, 1901-05-23
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

the military service upon tne DislS VI
T7,2ST men and Il staff of 2,1S3 G
the enlisted strength being T4,5O4. men.
BY the order each cavalry regiment
will consist of twelve cavalry troops of
eighty-five enlisted men each, making
the total strength of the oevalry
branch 1J.SIO men. The coast artillery
wilfconsist of 126 companies of 1913 en-
listed men each. making 1854, and
the field artillery of thirty batteries of
loo men each. making a total artillery
force, field and coast. of 1S,S62 enlist
ed men. The thirty infantry regiments
will consist of twelve companies of lo4
enlisspd men each, making the infantry
strength $500 enlisted men. The
three engineer battalions will have
four companies of 104 enlisted men
each, with II band, and will have n
strength of 1,2S2 enlisted men.
About the middle of September the
Postoffice Department will advertise
for proposals for carrying the mails on
all star routes in Colorado, Wyoming
and all other western states, the con
tract to cover n period of four years.
In the letting of new contracts, the de-
partment will require that bidders
shall live in the vicinity of their routes,
thus putting nm end to the speculative
bidding which has prevailed in the
past. whereby eastern contractors
nave secured n majority of western
contracts at n low figure. n depend
ing upon the local sub-contractors to
perform the work required. This ser
vice has never been satisfactory. Aside
from this innovation, however, all bid
ders will be given to understand that
each contract calls for the new system
OF box delivery, whereby carriers will
hn rnntttra1 tn 1annSif mail in hnXnS
of settlers living along their routes,
where such settlers request such SER
vice INT erect boxes along the road
side. 1t Is expected that the new ON
tracts will be Mt slightly advanced
rates. but the fac that local bidders
will he recognized over spectators,
and because of the extra service re
quired by the box delivery, the depart
ment thinks the extra expenditure is
justified.
Seine time next fall. says William T..
Curtis in the Chicago Record. when the
new desks which have been ordered
for the House of Representatives have
been delivered by the contractors, the
old desks. which have been in use
since 1872. will he sold mt auction. and
there will doubtless he "A demand by
hero worshipers for those which We're
used by President Mckinley, Colonel
Bryan. Thomas Il. Reed, John G. Car
Isle, Mr.. Blaine, General Garfield,
Sunset Cox II other famous men.
Congress provided that members of the
house could have the privilege of buy
ing their own desks at n given price.
II many of them will doubtless
choose To do so. There was n similar
auction sale when the desks We're
changed In 1872, and active bidding for
those which had been used by Henry
Clay and other famous men of the
past generation. You will find now in
the houses of old residents of Wash
ington some of those desks. and they
are highly treasured. 1t should he
said. however, that there are always
several desks attributed to famous
men. This is unavoidable. because un-
der the rule of the House the desks are
drawn by lot Mt the beginning of every
Congress. and the members seldom oc-
cup the anne seat twice in succession.
The desks are numbered and the loo
keepers have n record of their history.
BY looking at the book they can tell
you who has used any one of the desks
yOu may happen 10 name. You Will
find half a dozen with which Mr..
Blaine has been associated. II an
equal number that have been used by
+ Z fi'iNiiitN. IlS avs
somewhat from their value, but does
not destroy the sentiment.
The United States geological survey
has completed its plan of operations
for the new fiscal year. 1t includes
some very important work in Colorado
and the neighboring states of the
Rocky mountain region. The triangu-
latiOn necessary for the control of an
area in the vicinity of Ouray will he
executed. The survey for the diver
sion of the GunnisOn into the Uncom-
pahgre valley will be completed by A.
l.. Fellows. WHO will prepare n bulletin
on the water sources of the state. As
sistant GeOlogist George L.. Adams and
X. IL. Barton will make n study of the
artesian waters in the Greeley quad
rangle in Colorado and the Patrick
and Gold hole q~undraugles in Wyo-
ming. G. Whitman Gross, Ernest
Howe and j. Morgan Clemens are as
signed to the continuation of the sur
vey of the San Juan district and the
Silverton, Engineer mountain and
Needle mountain quadrangles. y. H..
barton will have charge of a study of
the underground waters in the foothills
and plains adjacent TO the Big Horn
mountains. =. +. Emmons. geologist
in charge of metallic ores, will make II
re-study of the Leadville district and
also visit various points in Wyoming
and Arizona. In the Leadville work
lie will he assisted by John ID. Irving.
DIR. George II. Girty will give his at
tention to II study of the Pcrmian fos-
sils in southern New Mexico. X. +.
Hill is to complete the investigation of
tine Rio Grande region. Arnold Hague
proceeds with work in the Yellowstone
YnpI- W fnIu,., aud NJ bout