Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-05-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Plan IN Ipcrense Our Exports-Fins
Engraving of the PreSident.
bits of Capital News.
Especial Correspondence

from this country and with this end In
view has Introduced bill authorizing
the president 10 appoint commission
of seven members to visit the principal
colleges Of commerce In Europe and TO
inform themselves as to the main
tenance and results of these schools.
The commission, II authorized, will
make Its report to the next congress.
It's members Will he selected for their
special fitness for the service. An APP
propriation OF S25, 900 Is made to carry
out the provisions Of the proposed law.
The resolution declares that the for
eIgn relations OF the United States
have recently become greatly magni-
fed and their Importance enhanced.
Foreign commerce has assumed gigan-
tic proportions, with prospect of an
indefinite increase If wisely fostered
and directed This country has no
schools for young men either for the
consular service or for the adequate
exploitation of our manufactured goods
In foreign lands All the European
nations have many such schools, which
are partly or wholly supported by their
respective governments.
4 bill similar TO this has been pre-
scented by Senator Spooner and ii Is in
line with those which propose to APP
point commissions to visit China and
Japan to inquire into commercial con
ditions and the needs of those coun-
tries.
Fine Engraving of the President.
The bureau of engraving and print
Ing has recently finished a fine line en-
gravcd yignCtte of the president which
Is perhaps the best portrait ever made
of him. 1t is. at least, more pleasing
to the subject than any of the count
less others in his collection and meets
also with the approval of Mrs. Mckin-
ley, who Is difficult to please in this re-
gard. The pose is easy and character
lstic Threc-quartcrs of the face ~
shown, the eyes look intently from
under the heavy brows straight ut the
observer, the mouth wears Il happy eN-
preston, ana the whole bearing is
statcsmanil,e and dignificd. This en-
craving has become a part of the gov
eminent archives and later on, when
the president has been gathered to his
fathers will be used to decorate bank
notes and stamps. it being provided by
law that the portraits Of living persons
shall not be 80 used.
senator Plates Cigar.
Senator Piatt of Connecticut has =
trick cigar.
Ii looks like a very good cigar but
nobody has yet had a chance to try it.
Mr.. Plat has "A pleasant way Of on
gnging fellow senator In converse
ton and adroitly bringing the talk
around to the subject of smoking
Then he puis his hand In his pocket
fumbles for little while and finally
produces n very good looking cigar
with light wrapper.
"Now, this cigar" begins Senator
Plat as though he were lecturing, sis
really quite n curiosity Ii has a filler
OF Porto Rico tobacco and wrapper
OF Connecticut cut leaf. 1t shows that
Porto Rico tobacco Will come In com.
petition with our own product
At this point the listening senator
reaches out his hand to take the cigar.
"Oh, no" says Mr.. Plat, this Is the
only one | have" Then the cigar
drops back into his pocket.
Porto Rico filler and Connecticut
wrapper may be good combination,
but nobody In the senate can testify TO
the fact from experience.
The General sherman statue.
Carl Roll Smith, sculptor who Sc
cured a contract TO build figure on
horseback In memory OF General w. #.
sherman, Is reported IN n local news
paper 10 be really mt work In studio
al the south OF the treasury upon some
subordinate figures to be made part OF
the Sherman group. The pedestal to
receive Mr.. Smiths work has been
completed for months, and fence has
been built around II to prevent II from
being carried away plecemeal by visit
Ing yandals. The sculptor has made
some progress, II ia reported, on figures
representing the artillery, infantry,
cavalry and engineer corps of the ar
my, hut has gone no further toward
completing General Sherman and his
horse than to collect 80 photographs OF
the general Those gentlemen who are
10 be handed down to the ages along
with sherman 10y being pictured In
bronze on one of the panels to he ar
fixed 60 the pedestal will be dsappoint.
ed to learn that he has not started with
that work
Government work nj Cn,itc
There Will bee large appropriations
for naval stations abroad this year
aud fully half a million d0llars viii be
required to pay for labor aud material
az Gayite where according to the lat
est reports, nearly 1000 men arc con
stanty employed and where they will
be al work until July / at least. The
chiefs ot naval bureaus during the last
few days have appeared before the
committee on appropriations with llh.