in several
places, and also his legs. Dir. WilIet was
% years old, native Of Washington, and
was appointed Postmaster by Mr.. Cleve
land. His term Of office expired last sum
dent of the Postoffice Building. He was
a very popular official, and his death is
much mourned.
The long-continued Carter case-tbe
subject OF much acrimonious Criticism
came to a termination on Saturday bv
the President approving and promulgating
the sentence of the court-martial, which
was that Capt. Oberlin NJ. Carter be dis.
missed from the service, fined S.. 600 and
be imprisoned at hard labor for a period Of
five years. Capt. Carter, who has been
living at club in New York, was i'm
mediately taken into custody and con
fined in Castle William on Governors
Island, whence he will be sent to the I,eav.
enwOrth Penitentiary to serve ont his
sentence. The crime for which Cant
Carter was convicted by court-martiaj
presided over by Maj. Gen. Otis, was
brought to the attention of the Government,
Dec. 13, 1897, by charges preferred by
Brig Gen. John M. Wilson, Chief of FE-
gineers. These alleged that while i'm
charge of the improvements of Savannah
Harbor, Capt Carter entered into collusion
with the Galnor Brothers, contractors, to
accept higher bids and inferior work. by |
which the Government was defrauded Of
between 81 100000 and $1,000, 600 The
trial lasted several months, and Carter
was convicted ON all the charges. I'm
mense political, social and business in
Carter, and Wayne McVeagh was re- |
tanned as principal counsel Ex-senator
EdmundS was assigned by the President
to review the proceedings Of the court, and
received fee of 5000. The matter was
then referred to the Attorney-GeneraI,a and |
OF the country, and generally adverse to |
the Presidents delay inIacting upon it.
##$ |
The President made three very important
appointments last Saturday, which have
been under consideration for several |
months, with the strongest competition |
among the friends of the several candidates, |
The first was that of Associate Justice of |
the Supreme Court of the District of Column |
bia, for which all the prominent lawyers in |
the city have been mentioned, with sharp
rivalry among those who represent differ |
ent elements in the city life This ap- |
pointment went rather unexpectedly to Hon, |
job Barnard, very able lawyer, and a |
leading and popular citizen, but who had
less political pushing than any of the
others. Justice Barnard was born in
Porter County, Ind, in 1874, and
at 1S enlisted in Co. X, 73d Ind, and
served through the war, coming home an
Orderly,Sergeant. He graduated from
Ann Arbor in 1867, and for six years prac-
ticed law at Crown Point, Ind. He came
to Washington in 1873, and was for three
years Assistant Clerk in the District Su- |
preme Court. He resigned this to enter on |
the practice of the law, and has made a |
great success Of it. He is an ardent Re- |
publican, but has never held any Office, ]