Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-20
THINGS HEARD
~ndSEEN

year In the matter Of shorter hours on Sat-
urday. All the executive departments
Saturday early in the summer, when the
intense heat made confinement indoors in
tolerable. Early in September however.
when che weather became less oppressive,
the order was rescinded in all the depart
ments except the War Department, with
the result that all the employees of that
large establishment still knock off work at
3 o'clock Saturday, while their fellow
clerks in the other departments have to
stick to their desks until 4 O'Clock, the
same as on other days of the week. No one
Is able. apparently. to explain the exception
made in favor of the employees of the war
office, and we do not know whether it is
due to the humanity of Secretary Root or
whether it is simply because no one has the
temerity or desire to suggest to him that
the summer is over. The matter is entirely
in the hands of Secretary Root, and the
general impression is that he has been so
burdened with the cares of state that he
has overlooked the necessity for action
that is if he really did not intend that the
o'clock rule should be permanent. It's a
great thing for US, and we all appreciate 1t
highly
* X *
Eva is the servant girl of young couple
living in an uptown apartment house. She
Is one of those persons for whom the chap
ter in the cook book reading How To
Train Green Cooks Is intended. Eva has
always proved herself willing and Indus
trious, however. and when not engaged in
the culinary department is anxiously look
ing around for something to employ her en-
ergetic hands.
Eva came to the conclusion the other day
that all the silver in the fiat needed clean
ing. She assured the mistress Of the house
hold that she was adept at the art of
silver polishing. Thereupon she was told
she could indulge herself with the silver
was out calling.
One may well imagine the dismay Of this
young wife when she returned rather I'M
expectedly little later and found the SER
want girl hard at work on some sterling
spoons with the brick dust that is COM
monty used for securing steel knives.
Eva" fairly shouted the girls mistress
what on earth do you mean by polishing
the silver with that brick?"
Eva, conscious of having sinned only
through necessity, sheepishly replied:
Il used up all the sapolio."
i. X X \ X
Reuben, Reuben, you've been drinking"
was the song of three young Washington
mans who went to neighboring state on
Sunday cunning trip two weeks ago. Two
hours later, when they were brought before
the man at whom they had directed the
thing on the order of Hail to the Chief"
In the words of the man who related the
story the next day, they had been
''pinched' and the man who had provoked
the alleged 1aughable song proved to be the
county magistrate.
The young men. who were ignorant of the
law concerning Sunday shooting, were en-
5oying themselves on the property of the
magistrate when they were informed that
that one of them inquired: "Rube, when
are you coming to town. and the song
quoted came next
The gunners went on their way satisfied
that they had had little fun at the ex-
pense of the native, and that the affair had
ended without any harm being done Such
was not the feeling of the magistrate. for
he went in search of constable and sue
ceeced in finding Que. Three hours after
their song had been INDUCED in the trio
marched to the house. and they wanted to
go through the floor when they were lined
up before the magistrate. He proved to be
the man they had called ''Rube," but there
was nothing they could do to escape trial
before him.
Vioating the Sunday law, cunning with
out a license and trespass were a few of
the charges they were told could be filed
against them. They were tried, and the
fines imposed on the three men amounted
to SIa.S5, little more than their combined
cash capital. 1t resolved itself into a mat
Ter OF coming up TO the captain s desk or
going to Jail. The constable finally ad-
vanced the amount of cash that was lack
ing and held one Of the guns as security.
Wen never go there any more" was
their parting song.
X X x X
''Washingtonians, as q rule do not real
lie that Sligo creek is one Of the prettiest
and most attractive streams that flow
through this section Of the country" re-
marked a citizen who is lover Of nature.
Even in midwinter 1t Is a pleasure to
follow the course of the Sligo. Here and
there are extensive slopes terminating in
valleys or small canyons, leading to sharp
and extremely precipitous places. with
great rugged rocks protruding, the coun
try being covered with a magnificent
growth of oaks, chestnuts and hickories
that tower with majestic proportions to-
ward the heavens.
"Ail residents of the District of Column
bia should regret that these natural beau
ties and rural attractions must soon give
way to improvements, caused by the de-
vcopment of the capital city.