Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-16

Minor Scenes and skstched
on the spot.

on the Spot.
The dull season in Washington Is likely
to continue unbroken until the reunion
Of the Grand Army, October 6, Z and s
for which extensive preparations are now
under way. Ten years ago the veterans
Of the great war were the city's guests
and marched on Pennsylvania avenue, the
historic thoroughfare, where the grand
review Of victorious troops was held in
1866. Once more the thinned ranks will
be seen on the avenue and Washington
people propose TO make the occasion a
memorable one. The whole city will be
handsomely dressed. A conspicuous fea-
ture Of this decoration will be that It con-
sists almost exclusively Of American flags
hung at an angle from all buildings along
the line Of the veterans march and from
most houses within reach of the business
section Of the city. All the advices re-
ceived In washington-either by members
OF congress whose constituents are inter-
ested in the encampment or by those who
have charge of the encampment prepara-
tions-indicate that this gathering in the
capital Of the nation forty years after the
period Of service at the front Is exciting
extraordinary interest throughout the
country. The expert testimony OF the pas
senger agents whose roads reach Washing
ton, directly or indirectly, is that the
crowd will surpass even that of 1892. The
officers Of the local Grand Army posts
speak confidently Of a larger post attend
ance than at any other encampment In
the history Of the society. General Tor
rance refers to the encampment as likely
to prove the most interesting, the most
Significant and the most memorable re-
union Of veterans in his knowledge of the
Il nRAnH oAA NA,N I---f- 49, -
with the foundation Of the Grand Army of
the Republic.
Mike was an underling In the Treasury
department, but one whose duties were so
multifarious and complicated that his
superiors found 1t difficult to dispense with
his services. Once in six weeks, with the
regularity OF a well-seasoned periodical
topper, he would disappear for three days
and then come meekly back by way Of the
police court. In spite Of vigorous prom
ises, which, by the way, the use of years
had woven thseadbare. he invariably met
with peremptory discharge. Then things
would begin to go wrong in his bureau
and rather than taxi a hand themselves
OF the trouble to break in a new man his
chiefs would confer thus:
well, we had better send for Nike"
INV OhiI MdA WIN Cdn
straighten US, out"
So Mike would return to his post with a
white ribbon in his coat and all the Joys
OF reinstatement. This went on for many
years and then Secretary Shaw struck
town.
Coming at the end Of a rather protracted
period Of hard work and 'sobriety, Mike
yielded to the stress Of Fourth of July.
The usual routine followed up to the time
Mr.. Shaw was consulted.
Mr.. Secretary said one OF the delin-
quent's Immediate superiors, things are
In a bad way down stairs. l think we had
better send for Mike to set things right
again"
"Mikei Mikei" said Secretary Shaw, "I
thought we had discharged Mike"
yes, / know, but it has always been our
custom to take him back
''what would You do II Mike were deadi"
"oh, / suppose we would straighten
things out ourselves"
well. SO far as this department is con-
cerned, Mike is dead. So get to work and
straighten things out"
Mrs. Semple, President John Tyler's
daughter. is hoping that the improvements
at the White House will spare the old
chandeliers and candelabra. They were
selected by President Monroe" she says.
HE was minister to France before he was
elected president and both he and his wife
had excellent taste, as all of the furnish
ings which they selected show. The chan
deliers 1 speak Of have been made to suit
oil lamps. candles. gas and electricity. In
my fathers time candles were used and It
took twenty-four boxes OF spermaceti can
dies to light the house for one evening
only. It was the most becoming illumina-
ton in the world and the whole expense of
1t, which was considerable, as you may
imagine, came out Of the presidents SAL
airy, which was only half at that period of
what 1t is today"
Replying to complaints about the poor
quality of glue on postage stamps, an ofi-
cial Of the Postofice department says: The
quality Of the glue on all Of the issues of
our postage stamps is the result OF many
years careful study and experiment at the
bureau Of printing and engraving. When the
government first began the manufacture OF
its postage stamps at the bureau the quail
ity of glue used had not been brought up
to the present satisfactory standard, and I
recall considerable general complaint re-
garding its nonadhesiveness. But the COM
plants were general. Now they are very
rare and isolated and prove to our minds
that the cause Is produced by some local
reason. You see. our postage stamps are
sold to postmasters in sheets. II the glue
were Of poor quality the complaints would
be general from the communitide where the
poorly gummed sheets were sold and the
stamps distributed. The fact that none are
received support the reason / advance. Be-
fore each Of the tens OF thousands Of sheets
leaves the bureau 1t is critically inspected
by experts, whose business It is to find
laws from imperfect coloring to the quail
ity Of the layers OF gum on the back, the
inspection being along lines similar to that
given to each sheet Of treasury notes after
It leaves the plate printers hands, and be-
fore It goes to the treasury for the af-
fixing Of the governments final seal.
"As to the other complaint the insufficient
size Of the newspaper wrappers when uti-
lized for the wrapping OF magazines and the
Sunday editions OF newspapers, steps have
been taken to meet public demand for a
larger wrapper. These will shortly be is
sued In the 2 and Accent denominations and
will no doubt prove a convenience, as the
present wrappers are perhaps q trihe short
for this extraordinary purpose, but Of
ample size for a single newspaper Of the
usual daily edition"