The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-04
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

fAi'ttbA 40 TIE " .tNiltlt-7 tA'Il -'tatiiAA
ment- 1t is this idea which the Commits
sion is now experimenting upon For sew
eral days there have been six great flags
flying. two white-ones by the Monument
two more white ones by the Pennsylvania
Depot, and two red ones on the baius-
trade at each side of the Capitol These
sets of flags mark the width of the drive
way. or avenue. and stand about $50 feet
apart The Commission desires to see
what effect can be produced with con-
veTging lines Of foliage, and what viii be
the worth of the vista with the Capitol
at one end and the Monument at the 9TH
eT- The flags, as they stand, have been
photographed, and the photograph will
be used as a basis for the design, which
viii show the avenue suggested by the
older plan. The open space will not be in
the centre of the Mall, but a little to the
south.
The great puzzle of the Mall situation
is, Why did the plan originally adopted
not include a long avenue, instead of the
winding driveways that now exist? The
answer to the problem is not easy, but
according to Draughtsman LangdOn, who
is conducting the experiments now in
process, it lies probably in the fact that
the Mail was a gradual development, and
put up, developed its surrounding ground
according to the requirements of its in
dividual case, with 10 regard for the unity
of the whole scheme.
The photographs which are being taken
viii be valuable whatever plan is finally
adopted by the Park Commission. They
win be filed away and card-indexed in the
record Of work being kept by the draughJs-
men of the Commission, ready for refer
ence by others. in case Tie present Com
mission does not succeed in Developing
satisfactory scheme to present to Con-
gress.
The members Of the Park Commission
viii depart for Europe June 13, and viii
probably be gone during July and August
They VIII visit all the capitals of Europe
and all cities where park improvements
are being made on any extensive scale
to get suggestions on the most uD-tO-date
and advanced methods for application 10
the special problems before Them mere IN
Washington They viii ga under the aus
plces of the State Department, ana al
consular officers and diplomatic repTeSen-
tatives Of the United States have been in
stTUcJed to extend to them all the co1T-
tesies and assistance possible in prose
cutting their work
The residents of the block on Ninth
Street southeast between East Capitol and
4 Streets. did not know until a few days
ago that they had to choose between their
shade trees and wide street The first
intimation came to them when employees
of the District arrived with ladders and
saws and began to cut away the limbs
of the North Carolina poplar trees that
line the sidewalk there With ak. spade
and saw it did not take the Iaborers long
10 bring the pOplars to the ground and
now the citizens Of the vicinity are rueing
aC+foT7 which racr7ItaC in no s7rSrr-rrr--
ton Of that which can never be replaced,
and for which a substitute cannot be pro-
vided in many years. About twenty trees,
quite well grown and capable Of furnish
ing good shade. have been uprOoted and
carried away
The destruction which has aroused 50
much regret and some indignation was
the necessary result Of widening the
street Only about q foot or more extra
was wanted for the curling but TO get
this foot the trees had to be sacrificed
The citizens in the vicinity some tiB.e ago
petltiUned for q new sidewalk, ana max
ing the Improvement necessitated the de-
structiOn OF the score If poplarS- The
residents have been told that there VIII
be new trees planted. but they get cold
comfort from that Information, as il viii
be many, many years before the new
trees wifi reach anything like the stature
and spread Of limb the old ones possessed
Bees swarnins in the city always gath
er q crowd Of ouIoOkers and the swarm
that cirCIed around the awning in front
Of q blacksmith shop on Eighth Street
yesterday afternoon was no exception to
the rule. The queen bee had evidently
taken up her abode in the folds Of the
awning. and her brood were buzzing and
humming about her in q black cloud
while men, women, and children gathered
n a circle rs close about as they dared.
ringing with the sturdy strokes Of the
smith, al d had been sounding all day.
One member Of the crowd quite satisfied
with his learning on the subject and
speaking 50 all could hear advanced an
interesting theory about bee swarmiug.
The reason these bees took TO swarm
ing just at this spot" he said, ''is because
TREY heard the sound of that anvil in
there. Bees ike 70 hear an anvil ring.
and / guess the queen bee thought she
would stop here a while and listen to the
music of this one If you notice bees are
inclined to swarm about blacksmith shops
in the country, ana sometimes you can
get them TO swarm by making music OF
singing
The endeavor to get the bees into cap
tivity occupied the employees Of the black
smith shop and OF the business houses
near by nearly ali the afternoon All
sorts of things were tried, including sing
ing ana beating Of pans Sugar in q box
and q tree branch covered with sugar did
not succeed Finally the queen bee took
to her wings and carried of with her the
entire swarm
Why is it that the newspapers continue
to refer to Representative Henderson as
Speaker Henderson," asked an old official
Of the Capitol this morning Are they
not aware that there is no Speaker Of the
House of Representatives. at this time 1t
seems to me the papers ought TO be accu-
rate in these matters. but they are not
Representative Henderson ceased to be
Speaker when the House adjourned on the
4th of last March, and entered the ranks
Of the ex-SpeaI,ers. OF course. there is
hardly any doubt but that his party VIII
honor him with a reelection to the office
Of Speaker next December, but until he *
reelected he is plain Representative Hen
ders0u- the same as the other go mem
bers Of the popular branch of Congress
The people forget that the House IS re
organized every two years, while the Sen
ate is Il continuous body with permanent
standing committees.
only the other day Representative
Payne of New York was referred TO as
Chairman Payne. of the Ways and
Means Committee Mr. Payne IS not
chairman simply and solely because the
Ways and Means Committee Of the Fifty
seventh Congress has not been appointed
Last winter ex-Speaker Reed was at
the Capitol on business before the Ways
and Means Committee. He was standing
rrar faIaCr.~4rsb IfFipa in, III. l--ri,-..,