The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-26

guide, have been counting in the rooms
Tor the past thirty or forty years"
The smiles changed to frowus, and the
cOlorcd guide is now totally ignored.
1t will be of interest TO the people Of
the naval circle to know that Capt.
Charles n. Thomas late commanding the
famous battleship Oregon. in the Asiatic
squadron, has recently returned 20 the
States. and is now at his home in this
city awaiting further orders. The Oregon
returned from the east a short time ago
and is now in dock at Puget Sound for re-
pairs.
The insular bureau Of the War Depart
ment is one Of the busiest and most in
teresting divisions of that branch of the
Government
Captain McCabe, formerly a captain OF
the Thirteenth Infantry, and who is now
chief Of the forestry bureau Of the Phil
ippine Islands. is here. He is at work in
the insular bureau in connection with
the proposed land law of the Philippines.
Captain McCabe is very much interested
in the measure known as the Cooper
Dill. which Is now before the House.
power to get it through.
He today spoke most entertainingly
and knowingly of the lands and timber of
the Philippines. which he considers to
be the most fertile and valuable soil and
forests in the world. Mr.. McCabe was
stationed in the islands for about two and
one-half years and is well informed on
facts and statistics which, he states,
show that the Government owns IN the
archipelago about 81. 600 600 acres of open
and fertile land and about 30O00.O00 or
10000 600 acres of the finest timber land
in the world The territory is still
held under the old Spanish laws. never
having been surveyed and never opened
for settlement
The bill, It is reported. VIII. in all
probability. go through Congress very
soon, and this territory Will as q result.
be opened for settlement and sale. and
the forests. which contain great gUautI-
ties Of mahogany, ebony. sandal, and all
of the most valuable of woods. viii be
come the richest product Of the Islands.
One Of the most Intellectual men in the
Pension ONCE is Mr. Frank Claudy. On
examiner Of widows claims in the eastern
division Although a native Of Germany
he has been a patriotic American citizen
for many years. His command CT Ian
guage is such that he can write excellent
poetry in both English and German with
equal ease. his diction is pure ard Gle
giant and his fund OF information prac-
Jically intEhaUstihlc.
His greatest feat and the work by
which he viii probably be best known.
was the translation Of G0ethe's Faust
into English. in which no poet has ever
excellcd him in faithfully interpreting the
exact meaning OF the abstrUse and diff
cult original. 10 other native German
ever had the patience or ability % ac-
romplish such a task Mr.. CIaUdy has
for many years been president Of the
Washington SaenCerbund. 20 which he has
devoted much OF his spare time and tai
ent-
He IS also an adept in Wagnerian lore.
and his lectures in English on the works
Of the great master OF Bayreuth. par
icularly upon The NibeIung TriIcgy''
and ~PsrsifaI' have given much pleasure
and useful information to cultured cir
cles in this city. Notwithstanding his
varied intellectual work on the outside
Mr.. Claucy is one Of the best pension
examiners in the bureau, rapid. accurate.
and thorough. with a FUN command Of the
multifariOus rules Of practice governing
his work He is still a comparatively
young man, and his friends expect great
things Of him in the future.
There is an employee in one Of the down
town departments who was for many years
connected with the Internal Revenue Blu
reau in the capacity Of deputy collector,
or, as they are known among the iuhab-
itants Of the mountainous regions Of the
South, simply the revenues"
He Is fond Of relating his experiences.
which cover a period Of several years.
I Hzr IA
North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia
In his operations. No more beautiful
country can be found throughout the
south than this Alpine region. and the in
nabllanls, though for the most part IN
lettered, are a sturdy race. honest in their
I dealings with nelghbOrs and hOspitable 10
fault The only tTausgressiOn on their
part is an Overfondness for the manufac-
( ture and sale OF that commodity known as
mountain dew otherwise corn whisky.
Z This they consider an inalienabIe right.
Notwithstanding Uncle Sans laws to the
contrary.
Upon one occasion. when our deputy
collector was lOurneying on horseback
through his district he came upon a small
hillside clearing under process Of cultiva-
ton, the cultlyatOr being a raWbDued
woman Of aggI essive mien and the motive
power consisting Of a team made up OF a
le3L and weary looking mule and a bob
tailed steer Interested in the eudeavors
Of this woman TO wrest a living from the
SOIL the collector paused for a few mo
ments' chat. Said he. Madame. that is
pretty hard work for one Of your sex and
age and / wonder that some Of the men
folks Of your family do not relieve you
Of the task"
Men folks be burned she said; "the
whole kit and passed. Of them amt wuth
a red Thar's Lige, he got hisself tuck by
the revenues and as down in the Atlanty
jail living Ofien the Tat Of the land and
thar's Jim, trapesed or to campmeetin'
and three tubs Of mash splicing in the
still house for want Of 'tontiOn
As soon as I finish this here cut OF
land I'm gOin' over thar and turn that
mash into a barrel Of as fine 'mO0nshine
as you ever sOt yer lips TO. Don't talk
TO me about that gOOd-fer- nOthin' set OF
men.
Get up, thar. yer imps Of Satan, or I'll
( CO. he hide often YER" this 20 her team
I sL--lg her words by giving each a yigor-
( GUS whack with a hickory sprout Their
[ our collector departed. leaving this new
/ woman 10 her burdens