Gilpin observer., 1901-08-08
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WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

SUING OF secretary LouS s otuer aeaihs'
any public discussion of the Sampson
Schley controversy, officers on duty at
the navy department we're doing entirely
too much talking; now, they are refusing
to give legitimate information about the
progress of the preparations for the
coming court of inquiry, and mum is the
word from Acting Secretary Hackett
down. Captain Parker, who has been
retained as assistant counsel for Admiral
Schley-his chief counsel has not yet
been engaged-has been at the navy
department every day this week, search
ing the records and making copies OF
everything that he thinks will be of use
to his client. He hints that the inquiry
will give a number of naval officers some
very unpleasant surprises by bringing
out some things which they thought
had been buried for all time. The navy
department granted the request of Rear
Admiral Kimberly that he be excused
from serving on the court OF inquiry be-
cause of i'll health, although 1t is be-
his health for asking to be excused.
Captain Lemy, judge advocate of the
court of inquiry, is preparing to leave
Washington on a vacation of thirty days.
Captain H. L. Street, former nation
al commander of the Union Veteran
Union. who was recently mustered out
of the volunteer service after spending
two years in the Philippines, was this
week given reception by his civil war
comrads in Washington. He is euthusi-
astic on the commercial and Industrial
future of the islands, and predicts that
Minila will displace Hong Kong as the
most important port in the Orient.
OF the mineral probabilities, Capt. Street
said: "There appears to be plenty of
gold and copper in the islands, and
number of miners who. have recently
gone from California are organizing
prospective expeditions. They hesitated
about making the ventures for some
time owing to the presence OF Philippine
bands in the section it was desired to
visit, but now these have been practically
all broken up and small parties well
armed should be able to protect them
selves. Many of the ignorant natives
come to Manila with gold, which they
trade for provisions and the like. One
of them was given $500 worth of goods
for his dust. Some Of the foreign mer-
camille establishments make business
of dealing with these people, who 90 not
appreciate the full value Of their yellow
nuggets" Bulletins issued this week
by the census bureau show that males
and females are very nearly equal in the
following states: Kentucky, males, 1.09O
227, females, Lose, ,947: Louisiana, males,
6s4, ,733, females, 6s6,s92; Maine, males,
35O,9o5, females, 343,471; Maryland,
males, 5s9,275, females, $685. ,769; Mas
sachusetts, male, l,367,474, females,
1,427,S72. or this group of states Ken
lucky has the fewest foreign-born in
habitants ,249-and Massachusetts
the most-si6,324.
The most important act OF the Chinese
sONCI ioi hiohy S"ASt ~ i"' 49, 'sS
relations with foreign governments are
concerned, was the replacing OF the
Tsung H. Yaman, through which all for
eign business had to be transacted, by n
board of foreign affairs on modern lines.
1t was SO important that officials to the
department of state were inclined to
doubt the correctnes SIS of the news until
the Chinese Minister called at the de-
partment and assured them that he had
been officially informed of the correct
ness of the press dispatches. 1t is a
long diplomatic step foreward.
Captain G. p. Ahern, who looks after
the forestry interests of the United
States in the Philippines has been
smashing up some popular errors He
said: "a mistaken idea prevails in the
United States that most of the Philip.
pine timber is of varieties very valuable
for cabinet making. There are seven
or eight varieties which take fine finish
but apart from these none OF the native
woods are likely to find their way to the
United States. The commerce which
has already sprung up in small way
between the island and the coast is re-
stricted by the uncertainty OF the profit
on the stuff that comes this way, as well
as by the uselessness of some OF our
woods in the Philippines. The white
ant, which il the terror of the forests OF
the archipelago, will cat pine, fir. and
other soft woods, but will not touch
cedar. The Quartermaster's department
has made some experiments in shipping
tir, redwood, spruce and pine from the
Pacific coast for the construction oi
storehouses and other military buildings
but the ravages OF the ant doom these