Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-12
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor Scenes and incidents sketched
on the spot.

An uncommonly dull summer at the ma
tonal capital is drawing TO a close. The
feeling Of languor which spreads over the
town when congress closes shop grows as
the season advances and vacations multiply.
The closing Of the White House for repairs
this summer materially increased the dull
ness, which reached high water mark with
the opening of September. The coming
national encampment Of the Grand Army is
expected to s~ignalize the return Of normal
conditions, a~rousing the natives from their
slumbers and banishing the tired feeling
In countless pockets.
Some Of the townspeople already awake
and on the Jump are banking on an un-
usually gay social season during the com
ing winter. BY November nearly half u
million dollars will be spent on the White
House. There will be no air Of shop about
the new home building for the president
OF the United States. There have been
presidents who used the conservatory to
grow in and another kept his
saddles in the east wing, but President
Roosevelt has no such ideas. There are
to be drawing rooms and verandas, ban
quet rooms and rooms red, green and
blue, where social functions can be given
in keeping with the dignity Of the of1ce.
Tn president does nothing by halves, and
he has left no room for speculation about
the coming White House season. The
president likes work, but he likes to play
equally as we'll. Until Mr.. Roosevelt, with
the exception Of Arthur, there has not
been a president In the White House since
the war who knew much about the art of
entertaining. Mrs. Roosevelt is still young
and Miss Roosevelt is going through an
experience this summer which will give her
the repose and confidence required from
a hostess who must meet the best society
Of the world.
1t is also certain that the Hays, socially
conspicuous since John Hay became secre-
tary Of state, will be prominent in society
circles. The marriage Of Miss Helen Hay
to Harry Payne whitney was an elaborate
AFFAIR. Soon the wedding Of Miss Alice
Hay and Jimmy Wadsworth will take
place in the New Hampshire hills. 1t will
be a different AFFAIR from the Hay-Whitney
wedding. OF course the Wadsworths as
we'll as the Whitneys are coming to Wash
ington and besides them there will be Mr..
and Mrs. Michael Herbert. Mrs. Herbert
was a Wilson Of the New York set. Mr..
Herbert, as ambassador from the court OF
st. James. unites the diplomatic corps with
the New York 400" MT. Herbert was the
TN Cuuh Ol W.T.. nOOS6NelIs
The superstitious may prepare for
another shock. A thirteen-cent postage
stamp is about to be issued by the govern
ment. The phiz of Benjamin Harrison will
occupy the center Of the field. This will
be the first thirteen-c stamp ever issued
by the United States; up to 1879 a stamp
Of the value OF seven cents had been in use
ten years, but was discontinued when the
rate Of foreign postage was reduced to 5
cents. The new Harrison stamp will be lit
tie used in domestic mails. Its issuance
is the outgrowth of the increased foreign
registration service; covering as It will the
postage and registration fee upon a letter
Weighing one-half ounce anywhere within
the limits of the postal union, which now
includes practically all the organized ma
tions Of the world.
Stamp experts who have examined the
drawing for the new stamp say II will be
one Of the finest specimens of a postage
stamp ever produced. not excepting the
famous Columbian series, the Transmits
sissippi and the Pan-American sets. In ad-
dition to the usual United States of Amer
lea" and Postage Thirteen Cents" the
inscription, Series Of 1902" together with
Harrison" and figures giving the date Of
birth and death appear upon the design.
The portrait was selected by Mrs. Harrison
and is said to have been the late presidents
favorite. -
A novelty in national coin. typical Of ma
tional expansion, and intended for circula-
ton in the Philippine islands only, will be
produced at the mints and shipped to the
islands at the rate OF $500 900 a month.
Designs prepared by native artists have
been accepted for use in the dollar and
half-dollar silver pieces, and others are
under consideration. One is a very orna-
mental figure of a Filipino woman. attired
in graceful flowing robes. The other repre-
sents a brawny native, with a hammer at
a forge, typifytng the Filipino hammering
out the destinies OF the islands. TIT law
requires that each coin shall bear a device
and Inscription to express the sovereignty
of the United States. although in other re-
spects they may be as strongly pro-Philip-
pine as the designers can make them. The
idea Of the Washington authorities is to
s~aturate the islands with the new money,
so as to do away with the use OF the Mexi-
can dollar as much as possible.