Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-01-04
HOWARD G. DANA
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Can't Live on Saary-Gov Shaw's
wealth is estimated as high as ST..
10000, so he will have no difficulty
in meeting demands on him in the
way of entertaining. A member OF the
cabinet to entertain largely. should
have such a house as usually rents
at from $4,000 to ST., 900 year. Sena-
tor Depew pays $1,000 "a month for his
house. On the other hand, Senator
| Wilson, who is comparatively poor
man, lives in a house that rents for
not more than $75 a month Postmas-
ter General Smith spent his entire sa,
AIRY of $4,000 a year and was com.
PEELED to write magazine articles and
TO exc out his income in other ways
to maintain his establishment. He
finally wcaried of the struggle and
took apartments at a hotel Every
cabinet minister is expected once n
year to entertain the president and
his associates AT dinner. Beyond this
he can cut out dinner giving. The sec.
retary of state. in addition. must give
breakfast once a year to the diplo.
matte corps. Secretary Day resigned
because he could not AFFORD to follow
| the social pace
Too Good to lose-Ins;ead OF In,
proving this opportunity to find a new
| head for the department OF agriculture
when its present incumbent wished
to resign. the president said he would
= ~,
and that he did not know where in
this broad land he could find another
man as capable as the present secro-
tary. The president urged Mr.. Will
son TO remain at his post and assured
him OF his confidence and support.
Secretary Wilson had had no intention
OF leaving the cabinet He was salts
fled with his work and his relations
with the president have been of the
most pleasant sort President Roose-
welt assured Mr. Wilson that he ha |
never thought of putting any ahrunt
upon him by failing to consult him AS
to Gov. Shaw and that he had not
consulted any other members of his
cabinet as TO that matter. The presi-
dent added that he saw no reason in
the world why there should not lie
two members Of the cabinet from Iowa,
and he would not listen to any Sug-
gestion that Mr.. Wilson should sivo
up his post. In this pleasant and
wholly satisfactory manner the incl
dent came to an end. Secretary Will
son Will continue to do business at
the old stand.
Young Boold in the Cabinet-The
western lawyer and banker who will
60 into the cabinet as secretary Cages
successor is an interesting public
character of recent development. AL
though quite So by the family Bible,
and therefore 10 years older than Mr..
Roosevelt, he is by many years The
Junior of the president in actual pO-
litcal experience. The Hon. Leslie
Mortier Shaw was born only five years
after William 4,lcKinley, and yet Mr..
Mckinley was in congress before Mr..
Shaw was out of the law school.
Twenty years later Mckinley was run
ming for president, and Shaw was win
hlHS LID uISt III ldllOlltl
affairs as a Mckinley man who stood
stiff for sound money. undismayed by
the adverse sentiment then prevailing
in Iowa. 1t was not until 1897 that
Mr.. Shaw became candidate for any
public Office. He was elected governor
of Iowa in that year. Two years later
he was reelected, with double his
original plurality
In Santa Claus MaiI-One letter to
Santa Claus escaped it's destination. 1t
came from little fellow down in Gu
ba and was addressed to Santa
Claus, Elks Ranch, Alaska" The let
ter was inclosed in a war department
envelope and the postofiice depart
ment sent it to the secretary of war
for better direction" A clerk in The
correspondence division of the war
department opened the envelope and
read the letter. which said: My Dear
Santa Claus-I would like you to send
me, If you please good Santa Claus,
one steam car, one little red wagon,
one stocking full of candy. Much
Oblige, Your little friend Daniel Le-
may, Jr., Columbia Barracks, Cuba
The chief of the division took up
collection and with it bought a train
of cars, mechanical toy automobile
and big box of candy, which have
been sent to Daniel, with letter frcm
Santa Claus, explaining that he would
have liked to have delivered them in
person, but was too busy to get to
Cuba
A Unique Present-Oscar Strauss
Of New York, formerly minister to
Turkey, called on Secretary Hay
Christmas eve, and left a Christmas
present with which Mr.. Hay was de-
lighted. 1t is a copy of oliver Gold
smith S Life of Shakespeare, an cal
ly and rare edition, but it had great
er value than its literary rarity, in
having come from the library of
George Washington. Washington's
personal book plate, the familiar arms
Of his family on which the American
flag was modelled, adorns the inside
of the cover, and the signature of the
first president appears on the title
page, as clearly as il it had been writ
ten yesterday instead of more than
hundred years ago. The print is ex-
cellent and the binding handsome.
RETTOC.