Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-03
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
minor scenes and Incidents sketched
on the SPOT.

Oh ~ eNNhe
A fascinating story Of wealth scooped In
from a small investment in a mining claim
was syndicated over the country recently
by an enterprising California space filler.
Senator Depew was the central figure in
the story. His comfortable position on
Easy street was ascribed to fortunate in
vestments in mining camps, and the i'm
preston was clearly conveyed TO the
reader that the road to wealth was along
the Depew route without change OF cars
and personally conducted. AS soon as the
story appeared Washington correspondents
rushed for the senator's home to tender
congratulations and catch the festive in
terview on the wing. This is what the
senator said:
THE idea Of investing in western mines
and in arid lands which can be irrigated at
little cost and made to yield Eve crops a
year has always been attractive to me. In
the course Of my life l have invested in
twenty-six mines and in one irrigation
farm. With one exception the mines in
which l have invested either ran out or
we're sailed, and, in the case OF the farm,
water never reached It. But the Bagdad
mine was a good investment, although the
story, as telegraphed from the Pacific
coast, is not exactly correct. II the sale
goes through all right ! shall probably re-
coup all my investments of a lifetime in
that sort Of property. The mine has not
actually been sold, but the parties have an
option on il which expires some time next
month, and / understand that there is no
question about their accepting it"
President Roosevelt has made more post
once appointments since he began his term
OF ONCE than any Of his predecessors in the
same length Of time. The records OF the
Postofhce department, says the Washington
Post. show that during the first session
Of congress under President Roosevelt's
administration he nominated 2,611 presi-
Dental postmasters, or considerably more
than enough to fill half the presidential Of
fees in the country. OF these named seven
teen we're withdrawn, two were rejected
by the senate, nineteen failed to secure con-
frmation. leaving 2.573 who we're con-
hrmed. That was his record up to the
beginning Of the second session Of the
Fifth-seventh congress. During the recent
session many more we're nominated, with
only a few unconfrmed when congress adj
journed on March 4.
This unprecedented record has been
made regardless Of the trouble that is met
with in. filling the southern offices, where
charges and counter charges are made by
factional differences that exist. The pres
ident has a faculty of settling a postofice
appointment in his own decisive method,
which is a solution of the problem Of the
vast humber appointed.
Soon after he became chief executive
in 1901 an unusually large number Of COM
missions had expired, which fact made 1t
imperative for the reappointment Of many
or for new appointments; besides, pros
porous times in many localities has in
creased the number of presidential Offices.
Souvenir hunters have made so free with
triHes found on tables and stands In the
White House that some action became
necessary. One party of young women
visitors recently made away with about
everything movable except the furniture.
They carried of pens, pencils, pads of
paper. blotters and the tops of every ink
bottle in sight. They would have taken
the ink bottles, but they were filled. Since
then the waiting room has always been kept
prepared for souvenir hunters. One of the
tables on which writing materials were
kept has been removed and the. other has
nothing on 1t but an ink bottle and a few
plain cards. When a caller wants to fill
out a card he is given a pen by an attend
ant. who takes 1t again as soon as he is
through.
When Justice Day was sworn In as men,
Der Of the United States supreme court
the other day a newspaper man happened
to hear the reading of the oath as 1t was
administered. The paragraph imposing
|, strict justice to poor and rich alike struck
the reporter as something unusual, and he
wrote a nice story about the changed oath
, that was fixed up to have special appli-
, cation on the cases of suits brought against
the trusts. The yarn was dressed up IL
an interesting fashion and made an enter
tanning story. 1t was copied and is nov
going the rounds among the weekly papers
As a matter Of fact, the oath taken by
, Judge Day is the same that every associate
justice takes, and is identical with thai
! subscribed to by Justice John Marshall
|, 1t was not changed in any respect what.
= ever.
: There was an examination at the weather
. bureau In Washington the other day fol
. candidates for the position OF assistant
weather observer, notes the New Yorl
World. These are some OF the
: THE dew-point is a needle point Of
p steel, and is determined by the rise ant
4 fall of a barometer"
q "a thunderstorm is the burning up o.
a the carbonaceous matter and surplus o
nitrogen OF the air."
THE arid region Of the United States
is a good place for bear and other animals
covered with wool; but. on account o
N numerous icebergs it is not a good place 70
navigation, for the abode OF man or FOL
vegetation"
The following is an extract from q com
petitor's letter:
g This here letter writing is the wors
e thing you could give me. In the first place
my wrist is lame, so / can't write; and fl
k the second place. I'm like the sailors par
rot-a hell of a thinker, but a poor talker.
: Personal NOTES.