Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-13
piTs or WASHINGTON LIFE.
si5eIiphts on happenings mt the Nn-
tiUuaI Capital.

Secretary of the Treasury Gage is
benevolent looking person and has such
genial manner that confidence men occa-
sionally attempt to work him. They
quickly discover that appearances in his
case are deceptive The other day. re-
lates the Saturday Evening Post the secre-
tary was warmly greeted near the door OF
the treasury by well-dressed man OF
middle age MIR. Gage, assuming at
first glance that the stranger was one Of
the multitude he has met in Washington
and whose names he cannot hope to remem-
ber, returned the salutation and shook the
hand held out to him.
4 trust you will pardon me, Mr. Secre-
tary," the man began. but | represent
London illustrated newspaper, which has
commissioned mo to obtain a set OF photo
graphs Of your country seat. Have you
any objection to my taking a few views
there?"
None in the world" answered the secre-
tary, amiably, "if you will tell me where
my country seat is. | never knew had
one"
"Ah," exclaimed the stranger, II must
have been misinformed. Then would you
consent TO my taking some pictures Of the
Interior of your mansion in Washington"
with all the pleasure in life, IL there
my own. | live in a rented dwelling and
my landlord has notified me that | must
get out of that in a few weeks"
In spite Of his air of assurance. the
stranger began TO look embarrassed. Draw
ing trine nearer to Mr.. Gage. and drop
ping his voice several degrees, he said:
The fact is, Mr.. Secretary. Nam a little
short of funds this morning. There are
two leading publishers in London who are
owing me money and l thought possibly
that you, as a banker and business man,
could advise me how to proceed"
II should think your best plan would be
to draw on your debtors"
quite so. But you see, 1t costs a good
deal TO send the advices by cable"
THAT Is true. Under, the circumstances
you had better send your messages col
lect.'"
"Of course of course" BY this time
the insinuating stranger was beginning to
mop his brow. There again, however.
| am confronted by little difficulty. The
cable company has refused to send both
dispatches collect"
Has it?" asked the secretary with
look OF real concern. well, then, my
friend, 1t seems to me that you are re-
duced to a single course OF conduct. Send
one dispatch collect and get your money
from that; out of the proceeds you can
prepay the other"
And with a bow and a smile Mr.. Gage
disappeared through the swinging doors of
the treasury building.
All sorts Of people call upon MIR. WI,
the Chinese minister, with all sorts OF
schemes, writes Washington correspond
ent OF the Chicago Times Herald. One day
the minister told mn ba haH {no
visitor from the far west who had en-
deavored to enlist his interest, and, in
cidentally, little of his capital. in a land
scheme or town-lot boom. cute part of
the game was that a Chinese colony was to
be settled there, and the place was TO be
made sort OF Mongolan paradise.
After the boomer had outlined his pros
pectus ard put all the brilliant colors of
his imagination upon the canvas OF his
rhetoric, the simple and childlike son OF
the east took his innings. He began to
ask questions, and wanted to know about
the soil, the water supply, the original
cost OF the land, the railroad communion
tions. the markets. the number and char
acter Of the people living in the vicinity
OF the proposed colony, the state of public
opinion as to Chinese immigration In the
state and neighborhood. and so on, and
SO on.
Questions came so fast and furious that
the boomer soon showed signs of fatigue
He felt that this bland son OF China was
digging into the very secret OF his scheme
and showing up Its weak points. Soon he
began retreat. He discovered to his
chagrin that he had scratched a Chinese
and caught Tartar. The climax came
when Mr.. WI, proiting by his study of
English political economy, waved his caller
away with the exclamation:
Your scheme is no good, no good sir.
How do you expect colony OF my country
men to live? BY taking in one another's
washing, eh?"
Three notable men have retired from
active service within the last few days all
of whom have been promoted from the ranks
because Of their efficiency, and by their
lives and records have contradicted the
policy advocated by Admiral Sampson.
Rear Admiral Hichborn, the chief con-
structor OF the navy, under whose super
vision our great feet has been built, retires
after forty years of service, says a Wash
ington correspondent of the Chicago
Record. He began as an apprentice boy,
was then a draughtsman, and then a master
mechanic, filling all of the grades in the
construction corps until he got to the top.
General SchWan, VINO goes on the retired
list, entered the army by enlistment as a
private on June II, 1857, and was promoted
along the different grades of corporal SER
geant, first sergeant and quartermaster
sergeant until November 6, 1863 when he
earned a commission as second lieutenant
by hard fighting.
Colonel A. S. Daggett OF the Fourteenth
infantry, who is now in command of his
regiment in China, has just been made a
brgadier general, and will be retired as
soon as his nomination is confirmed. At the
beginning OF the civil war he enlisted under
the call for three month volunteers, and
served as a private in the Fifth Maine in,
fantry. In June he Te-enlisted for the war,
and was made second lieutenant Of his
company. He has always seen hard service,
has never had what they call soft billet"
and has spent most OF his life among the
Indians on the frontier. General Daggett
is very religious man, and is known as
the most pious officer in the army lie has
held regular prayer meeting in his regt-
ment, has kept up a Sunday school, and
often breaches to his men. He never tasted
liquor OF any kind, never smoked and never
played a game OF cards.
| Senator Hanna is still the business man
in politics, says the Globe Democrat corre-
spondent Four years In that cave OF the
"A IF.at oil CNatA