Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-12-05
LETTER
Especial Cor-espondence.]


Elwood Head, tie irrigation exncrt
of the department Of agriculture, had
a talk with President Roosevelt re-
Gently, and naturally the matter under
discussion was that of the irrigation
Of the great arid lands of the west.
Mr.. Mead has several plans for irriga-
ton and will submit some of these to
the president. 1t is understood that the
president, who lived many years in the
west and is well acquainted with the
arid condition of that section, will say
a good deal in his message on the sub
ject of irrigation.
Western members of congress are eA
tremely hopeful that congress at the
coming session will extend national aid
to some rational plan for irrigation.
President McKinley's visit to the west
last May had done much to increase
the friendly feeling he had for the
west, and in a number Of his speeches
he referred to the need of irrigation in
the west. 1t was generally thought by
western congressman that President
Mckinley would AVE given considera.
BILE space in his e message to con
gress to q discussion of the need of
federal aid in the reclamation OF the
millions of acres of land that cannot
be cultivated because water cannot be
obtained.
Afflicted Postof;ce Employees.
A peculiar skin disease has made it's
appearance among the clerks and en-
ployees of the ~postofice department,
and there are quite a number who are
afflicted with the very disagreeable
ecZemalike Disagreement, which, since
the last few weeks. has given them
considerable and physical
pain.
The disease was first observed on the
hands of a messenger whose duty it is
to carry letters. dispatches and books
from Office to Office. He paid little at
tention to it, thinking it would disap-
pear in due time. Instead the disease
spread, and now there are quite a num-
Der of employees and clerks who are
doctoring their hands and faces to rid
themselves of the strange ailment. The
matter has attracted considerable at
tention. and an investigation was made
to explain the disease and to trace it
to it's source, with a view to stop Its
further progress.
To Replace Long Bridge.
Correspondence is in progress be-
tween the secretary Of war and b
| president of the Pennsylvania Railroad
company with a view to securing a
modification of the plans for the rail-
road bridge across the Potomac to re-
place the Long bridge, so as to guaran-
tee a structure that will be an orna-
ment to the city and in entire harmony
with the pending scheme for the devel-
opment of the park system of the dis
trict. The members of the park COM
mission nave been consulted in regard
to the proposed railroad bridge, and it
is said that the representatives Of the
! railroad company have indicated to
them as we'll as to the secretary of war
| their desire to act in harmony with The
commission with respect to Potomac
park and to cooperate with them in
the improvement Of the approaches to
the national capital
Value of Public Buildings.
Assistant Secretary Taylor has had
a statement prepared showing the val
ne of public buildings in the United
| States. These show that the disburse-
ments from the treasury on account Of
| Du11u1uSS WlLn1A tAc 1oIAA VI w
lumbia have been SGT, $40, 1O2. On ac-
| count of the buildings and grounds the
| disbursements for the capitol have
been $40 $40. The central building,
when erected, from 1918 to 1929, cost
| 81, los, 9O4. In the extension, from 1850
to 1875, the expenditures were $S,O75,-
299. The new dome cost $1,047,291
and repairs since 1925 have amounted
to $2,3SO,21O. The White House and
grounds have cost the government ST.
752, 7S9.
Hospitality at the White House.
That all social roads lead to the
White House, now that the period Of
official mourning is over, is a fixed fact.
Hospitality, while the reverse of spec
~tacular, is dispensed easily and grace
fully at luncheon and dinner, while the
afternoon of Friday is set aside by the
first lady in the land to receive her
personal friends and make or renew &C
q~uaintance with the members Of Off
cha society. Now that November has
brought 'the season. the attendance
at Mrs. Roosevelt's informal Eat
homes is naturally increasing, and at
least half a hundred guests gather at
the sacred hour Of afternoon tea. Ev-
cry circle of official society is repre-
scented.
Rural Free Delivery.
The rural free delivery service will
be placed under the classified service
as soon as practicable, probably some
time during the winter. h was de-
termined upon by the president >soon
after he succeeded to the presidency
and after he had talked with Postmas-
ter General smith n others. He has
since talked with members of the civil
service commission as to his inten-
tons. The rural free delivery is one
of the few branches of the government