Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-09
WASHINGTON LETTER
[special REPRESENTATIVES,

4
what became of the old omnibuses
which in the days from 1853 TO 1869,
before Pennsylvania avenue was paved
and prior - the advent of the horse
car, used to hold monopoly of the pas
senger and transfer business of the
capital said n secondhand vehicle
dealer I'm those days the city was as
full of omnibuses as it is now of troll
ley cars. and old residents have won
dered what became OF those gaudy,
gayly painted concerns capable of
holding forty people. When the street
cars took their place, they were torn
up for the material in sthem until by
1885 there was just one out of the sew
eral hundred left standing in an old
stable outside the city. There it re-
manned neglected and forgotten until
the Spanish-American war when a To-
cal drayage and transfer firm heard of
it and purchased it for a song.
"The firm used it to carry passengers
soldiers, officers and visitors-be-
tween the city and Falls Church and
Camp Alger. 1t was q lucky hit, for
the old omnibus is today the largest
vehicle in the city and will accommo-
date fifty-two people. Finding it Of
considerable use, the firm at the end Of
the war with Spain decided to keep it
and since then has used it for small
picnic parties. 1t is out every Memo
rial day, carrying passengers to Ar
lington and reminding the old veterans
of the good old days of 1862 1t is the
last relic of the omnibus period Of
Washington civilization and today the
largest thing on wheels in the capital"
President NIcI<InIey's Picture.
Colonel Bingham. superintendent of
public buildings and grounds, has con-
Guided the purchase of the painting of
the late President Mckinley by w. d.
Murphy of New York and the painting
was ordered hung on the east wall of
the vestibule to the north entrance to
the White House. On the west wall
will hang the portrait of President
Roosevelt 10y Sargent. The Murphy
picture will become the official one and
will hang in the White House gallery
of presidents.
THE painting of President Mckinley
was not just what l had hoped for"
said Colonel Bingham, .but it appears
" De lllG DtSl dI1OuS Il that
were painted. 1t received the approval
Of Senator Hanna and Judge Day, init
mate personal friends of the late pres
ident. There is no question that it con-
tains some defects. The trouble about
all the paintings submitted to US was
that they were made from photo
graphs. There are only one or two
paintings of the president from life,
and they do not rank as they should"
Trees For the White House.
Holland furnished four green bay
trees to the White House decorations.
These green bay trees have been placed
in tubs and adorn the main entrance
to the building, sheltered by the main
portico. The green bays of Holland
stand twelve to fifteen feet in height
and cost the government $500 each.
Besides this New Jersey has contrib
uted at least 200 lockwood trees in
tubs for the decoration of the terraces
which have been constructed in Ell
Their direction east and west from the
main structure. These trees are from
twelve to fifteen feet in height and
have been grown in tubs. They will
ornament the sky line of the White
House terrace and from an architec-
tural and artistic point of view are in
tended to constitute the finishing
touches to this addition to the eXecu-
tive mansion.
No More Free Rides For Tourists.
Hereafter persons appointed to civil
offices in the Philippines will have to
contract to render two years service
in the islands unless properly exempt
ed for good and sufficient reasons.
This action was taken in order to
break up the practice that had OBJ
tanned to some extent of using the APP
pointment simply for the purpose Of
securing free transportation around
the world by way of the Philippines.
Under the new regulations two years
service will entitle an appointee to free
passage to the Philippines and third
year to free passage back to the Unit
ed States, with half pay during the voy-
age. Appointees serving less than two
years will be required to meet the ex-
penses of transportation out of their
own pockets.
CorteIyou's New ONCE.
A formal contract for the lease of the
w llldfu Oh
for the use of the department of COM
merce and labor has been signed by
Mr.. and Mrs. Henry A. Willard and
Secretary Cortelyou. The new depart
ment has leased the entire building,
which, it is expected, will be COM
pleted about the 1st of May.
After the signing of the papers Mrs.
Willard presented Secretary Cortelyou
with a handsome American nag,
which will be used on the building
during its occupancy by the depart
ment.
New Printing Omce.
The new government printing office
building has not yet been turned over
to the public printer, and it is not ex-
pected that the work of moving the
machinery and force of the office into
the new quarters will begin before
July 1. If congress meets in extra ses-
rrfxr