Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-05

There was never a Foxy Grandpa who
could outdo our venerable senators in
evasion" said an official of the Senate
few DAYS ago .'yon may have noticed
that recently a ministerial association sent
a petition to the Senate protesting against
the holding of Sunday sessions of Congress
This petition cited that on Sunday. March
l. 1907. Congress was In session. and that
was declared to be a Dissertation of the day
that should never be repeated
Now the House of Representatives will
have to plead guilty to the charge There
are good many things that they haven't
learned over at that end of the Capitol yet.
But the senators can refer to the official
record to explain the charge that they have
desecrated the Sabbath. Foxy Grandpa
will declare that they have not done any
such thing. Ii you turn to the Congress
sional Record Of Sunday, March l, you
will find that the Senate was then sitting.
legislative day of Saturday. February 2S.'
That is how the senators are able to write
their constituents and to declare that the
Senate did not officially sit on Sunday
r y Il
Many curious claims are made against
the government said a War Department
official the other day, but none much more
curious than one filed at the War Depart
ment few days ago. 1t was one of many
claims arising from alleged damages
wrought by our troops on farms in Ken
lucky and Kansas during the recent ma
neuvers. One of the farmers put in a claim
for apples. said to have been stolen from
his orchards by the soldiers, and in cal
culating his loss, placed value of 81 on
each apple said to have been stolen by the
soldiers. The same high standard of val
ues seems to have been placed by other
farmers whose cornfelds and orchards were
visited by the troops In their marches ana
ridiculous and the claims will be judiciously
pruned before they will be allowed"
General CroZier and other officers of the
ordnance department have made several
trips in the suburbs of Washington on the
automobile battery wagon and forge
recently made for the army. They have
ridden up and down all the steep hills in
this vicinity and over the toughest roads
they could find and are very well satisfied
with the performances of the big machine.
1t is provided with a winch. to pull the
wagon up particularly steep grades. but so
far it has not been found necessary to use
1t on any Of the roads in this vicinity. The
most difficult piece Of road encountered was
Rock Creek road, in the park. which is so
steep and badly cut up that the big vehicle,
which weighs 10000 pounds. could make
the ascent only by the use of its m Y mum
power. and not even then on the first at
tempt practical demonstration of the
portable forge and machine shop was made
at the cavalry post at Fort Myer A few
etc. 1t is intended to send the wagon with
a battery of field artillery on a practice
march into the country in the spring.
r X
The queS ton as to how many drinks il is
necessary for a man to take before he is
drunk within the meaning of the law, has
been discussed from time to time In the
Police Court, and each time the matter is
brought Up it usually causes amusement
for the court attaches and spectators.
A who has been arrested frequently
because of his fondness for intoxicants was
before the court several days ago
Il wasn't drunh," he declared. after the
policeman had made a statement to the eff
feet that the prisoner had been found in
state OF Utoxication the night before.
What do You call drunk" his honor in
Quired
Well, when a man has had so many
drinks that he can't stand up don't
know anything guess he's drunk
The court however, decided that a man
could be drunk before he reached that state
of helplessness, and gave the man on trial
six months on the farm.
This man was four-seventhS drunk when
1 arrested him last night" policeman told
the court on another occasion when d man
was arraigned on a charge of intoXication
Why only foursevenths drunk the
Because / heard you say the other day."
the officer answered, that seven drinks
would make a man drunk. and this fellow
had had about four drinks before 1 arrested
him. or at least he acted like it,
+ \ y p x
number OF officials and employees of the
various branches Of the District govern
ment gathered in the waiting room of one
of the Commissioners at the District build
ing the other morning, and while waiting