St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-04-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial Correspondence

a twist upon an uneven piece of brick
sidewalk asked a resident of Washing
ton why it was that this old style and
unsatisfactory kind of sidewalk was
so slow in disappearing from the CAPT
tai while so many other municipal i'm
provements were going ahead.
We'll" replied the resident, 1--WE are
as DESTROYS of pulling up these relics of
past days and laying down smooth &C.
,ment as are those who come from other
cities where the sidewalks are as level
as the wornout brick sidewalks here
are hilly and uncomfortable to walk
on.
THE law, however, prevents the city
authorities from taking this much de-
sired Improvement radically in hand
and eliminating the brick sidewalk en-
tirely. The law allows a change of
sidewalk paving only upon the consent
of a majority of the abutting property
owners, and over so per cent of the
property owners on the block sought TO
be improved must petition. Very often
single nonprogressive property owner
will defeat the desires of his neighbors,
who lack but one name to secure ac-
ton
The only way the city authorities
can take the matter into their own
hands is where the sidewalk is in such
q bad condition that it may be consid-
cred dangerous TO health meaning, of
course, to life and limb, In this event.
for instance. the health department
may condemn it, repave it and charge
the cost against the abutting property
as an assessment"
Capitol Weather Maps.
Senators keep closely in touch with
the weather in their home states at all
times while in this city. The weather
bureau service in both the senate and
house allows them to know every morn
ing the temperature, rate at which the
wind blows, the rainfall or presence of
clouds all over the country, so that they
can not only know the conditions at
their homes, but can see what is likely
to occur during the coming twenty
four hours Senators interested in
stock farms of the west find much sat
isfaCtion in seeing just what conditions
prevail on them during the severe
weather of the winter or during the
torrid periods of the summer. Senators
interested in shipping on the lakes and
rivers can keep track of the conditions
allowing the running of boats. Various
other lines Of industry depending in
one way or another on the conditions
of weather make the branch offices of
the weather bureau in the senate and
house Hobbies popular resorts.
He Sent the Bar.
81 want to see the president" said a
caller at the White House whose ac-
cent suggested that he came from the
south. I'm the man that sent him a
black bar, and just wanted to see if
all these stories I've been hearing about
that bars doings are straight.
my home paper said that that bar
bit the hand of the eXpressman when
he was taking the critter to the White
House. Now, what do you think of
Bar that's on its way to the White
House cutting up such capers as that"
This was part Of the conversation
that took place in the waiting room,
but what was said by the president
and the donor of the bear in the prest-
dents Office is not recorded. The bear
was sent by the president to the ZOO.
The Record as an Educator.
Mr.. Shafroth of Colorado believes
The Congressional Record is good read
ing for the country. Now every men,
Der of the house has Twenty-Five copies
of that valuable publication daily. Mr.
Shafroth wants to make it $50 copies.
THAT would be none too many" de-
clared Mr.. Shafroth. 1--WE say we want
to educate our people in government.
There is no better way to do it than by
reading the record of what congress is
doing. am aware that there is great
deal of useless talk printed In The Rec
ord. But there is also much very valu-
able material, and the man who reads
The Record carefully will be pretty
thoroughly posted as to what the gov