Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-09-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
'nterestIng Lafayette Park-The New
None, order-A Relative of
Rip Van Wrinkle.
TsnecIaI correspondence.I

Looking nOflhWuTu irolh lhe nhi'S
House steps there is one of the most
beautiful vistas imaginable. The trees,
stately and wide spreading, planted by
the presidents, are arranged on elther
side, and in the center are the most
gorgeous of flower beds. Across Penn
sylvania avenue may be seen the
equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson,
the horse paving the air with his fore
feet and being balanced on his hlhd
feet. The tail of the horse is of gen
erous proportions.
THAT tail" said a White House at
tache who saw the correspondent close
ly observing the statue, lis filled with
shot, and il is by the weight thereon
that the statue is balanced
"Do YOU mean to tell me that the
equilibrium is established by lead on
the horses tailT'
yes, sir.
And there are no riyets in the hind
feet?'
mo, sir
The attaches countenance was child
like and bland.
"How comes it. then, if the balance
is so beautifully adjusted, that it Is not
disturbed in a windstormT
President Mckinley sent for him ut
that moment and he did not answer
| the question.
But that little stretch of land which
can be taken in with the eye from the
| White House steps is probably the
most historic strip on the continent
| 1t is densely wooded now. When
| Washington selected the site for the
executive mansion in 1890, he dedi-
Gated the little strip across the lane 10
park purposes, and he called II La
| fayette park Indeed there is statue
of Lafayette in the park, but unless
one knew who il was he would not
| know that II was Lafayette, for there
| is no name chiSeled upon IL.
The British soldiers tramped across
| this strip OF land in 1914 on their way
to burn the White House, and British
frigates were lying little ways back
on the Potomac ready TO lombard the
city.
Even then around the little strip IA
nous mon were beginning to build
| houses. and it is safe To say that dur
| ing the past century nearly every one
of prominence in national life has lived
upon this bit Of land. 1t is "A favorite
place of residence for cabinet members
and senators The little strip is bound
eel by Pennsylvania avenue and III
| street.
The New Money order.
A new style of domestic money or
der issued by the postotiice depart
ment will gradually take the place of
| the old form as the latter is exhausted
at the various postoffices throughout
the country The new form is some
what smaller than the one now in use
| and is about the size Of the ordinary
| bank draft. Its color is blue, with fine,
closely nterlaced. tinted lines of darker
shade. The two tints prevent imita-
ton. while the watermark ~. 5. NJ.
O." wrought in the paper will also be
an additional safeguard. one good fea
ture of the new order is the manifold
ing, or duplicating. of the advice or no.
LITIGATION to the paying postmaster.
BY this method the name, payee,
date amount and place as written in
the order are duplicated and made to
appear precisely the same In both.
Thus the liability to mistake is great
ly lessenpd. and discrepancy between
order and advice. which has hitherto
been a source of annoyance TO both
the department and postmasters and
the remitters and payees, is prevented
and absolute uniformity between the
order and advice insured. The receipt
which will be issued by the issuing
postmaster to the remltter will tend to
pOpularIZe the money order. for hither-
TO Il receipt has not been practicable.
Relative of Rip Van Wrinkle.
a bcwhiskered individual walked in
to the postoffice department the other
day. He seemed to have "A very clear
idea of what ne wanted, but he didn't
know how To get at it. He went into
one Of the rooms and stepped up In
front of a desk.
Il want ter see Mr.. Gresham" he
announced To one of the young lady
clerks
Mr. Gresham" she exclaimed; Il
don't know him"
Walter O. Gresham" insisted the
man with the whiskers. II want the
postmaster general"
why, Mr.. Smith is postmaster gen
eral, answered the clerk.
"Smith?' queried the visitor. THE
name sounds kinder familiar, but |
reckon | don't know him They's a
whole lot o. Smiths in this country, an
they amt no kin. neither. Whars Mr..
Gresham? Ben firedT
Hes dead" answered the young
lady solcmnly. "IIe was secretary of
state after lac left here"
The old fellow never batted his eyes
at the statement lie simply said "Uh-
huh" and walked out, while those in
the office wondered if he was not re-
lated TO Rip Van Wrinkle.
The Dewey Home Fund.
Although the time is drawing near
for Admiral Dewey TO arrive i'm this
country, this fact does not seem to
stimulate to any great extent the
subscriptions to the fund To purchase