The Elk Mountain pilot., 1902-07-15

| The controller of the treasury mas
| decided that the salaries and expenses
of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
| Commission can not be paid until the
| provision of the act appropriating So
| 100000 for the exposition which re-
| quires ''as IA condition precedent that
the directors shall contract to close
the gates to visitors on Sunday during
| the whole duration of the fair" is exc
| cuted.
Indications are that by next spring
the secretary of the interior Will,
through the geological survey, begin
work on the first irrigation system so
be built under the recently enacted
law. Where this project will he To-
Gated has not been determined, but in
all proba ability it will be n project of
modest proportions, costing from 5000
600 to S1.OOO,OO0. and one whose sue
cess is reasonably certain.
Charles j. Jones, popularity known as
Buffalo" Jones, has been appointed
| buffalo warden for Yellowstone Park.
Mr.. Jones has devoted much attention
| to the preservation of the American
| bison and was largely instrumental In
obtaining an appropriation during the
last session of Congress for the estnD-
| lishment of government buffalo
| ranch in the Yellowstone Park. This
establishment will be in Mr.. Jones
charge.
The navy department contemplates
making II material reduction of the
naval forces on the Asiatic station
soon. While our interests in the East
are most important, it is thought here
that the large number of American
warships gathered in Chinese and Phil-
| ippine waters is much above the pro-
per ratio. The plans, it is said, con
template ordering at least one of the
| flag commanders on the Asatic sta
| ton to other duty.
| Representative Foss OF Illinois,
| chairman of the naval committee of the
house, has introduced a bill to estab-
| lish an engineering laboratory, to be
known as the Melville engineering lab
oratory, after Rear Admiral Melville.
| chief engineer of the navy. who will
soon go on the retired list. The bill
provides that the laboratory shall be
on government land designated by the
secretary of the navy and cost. with
equipment, not exceeding 100000, OF
which 100000 is appropriated.
The secretary of the interior is pre-
pairing to expend $4,000 appropriated
of buffalo for the Yellowstone Nation
al park and for fencing in n suitable
| corral for the herd. In making the Sc
| lections none but pure blooded animals
will be accepted, and If possible not
over $3.50 head will be paid, al
| though the prices range up to S4oo.
| The department now has an option on
Allard's herd of sixty buffalo in Mon
tana, and also has an eye ON the Good
| night herd in Texas.
Assistant Attorney General Charles
w. Russell is completing his prepara-
| tions, and within week Will start
| for Paris to investigate the ability of
the new Panama Canal Company TO
give the United States a satisfactory
| title to concessions and property on
the isthmus. When this preliminary
work shall have proceeded to GER
| tain point the attorney general. ac-
cording to the presidents expressed
wish. will probably go over and look
! into the matter. He has invited Sen
| ator Spooner to 20 along and assist
him. in view of the senator's we'll
known familiarity with the matter
and the attorney generals opinion of
| his ability, and hopes that he Will go.
Senator Warren of Wyoming called
| upon the President few days ago and
| suggested that he take trip this sum-
mer through the northern tier of west
| ern states adjoining the Canadian bor-
der. President Roosevelt had some
time since suggested horseback ride
across Wyoming, and Mr.. Warren told
| the president he would arrange relays
| of horses for such a trip If the Presi-
| dent would take it. The plan would be
to give the President jaunt of several
| hundred miles through Wyoming and
| Montana from the line of the Union
| Pacific to some point on the Northern
| Pacific. 1t would take the President
| through n part of the country where
he rode the range when in the cattle
| business along the Little Missouri in
the early eighties.
The navy department has its plans
| practically complete for the four big
warships just authorized by the new
naval law, and to bear the names of
Louisiana Connecticut. Tennessee and
Washington. The distinctive features
of the new ships are the strength and
arrangement of their batteries, and a
greater thickness in armor. The bat
tleships are to have displacement of
! 10000 tons. and will be built for a
| speed of eighteen knots. Their batter
| les will consist of four twelve-inch
| guns eight eight-inch guns, twelve
seven-inch and twenty three-inch guns,
and large number of smaller weap-
ons. scattered over the ship. The ar
| mored cruisers are to have a dsplace-
ment of 1880 tons. and a speed of
twenty-five knots. Their batteries will
consist of four ten-inch guns. sixteen
siX-inch and twenty-five three-inch
guns, and a large number of smaller
| ones.
The President has issued an order
prohibiting the exercise of outside in
| Hnencn in sncuriun nrnmntinnr in tho