Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-04-25
WASHINGTON LETTER
rsnecia1 Correspondence

iment bonds and went VI
in a great cloud of smoke at the Wash
fington factory a few days ago. From
the tall chimney of the gun foundry
curls of green smoke poured out and
told the 5000 Workmen in the yard
that the government was having its
annual destruction of property from
the bureau of engraving and printing.
These plates are cast off, and, instead
of melting them for their metal, they
are allowed to disappear in the great
furnace of the gunshop, while the
counterfeit notes Of all denominations
go up the chimney in smoke.
Once every year the treasury Off
Gals in charge of the departments of
bonds and notes proceed to the navy
yard, whittier the dies and plates and
green goods are hauled in wagons
guarded with the greatest care. The
big furnaces are stocked to their fullest
blazing capacity, and then the destruc-
ton begins. The counterfeit money
is first burned, then the dies and last
the plates. The operations last an
hour or two, and when it is over pa
pers are signed for the government,
showing that such dies and plates
have been destroyed by fire. Any 9th
er course might lead to the plates be-
ing secured and used by INSCRIPTIONS
persons.
High Salaries For Experts.
Mr.. Milton Whitney, chief of the
division Of soils, department of agri-
culture, was before the industrial COM
mission the other day. Mr.. Whitney
said that there is still a tendency
among young men reared on farms to
leave agricultural pursuits in order to
go into industrial or commercial pur-
suits, but a change is taking place in
that respect, brought about by at
tractive salaries to be obtained by agri-
cultural experts. 1t is a common thing
now, he said, for a tobacco expert to
be paid $1,000 or $4,000 a year. These
experts are not college bred men and
frequently have deficient general edu-
cation, but have become efficient in
the practical work of tobacco growing
and allied industries. Such salaries
are now often paid men who are
perts in the manipulation of soils of
various kinds and in the management
of large truck farms. Recently Japan
gave a salary of $4,000 a year to a to-
bacco expert of the department of agri-
culture, and still more recently that
government offered $4,000 a year for an
expert of that kind to go to the island
of Formosa. A large beet growing
concern had paid $4,000 a year to a
man who could successfully treat the
aIkali soil with which it has been trou-
bled.
Increase In Postal Receipts.
r The monthly balance sheet for the
80 largest postofices in the United
States for February. 1901, shows the
total receipts to have been $4,O11,539,
a net increase of $4G1, 151 over the re-
ceipts for February, 1900, or 1872 per
cent. Out of the so offices only one
showed a decrease, Syracuse, whose
receipts were $23, 131, a decrease Of
$1,15O, or Al per cent. For all b
other Offices the showing was very
favorable, especially when it is con-
sidered thai February is not n Of
the heavy mail months.
Chicago, as usual, leads the list in
the amount Of increase, it's receipts be-
ing $625,394, an increase Of $104,646,
or 20 per cent. New York remains at
the head in amount of receipts, $685.
III, an increase of $89,S8O, or 1872 per
cent. Greater New York would of
course lead Chicago by many thou
sands, as Brooklyn shows receipts Of
$123,SO an increase of $500, or II
per cent. Dayton, O., ranks all b
cities in percentage Of increase. Its
receipts for February of this year are
$23,OO1, an increase of $6,429, or 1871
per cent.
A Great GGraft."
i Perhaps the slickest game hat was
ever worked upon members of congress
was that used a short time ago by a
colored employee Of the house who was
assigned to duty in the members toilet
room. This enterprising individual OBJ
tanned a roll call which gave the name
Of every member entitled to vote. He
tapped each and every one of them for
the uniform sum of So and worked his
''graft' so successfully that during the
last year Of a service in that particular
place he succeeded, according to &C
counts, in securing something like $500
from 800 representatives.
Two dollars was not much to lend,
and this enterprising African was care
full never to strike the same man twice.
He probably would ave kept the game
up had it not been for one member who
suspected that he was being worked
and who insisted upon repayment of
the loan. When he spoke to this color
ed gentleman's superior, the whole
scheme was given away, and the enter
prising African was promptly dismiss
ed.
Reading Matter For Soldiers.
There is a great demand for reading
matter among the troops stationed at
distant posts in the Philippines and
those stationed in Alaska. The Army
and Navy league of this city is endeav-
orinp to meet his want as far as posi-