St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-06-24
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence

It will not be the fault of govern
ment officials if the people of the coun-
try do not become well informed about
Alaska. its resources and possibilities.
The agricultural department has been
exploiting that great northwest terri
tory as a productive region that will
tempt the farmer, the gardener and
the dairyman. Its great lumber re-
sources are also being brought to the
attention of the country and other nat
ural sources of wealth outside of its
great gold deposits.
| Now the bureau of statistics of the
| department of commerce is giving par
ticular attention to the commerce Of
| Alaska, and the authentic figures that
have been gathered illustrate more
| forcibly than any enthusiastic pen pic
| ture of that territory the great bargain
| the United States secured from Russia
some thirty-six years ago. A bulletin
| just issued by the bureau of statistics
announces that this commerce in the
| fiscal year which ends with this month
will aggregate over $20,000,000, exclu-
sive of the gold output.
Not a Dead Duck.
"Do I look much like dead duck,
boysY was the question of Senator
Scott of West Virginia on coming out
of the presidents room the other morn
ing and encountering number of re-
porters 1t was admitted that Senator
Scott never looked more lively in his
life 81 don't think that have yet con-
scented to call in an undertaken to bury
my political aspirations" continued
Senator Scott when the newspaper
men had insisted on finding out what
his chances of reelection as senator
are. without a fight man would
get to feel tame after awhile. l don't
mind the fight. I am going to be re-
elected senator all right" Senator
Scott has two opponents for senator.
These are Henry Schmulbacker Of
Wheeling and ]. L. Caldwell of Hunt
ington. The stronger of these is said
to be Mr.. Caldwell, who halls from
portion of the state that has no repre-
sentation in the United States senate
and is claiming one of the senator's.
To Enamel Our Freedom.
The bronze statue of Freedom which
surmounts the huge dome of the cap
itol is to receive coat Of enamel. 1t
Lo of Iot
years on account of the accumulation
of verdigris which has given it bril-
liant green color. Opinion is divided
as to whether this accumulation should
be removed and the statue touched up
with a preparation that will preserve
a brighter bronze. Many artists claim
that the green on a bronze statue adds
to it's artistic appearance and should
never be touched. Those in charge Of
public buildings and statues, however,
do not subscribe to this idea and are
continually ordering bronze, granite
| and marble scraped and cleaned.
The statue Of Freedom was placed in
position thirty-eight years ago and
stands 10 feet 6 inches high and
weighs 1885 pounds.
Leopold to Visit Mr.. Walsh.
Thomas f. Walsh will have as his
| guest in the fall King Leopold of Bel
| GUM if the advancing age and strength
of the sovereign will admit of the jour-
ney. Mr.. Walsh has been guest of
the king at his palace, and on his last
visit King Leopold expressed his desire
to see America. The king will probably
travel incognito, with smaller suit
than is generally necessary to royal
train, and he and his full suit will be
entertained by Mr.. Walsh in his new
Massachusetts avenue residence. Al
most the entire third floor is being ar
ranged for the king.
A Large Department.
AS the department of commerce and
labor after July / will be one Of the
largest in the government, all Of the
bureaus cannot be accommodated in
the new building, Several Of them, in
Guiding the fish commission, the de-
partment of labor, the lighthouse es-
Enlistment, the census office and the
bureau of statistics, will remain in
their present quarters until a perma-
nent building has been erected. Some
of the other bureaus now in existence
in other departments will be moved to
the Willard building after July 1.
Receipts u Million "a Day.
Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury
Armstrong says customs receipts of the
government will average $1,000,000 a
day for June. Even if the receipts do
not amount to quite $1,000,000 a day,
they will exceed those for any June
in the history Of the government One
, feature of the imports is the fact that
$2,500,000 worth Of diamonds were re-
ceived recently. This exceeds all rec
ords. 1t is noticeable that luxuries are
exceeding all other imports.
Phi1OsOphic Felicity.
A Washington official went fishing
the other day and did not get bite.
The next day his colleagues rallied him
on his failure. did you ever hear
Grnyor ClavaIop1Jo ;6ao Of ho ~