Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-16
BITS or WASHINGTON L,FE.
Minor scenes and sketched
on the spot.

AA e---a ~
on the spot.
Pension Commissioner Ware has a nice
sense Of honor which is not appreciated
by fellow Kansahs in the pension office.
During his absence from ONCE a few days
ago a paper was circulated among employees
Of the bureau asking for subscriptions to
the relief fund for food sufferers In the
sunfower state. Upon returning to his
desk COMMISSIONS Ware expressed disap-
prevail with the subscription movement and
peremptorily ordered that Il should be
stopped. In consequence he has been made
the subject Of adverse criticism. In this
matter the commissioner said he expected
to be misunderstood But knowing the
situation and sentiment in Kansas, he be-
lieves he was right in stopping the sub
scription. He made a liberal contribution
to the fund for relief. and is prepared to
give more II It shall be needed, but he
strongly objects to having a paper circu-
lated among the people of the pension office.
II object said the commissioner, ito
have a subscription paper circulated in the
bureau over which 1 preside. 1t might
suggest to those to whom the paper was
presented that IL a subscription was not
made those refusing would become per-
soma non grata with me. upon whom they
look as their chief. 1t might be regarded
as coercion. 1t is perfectly proper for
Kansans residing in Washington to assist
their fellow citizens who may be in dis
tress, and I feel the same interest in ac-
complishing the largest measure Of relief
that others do, but 1 cannot consent to
have a paper circulated for subscriptions
In the pension Office"
One Of the most peculiar as we'll as one
Of the rarest plants produced by nature is
the clock plant, and there is only one
specimen on view in the gardens of the
Agricultural department" said an employee
of that institution to a Washington Star
man.
The clock plant is a native of Borneo,
and in that country. even, 1t is said to be
as rare as In other sections of the world.
OF course, the plant derives it's name from
its peculiar habits, which are known to
but a few who have not studied the plant
from a scientific viewpoint. The plant
has leaves of two sizes, one Of which acts
in the capacity of a minute hand, which
keeps moving until about 4 o'clock in the
afternoon, and the other keeps going until
morning. The larger leaves act as the
hour hands.
Starting in a position when all of the
leaves lie close to the stem, with the
points hanging down, they rise gradually
until they turn toward the top. and then
they drop to their former position. 1t
takes the smaller leaves about one minute
to. go through this performance, and the
longer leaves just about an hour. When
the conditions are favorable this move
ment continues throughout the entire day,
but not such days as we have been having
lately.
1T requires good, warm sunshine for
the plants to perform this function. Such
days as we nave been having the leaves
move. but they do so In an imperfect and
Irregular manner. Why, sometimes the
large leaves cling so closely to the plant
that it looks like a huge bundle of twigs.
THE plant is delicate and extremely hard
to propagate, which accounts for the fact
that we now have only one of them. We
had several. but they have all died. The
plant bears a small flower like that OF a
pea, and its seed grows in a pod in the
same manner. 1t is hard to get it to seed
in this country. which makes it extremely
difficult to get seed for other plants"
Here is a story OF the presidents family
now going the rounds: THE present oc-
cupant Of the White House until the re-
cent renovation found It cramped quarters
for a large family. With one or two Of
tn, little Roosevelts Off at boarding school,
there were enough beds to go around, but
none to spare. Well, last winter the presi-
dent was entertaining a foreign envoy of
great state and many years, and invited
him to the White House over Sunday. He
was put In Ethel's room and Ethel, when
she came back from school Saturday, went
to sleep with Alice, but unfortunately
Kermit did not know of this arrangement.
80, when early morning came, mindful
of his strenuous inheritance, he crept to
Ethels room with a pitcher of water. and
softly opening the door without awakening
the %slumbering ambassador, dashed for
ward and threw the icy water over the bed
with the shouts:
"'Get up, you old lazy bones; get up
Then, when a gray head was lifted from
the pillows, dripping and alarmed. the as
constituent was mutual and the departure
of the youngster instantaneous-without his
pitcher"
In the room Of one OF the bureau chiefs
OF the Navy department a huge gong
adorns the wall over the door. 1t has not
been in use for a number of years-in fact
HOl bllCc a doSioAdiiN SCSlCtdlS VI
the navy retired from office and took up
the practice of law. And thereby hangs a
tale. It was told the Brooklyn Eagle cor
respondent by one of the department en-
ployes as follows,
Some years ago there was a bright civil
ian employed at the Naval academy as pro-
fessor of mathematics. The superintendent
Of the academy was a capable officer, but
one OF the s~trictest men in the service. In
fact, he was a perfect martinez, and, above
all things, delighted to show his authority
over the unfortunate civilians under his
control. SO the poor civilian professor led
a very unhappy life for a couple of years
A turn OF the wheel of fortune brought
both men to Washington some time later,
and each found himself on duty in the
Navy department. A happy political stroke
caused the appointment Of the former pro,
fessor OF mathematics to the position OF
assistant secretary OF the navy. The Off
Ger, in the meantime, had been promoted
to the chiefship OF the bureau. Things had
turned completely about in the short space
OF a few years. The civilian Official started
In at once to get revenge. He ordered &