St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-03-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial Correspondence

Year after year goes by, and still the
.frescoing at the base of the dome Of the
capitol is not completed. Designed orig
Inallv to represent the chief historical
events of America and more particular
IL the United States, it extends nearly
around the great circle, beginning with
q nicture representing the discovery Of
America by Columbus and ending with
the discovery of gold in California. A
GOOD deal of history is depicted, but
there vet remains considerable space.
The blank is very unsightly, and nearly
every one says it ought to be filed
But how? That is the question. If you
care to listen to the guides who may be
showing visitors about the capitol, you
will learn that difficulties have arisen
history of the country. Naturally the
civil war and the end at Appomattox
would be the next picture, but the
guide explains that there is little dispo-
sition to place upon the wall anything
tending to offend one section Of the
country as an AppomattoX picture
might, and great difficulty has been
found in picturing an event which
should be historically accurate and
alike creditable to both sides in the
great struggle. 1t has been suggested
that the war might be passed over, and
at one time it was seriously proposed
senting the Centennial and the World s
fair commemorative the discovery by
Columbus.
SibIey's Red Devil.
Its metal fittings and castings glisten-
Ing in the bright sunlight, the red
devil of Representative Sibley every
morning pokes its front up Capitol hill.
Steadily it moves up the incline, gen
orally bearing coterie of big Drained
members whom Mr.. Sibley has picked
up along the way or called for at their
own domicies. The great machine,
with its substantially upholstered seats,
proceeds with all the magnifcence and
splendor of triumphal car, for Mr..
Sibley is now as much of connoisseur
In motor vehicles as he once was in
horsefesh when he drove a span of the
prettiest black horses that ever stepped
up Pennsylvania avenue.
BY the noon hour the red devil has
disappeared up town, but it comes
again Late every afternoon Mr.. Sib-
ley energies from the capitol, and rare
1t is that more of the big Drained mem
bers are not with him. The red devil
begins to puff and snort Mr.. Sibley
grasps the wheel, they coast down the
hill and pick a way toward home and
dinner. No jehu in Washington holds
his seat more proudly than the Penn
sylyanan as the champion chauffeur of
the champion red devil of the federal
capital
To Save Labor.
The postofiice appropriation bill
passed by the house contains an i'm
portant provision that has not attract
ed much attention. 1t provides that
hereafter postoffices shall accept for
transmission in the mails quantities of
not less than 1000 identical pieces Of
third and fourth class matter without
postage stamps affixed, provided that
the postage is fully prepaid. This ac-
ton was recommended strongly by
Third Assistant Postmaster General
Madden in the interest of economy to
the government and the business pub
lie. Under its provisions this proposed
legislation will save the expense of
manufacturing stamps, the sale of
them to the public and the subsequent
labor Of canceling the stamps on the
individual pieces in the postofiices aft
er they are mailed. 1t will also save
the public the work of attaching post
age stamps to the individual pieces of
mail.
His Unique Record.
John Henry Ketcham of the Twenty
first district of New York gets as much
distinction as does John Wesley Gaines,
who appears oftener in the Congress
sional Record than any other repre-
sentative in congress. Nh ketcham
has served in congress for thirty-tWo
years, and in all that time he has never
said a word on the floor of the house
which has been reported by the official
stenographers. The oply words he has
ever uttered aloud in the national leg
lslative hall are Yes" and NO when
voting. While he has maintained this
unbroken silence he has been very
effective worker, being particularly ac-
tive in committee work. He is the only
member of the house, young or OLD,
who has never taken part i'll debate
and who has never made Il statement
In the house. Mr.. Ketcham is very
deaf, and he will not join in debate for
fear his disability will cause him to
make blunder.
Plums In the New Department.
Candidates for assistant secretaries
of the wv department of commerce
are be..1 unloaded on the president
right along. and he will continue to
hear of good men and true" until he
has finally disposed of the importuni-
ties by sending to the senate all the
important nominations belonging to
the new department. Mr.. Benjamin
+. Barnes, assistant secretary at the
White House, whose transfer to the
new department as assistant secretary
was regarded as a foregone conclu-
sion because of his close relations with
Secretary Cortelyou, has decided that