Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-10-31
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence

H., LII AdfS LSSl1uCu LII lu0 0CuxGY COuxx
of inquiry had severe attacks Of stage
fright when they first took the witness
chair. The attack is manifested by
their stumbling over chairs, dropping
their caps Or gloves or grasping spas
medically for their swords. Some of
the men who have received mention for
conspicuous bravery have had the most
serious attacks. Admiral Dewey and
his colleagues on the court are very
lenient with officers thus afflicted. It
took b admiral himself three days to
get used to the craned necks and star
ing eyes of h background of snecta-
tors. At first he had a terrible time ad-
m1n1stering he oath to witnesses. He
could not keep his eye on the type
written copy of the path which had
been provided for him and on the spec
tators at the same time. Now the ad-
m1ral a rattle off the oath like a
clerk Of a naturalization court. One Of
hcer who was mentioned for his heroic
action during the battle Of Santiago
up to the witness chair and
landed In 1t after saluting the court,
the counsel or both sides and finally
the audience. When the admiral asked
MIN TO rise n take the oath, he rose
TO his feet In a dazed way and reached
out blindly for the Bible. After he had
made two or three unsuccessful at
temptS TO get his hand on it Admiral
Dewey IN the kindest way Imaginable
SAID, Here it is, lieutenant" and
reached out and steered the
able hand to the sacred book. Then the
nero OF Manila beamed alphabetically
down on the embarrassed officer while
he recfted the oath.
The New committee Rooms.
Work is being rushed night and day |
on h twenty-eight new COMMITTEES
rooms which the space in the
capitol formerly occupied by the old
Congressional library.
These committee rooms have all been
assigned and will be furnished and
ready for occupancy not later than
Nov. Is, it is said.
Inc house committee In charge Of
the arrangements has ordered the fur
n1ture, and much Of it is already stored
IN different parts of the capitol and
ready to be put in place. Representa-
t1ves cannon and Richardson of the
m have given much personal
to the details Of beautifying
n furnishing the apartments which,
1t is intended, shall be model commit
tee rooms.
Work is also being rushed on the
supreme court chamber, but as 1t can
not be completed in time 1t has been
decided that the sittings of the court
temporarily shall be in the room
where the supreme judges hold their
saturday conferences. This apartment
Is in the basement Of the capitol, di-
rectly beneath the Office Of the clerk
the supreme court.
The EnglBeee schaoL
we engineer school Of a~pprseatioa
was established at Wtllets Point. N. T.,
many years ago and has proved q
most valuable adjunct to the army.
1t Is a postgraduate school for the hon
or graduates of the Military academy
assigned to the engineer corps and oc-
cuples the same relation to that corps
the artillery school at Fort Mon
roe and the infantry and cavalry
at Fort Leavenworth and Fort
Riley, kan., do to the line Of the army.
One of the reasons for the transfer
of the school from Willets Point to
Washington was that the former post
needed for the artillery in con-
1ection with the scheme for the better
protection Of New York harbor. An {
other and more important reason was !
hat the national capital was consid-
red a better place for military educa-
donal instructions because OF the man f.
fold advantages afforded by the Con- I
yressional library and the scientific in (
of tho nnuorr g
Chinese Firearms. l
The National museum has received
Is a gift from Colonel W. II. Carter 1
IT b United States army, just return
"a from China, a large collection Of
irearms taken from the arsenal in
The collection is one Of the {
most extraordinary ever received by 6
he museum, containing, as it does, al |
most everything in the way Of guns, 6
rom a matchbox up to the latest fire
One gun Is twenty-three feet
n length and was operated by five e
zen, four holding it in position, while
fifth did the firing. Another meas
res eighteen feet in length and is
lammerless. This gun was fired in |
he same way three men holding 1t in =
lace. n aiming and a fifth striking !
he cap with a small hammer attached {
0 the stock by a chain and hook. !.
Census ONCE Clerks. '
TIE clerks who labor from ten to =
welve hours a day some Of the griev-
noes Of Washington government clerks
must seem very amusing. There are +
wo shifts Of clerks in the census Office,
Of which quits at A o'clock and is
ollowed by a shift that takes hold at =
and labors for seven hours, or until !.
Recently the hours of labor in the ! =