The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-30
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

The chiefs Of tie various bureaus Of the
War and Navy Departments have prob
ably the most costly and most interesting
collection Of desk paper weights ever IN
der one roof Many of these are in the
form of miniature guns and rifles. while
small shells are abundant Rear Admiral
O'NeiI has on his desk a perfect model OF
a 15-iHch rife which never fails to attract
attention. Close at hand and resting upon
piles of documents are relics with histo-
rjes- Portions Of old naval vessels, histor-
ic guns. bits of armament that have been
crushed by explosion or in battle are
there BTieadier General Wilson has upon
his desk neat models of machines used by
the Engineers Corps. Rear Admiral En-
diCOtt has some models of docks and pow
erfUl machines in miniature. On the desks
in the Bureau of Construction and Repair
may be found miniatures of many of the
types of smaller naval vessels. These are
of steel and are decidedly in demand Cen
eral Ludington has on his desk a perfect
model of a rapid-fre artillery gun which.
while tiny can be operated. every part be-
ing perfect. Secretary Root IS content
with a few bronze corps badges and some
knIcknaCks which smack of the army
Secretary Long keeps at his right hand
where 1t can be used to hold down letters
the brass cap off a timed shell This IS a
rogations- It was intended that II should
be placed at the nose of a heavily charged
shell and by turning an Indicator to any
desired point the shell could be made to
explode at any given time.
1T seems TO me that the newspaper men
are getting all of the Government appoint
ments Of late" said the head of bureau
of the Treasury Department yesterday.
Look at the record for one week alone,
and while very few appointments were
made, three of them were newspaper men
There was John Barrett, an old reporter.
who secured a good berth, and Francis 3.
Gessner, a local newspaper correspondent,
goes as Consul to Zittau Germany. Then
today reporter was made Chief Of the
District Fire Department. If this keeps
up theTe won be any pie left for the
politicians
People who passed down Pennsylvania
Avenue yesterday saw a gang of men at
work tearing down the billboard fence
that has surrounded the old powerhouse
site between Thirteenth and Fourteenth
Streets They also saw exposed to view
he dirty and unkempt interior Of the
plot OF ground : hich until yesterday had
been charitabiy hidden from view by the
fence. The spectacle was not a pleasing
one, because in addition to the CharTed
SlOLltS. ltltGS Vi LdtI-DuIl4l UlLCE- lNtSNGh
iron pipe, and the rest of the wreck left
by the fire, the debris is covered with
7,rpeE and other refuse and has in the
centre several dilapidated sheds that
nave been used for stables. Without the
fence the public viii have the pleasure Of
viewing this interesting landscape every
cay.
The contents of a half-dozen crates
that stand on the sidewalk in front of
s. 70 ~
tact that nothing is wasted in this world
They contain sectional covering for steam
pipes, designed 10 keep in the heat The
non-cOnducting material used in the man
ufacturts of this covering is cork, old bot
tie shoppers, which have been broken be
yond the hope of a second usage by the
corkscrew They are broken into very
small pieces, and then, with some adhe-
sive material to stick them together,
pressed in a mold TO give them Ine Shape ape
required. Old corks are considered the
most useless thing possible, but the crates
in front OF WIZARDS contain about 5000
worth of them.
The High School Cadets yesterday after
noon had their first battalion drill at the
White Lot 1t was merely preparatory TO
the regular annual drill and sham battle
which the regiment intends to give this
week. The day has not been settled upon,
but it Will probably be Thursday or Fri
day afternoon. The entire regiment will
turn out, and viii go through the regular
maneuvres of attack and defence The
Cadets viii have to assist them in their
martial display and their parade, the Ma
rine Band, which will make music during
the intervals in which the biUe-COated
and shouIder-strapped warriors are rest
ing The Cadets yesterday afternoon went
through the field movements and practic-
ed the formations which they will use in
the sham battle A second preparatory
driu will be held tomorrow.
Attorney General Knox is being urged
to purchase or rent a house in this city.
He has received hundreds of letters on
the subject, some giving advice and others
making alIuring offers. He has had op-
portunities to get almost unheard Of bar
gains, but he prefers living at a hotel,
and says he does not intend to make an
early change He expects to settle down
in a comfortable home next fall If he
still finds the duties Of his new Office
agreeable.