The leader., 1902-10-01
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial correspondence.1

Especial Correspondence
Forty million packages of seeds will
be sent out by the agricultural depart
ment during the coming year to farm
ers on lists furnished by senators
and representatives. The number of
seeds that will be contained in these
| packages will run up into the billions
and they will weigh about 1000 tons.
This will be the most extensive seed
distribution in the history of the de-
! partment of agriculture, and Secre-
tary Wilson is making every effort
| to make 1t the most useful to the ag-
ricultural communities. Heretofore
there has been much complaint about
| the quality of the seeds sent out. Many
| of them have failed to grow. This
| year all contractors have been done
away with, and the department has
made it's purchases in the seed mar
kets through it's own experts.
Each senator, representative and del
egate in congress will have to his cred
it 10000 miscellaneous packages, each
containing smaller packages Of five
kinds Of seeds. In addition each will
have 500 packages of novelties-that
is, new or little known varieties Of
peculiar merit-and each will have 500
packages of flower seeds.
Will Fight New License Law.
The various clubs of this city have
combined to fight the new law fixing
| $500 as the annual license fee for the
bar privilege. Hitherto the clubs have
paid but half this sum, and now that
the license fee for all dispensaries Of
liquors has been raised to $500 they
think distinction should be made be-
cause their patronage, being exclusive,
is necessarily limited and improbable
except under very favorable condi-
| lions.
| Notwithstanding the great notoriety
| given to the vote in the house Of rep
resentatives to prohibit the sale of in
toxicants in the capitol it is still posi-
BILE to quench any brand of thirst
there. Some representatives received
much newspaper credit for their advo-
cacy Of the reform, but they all felt
aure it would end in defeat. It does
every year. The prohibition rider
dies an unnoticed death, but the men,
bers who have wrestled oratorically
for it are welcomed home as conquer
ing heroes. That is one Of the humors
| of congress as witnessed from the out
side.
Miss Susan Quay.
Miss Susan Quay, who has been
chosen to ehristen the warship Penn
sylvania, is the only daughter of
Senator and Mrs. Matthew s. Quay.
Miss Quay resembles her illustrious
sire too closely to lay many claims to
| beauty, but she Is nevertheless most
attractive girl, bright, vivacious and
extremely popular in the younger SEN
atorial circle. The Washington home
of the Quays, in fashionable X street,
is the center of gayety for young peo-
pie at the capital who hail from the
great state Of Pennsylvania. Just now
the family is at Lake Placid, in the
Adirondacks, where they have a cot
tage.
Bids For New BattIeship.
I Not less than five bids will probably
be received for the construction of the
sister ship of the battleship Connect
cut, which is to be built by contract,
while the Connecticut is to be built in
the Brooklyn navy yard to test the
| question of the relative cost of con-
tract construction and navy yard con-
struction. The first which it Is be-
| lieved will certainly submit proposals
are the Cramps of Philadelphia, the
Union Iron works of San Francisco,
the Bath Iron works, the Fall River
company and the Newport News COM
pany. AS it is to the interests Of the
private shipbuilders to make a favora-
BILE showing in competition with the
Brooklyn navy yard, it is expected by
the department that some of the bids
may be quite low.
May Accept Gifts.
No question will be raised to prevent
the acceptance by the officers Of the
army and navy of mementos bestowed
by Prince Henry in appreciation Of
courtesies received by him during his
American tour. The souvenirs which
he gave are not looked upon as gifts
bestowed by a foreign ruler within the
inhibition of the constitution, but as
merely tokens Of personal esteem and
appreciation. AS matter Of fact, the
| gifts mentioned in the dispatches from
Berlin designed for distinguished
Americans who participated In Prince
Henry's reception in most cases were
presented personally by the prince be-
fore his departure from this country.
Mr.. BabcocL Buys a House.
Representative Babcock has just
bought the house in which John J. In
gals lived here while senator. 1t is
situated at the corner of North Cap
itol and 3 streets, close to the capitol
building, and the price named Is $780,
600. Babcock began life as lumber
jack. He was advanced to have charge
of gang Of dozen jacks, then made
foreman in a mill, then promoted to
superintendent, then given working
interest, and so on up. Everything he
handled seemed to make money, and
now he is rated as millionaire.
Will "Hike" the Rents.
Washington has landlords trust.