The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1902-01-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
washington, January 10, 1900.


the leading members of the corps. The
table was set In the east room and covers
for one hundred guests were laid. Both
the east room and the dining table were
beautifully decorated with palms, smilax,
orchids and roses. An amusing incident
occurred shortly before the assembling OF
the guests when Master Archibald Ro0se-
velt and the five year old son OF the
colored butler were discovered seated at
the table, devouring the bon-bons, which
were placed In small dishes at the side OF
each plate. Among the guests present
were lieutenant General and Mrs. Miles.
I understand that Invitations were also
extended to Admiral and Mrs. Schley, but
that, owing to the fact that the admiral
had made his plans to leave for Savannah
that evening, it was impossible for them
to be present.
On Friday some one connected with the
White House establishment made what
might almost be termed fgaGc pas, In
that 1t placed In a most embarrassing po-
sition a number of Mrs. Roosevelt's
friends. Cards were sent out In Mrs
Roosevelt's name to some three hundred
persons, bidding them to an informal tea
at the White House, from 4 to 8. At the
same hour Jan Kubelik, the famous
violinist, gave q concert to which most OF
the people invited to the White House
held tickets. An invitation from the first
lady in the land Is regarded in the nature
of command and 1t would be quite i'm
possible to plead a previous engagement
as the cause of absenting ones self from
one Of Mrs. Roosevelt's. afternoons. AS
it was, some very expensive boxes and
seats at the Kubelik concert were sacrif-
ced or filled with the younger members of
the family, while their elders spent not
over enjoyable hour at the White House.
Although there are already equipages
in Washington which belong to some OF
''the old families" which must have been
In the height of fashion In Grants time,
the president has sent for one that prom
ises to antedate them all. 1t is the old
phaeton which was built some sixty or
seventy years ago for the presidents
father. Mr.. Roosevelt has had it repaint- |
edsand repaired and Its use will be devoted
to the children. The body is black but
the gear Is blue and is stripped with light
blue 80 that anyone who fails to recognize
Mr. Roosevelt's offspring, by the marked
resemblance to their distinguished parent,
mile of, will have no difficulty In placing
them by the antiquity Of their turnout.
At the capitol, the energy which has
characterized the hfty-seventh congress
since Its Inauguration does not seem to-
wane and a large amount Of work is dis
posed Of daily. OF course at this time
the greater portion Of the work is done In
the committee rooms and so makes less
show than 1t will later In the session, but
subsequent daily sessions will demon
strate the energy with which the various
committees have attacked the large
amount of legislation which has been re-
ferred to them.
Two interesting sessions have been held
In the house, one OF them devoted to the
consideration Of the Hepburn bill which
provides for the construction of the 18TH
mian canal along the Nicaraguan route at
an estimated cost of $3.50, ,OOO, 900 and
which was passed by a vote of 306 to Q.
The other session which filed the galleries
and secured full attendance of the men,
bers was that held on Friday last and
| which was devoted to the consideration of
the bill reported by the census committee
and which provided for the permanent
organization of the census bureau. The
bill did not meet with the approval of the
| members and it was referred back to the
committee but there Is little doubt that 1t
| will be revised in accordance with the
wishes Of the representatives and report
ed at no distant date In a form that will
ensure Its passage.
The senate committee on military af-
fairs, which had In charge the investiga-
tion of the charges against Colonel Hell
stand, has made its report and it declares
that the Investigating committee was un-
able to find any evidence in support of
the charges made. The report is entire
iy In accordance with the prediction made
In these Letters some months ago and ex-
onerates all the officials upon whom Major
Hakes' charges cast any reflection, with
the exception, perhaps, of Major Hakes
and who Is no longer an official.
Representatives D. Wood of California
has introduced In congress bill provid-
ing for the establishment of department
| of mines and mining. Mr.. Wood says
that the value of the mineral products of
the United States in 1890 amounted to a
little over $976, 5000, 900 and that an In
dustry of this size should be represented
In the government by special depart
ment. Such department would also
have the interests of the miners to pro-
tect and Mr.. Wood believes that in a
short time it would become one of the
most interesting and valuable depart
ments Of the government.
The announcement comes from the
White House that Mr.. Roosevelt pro-
poses to extend the civil service law to
include the ''laborers" iD the departments
In Washington. The change will not be
made by blanket order but by series
of orders each covering the employees Of
a particular department and the first of
which will be issued In few days. How
this move will be regarded by the mem
bers of congress Is hard to predict. The
class known as s'laborers'' include all of
4
the positions In Washington, with the ex-
ception Of the employees of congress IT.
self, which the congressman control and
all of the laborers in the departments to-
day have been appointed through con-
gressional influence. The proposed orders
will not throw those now employed out Of