The Press., 1901-05-16
Washington Letter.


ping place between Pekin and Washing
Ton, but since he reported at the depart
ment of state he has been as mum as a
clam, except to reverse the assertion he
Saade just after landing at San Francisco
as to China's ability to pay indemnities.
This may be merely a coincidence, but
she impression is that Mr.. Conger has
been officially informed that he had been
doing too much talking for diplomat.
G. M. Schwab, president of the "billion
dollar trust" otherwise known as the
United States Steel company, recently Or
sanized by J. Pierpont Morgan, drew one
of the largest audiences that have yet at
tended hearing before the industrial
commission, just as he is said to draw the
largest salary ever paid any man. From
Mr.. Schwab's point of view his trust Is
one of the best things that ever happened.
1t will not reduce wages and it will not
increase prices, although he did acknowl-
edge that it would greatly reduce the
number of employees. He took occasion
to whack the labor organizations, but, of
course, that was expected from the man
who drove these organizations out OF the
Carnegie works.
, In officially denying that he had either
been making inquiries as to whether a
Chinese loan could be floated in this
country or actually negotiating loan,
ho icfn k0 ha TT
occasion to say that he hoped some time
in the future to see American capital
largely invested in Chinese securities, but
recognized obstacles which made such in
vestments well-nigh impossible now and
not very probable in the near future. He
added that one of those obstacles was the
high rate of interest Americans expected
on their money.
The Mount Vernon ladies' association,
to which the country owes debt Of pa
triotic gratitude that should never be for
g0tten-had it not been for the efforts OF
the members of this association, Mt.
Vernon might have passed into private
hands, instead of being preserved, as ii
is, as near like 1t was when occupied by
Washington, as possible, and being q
mecca not only for American patriots
p ES1t for patriots OF every land-is holding
its annual session at Mount Vernon
The reverence with which foreigners usu.
ally approach the tomb of Washington
just below the mansion, is very touching
perhaps more so because Americans are
largely lacking in the spirit of reverence
or at least do not make display of the
reverence they feel. The past year has
been one of the most successful in the
history of the association. The tota
number of visitors to Mount Vernon
reached $500. Through the vice regent
for Louisiana writing desk, once the
property of Mrs. Washington, has beer
added to the furniture of Gen. Washing
toms bedroom. 1t has been decided tc
purchase the coach exhibited at the cen
white chariot, and place it in the coach
house at Mount Vernon. This coact
was not owned by Gen. Washington, bu
it is duplicate of the Washington coach
which was, many years ago, broken W
and distributed in pieces as relics, bull
by the same man and for friend-Mr
Powell--and as the Washingtons anC
Powells were intimate, it is probable tina
it has often been ridden in by Washing
ton.
One of the differences between England
and the U. S. was strongly accentuatet
by r. M. Deeley, a mechanical engines
connected with the Midland Railway O
England, who is making tour of thi
country in search of improved railwa.
ideas, in a conversation concerning tn
} Wall street crash, caused by the contes
of two millionaire syndicates for contro
of the Northern Pacific railroad, when b
said: "a great railroad war like Aha
which has figured in Wall street opera
tions within few days would be improb
able In England, for the reason that
very large portion of the stock of GU
roads is held by trustees and estates ant
by other interests as permanent invest
ments, and could not be secured in tn
open market except for prices that no on
, would be willing to pay"