Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07

Rear Admiral Louis Kempf whose dis
erection and tact during the exciting naval
bombardment of the Taku forts in China
in the summer of 1890 have been the subject
of much praise. found that his good sea-
manship awaited him not when he encoun-
tered the mazes of the State, War and
Navy Department building one day this
week. He had been in Secretary Moody $
office, and when ne came out three corri-
doris and four staircases doomed up before
him. After d few double right-about faces
the admiral gave it up. and. fumbiing for
his watch charm-a tiny comDass-he con-
suited it ate utively. ITS the only way l
can tell north from south in this blasted
building. he explained to an official of the
department who came up to him, and it's
the only way III ever manage to get out y
But the other official volunteered to act as
convoy. and saw the admiral safely an
chored in the proper elevator.
* x
There is one thing that President of
the United States has to submit to that
makes me awfully tired said an old news
paper man at the White House. This is
the nuisance of having to stand and listen
to the delivery of set speech by some
oratorieal chap who is trying to make hit
with the President. or with some orsansza-
ton or delegation that he may represent
or have with him. 1 was at the White
House the other day and witnessed in
cident of this kind \ committee was pre-
sentiDg the President with a gift. The
committee selected an orator of the Fourth
Of July pyrotechnical variety to make the
presentation. He prepared an American
eagle speech on four typewriter pages and
delivered il by reading while the President
stood and listened. The punishment must
have been severe. The scene was more or
less ludicrOus. and utterly took away the
dignity that should characterize every pro-
Ceeding at the White House. If the chap
had made a simple little off-hand talk in q
conversational tone he would have made
good impre ssion, but l am sure the Presi-
dent was disgusted with him when he con-
Guided the harangue he had prepared
4 young cplOred man. stunningly alfred
was standing al the southeast corner of
Connections avenue and 5 street last Sun
day evening. engaged. 50 far as could BE-
deduced. in admiring his clothes by the
light from the windows, of a nearby drug
store Two damsels of ebony hue likewise
gaudiy dressed and out for stroll. ap-
preached As they reached the corner the
fashion plate standing there made a sweep
ing bow and remarked:
Good evening. ladies'
Good evening. Mr. Brown" responded
one Of the girls: how are you feeling this
evening"
I'm feeling right conspicuous. thank
You. explained the man, in self-possessed
tones
Huh! right conspicuous. repeated the
second girl 10 her companion az they moved
on What do you reckon that means?"
K x
Perhaps the bulkest set of legal docu-
n2ents connected with any one case on file
in the office Of the United States attorney
for the District of Columbia Is the record
of the trial of Charles j. Guiteau for the
murder of President Garfield. In that con-
nection it is stated that the biggest mass
Of old papers which are no longer of any
use int the War Department is made up
OF petitions. letters, postal cards and other
papers sent to the department in 1882 in
behalf of sergt- John A. Mason Of the I'd
Artillery. who was accused Of attempting
10 XIII Guiteau by shooting him.
II is well remembered that Mason who
was member of the military guard on
duty outside the District jail was so
wrought up over the assassination of Tho
President that one day he fired into the
cell for the purpose of killing Guiteau The
only damage done was the fattening of the
bullet against the wall and the causing of
extreme fright to the prisoner The petit
tiOns In his behalf. however have remain
ed on the files of the judge advocate gem
erals Office. where they are deemed to be
no mere than an accumulated nuisance
The War Department is now going over
It's old and useless documents Each bu-
feau has an accumulation of valueIess pa
pers- some of them running back as far as
the wear lsl2 1t Is proposed to destroy
them. but under the law nothing in the
way OF records can be disposed of without
congressional authority.
4
The coming of these curious insects, the
Iocusts. has interested a wide circle the
scientists who want to study them and agri-
culturists who are apprehensve as to the
efrect upon the fruit trees" finally observed
one OF two men who were out driving and
had been engaged IN a rather desultory dis
cussion of the subject of Iocusts For they
rad left the city behind and had come
within the range of the woods, where the
pervaslve monotone of the great chorus of
the locust drone filed the air and served as
a sort OF accompaniment, in a minor key
u all The other voices of nature After
speculatins upon the curious provision tina,
GRABBED creatures capable of such a length
OF existence as seventeen years to spend