Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-30

In the pension bureau, as chief clerk OF
one of the divisions. il a man by the name
of n. B. Strait. He came from Williams
port Pa, and has been in the service Tor
many years. A few days ago Pension Com
missioner Evans, with something on MS
mind, rushed into the office where this chief
clerk is employed and in a loud voice ex-
claimed:
"Can 1 see Strait?''
Now there Is a young woman. pretty and
yivacIous, who acts as stenographer and
typewriter for Mr.. Strait. She was busily
engrOsseG in her work. She heard the COM
missioner's exclamation, but she didn't rec
ogniZe the voice
Il don't know whether you can or not
she replied.
But / want to see Strait" the commits
sioner persisted. "and 1 want to see Strait
right away"
This is not an opticians place" the
typewriter continued, and about this time
she looked around only to find the commits
sioner's face wreathed in smiles. He had
seen the humorous side of the thing and
was well pleased. The typewriter tried to
explain, but Mr. Evans insisted that it was
not necessary.
81 have not been drinking even IL I do
want to see straight he said.
One of the clerks in the division was
listener to this bit of pleasantly and 1t was
through him that the story get out
4 X
The rapidity with which changes take
place in the march of improvement is seen
nowhere better than at the west front OF
the Capitol. When the grand staircase ana
coping were constructed west Of the Capt.
toll provision was made for gas lamps to be
placed at short intervals on the balustrade
that extends around the entire terrace. But
the gas lamps have never been put in place.
Before they were provided it became evil
system of lighting. By that time some
electric lamps had been introduced in the
building, being supplied with current from
outside. Shortly afterward Congress made
an appropriation for an electric plant to be
erected in the building of sufficient power
to light not only the building but the
grounds as well. This plant is In operation
and it is probably only matter of time
before provision will be made for the nee
essary fixtures around the terrace SO that
it may be lighted fully as it was con-
templated to light it when the terrace
walls were designed. The gas pipes for
this lighting are in place, but it Is probable
that wires will be run through them with
out great trouble in order to change the
system from gas to electricity.
X X
The queer expressions often used by the
mountaineers of Kentucky. Tennessee,
North and South Carolina and Georgia Were
under discussion by number of southern
men, among them being Commissioner
Yerkes of the internal revenue bureau. Mr..
Yerkes referred to most peculiar express
sion that he had heard from a witness
while engaged in court case In the noun
tains of Kentucky, which, upon investiya-
ton, was found to have been used by the
ancestors Scotch of these people two hun
dred and more years ago. Then Mr.. Yerkes
told another story. II was engaged" he
said, in cross-examining a witness in
murder trial, and said to him, How long
have you known the defendant Ills an
swer was: L hev knowed him ever since
his gum and sheepsktn days 1 couldn't
comprehend what the man meant and so l
changed the question to Give me an idea
of the number of years you have known
him. Whereupon the witness said: I hey
knowed him ever since he vas a leetle
baby, es l hev already sed.' There was
still a mystery to me in the expression and
so when court adjourned for lunch I asked
one of the native lawyers what the witness
meant to tell me when he answered nv
first question He explained that in the
kentucky mountains 1t is frequently a Gus
tom among the people when a child Is born
TO go out and cut down a gum tree saw 1t
on about four feet long and cut the piece
half In two. gum tree Is hollow, and 50 the
half of the tree makes a kind of cradle for
the baby. sheepskin is placed IN the
semi-cfrcular gum log and the baby ia
placed upon this skin, which Is sof. The
gum log is used as a cradle. Therefore
since mans gum and sheeps1in days is
since the time of his birth"
X y \ +
Something that closely resembled a SEN
sation occurred In connection with a re-
cent wedding, the principals being well
known young Washingtonians. Soon after