Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-08-08
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial correspondence

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roof, with piles of rubbish, broken
bricks, boards, scantling and splinters
of all sizes and varieties, with here
and there an excavation, tall pillars
of white incased to Il height of ten feet
in plain pine boards, iron ratings in
every form of crOOkedneSs-all this in
the center of Il beautiful park filled
with majestic trees and tropical plants.
with fountain playing on a magnlh'
cent lawn, is the picture presented by
the White House rs viewed from La
fayette square.
It's once handsome interior looks like
the track of a devastating Kansas cy'
clone. 1t is undergoing renovation
such as it has not experienced since
, 1915, after the British entered the city
and burned the building. AS far as
the interior is concerned, the building
is being practically reconstructed and
will then be used by the president ex-
iclusively as residence, as was oriSl-
nally designed. By the 1st of October
the contractors in charge of the work
expect to have the new White House
ready for occupancy, and on account
of the short time they have to do the
sunrise to sunset.
The contra ctOrs seem never to leave
the vicinity Of their employment. y
rough board building has been con.
Structed on the broad pavement be-
tween the executive mansion and the
state, war and navy building, and here
the executive heads Of the work OF
construction can be found night and
day working out the plans they have
received from the architects and pre-
pairing the tasks for the laborcrs who
are tearing out the old to make way
for the new.
The Work of Congress.
Benjamin S. Platt, enrolling clerk Of
the senate, has prepared statement
showing the extent of the business
transacted by congress during the past
session. According to this statement, a
far larger number of bills and Joint
resolutions was introduced than ir
any previous session of congress, lar
ger, indeed, than in any previous con-
greSS whether Of two or three sessions,
The total number of bills and joint
resolutions offered in the two houses
I'D to the time OF adjournment was
22,O22, of which LOB were sent to the
president. OF those introduced, 1851:
were offered in the house of representa-
tives and GAO in the senate.
Unfinished Civil Service Work.
At the close Of the week ended June
%, the last Saturday of the fiscal year
there remained in the files of the civil
service commission 1856 sets of uG'
marked examination papers. This tC,
tai exceeds by more than 5000 the
record of last year and has excited
some discussion as to the inadviSa'
bility of limiting the work Of the com.
mission by an insufficient clerical 81.
lowance. Under ordinary circumstan
ces the whole civil service force caE
dispose of 4 few less than 1000 sets Oh
papers each week. But with the cXtrS
work now scheduled in the form OF
special examinations it is unlikely this
pile of unfinished worE: left over fron
the last fiscal year can I've cleared away
before Nov. l.
Canes From Historic Wood.
The repairs in the White Ho"S2
brought to the mind Of Colonel VIZ
liam II. Crook, d!SburSin@ officer of tn
executive mansion, many memories Of
the days when he served under Pres
dent Lincoln. The floor in the roo.n
where President Lincoln sat to trans
act business was torn up by the work
men recently, and Colonel Crook Sc
cured some of the flooring for preset
walton. From piece of the flooring
on which the president often stood,
with Colonel Crook by his side, were
made a number of canes that have
been presented to friends. They arc
much appreciated for their historic
value by the recipients.
\ Costly spoon.
Representative McAndrews Of Chi.
cago tells story showing the way
Washington hotels are conducted.
81 was paying the hotel nearly my
entire salary as L congressman for my
meals and lodging" he said, when
became indisposed and called a physi-
clan. He decided that the Washington
climate did not agree with me and
prescribed a tonic. After | had So.
cured the medicine | found that | had
no teaspoon with which to measure the
dose, so l went to the hotel cafe for
one. They gave me one of those plated
affairs that sell for about 60 cents a
dozen. The medicine corroded it badly,
but must confess that l was some
what shocked to see an item on my
monthly bill of SIPS for the teaspoon.
The hotel keepers have got 80 much
nerve here that guests have not the