New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-08-12
GOSSIP OF THE CAPITAL.
HOW AN EMPLoYE OF THE PATENT
OFFICE OBTAINED AN ELECTRIC FAN,
DIR. FLETcHERs WORK IN THE ARMY MEDICAL
LIBRARY-PRINcE EIU OF CoREA
AGAIN IN AMERICA.

! Washington, Aug. II (SpeciaD-The capital
| will again, formerly, be deserted in
summer. A few years ago the well oiled wheels
| of the Government turned lazily during the
| hot weather and little done as possible.
Now the exigencies of the times keep the chief
officials constantly the alert, and there is
as much hustle at the various departments
In the middle of summer as there is when Con-
gress is in session, the only difference being
| that members of Congress and Senator'S, who
consume much of the time of public officers.
are in evidence. The public buildings, for
tunateIy are as a rule. we'll ventilated, and
their temperature is kept cool by the use of cleo
trio fans. The thousands of clerks who do the
work of the Government treated with as
much consideration as possible, and they find
Washington not an undesirable summer resort.
Not every office, however. can be supplied with
electric fans, the appropriation for this pur-
pose being insufficient to meet the demands, and
those so unfortunate not to possess one feel
much aggrleved. determined young woman
in the Patent Office. which is an old building
celebrated for it's popularity of being impos-
sible to heat in winter and impossible to cool
in summer, had been asking for fan all sum-
mer and she should most certainly have been
allowed one as the corner she occupies is
of the hottest in the building. but her chief,
while sympathizing with her discomfort, did
not see his way to granting her request.
Finally in desperation, she sought him out one
| hot day last week, her face flushed from the
heat and dripping with perspiration
Mr. -" she announced, IF you don't get
| me an electric fan l shall perish
Really, Miss X" replied the official, Il don't
see how l manage it, l have already had
more than 1 am entitled to, and 1 don't dare
to ask for one"
wei. what am l to do, then? Will you sit
| and me melt before your eyes? My death
will be upon your soul if you don't get me
oh. it's not so bad as that. You won't melt,
and it Will be cooler in day or two" .
The young woman insisted in strong language
until her chief. becoming irritated, said sharply
Take my fan. if you want it, 1 don't mind
| this little heat, only let me alone.
The clerk thanked him pleasantly and retired
to her chiefs infinite relief. The relief now
| 10 vexation when on his return from luncheon,
he found the thermometer standing at " de-
grees and his fan gone. His enterprlslng suo0I-
| dnate had taken him at his word. and in his
absence had the fan. whose cooling breezes
! made his room endurable, installed over her
| own desk and when he saw her there placl9
and smiling enjoying to the ruiz the chs 1 ecu
| temperature, he quite ashamed TO ask lor
the return of his ran, but he did summon G9uI-
age to make requisition for one TOT MN
self and now both chief and clerk are happy
and comfortable under the whirring OF theH
respective fans.
One Of the most interesting men at the capital
is Dr. Robert Fletcher. of the Army Medical
Library VINO collaborated with Dr. Billings on
mis- famous Index Catalogue. OF English blrth
and educated for his profession in Bristol ana
London, DR.. Fletcher came to this country at
about the time he reached his majority ana
settled in Cincinnati. AT the breaking out of
the Civil War he was appointed surgeon of
volunteers and served until its close, when he
became an acting assistant surgeon, and was
assigned to assist DR.. ]. H Baxter In COM
piIing the statistics of the Provost Marshal
Generals office relating TO drafted men, Valu-
able work of reference for anthropometric data,
| much of its value being due to the accuracy ana
general attainments of DR.. Fletcher.
After the publication Of this work, in 1871,
DR. Fletcher was detailed for duty in the Med
ical Library where he became the chief as
sistant his title Principal Assistant Librarian,
being confirmed by act of Congress in 1891. DR..
Fletcher is emiuently equipped for the I'M
portant post he has so ably filled, and his pri-
vate studies, which cover a wide range, from
the old English poets and dramatists to modern
arthropoloey, have augmented his usefulness.
He has, too, been prolific writer some of his
most interesting papers being ION the Vigor
and Expressiveness of Older English The
Poet: Is He Born Not Made?' Medical Lore
in the Older English Dramatists OF the EliZ-
abethan Era, Excluding Shakespeare, and Ihe
New School of Criminal Anthropology." Dr.
Fletcher's popularity in scientific and literary
circles is shown by his having served sue
CessiVely as president of the Anthropological
Society, the Philosophical Society and the Lit
erary Society.
At the banquet and presentation in honor of
DR. Billings, years ago, DR.. Chadwick,
Librarian OF the Boston Medical Library, told
the following amusing story OF his colleague,
DR. Fletcher:
when Dr. Fletcher was five years old his
father, who a lawyer. had a client a
man possessed of a large landed estate, whose
exigencies required that insurance should
be effected upon young life DR.. Fletcher then
had the only necessary qualification and his life
was insured for a large sum- The premiums
have been paid regularly ever since. During
the time Of DR.. FletChers active service in the
field the premiums were doubled. When ii be-
came known in England that DR.. Fletcher
we're reduced to the former rate on the ground
that he was stationed IN a walled and gar
rlsOned town In seems to that this in
surance." continued DR.. Chadwick, should not
be allowed TO lapse and think that part of the
funds in your hand, Mr.. Chairman, should be
employed to prevent the loss of a mascot"
Prince Flu Wha. the second son of the King
of Corea, is again in this country, having come
for the purpose of taking course in English
at the college in Roanoke, Va. among whose
alumni a number Of his compatriots. Prince
Flu spent several months at the capital three
years ago the guest of Pom Kwang Sob. the
former Corean Minister, who had been succeed
ed by Pom Ye Chin, and at the time of his
death, although living in the United States
was a member of the Corean Privy Council
position bestowed upon him by the King as an
evidence of his high regard and appreciation
| of his services to his country and its ruler
whose life he saved at the time the Empress
murdered.
Mr. Sob one OF the foremost Coreans of
his time, the most advanced statesman the Her
init Kingdom mas ever known, who in his short
life-beng under thirty-fve when he died-dd
much to further her progress and DEVELOPMENT
1t mainly through his influence that so
many COrean youths be educated in
America. 6vic