The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-09
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

Ii Z lpE1OO hDOO4 ~ w Ne
The Treasury Department officials have
figured out that it's an i'll wind that blows
nobody good. and Commissioner Yerkes,
Of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, estt-
mates the profits to the Government by
the formation of the billion-dollar Steel
Trust at an even million dollars. The big
corporation has purchased enough docu-
mentary stamps to start good sized
combination ! any line of industry.
The revenue law places n tax of > cents
on each 800 worth of bonds transferred.
and the action of J. Pierpont Morgan and
his associates in buying up the interests
of the other steel companies caused more
than 5000 900. 900 in bonds to change
hands This transaction gave the Govern
ment a clear profit of $4,000. The issue
Of new stock and the Issue of bonds re-
quires stamps at the rate of cents per
500. The tax on the billion dollars worth
OF stock would he 500. 600. and with one
half of the new stock covered by bonds,
the tax resulting is another item Of $685.
GOO While large quantities of stamps have
been used in merging companies into
trusts. Commissioner YeTkes states that
the Morgan combination was by far the
greatest bonanza TO the Government.
which is enriched by a million dollars by
the one deal.
Should the Wash5ngtonian who has seen
the Senate and House in session time and
again. take a trip TO The Capitol today he
would not recognize the historic chambers
at either end of the big building. In the
hail Of the House the floor has been TAX
en- w and hundreds of tons of bricks re-
moved and replaced with steel and &C.
ment. In place of the layers of plaster
and bricks upon which statesmen have
stood to deliver memorable speeches in
the past, the members OF the House Of
the Fifty-seventh Congress Will tread a
modern flooring of steel, hollow and sani-
tary- When the work is completed the
chamber will have a splendid system of
ventilation, something sadly needed in the
past. On the Senate side everything has
been removed from the chamber and
unCarPeted floor greets the eye. Several
hundred visitors We're shown through the
Senate chamber yesterday morning and
all expressed great disappointment at its
appearance.
DO they have to stand up when they
speak" asked an old lady Of a guide, who
was showing a party around
Yes he replied, that is the rule
Somewhere IN some distant State the old
lady VIII positively affirm that senators
are compelled TO stand up, ana nave
neither chairs nor desks The guide was
absolutely correct in his reply, but he dld
not say enough
The mortality among the friends and
relatives of the male employees in the
Government departments in this city has
been simply fearful since the present
spring meeting at the Benning race track
0De1ei There are few afternoons that
the heads of bureaus are not besIeged with
applications for leave on account Of the
serious Illness or death OF relatives in this
city and Baltimore. This is especially
true on Saturdays but there is a steady
demand for leave throughout the week
The head of an important bureau in the
Navy Department stated today that he
did not believe that there were ten men
in his entire STAFF who would not be short
Of funds on the 18th OF the month They
viii play the races he said. and / Sc
no objection To that But as soon as they
lose they borrow on the salary coming
10 them and soon have this used up How
ever they tell me they have TO attend
funerals and. as you know, funerals are
eVpe Esive ceremonies
Very few Of those who 81 * the large
steam Yacht which was moored of the
Tenth Street wharf last week managed TO
guess the identity of the vessel Some
said that il was the Sylph, some the
Fern. some the Dolphin. while the ma
j0Tity gave it up The yacht was the
I. WachOeta probably the finest vessel Of
her class in the world The craft is the
property Of James J. Hin. the Western
railroad magnate, and was built at a cost
of S700d80. The yacht comes closer to be
irg a miilion-doIlar pleasure craft than
anything row afioat and is a sailing pal
ace. Her brass and silver trimmings at
JraCted all OF the river men and she was
given critical inspection All we're
agreed that nothing SO gorgeous had ever
been seen in these waters The pilot of
one OF the Norfolk steamers voiced the
unanimous opinion of the river men when
he said that the yacht was too fine for
him IS he would be afraid that she would
melt in the water while ne was ''a-steer-
in - her The Wachoeta IS ROW en- route
to Colon. with Mr.. Hill and a party Of his
friends.
Buffalo Is 10 get the benefit OF the auto
mobile mail wagons recently tested in
this city a service Is to be established
by the Postofhce Department between the
Buffalo postoffice and the Exposition
grounds The reason given 1t the Post
Office Department for failure to use the
vehicles in this city is that II costs too
much
Secretary Root has leased the house of
General Bates. at 1775 \ Street. and on
Nay will give up his present residence,
at 1875 Rhode Island Avenue. There are
many who will hear of this with regret.
especially the newspaper men stationed in
this city. The red reception room for
chance callers in the Rhode Island Ave
nue. residence is well known TO them ali,
and an assignment 10 interview the Secre-
tary Of War was always welcomed, as II
usually meant a good cigar and an inter
esting book jf the Secretary could not be
seen at once There it is that Mr. Root
gives cut his home interviews and there
he has his desk In a. conspicuous place
on a centre table are two fruit jars filled
with rare cigars and the first book picked
up is something 50 inviting as TO cause
PeTusaL The walls and fittings are all in