The National tribune., 1900-07-26
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.
The first real ray of hope from China
came last Friday. The Secretary of State
had, July II, given Minister WI cipher
message to send through, in any manner
that he could, to Minister Conger. 1t was
put in cipher so that nobody but Minister
Congcr or his Secretary could read it,
and there could therefore be no doubt
about its having reached him, if it should
be answered. Early Friday morning,
July 20-nine days later-a message ar
rived at the Chinese Legation, hand
some stone building on Q street, near
| 18th 1t was in the State Departments
| cipher and therefore conveyed no further
information to Minister WI than that the
other message had reached Minister Con-
ger, and this was a reply. He wrapped
| up the precious message in long piece or
white linen, called for his locomobile, and,
accompanied by his Secretary, hurried to
| the State Department. 1t was 9:45 when
| he arrived there, but he found Secretary
| Hay, and there was much joyful con
graduation all around. The work of
translating the cipher was Immediately
| begun, under the eye of the Secretary.
| 1t was not dated, but understood to be
sent from Pekin July 1S. 1t took some
| little time 10 tUt lpuS VI VI 10
into everyday English, but when done
| they read:
In British legation under continuous
shot and shell from Chinese troops, and
quick relief only can prevent general mas
sacre.-CoNGER.'
The sole comfort about this was that
| the Minister and his suite were still alive
on the 18th. and that the sensational
stories of the massacre on the 9th were
| false. Minister WI, of course, protested
| automatically against the expression
| "Chinese troops" being meant to desig-
nate the regular Chinese army. The mes
sage was Immediately sent to Europe,
and occasioned much rejoicing there,
| though its authenticity was doubted IN
London.
| The Navy Department expects to place
on Chinese soil the strongest force OF ma
rines ever massed in one place in our his
| tory-about 1000 men. Our marines
have no superiors in the world, and
hardly think any equals-as soldiers. They
| are very carefully selected, and have the
most rigid discipline of any men in the
United States service. They have always
given a most excellent account of them
| selves, wherever sent. and / have no doubt
| that they will write a brilliant chapter
| for themselves in China. A body of 800
| was sent away from Washington last
| Sunday to San Francisco, to sail from
there to China. The Department has
sent out urgent recruiting orders to I'LL up
the corps to the maximum.
It is estimated that an average of 49,
| 600 residents OF Washington ride on the
| cars in the evening simply for the sake
Of cooling off. Though the suburbs abound
| in picturesque scenery these passengers
care much less where tie cars go than
that they go, and 90 fast, so as to give a
breeze.
Owing to the row in Congress last
| Winter over the course of studies in the
public schools there will be much more
attention paid to grammar and spelling
| next year.
The terrific heat has started a crusade
against coats. 1t is vigorously asserted
| that man with a neglige shirt and belted
trousers is in quite as good form as n
woman with shirt-waist.
Some time ago the Chief of Police
| quietly strengthened the force on duty in
| the neighborhood of the Chinese Lega-
| ton. and last week he added three de-
tectiyes to the force already there. One
| detective and one officer Will be constantly
| on duty in and around the building, while
| there will be other officers within easy
| call.
One of the amusing features of Wash
| ington life is the development of sybarltic
| tendencies among its people. They get
rcbelIious and stormy under annoyanceS
that people elsewhere suffer with as much
| complacency as they can summon. For
| example. an action is now before the Su-
| preme Court of the District to restrain
| parties from. playing croquet at night on
| a vacant lot opposite the complainants
residence. The complainant. who is an
| kat .ic Npnfn n lie
for tho constant and alert exercise of his
intellectual faculties, requiring the full
| cCmEpsure of his nervous system" His
wife is also very sensitive. Yet every
night, up to IL o'clock, there are from
two to eight persons playing croquet on
| the lot. the noise Of the striking mallets
and balls, the conversation and exclama-
| tions OF the players. and the faring
| torches, with the smell of kerosene, make
| evening hideous t. him and to his wife.
| The Judge granted temporary inJunc-
| ton Probably when the true inwardness
| of the case develops at the trial it will be
| found that the lady who owns the vacant
lot opposite did not invite the architects
| wife to her croquet parties, or committed
some other equally heinous social ohense
| Col. John r. Rouzcr, formerly OF Fred
| erick. Md, has been appointed Deputy
| Register of Wills for the District of Co
| lumbia. He has long been prominent in
the Republican party of Maryland. He
enlisted in the Union Army Aug. 10, 1862,
and was commissioned First Lieutenant Of
| Co. u, 9th Md. In May, 1868, he was
promoted to Captaincy. He was
wounded in the battle of the Wilderness
| and was prisoner of war four months
in Libby, Danville, and Salisbury prisons.
| At the close of the war he was brevetted
| Major and Lieutenant Colonel for gallant
| and meritoriOus services. When very
young he was elected to represent Freder-