Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-29
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes and sketchet
on the spot.

In the District OF Columbia. 1t was the
deed to what is known as the "Glen Echo"
property. which sold for 5000. In the
early '90s this property was purchased by
two brothers. who spent in all about $1,000
600 in making a beautiful suburban park
and residence section to Washington. A
beautiful hotel was erected and there was
every prospect Of a hourishing and popular
suburban community. Men of wealth were
attracted by the beauty of the park and
investments were discussed most encour-
agingly until the crash came upon the ac-
cession of the democrats to the control Of
the national government. The unfortunate
brothers disposed Of part Of their holdings
to a C~hautauqua association, which in turn
expended about 100000 on the property.
The blow received during the hard times
could not be survived, however, and after
dragging along for several years the prop
erty was finally disposed of last week for
the pitiful sum Of $4,000.
The Postoflce department has Just closed
a contract for the delivery of mail at
Point Barrow. Alaska, the most northern
point on this continent. By the terms of
the agreement the residents Of that far-of
settlement will get their letters regularly
twice during the winter months.
III AH0 pdbN AAtg BOA OAlC vi wv ANe
a year, and they were at irregular inter
walls, depending on the sailings of vessels
of the revenue cutter service. Under the
old conditions one of these vessels would
arrive at Point Barrow in the middle sum-
mer and probably another late in the fall.
s. r. Spriggs. a white man and a teacher
in the school at Point Barrow, has agreed
to deliver mails at that point twice during
the winter months. He is to make a round
trip from Katzebue. on the east coast OF
Alaska, and some 700 miles distant from
Point Barrow. He is to leave Point Barrow
about the list of November and about Feb
ruary 10. He will arrive at Katzebue about
December 10 and April l, taking about
forty-fve days for each Journey. For the
making of these two trips per year he is
to receive a compensation of $500, or $3.50
for each trip.
Spriggs will employ reindeer on these
Journeys. There are only about fifty or
sixty persons who will be served on this
route. Some of them reside at Point Hope,
which the carrier is also required to touch.
At Point Barrow there is a fishing sta
ton and a mission school. The few people
served makes this the most expensive pos
tai route that the government maintains.
There was some doubt at the department
as to the wisdom of making this compare
lively heavy outlay Of money in view of the
fact that only a few dozen people would
be benefited. The thing that decided in its
favor was the isolated condition of the
brave Americans who teach in the mission
| school at Point Barrow.
Adiutant General Corbin ~contemplates
turning farmer when he retires from ac-
tive service. He has just secured a small
- " t. "a Fa-l41~,NIa tYhYYwh
of Washington. and proposes to carry out
some Of the ideas he often discusses in
leisure moments with fellow officers. He
wants a place where he can revel in the
fruits of the garden, orchard and field of
his own raising and be sure that the spring
chicken, which he likes fried Maryland
style, does not bear a 5-year-old birthmark.
He is now busily engaged in selecting
fruit trees, building fences, discussing pouL
try and cattle will the old farmers he
meets in driving or riding through the
country and says that when he leaves the
service, four or five years hence, 1t will be
for a life of ideal comfort where he can
hear the Growing of the ROSTERS, the grunt-
ing of the pigs and the lowing of his
Jersey cattle. General Corbin was born on
a farm and he has never lost his love for
the soil, nor forgotten the good things
| IndI UlOlICI W iAAeaNNt
buckwheat cakes, homemade maple syrup
and pumpkin pies. He says he may have
to depend upon Senator Proctor of Yer
mont for the pure maple syrup supply, but
he proposes to raise his own pumpkins and
grow his own ~buckwheat.
zone of the most serious difficulties en-
~countered in the administrator of affairs
in the Philippines" says a Washington dis
patch to the Chicago Tribune. lis the bad
effect the climate has on the health of Of
hcials. Almost without exception one after
another has broken down and 1t has been
necessary for them either to resign and re-
turn home permanently or to take Ions and
frequent leaves of absence.
1.-THE climate in most instances has caused
a general breaking down Of the nervous
system, followed by complete collapse, while
in many other cases the minds of patients
were seriously affected, a large number of
the officers and men becoming either tenn
porarily or permanently d%eranged. Another
peculiarity of the climate and conditions
existing In the Philippines is that many
officials, officers and men of the army and
navy, have had severe attacks of nostalgia,
or, in old-fashioned words, inconsistencies,
which made them i'll and incapacitated
them for work.
The military governors stood the strain
much better than did the civil governors,
and Generals Merritt, Otis. Macarthur,
Chaffee and Davis were not affected seri-
ously enough to necessitate laying aside
their work, although all Of them felt the
bad effects of the climate. 1t is a matter
of record that General Otis was at his Office
every day during his term Of service as
military governor.
with the civil governors, however, the
direct reverse is true, for every civilian
member OF the two Philippine commissions
has been I'll as a result of the climate, with
the exception OF Colonel DENLY, who, not
withstanding his 70 years, stood the
climatic and other conditions existing in the
Philippines and returned to the United
States in perfect health. Prof. Jacob G.
Schurmann, who was the president OF the
first Philippine commission, suffered several
attacks of the breakdown peculiar to those
people who went to the islands. Governor
Taft, present head OF the Philippine gov
eminent, has been i'll the greater portion
OF the time since he went TO the Philip
pines and II was necessary for him to re-
turn to the United States to save his life.
He has had assesses Of the bowels and
two or three operations have been per-
for,,ad The woYpd mada nv the opara-