Evening star., 1901-09-21

The desk occupied by Civil Service Com
missioner Rodenburg has become of un-
usual interest during the past few days. 1t
is a very plain. large fat-top desk that is
placed in the middle of Mr.. RodenbuTg S
room in the building occupied by the ciVll
service commission. at the corner of Sth
and + streets. The special interest that
now attaches to 1t is told by single word
written on a slip of paper and pasted un-
derneath the desk. The word is ''Roosc-
velt," and was written by the President CT
the United States when he was civil serF-
ice commissioner. The name was pasted
there at a time when the effects of the
commission were being removed from the
city hall to the present quarters OF the
commission. Mr.. Roosevelt had been using
that desk and he didn't want to lose it.
Hold on. before you take it away, ne
told the men who were about 10 carry II
out to the van; let me put a mark on II.
With that he hastily wrote his name On 4
slip of paper and, covering its back with
mucilage. he pasted 1t where it would be
useful for purposes of identification HE
got the desk all right, and since that time,
while he has been engaged in the games or
war and politics, no one has ever dis
turbed 1t.
THE 'brassy eye is the latest aff1iction
which has fallen to the lot of street car
nent local physician to Star reporter re-
Gently "The 'brassy eye is a peculiar
affection of the eye caused by rubbing the
eye with the hand while the latter is COW
cred with verdigris from the brasswork
Of the cars. The symptoms of the disease
resemble a slight Inflammation of the eye,
such as might be due to the presence of
any small foreign body. After a few hours
the Inflammation increases and is accom-
panied by severe pain, the sufferer being
almost unable to see. An excessive flow of
tears accompanies this stage of the dis
ease. In the acute stage of the disease the
infiamed condition OF the conjunctiva COW
erS the whole mucous membrane, producing
a continuous flow of mucus and a blurred
vision MOtormen, who generally wear
gloves, are not so apt to contract the dis
ease as conductors, whose duty makes it
necessary for them to shin along the foot
board of the car, grasping the brass seat
rails with their hands. The 'brassy eye
was noted first some time ago, and many
cases of this peculiar disease have been
reported in various eastern cities
X X X
There are at least twenty embryo farm
ers in my division" said a government
official to a Star reporter, land what they
don't know about agricultural matters isn't
worth knowing. Some of them contend
that every department man who lives In the
suburbs should make his place self-sus-
tanning, and as a result of this contention
one Of them is the possessor of an addi-
tional suit of clothes. Last spring there
was an informal gathering of these tillers
of the soil to discuss what crops to plant
to get the best financial results. 1t soon
developed that each man had original ideas,
and In order to definitely settle the matter
1t was decided to allow three of the party
members TO make their own selection of
what was the best money maker and sub
nit individual reports in September the
man making the best showing to be pre-
scented with a suit of clothes. For the sake
OF convenience we shall name these ex-
perts Farmer White, Farmer Black and
Farmer Green. A meeting was called last
week to hear the reports read and award
the suit. Farmer White said he had put
his judgment in tomatoes. He had spent
81 for plants, etc, and his receipts had
amounted to 80, leaving him a profit of So
which would have been doubled had the
season been a favorable one. Farmer
Black said that while he had every conf
dence in the judgment of his fellow farm
ers. he had riSked his time and money in
chickens, and he had to report that he paid
Slo for a pen of white Wyandottes. from
which he had received S15 40 in eggs and
young chickens, and still had the original
pen and about thirty little ones. Farmer
Green here stepped forward and said he
had chosen potatoes as his money maker.
He stated that he had invested $3.50 in
seed potatoes, plOwing, etc He had dug
them only a few days ago. with the result
that he had twelve barrels stored in his
cellar and had sold eight barrels for s2i
ana counting what he had stored away
at the same rate, his receipts amounted to
$50. Deducting the $3.50 originally ex-
pended his profits were So 80, and Farmer
Green was awarded the wearing apparel.
Before adjOurning the agriculturists unani-
mously agreed TO plant every inch of
ground they could spare next spring in po-
tatces, the farmer making the best show
ing to be awarded 100 young apple trees"
4 x X X
"One of the most impressive incidents Of
President McKinley's funeral on Tuesday,
said a resident of Washington, witness
ed when that portion Of the procession in
which was the Catholic clergy had reached
the Peace monument. At that point there
was halt just as the strains OF Nearer.
My God, 10 Thee arose and the priests
simultaneously uncovered which action
was followed by hundreds OF those in the
procession and on the sidewalks. When