The times., 1901-04-10
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

The White House gardeners had plenty
of work to do yesterday, and they will
be kept busy again today. The entire
force was up early in the morning. and
armed with rakes and brooms, began their
annual task-and no light one it is-of
removing the evidences of the Easter egg
rolling from the President back yard.
Egg shells, mashed eggs, paper and pea
nut shells covered the grass and
the walks everywhere, and here and
there the 3hrubbery bore signs of the in
vasion of the reservation. Swarms of
birds feasted on the remains of the eggs
and flew away reluctantly at the approach
of the gardeners. BY night the workmen
had gone over a good portion of the
lawns, and by tomorrow they expect to
have the grounds in fairly good shape.
Every year this work and the damage to
shrubbery cost the Government a con-
siderable sum OF money, but it is hardly
probable that there will ever be anyone
who Will care so little tor public opinion
az to suggest barring the children from
the White Lot and depriving them of the
pleasure of enjoying their greatest car
nival.
The end of Lent has significance
to fishing folk which other people do not
appreciate remarked wel-known local
angler last night. trood Friday. in this
part of the country, is considered the first
day of the fishing season with rod and
line. The muddy condition of the Poto-
mac River has contributed toward damp
ening the ardor of enthusiasts Iudica-
tions are, however, that this season will
be very good one. and already some
good catches have been made in the up
per river Last year ! spent several days
on the railroad trestie at the foot of the
Government Insane Asylum grounds.
where white and yellow perch are invar-
iably found. 1 noticed on each of my
trips Iittle grey-bearded. wrinkled-face
old chap, whom | found always on the
end of the same tie. After several meet
ings we became well acquainted, and in
time good friends. through the natural
sympathy between fishermen. and the in
terchange of bait and hooks.
"One day we spent several hours. while
the fish were not biting, in political dis
cussion My friend was stanch RepuD-
lican and the way in which he hammered
it into Bryan would have done credit to-
the strenuous Roosevelt himself / am
nemocrat but the wrinkled devotee of
the rod and line almost convinced me
that had been educated the wrong way;
Finally in the afternoon NUMBER OF
inmates of the asylum, i'll charge OF
keeper on a walk through the grounds OF
the institution, came down to the wall
just back of us, across a narrow strip
of water. and appeared to be very much
interested in what we were doing When
the little fellow observed the group watch
ing us he turned and yelled To the atten-
dant:
'Heyl is it my turn for ride tomor-
row.?
The attendant answered that ii was
whereupon the small fisherman shouted
back:
Well. for Heavens sake, don't take
us up Tenth Street; ] know every rough
place in that street already.
My friend was a harmless inmate OF
the asylum who was allowed to go out
on the trestle to fish. And if you stop
to think for a second YOU will probably
remember that the vans from st. Eliza
beths almost always go out Tenth street
northwest.
At the War Department there is an
American flag which has seen two years
service in the Philippines. 1t was pre-
sented to the Secretary of War by Lieu
tenant Rice of the Twenty y-siXth Infan-
try, and is now on exhibition in Mr..
Roots office
1t was made in Manila by a Philippine
tailor. and was used by a detachment of
the Twenty eighth Volunteer Infantry.
1t is soiled and torn and shows hard
usage but is one of the Secretary priced
possessions.