Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-07
BITS or WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor Scenes and Incidents sketchea
on the spot.

w ~ oNNAs
zone OF the many scientists working won
ders in Washington springs another wonder
on the newspaper correspondents at the
national capital, and the correspondents,
with characteristic zeal, pass 1t off on
innocent and defenseless readers. The new
wonder is a device to detect lying and at
the same time register the emotions Of the
liar. Strange as the device is IL has not
startled Washington. probably because the
residents believe the industry is too firmly
rooted to be disturbed by scientific con-
trivances. According to the inventor he
can tell with his apparatus whether a man
is telling the truth by noting the color
Of his breath. Every thought and every
mood OF the human brain" he says, has
a relatively corresponding color in the
chromatic scale" and his invention is an
apparatus which reproduces in living and
varying colors the changing thoughts con-
ceived within the mind.
The apparatus consists OF a tall glass
jar, half filled with a colorless solution,
and to which are attached two glass tubes
which pass through an opening in its top.
One Of the tubes has an apparatus which
fits over the mouth, and the other runs to
a glass receptacle containing purified air.
when the apparatus is fitted over the
mouth Of a person and the breath passes
through the liquid and thence to the glass
receptacle, the varying thoughts within his
mind are reflected in the changing colors
Of the liquids in the jar, this action being
caused by the effect Of the chemical proper
ties Of the breath upon the solution.
So far the experiments have merely de-
termined what colors reflect certain moods,
such as happiness or melancholy, but, as
the work progresses. 1t is expected that
! the knowledge of the brain %.colors' win
grow correspoRdingly, 1t is hoped that when
complete knowledge and control of the
working OF the "wonderbottle" have been
obtained it will be possible to diferentiate
the Suicide shade" from the general color
which is known to indicate melancholy.
Secretary Shaw went over to the Treasury
department one morning accompanied by a
friend from Iowa. While the pair were
seated in Mr.. Shaw's private office the sec
rotary found a letter which particularly in
terested him. Leaning back in his chair, he
put one foot on the corner OF his desk. In
half a minute a man dashed in, revolver in
hand, and. covering the visitor. said: rs
this man trying to rob you, Mr.. Shaw"
mo, no. shouted the secretary. He is my
friend" After some further excitement 1t
developed that when he put his foot on the
desk Mr.. Shaw had pressed a button that
calls a Waterman. The man came in a
hurry, Just as he had been ordered to do. /.
In the rear of representative hall in
Washington is probably the most sumptuous
smoking room in the country. All the fur
niture, rugs, pictures, ETC., are Of the finest,
and here the congressman retire to smoke
and gossip, safe from profane eyes, for in
the center of the wall hangs the sign,
strangers and cigarettes not permitted in
this ROOM This rule is religiously obeyed,
though no one seems to know who promul-
gated II. The most atrocious cabbage cigar
is permitted to exhaust itself, hut the finest
Turkish cigarette is not tolerated for an in
slant. Recently Congressman Joy OF Mis-
souri,, who is a confirmed consumer OF
paper pipes, inadvertently lighted one in
the republican smoking room. Before he
had taken a second Whit several OF the
members ordered an assistant sergeant-at-
arms to read the rules to him. Mr., Joy
dropped his cigarette and made his way to
the, house restaurant, where everything
goes, ~. o. - uIH'l',
.+,- ,-.-. s- rr,,
Captain John Lamb, who represents the
Richmond district in congress, delivered a
lecture at Williamsburg Monday night on
4 lHG vi NAoANtA AaAAA
Washington Post. Captain Lamb has be-
come famous on the subject through his
defense of General John Magruder from the
charge that he was responsible for the
slaughter Of the confederate troops in that
engagement.
CAPTAIN Lamb at the time Of the battle
was an orderly sergeant attached to the
star OF General Magruder. The night after
the battle he was in Magruder's tent when
General Lee came in. The latter demanded
to know why General Magruder had ordered
I his men to charge when inevitable defeat
3 and disaster awaited them.
: General Lee" Magruder answered, q
[ charged because you three lines. ordered
me to. I was not able to get my men ready
/ for the charge when you gave the order the
first and second times, but when you gave
! the order a third time we started"
General Lee, says Captain Lamb, admitted
that this was true, and 1t was not until re-
5 cent years that General Magruder has beer
t charged with the responsibility for the dis
aster. Captain Lamb is the only man nov
living who has personal knowledge OF th'
meeting between Lee and Magruder th'
night after the battle.
= Uncle Joe" Cannon. the next speaker o
the house of Representatives, has reversed
. the natural order OF things and is growing
young instead of old. Five years ago he wa
posting himself on the best beds for in
valids because he was convinced that tn
e multiplicity OF ailments from which h
e suffered would soon drive him between tn
T blankets. He says that among other thing
he had rheumatism and dyspepsia unit
he was as irritable and hdgety as an oil
= woman" Now, "Uncle Joe" is the health
a lest man in the house. He can eat appl
I pie and cheese at midnight and go HON
and sleep like a log. The change cam
: when he adopted one of those physics
I culture and hygiene systems which are S
n generally advertised In the magazines. II
has carefully observed the diet end of tn
system and carried out the exercises. AS
result he says he is feeling so kittenish
that people are talking about him. tn
other day, while making a speech, thos
who sat near him observed that he wa
doing many queer things with his arm
while he was talking. After he had hnishe
he was asked about his unusual movement
" well" he observed, my system says
take ten minutes OF movement No. 5 ever
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