The times., 1901-04-19
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

| office. President Mckinley has the reputa-
/ ton of being one Of the most diplomatic
men who ever occupied the White House
| tie has a manner of cordially receiving
| the wouid-be public servant and turning
! him down so politely and gracefully that
the otlceseeker not only goes away with
| out feeling any keen disappointment. but
| highly hoGored at the reception rendered
| him by the President Then it usually
| requires day or two before the office
| seeker realizes what has happened to
| him.
In this connection, a story is told by a
| Cabinet officer who was with the Presi-
| dent when a delegation of colored men
! called to see the Executive. They were
! for the most part bishops, cIergymen
and members of the African Methodist
! Church The President received them in
most h0spitabIe manner. The spoxes-
man made known their mission, which
| was to request an increase In the number
! OF colored men employed in various de-
| paTtments of the Government service in
! fact wider recognition of the rights of
| the race.
Without moments hesitation the
1Tesldent recalled d list of important
| offices held by colored men, enumerating
| the Register of the Treasury, the Record
er of DEEDS, and eight or ten others which
came Immediately to his mind. The col
| OEeu Dretnren were forced to admit that
after all the race had been pretty well
cared Tor, and then falling back upon an
other argument the spokesman said:
Ihat is true, Mr.. President. The col
ored people have received a large number
OF good places under this Administration,
Dut then there is the good old Methodist
Church. Don't you think that ought to re-
ceiye some recognition
why, responded MIR Mckinley quick
ly, and with pleasant smile. the Meth
odist Church has the President What
more can be asked?"
In regard to the sale of the old desks
which have been removed from the House
of Representatives Clerk Mcdowell has
had quite nice point to decide. He has
! been called upon to construe the resolu-
tion under which the sale of the furni-
ture was authorized, which seems not to
have been specific enough in its terms.
1t states only that the desks are to be
sold, and the question arose. what was
the Clerk to do with some 350-odd chairs.
seatless, broken-backed, and without
rollers In many eases. without any au-
thority to dispose of them. After some
deliberation Mr.. Mcdowell decided that
as desk is useless without a chair, and
as a chair is no good without desk, and
further that it took both of them to make
Representative comfortable, and still
further that one was never known to go
without the other. it was mete, proper
and lawful that he should also sell, trans
fer, and deliver into the keeping of
whomsOever bought a desk the chair
which accompanied it when it was in po-
siton in the House.
If the present demand by members
and ex-members for desks which they
used in Congress continues there viii be
none left for the general public. The
Clerk has now on hand the orders OF
about 250 members to reserve their desks,
and they are still coming in at the rate
of about three day. 1t will be possible
for a bidder at the auction sale of the
seats which will take place in a month or
two to make things uncomfortable for all
the Congressional purchasers The law
says that the Representatives. shall be
allowed to buy their desks at the average
price brought at the auction few desks
bought at $500 apiece because or their as
Sociation with prominent men, Will cause
a little trouble by raising the average to
high figure.
A short time ago, when WI Ting-fang.
the Chinese Minister, was going away
to make an address in a Southern city,
he was approached by a reporter at the
depot. Before the newspaper man had
an opportunity to ask a question the
Oriental diplomat started the auizzing.
$50 you are newspaper man"
Yes, sir"
How do you like it?''
Very we'll"
wv hat do you dc?"
Il am a reporter?
What sort of a reporterT
"A police reporter.
"A police reporter? / never heard OF
one. What does police reporter do?
oh he reports murders, cutting af
trays. robberies. thefts, assaults, fires,
and the like
Mr. Wu gave a startled gasp.
Il don't think you have any business
with me-" he said, and he refused TO be
interviewed.
There is some discussion among War
Department officials over the plan of Sen
ator Bacon to organize a Congressional
expedition to the Philippines this summer
and take advantage of Secretary Roots
offer of free transportation to all 5ena-
tors and Representatives wishing to visit
our new possessions. One official, in dis
cussing the plan yesterday, said that he
favored it. as it would broaden the minds
of statesmen and remove many of the
prejudices against the Philippines. He
added that many Southern members of
Congress had never been in New England
and that many Western members had
never been in Atlanta, and, as a result.
knew nothing about the country for which
they enacted laws.
WHY said the official. lit reminds me |
of a Tennessee Representative who some |
years ago lived at the same hotel with me.
He received a pass over New England !
railroad and took a trip through that
section for the first time. When he got
back / asked him how he liked the coun-
try.
= Well he replied. I was surprised. I
must admit sir. that the people of New
England intelligent, wealthy, and in
dustriOus
The experts of the United States Fish
Commission are engaged in making eX-
periments in this city to determine the
cause of the strange deterioration in the |
flavor of whtefish. 1t has been noticed |
this spring that the whitefish caught |
and placed on the market have not been |
as good as usual AS the Commission |
last year propagated and distributed some |
$50. 900. 900 young whitefish. the strange |
change in the flavor is causing no little !
worry. 1t is believed by the experts here |
that delay in serving the fish is largely |
to blame and a bulletin will be issued adj |
vising that they be not kept in cold stOr- |
age or shipped any distance, but be serv- |
ed within day after being caught.
One reason why the two long eight-inch |
rifles now lying on the pavement in front /
of the Navy Department have not been |
mounted, and may not be mounted for /
some time to come. is the fact that they
are really French guns and were made /
in France. Although they were captured /
from Spain and We're found mounted at /
Manila. they bear the French arms. Sec
retary Long feels, it is said. that it might /
not look wei to Display guns bearing the |
arms of France as trophies of war, and |
in front of the Department.