Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-03-30
WASHINGTON GOSSIP .
AND DEPARTMENT NEWS.

IIlt new colonies Inc bfoHutSt kinu OF
lomc-rulc consistent with their own
welfare. and is equally anxious 10
avoid any excuse for them 10 complpin
of u carpct-bag government.
Adjutant General Corbin refused Il
commission as major general of vol
untcers. This fact is for the first time
officially made public in the new army
register. The record shows that the
commission was actually issued on the
18th OF August last. General COrbn.
The cgtry also shows. declined TO ac-
ccpt. The case IL without n parallel.
There were during the late war. per
liaps. n dozen dcclinations OF commits
sions for various reasons. but none OF
these was In the class to which this
case belongs. General Corhin was
asked to-day why he did not accept
such n tempting offer. The number
of major generals was limitcd,' said
he. I'VE need every 1nc of them In
the field. I could not stand In the way
OF any man who was in the fighting
line. wanted them TO have their
promotions first. My place wns here.
The postmaster general recently
placed on sale 10000 complete sets OF
obsolete newspaper and periodical
stamps mt > II set. The We're dlstribu'-
ed mt the largest postoiiiccs. 1900 sets
being retained by the department Mt
Washington. 1900 nj New York. 2.3Oo
ench at Philadelphia and Chicago. ana
smaller number OF sets at other post
Offices. with Instructions that not more
than one set should he sold to II single
customer. The sale commenced Oh
February 18th, and SO far ms returns
have been received was n great sue
cess. The entire stock Is exhausted.
and after paying all expenses the gov
crnmcnt Is enjoying n print of S2iO.-
9IJ. There are n million or so stamp
collectors In the United States. and the
eagcrness with which these stamps
were purchased makes Assistant Post
master General Merritt regret that he
did not charge SO n set for them. AMI
realize half of II million instead of II
quarter of n million dollars by their
sale.
Congress provided FOR an increase OF
about 1000 clerks for posioflices, seat
tered through the various grades. II
Will be the policy of the department 10
reward efficient and faithful clerks
now in the service by advancing some
of them to the new positions. and the
1000 new appointments will he made
from the eligible lists of the civil serv-
Ice commission to the lowest grade.
The new clerks will come in NJ the foot
of the ladder, and will not be advanced
over the heads of old and tried clerks
The postmaster general has also been
furnished with $4,000 to he used In
the employment of substitutes to act
willie the regular clerks are on vnca
tiOn. A similar amount has been
placed In his hands for the employ
ment of temporary clerks at summer
and winter resorts and for holiday and
election service. The act making ap-
preparation for the next fiscal year spe-
officially provides that the postmaster
general shall not maintain civil pen
sion roll or an honorable service roll.
and shall not use any of the funds as
compensation Of any persons pcrma-
nently incapacitatcd for performing
their official duties.
Edward Trlplcr. the New York man
who discovered a new motive power in
frozen air. will make the first public
demonstration of his discovery before
the National Geographic socie'.- here in
n few days. He reduces air to liquid
form by compression and cold AMI
keeps 1t at n temperature of 212 de-
grees below zero One cubic foot OF
frozen air is equivalent to 500 cubic
feet of ordinary air and Mr.. Tripler
proposes to use II as n motive power in
place of coal. oil and electricity by
allowing It to expand. The first supply
must be produced by the use of ortlin-
nry fuel. but after that II can repro
duce Itself Two gallons of the liquid
will furnish power sufficient to pro-
duce ten gallons. Therefore. 1t costs
nothing except for labor and machin-'
cry, and n steamship with the proper
apparatus would be able to manufact-
ure Its own fuel while In motion. A
locomotive oil n railroad could do the
same. and the principle applies equally
well to every factory in which power
may be used. Mr.. Triplcr promises to
revolutionize the manufacturing indus
tries and transportation facilities OF
this country. and great interest is felt
among scientific men here in the sub
jcct.
More than 800 propositions have
been submitted to the secretary of the
navy for raising the battleship Maine.
which was blown up in Havana hnr-
Dor February 10, 1893. These offers
come from various sources. many of
which are reliable firms. who present
comprehensive plans for the salvage Of
the ship. Others come from individuals
who do not know the difference be-
tween one part of II ship and another;
railroad men, house builders. theatrical
speculatorS, and In general from per-
sons who have no facilities for doing
the work and are without any clearly
defined plan for its execution. Depart
ment officials are not much Interested
In thu scheme looking to the salvage of
the Maine, as they claim that should
she be raised she could not be made of
any use to the navy, and would GER
tainly involve a great expense to the
government. 1t is said also TINT IL sue
cess were met with In raising and re-
pairing her she would always be
known as n "hoodoo," and that sailors
would be SO superstltious they would
not 20 to sea In her. Taking all this
into consideration. IL Is believed by the
naval authorities that the most prac-
ticnl scheme IL to blow her up ana re-
move the debris. which Is II serious