The silver lance., 1899-04-21
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
AND DEPARTMENT NEWS.

Justice Stephen j. fleld OF tne
United States Supreme Court died here
at 6:3O p. IN. from ailments incident to
old age. He was 80 years old.
Attorney General Griggs has gwen
an opinion that the law forbidd1ng SOL
diers and officers to sell liquors at
army canteens does not prevent tneir
being sold by others.
Acting Secretary Allen has received
letter from the manager OF tne NeP-
tune Company, the great SWeuisn
wrecking company. announcing that !
is not possible to raise and repair tne
vessels of Cervera's feet sunk near
Santiago.
Among the patents granted last week
was one for an apparatus 10 KEEP
mustaches out of the soup. niue
band of silk with ends of webbing Is
placed across the upper lip ana AROUND
the back of the head. 1t does not III
prove the appearance of the wearer'
but promotes cleanliness.
The United States Supreme Court
has dismissed the appeal of the Ken
tucky or "Gipsy" Blythes in their sult
for part of the So. 100000 estate lett 10
Florence Blythe Hinckley by her fath-
er, the late Thomas III. Blythe OF san
Francisco This decision confirms the
title of Mrs. Hinckley
At the suggestion of Rear Admiral
Bradford. chief of the bureau of equip
ment. a comprehensive scheme mas
been adopted by the navy department
under which coaling stations Will De
placed at strategic points in the west
Indies. so as to give the United states
control of the Virgin, Mona ana
Windward passages and the approach
es to the Gulf of Mexico.
The President of the United States
receives his salary in a warrant upon
the treasurer at he beginning of every
month, and Colonel Cook. one OF the
clerks at he White House. obtains his
signature and receipt and deposits tne
money to his credit in one of the wash
ington banks. The warrant is signed
by the clerk of the warrant DIVISION
and approved by the secretary OF the
treasury or one of his assistants.
The revenues of Porto Rico begin
to show a gratifying increase, accord
ing to an official statement made pub
lie by the War Department showing
the customs receipts from the island
for the two weeks ended March l1th
and March 18th. which were S3o,3SS
and $42.374. Estimating from these
figures the receipts from the island FOR
March will far exceed those of either
January. which were S119.GGO, or
February. which was S14.015.
The continued Illness of Nice-Presi-
dent Hobart causes Il good deal of
anxiety. He has been suffering from n
severe cold ever since Congress ad-
tourned and even while at Thomas
vile he could not throw it off. This
has since been aggravated by an at
tack of acute indigestion. which causes
him considerable suffering. He is not
dangerously i'll. but his physicians are
worried because he keeps getting
worse. instead of better.
With full honors of war upon the
crest of the southern slope of Airing
ton cemetery. Thursday afternoon, the
nation. represented by President Nc
Kinley, his Cabinet the commanding
general of the army and other officers.
all the regular and militia organiza-
tions of the district, and a concourse
of 1900 people paid the last tender
tribute of honor and respect to the
bodies of 1886 officers and men who
gave their lives on distant battlefields
for their country during the Spanish
American war
The attorney general did not under
take to determine whether beer was an
Intoxicating drink or not. but rendered
an opinion which practically annuls
the clause in the army bill that was
intended to abolish post canteens. He
construcs that provision TO mean that
canteens may be continued provided
officers and enlisted men are not re-
quired to sell liquor in them. This is,
no doubt. the language of the law. 1t
says just that and no more. but those
who prepared it intended to abolish
the canteen entirely.
Admiral Van Reypen. surgeon gen
eral of the navy. says that all the re-
cent reports received from Manila
showed that Admiral Dewey was in
excellent health. The surgeon of the
Boston has recently arrived back from
Manila station and the surgeon gen
eral specially inquired of him as to Ad-
miral Dewey's health. The response
was most satisfactory, showing that
from the standpoint of Il naval surgeon
closely identified with the admiral he
was in as good health as could be ex-
pected in such n climate.
The army court of inquiry on Tues
day again heard Surgeon William II .
DAILY. medical member of General
Miles staff in Porto Rico, in regard to
the character of the beef furnished the
army during the late war. He reiter-
ated his former statements, paid his
respects to the war commission and de-
clared that the refrigerator beef smelt
like cadaver after it has been en-
balmed. DR. Nicodemus of Philadel-
in,
corroborated this testimony, compar-
ing the smell of the beef to the odor
about dissecting room.
There is an impression among mill
tary-officers here that when Secretary
Alger returns from Cuba some impor-
tant changes will be made among the
ials lonoral nd I'm.