Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-04
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Scenes and incidents Observed At the
Deserted Capital.

Scenes and Incidents Observed AZ the
Deserted Capital.
Washington correspondents end so little
In the news line 70 occupy their time that
they have turned critics Of public improve
ments fashioned by the superior wisdom Of
congress. The latest object Of their wrath
is the temporary ONCE building witch is
being erected for the president to the west
OF the White House. II is spoken Of as
temporary" but is being built in a very
substantial manner and Is to be fitted up
In a luxurious style. The building is a
low squstty AFFAIR. built OF red brick. with
out any architectural beauty to make up
for It's Insignificant size. II looks very
much like a stable and the visitor who sees
It for the FIRST time will doubtless wonder
why the White House stables have been
put in such a prominent place, on line with
the front Of the historic old mansion. In
side the offices will be in keeping with the
uses to which they are to be put. The
fnishings will all be OF the best; the decora-
lions will be tasteful and rich and the
furniture, which has been ordered by Secre-
tary Cortelyou and which will all be made
from special designs, will be the finest that
can be turned out in the United States.
Some Of the rooms will be furnished In ma
hogany and others in quartered oak. The
new cabinet table will be a massive AFFAIR
and will be a triumph Of the furniture
makers art. The ofices will be ready for
the use of the president late this fall.
During the last year the government has
saved $40. 900 by the substitution Of a small
metallic clip in place Of rubber bands in
the handling Of registered mail. Mr..
Michelangelo W. Louis Of the supply d.
vision made up his mind a year ago that
II was extravagant to issue rubber bands
for this purpose. and told the postmasters
he would give them the clips instead. There
was a protest, but Louis was firm. They
did not get the bands, and the books at the
end OF the fiscal year showed the above
sum ito the good" This reveals something
Of the proportions Of the, postal establish
ment.
Among all the departments in Washing
ton the most strict is the treasury. A
citizen may carry anything that he likes
into the treasury building, but when no
undertakes to carry anything bulky out Of
the building he is apt to get into trouble
II he does not explain with readiness.
A visitor to Washington the other day
carried a fairly large package into the
building. Nobody said a word TO him about
Il when he was going in, but when no
started out with the package he was held
up, made to open 1t and to explain all
about himself and his business.
The. good sense Of the rule is apparent.
At the capitol It is against the rules 70
carry any sort Of a bundle into the build
ing. The fear is that somebody will carry
In a bomb. The rule was never enforced
vigorously until the senate took up the
| Sherman repeal bill. At that time the
-,,Alt, -,NnA ko1arro 80 NnANon10A o1aNn1N
the delay in the senate that violence was
feared and the rule was put into active
operation and continued for some years.
Then It dropped out Of sight until the
Spanish war excitement came On, when q
was again enforced and It is still enforced
rather strongly, although during the last
session of congress a few cameras we're al
lowed in the building.
Rear Admiral Melville, chief engineer Of
the navy, is of the opinion that the results
of tests which have been in progress here
for some time under the supervision Of q
special board of naval oficers show that
while the use of oil as fuel on board naval
vessels lie safe and practical it's cost Is pro-
hibitive. Admiral Melville says that II oil
is ever used as fuel on vessels It will be
only in the case OF torpedo boats and
tugs, but that economy requires that the
navy shall continue burning coal as long
as the latter is selling at normal prices.
Two lean, hungry cats are living amid
the wreck and debris OF the White House.
They belong to the presidents family. For
some reason they were not included among
the household pets which the presidents
sons carried away to Sycamore hill last
June. The boys took their dogs. rabbits,
coon, parrots and other birds with them,
but left the cats behind. White House
servants ~thoughtfully removed the cats
to the temporary executive mansion in
Lafayette square. believing that they
would become domiciled there. The cats.
however. were welded to the White House
and upon the hrst opportunity ran away
from the Lafayette square mansion and
stole back to their old quarters. Here
they have lived for two months amid fall
ing bricks and timbers. They have wit
messed the work OF interior demolition and
the beginning OF the work of renovation
without abandoning their quarters. The
workmen say they are waiting for the
Roosevelt family to return. =.
Every day at noon the cats come out of
the recesses Of the wrecked building and
circulate among the workmen, who fur
nish them with food from their dinner
pals and lunch baskets. Presumably this
is all they get to eat and that It is not
enough is shown by their lean. hungry ap-
pearance,
In the diplomatic colony Of Washington
the coming winter a more than usually
American atmosphere will prevail, as in