The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-05-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Isnecial Correspondence. }

good, gray man from Boston leading
lot of very pretty young women.
The callers, fashionably dressed and
exhibiting charming assortment of
colOrs, ribbons, dimples and bushes,
except the man, arranged themselves
against the wall around the room. At
a given signal there was hush, and
the gray man stepping forward, said;
Mr.. Secretary, these are the stu
dends of La Sale Seminary For Young
Ladies, Boston,
Forty dimples began to beckon to
the secretary, red lips parted and
white teeth appeared all around the
room. The secretary looked at the
row of rosy cheeks and merry eyes,
and he appeared to be afraid. Then
like Pooh Bah, the dignified cabi-
net officer said:
"Howdy do! Glad to see you all
His expression then seemed to say:
THAT will do. Thank you very much
Now run along, little girls"
The buds from Boston filed out,
leaving the room bare and cherries.
AS the gray haired man bringing up
the rear, passed the secretary he said:
II have been bringing my girls over
here every year for forty years.
And the secretary looked startled,
as if he was saying to himself:
Goodness gracious, professor Not
these same girls ~
The prospective reduction of the
United States naval force now on the
Asiatic station is beginning to assume
definite form. Thus far the matter
has not been considered by the Presi-
dent, nor has Secretary Long had an
opportunity to confer with Admiral
Remey, but the naval bureau of nav
igation, which has charge of the as
signment of ships to the various sta
tions, has proposed that there be a.
reduction of the force on the Asiatic
station. This has been based on a
consideration of the needs of the navy
and without reference to any political
questions involved
Should it be decided to reduce the
force the homeward movement of YES
sells would probably not begin before
summer. AS yet no consideration
has been given to the disposition of
the ships when they are relieved
from service in the far east. 1t is ex-
pected, however, that the north At
lantic squadron will be augmented
by at least one or two ships, while
the south Atlantic and the Pacific
stations will also be reinforced.
A number of the ships will have to
go out of commission, as they have
seen long service in topical waters
and will need a pretty general over
hauling.
Among the government officials in
Washington there is a good sized
sporting contingent which is in evil
dence at the Benning race track daily.
These 'plungers from Uncle Sans
workshops may be easily located be-
cause OF the unusual energy and ac-
tivity they inject into their work
during the first half of the day they
expect to ''geu OFF, to go to the races
Such hustling and bustling to dis
patch urgent business as they indulge
easily marks the ''official sports BY
10 o'clock they haye consulted the
time table, studied the entries for the
various events and raised a more
or less modest amount of money to
play such tips" as they anticipate
may bring them gratifying returns.
Thus far the Benning meeting has
not been profitable to the depart
mental sporting fraternity.
Secretary Wilson is engaged ON
plans under which a number of divis-
lions of the department will be made
bureaus on July /.
The divisions of forestry, chemistry
and soils will be made bureaus, and
six other divisions, whose work has to
do with plants, will be consolidated
into one bureau, to be known as the
bureau of plant industry. The group
ing of the plant divisions, particularly
the botany and pathology divisions,
will secure economy by avoidance of
frequent duplication of work.
Prof. b. 7. Galloway, of Missouri,
now horticulturist and superintend-
ent of gardens and grounds and for
merly chief of the division of vegeta-
BILE physiology and pathology, will be
assigned as chief of the bureau of
plants.
Richmond p Hobson, the naval
constructor who sunk the Merrimac
in the entrance of Santiago harbor
and gave OSCILLATION stimulus for
awhile, is now captain instead of
lieutenant, but he does not draw a
naval captains pay, which is $4,000.
Mr.. Hobson receives So, 200 and under
the rules of the construction bureau
his pay will be increased 5000 year
every five years he remains in active
service. When he came to Washing
ton from his Alabama home some