Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-28
Retires to Private Life.
Russia is to Spend S2O.OOO,OOO il
American Ordnance.


Russia's gold seems to be coming TO this
country by the millions just now. Only
the other day an immense order for steel
rails was given by the cZar's government
to the Carnegie people. and 1t is followed
by the announcements that S20,oO00OO Is to
be spent in this country for field guns by
the same purchaser. l.. L. briggs, vice
president of the Driggs-Seabury Gun. and
Ammunition Company, Is the authority for
this statement According to him, the
final contracts have not been signed YET,
but all the preliminary negotiations have
been finished, and the cars agents have
made up their minds to invest that amount
anyway in American-Hlade ordnance.
Russia 1t is said, is going to spend $50
900 900 altogether for field artillery mounts
and ammunition, and American gunmakers
may in the end get a still larger share of
that sum than the first S20.0O0,OOO, which
they almost count their own already.
Some months ago trials. Were made In
Russia. it is said. of European guns from
many famous makers They did not com
pare favoraby with what was known of
American guns either in rapidty Of fire,
simplicity of construction or. cost. Accord
ingly represen tatves of the cars govern
ment were sent here to inspect the ord
nance made in this country and report.
that MIR. briggs fully expects to secure an
order for his company which will exhaust
ope-quarter of the appropriation. - ,
The effect of a few such mammoth orders
as these, coming on top of the world s un-
usual demand for steel in all lines of trade,
may or may not cause a local Iron fam
Inc" Where experts disagree, who shall
decided However that may be, 1t IS GER
tain that iron is already being imported
into this country in large quantities from
Spain Seven British steamers have been
chartered this week to bring iron ore from
Bilbao te Philadelphia for the Carnegie
nj In no f,,,-
men of some districts have no more iron
for the open market. 1t is contended that
this scarcity is merely local, but until the
last few months not pound of iron has
been imported from Spain for many years,
and Phlladelphians expect that hundreds of
freighters will visit their harbor this sum-
mer and fall laden with iron ore from
Europe, to be worked up by skillfai arti-
sans here and sent back as finished pro-
duct. Iron ore is also coming from Dat
quiri in Cuba. No matter where 1T comes
from, American workshops will be busy.
S>--
Plea for the Failers.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
In yesterdays Star was a piece called
Why They Fail to Pass and as I have
just gone through the ordeal of an "exami-
nation 1 would like to say few words in
behalf of the failers., From the time you
receive your call to the examination-gen-
orally a week before-your nerves become
tense from the excitement and dread of
failure; for to many it means almost life
or death. At last the morning comes for
you to appear at the Maltby House You
are in a state of pittful tremulousness. 1t
pervades your whole being, and you feel
like the poor wretch must feel who is led
to the gallows. / do not mean this state of
feeling to include the young applicants
whose school days are not long over but
those who have stood the storm and stress
of life, and who obliged to find some
thing to do to gain a livelihood. If you
have no turn for mathema tics and know
il. your case is desperate from the begin
ming. Many centuries ago, when the world
was young. there lived wise man by the
name of Aldhelm. who pronounced arithme-
tic too difficult for the mind of man; and
yet in spite of his lack of mathematical
talent. his name has come down the ages
Thus. there is comfort eyen.in ignorance
The examination is undoubtedly easy, and
everything is done by the courteous gen.
tleman who pres-des to make you feel at
home. His patience is remarkable; but
even with all this in your favor. you can-
not overcome that nervous dread, and the
'examp c" will not come right, as you look
at the clock and see time is almost up
About half-past II you are allowed time
Tor refreshment. For myself. took d dose
or aromatic spirits of ammonia to steady
my throbbing nerves, rendered more trem-
ulous by having left my eyeglasses at
home. By the time the paper with gen
erssi Information questions was handed to
US our ideas were in wild confusion, we
having carried thousands of bushels of
Cherries. apples. pears, peaches and april
cots over the United States and arranged
them in table form. written letter to the
director of the census. copied some lines.
received instruction In punching machine.
and last. but by no means least finished
the percentage question. Is it any won
Ger, then, that mistakes were made? My