Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-12-28
EDWARD G. DAN
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Sampson Critically lll-Admiral
Sampson is critically i'll and will prob.
ably never again leave his house. 1913
New Hampshire avenue. Every pleas
ant day since the admiral and his fam
lily returned from the mountains, ut
the end of the summer season he h2"
been able TO take an afternoon wal
Sunday he was out for the last time.
but found himself SO weak that he
was obliged 10 return to the house
without finishing his walk.
The New Postmsster--lt is thought
here that Mr.. Payne, the new post
master general. is in favor OF the gov
ernment ownership of telegraphs.
Whether this be true or not ii is more
than possible that he viii be called
upon to handle the subject during his
term in his new Office. Congress will
devote much time to the serious con-
sideration OF this matter. and there is
Il growing sentiment among the mem
bers in favor of taking over the tclc-
graph business and making ii an ad-
Junct of the postal department.
new impetus has been given to the
idea by the recognized necessity for
Pacific cable to connect the United
States with Hawaii, Guam, the Philip
pines and Japan and China.
Social Burdens-The wives of the
cabinet officers have been holding
secret sessions to devise some way OF
tightening the burdens of their social
duties. What they really want to do
is to establish new precedent that
will make it the duty of the wives of
senators and judges of the supreme
court to call upon them first No de
cision could be arrived at, as no one
wished to take the initiative, SO Mrs
Roosevelt agreed to have ladies'
cabinet meeting held in her sitting
room. when all the grave matters OF
precedent were laid before her. The
duties OF the wives of members of the
cabinet We're aired. and her sympathy
ELECTED. What they got from Mrs.
Roosevelt was advice to leave matters
as they were established by Mrs. Ham
of state under Grant, who established
the rules that now obtain, and to take
up the duties expected of them and not
show the white feather. AS the wife
of the assistant secretary of the navy,
many duties of official life fell upon
Mrs. Roosevelt. She had at the time
four children, and yet she was never
known to neglect single task. None
of the cabinet women has small chill
dren to interfere with their duties
An Extravaeant Vice-Presi dent
When John Adams was vice-president
of the United States, more than 100
years ago he paid $40 for a little gilt
framed mirror, and there has been
trouble over it ever since. Several
senators in the course of the debate
over the payment for its purchase took
occasion to censure Mr.. Adams for
having set an example of unwaIranted
extravaganza. The mirror was pur-
chased in New York, brought to Wash
ington and put in place in the room
occupied by the president.
AS years went on and the vice-presi-
dents room grew in elegance, the little
historic mirror seemed to grow smaller
and less ornate. Three years ago it
was resurrccted and placed on the wall
of the District of Columbia committee
room by the clerk, who appreciated the
beauty of it's simple design and its
value as a relic. Shortly afterward
Senator Hoar and some of his col
leagues heard the story of the eXiled
mirror. and grew very indignant. So,
president of the senate, it was brought
back, and place of honor given it on
the wall of the vice presidents cham
ber, which it is hoped will be its final
resting place.
Postm aster General Smiths Achieve.
ments-Three things make memorable
Mr.. Smiths administration of the post
Office department. He extended the
postal service beyond the seas and
made the domestic letter rate embrace
the new possessions so that a letter
goes from Boston to Manila as cheaply
dS IL uOtS HUH DOSlOll W NOIttSltI.
The efficiency of the colonial postal
service is the admiration of postal ad-
ministrators throughout the world.
When the allied forces occupied Pekin,
following the soldier came the United
States mail carrier, and for a long
time the allies had to depend upon
the United States for their mail.
Not less important has been the
establishment Of rural free delivery un-
der Mr.. Smiths administration. He
found it shaky experiment, and he
has left it so firmly established that it
is as much a part of the postal es'ab.
lishment as is the free delivery in al
large cnies. Hardly second to these
extensions OF the postal system Is the
great administrative reform he cS "ried
out when he abolished the abusAJ OF
the second-class mail
Uncle Sans Old Men--The reports
of the cabinet officers and the heads
of bureaus made in conformity with
the senate resolution of Feb. %, 1901,
on the age and compensation of em-
ployes of their respective departments,
show that there are considerable
number of elderly men in the employ
of the government. In the govern
ment printing Office mere is one who
has been there y years and who Is so
years of age, but who earns 81 day.
Another, GS years Of age, has been en-
ployed in Office for 40 years Quite
number of the 1886 employees of the
Office are between 60 and 10 years of
age. The oldest employe of the de-
partment Of agriculture is set down as
S3.
RETTOC.