Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-10
Nv z1s
VA

[&N~
ssThe civil service law has had one ef-
feet on the national capital said an old
employe of one of the governments depart
ments to a Star reporter recently. that IS
not generally noticed. We old-timers in the
departments remember with good deal
of pleasure the meetings OF the various
state associations that were held in Wash
ington every month or SO back in the sew
entities and eighties. They were pretty good
sized affairs in those days, and during Gen.
Grants administration / can remember
many such occasions when he was present
and seemed to enjoy the exercises immense
ly. They We're given frequently, generally
in one Of the largest halls of the city, and
senators and representatives. as well as de-
partmental clerks, usually esteemed it an
honor to be a specially invited guest. These
associations were maintained at that time
as much for mutual protection and for the
purpose of keeping us in touch with our
home state as for amusement or social in
tercourse and many times they served their
real purpose we'll Since the Introduction of
civil service laws however, this state of
affairs has gradually changed, until now
state ties are not near as binding as they
were twenty years ago and. of course, the
natural consequence is a relaxation of the
effort to keep in touch with the home To-
cality. The civil service protects the good
men in office from the spoils-hunter, and
clerks have gradually come to lose their in
terest and enthusiasm for the welfare OF
the associations. You have probably no.
tiCed that notices of the meetings at this
day of state associations are rather infre-
Quent. and unless the representatives OF n
state in Washington are brought together
for some special object, such as reception
to a now congressman or a ratthcatlon
meeting. the affair is likely to be rather
dull and spiritless.'
II read the recent article in The Star on
spirit photographs and other phases of
spiritualism with a great deal of interest
and profit" said a welI-known man-around-
town to a Star reporter recently. 1T inter-
ested me the more because it recalled lit
tie incident in which I figured in passive
way some years ago. A friend of mine and
/ at that time took some interest in the
subject of spiritualism and were frequent
q " present at seances given from time to
time by mediums My friend was of a
jovial nature, and 1 often had to restrain
him when he attended these meetings with
me- for he had very little respect for the
so-called mediums. The incident 1 referred
to happened during a seance given by an
uptown medium and We figured in the
lect circle of believers present. The special
trick or naturalization, and the language
of the spiritualist sharp of the evening, was
known as the paraffine hands a bucket of
rsraffine was brought in ard set in the mid
die of the room. the lights were turned cut
and Immediately swiShing would be heard
in the bucket. When the lights were re-
lighted a pair of gracefully-formed hands
would be found. modelled in the parafhne
SrH short speech
cedes the naturalization. and on TINS occa-
sion the medium took the opportunity 20 COM
pliment the company present and 10 state
that the time or conditions mad never De
fore in her experience been so propltouS as
new Well. the bucket was brought in the
lights were turned down and the swishlns
was hear as per schedule, but right in the
middle of the thing my friend, who was
sitting close to the bucket, asked for
match. Whether he was influenced ny
spirfts on the outside or inside, doh
know but he whispered his request in such
a wav that nearly every one in the room
heard it-there were about twenty OIL Us
there at one dollar per. That settled IL
The bucket disappeared in some lneNpllcd,
HE ySay the lights went up In a 1ltIE, ana
that medium. who had but few moments
before declared the conditions so entirely
favorable, rose with an angry air and IN
formed us that as the condltlons lau
changed and the spirits had looked with us
favor upon her meeting. she was Competed
70 announce the close of the seance- nave
never
only satisfaction that could get out OF my
friend was that he merely wanted TO hsht
a cigar
aA+ this time of the wear there is plenty
Of work for the 200 girls who put up seed
packets in the numerous wholesale flower
bouses of New York, said the proprietor
of a leading seed house in New York TO
Star reporter recently Some OF the Dig
houses take on hands early in February,
hut most of the girls do not find steady
employment until March or April, when
the demand for flower and vegetable SEEDS
is very large Girls make the best packers
of seeds because they are small fingered
and alert and do the delicate work more
expeditiously than men, Seed packets
hold anywhere from one-efghth of an ounce
I'D to one pound and more. and a good hand
will measure, fill and seal up ready for
shipment from 1.JG0 to 1000 packets in an
hour The girls are paid about Il cents for
each LOCO packages they put up and. pro-
viding they work steadily for eight hours
they can earn from s1-I5 to $3.50 per day.
THE most expensive seeds that are put
up are petunias. the fancy, newly grated
kind and calciolaria. a fine petunia seed
is worth 50 per ounce 1t is as light and
fine as chaff or down and must be handled
very carefully to avoid waste. Extra fine
grades of calciolaria and petunia seeds are
worth as much 500 an ounce This may
seem ike a Dig price LOT SucH a Srnail
quantity of seed. but the greatest pains
have to be taken TO raise these plants and
prepare the seed for market. In vegetables
the most costly we have to consider is the
caulifioWer. This seed is worth from SO
TO $50 per pound. and is put up and gen
orally sold in very small measurements.
The cheapest vegetable seeds are corn,
peas and beans. and they are put up in
and 1O-cent packages"
THE demand for that little southern
delicacy. the oyster crab. is always larger
than the supply, and | have all 1 can do to
obtain the fifty or sixty gallons which are
daily required for fiavoring stews and max