St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial correspondence

the retention of the new $4,000 piano
in the east room of the restored White
House. The consulting artists who had
charge Of the furnishings and decora-
tons have placed the seal of their dis
approval upon the instrument, notwith-
standing it is said to be the finest and
most expensive piano ever manufac-
tured in this country. The instrument
looks as if it were carved from bur-
nished gold, for its entire exterior has
been heavily plated with gold leaf. But
the objection is made that it is the only
piece of furniture in the room which
is not subordinate to a general scheme,
and therefore ii, presence is not want
ed. Mr.. McKim, the architect, insisted
that only metal pieces and frames OF
mirrors be gilded in the decorations of
the room, and the piano stands out in
bold defiance of this artistic ultimatum.
1t blazes with splendor from the claws
of it's legs of carved eagles to the rich
silken covering Of yellow.
Mr.. McKim does not think Of criti-
cising it's worth as a piano. No one
could honestly do that. But he refuses
to regard it other than as an intrusion
and consequently has raised his voice
in disapproval.
From White House to Beer Garden.
In Washington beer garden stands
the magnificent sideboard which the
young women of Cincinnati gave to
Mrs. Lucy Webb Hayes when she was
mistress of the White House as token
of their approval of her action in bar
ring wine from the menu of the presi-
dental dinners.
The sideboard, which remained wine
less during the Hayes administration,
is now filled with siphOns, bittcrs de-
canters and liquor bottles. On the top
shelf is a row of fine old German beer
stems.
The sideboard was put up at an auc-
ton of discarded White House furni-
ture last week and was knocked down
to the proprietor of beer garden for
SS5. which is much less than the mate
rial cost the young women of Cincin-
natl who did the inlay work. Mrs.
Bellamy Storer, wife of the ambassa-
dor to Austria, and Mrs. William Taft,
wife of the civil governor of the Phil
ippines, both contributed to the deco
rating work.
A Question of Binding.
In his latest annual report Librarian
Putnam makes special feature of the
question of binding, which has become
serious one in the library of con-
gress. Excluding duplicates, the libra
ry now has in it's main collection near
ly $4,000 unbound books and more than
100000 pamphlets, legacy from years
of constant accumulation before the re-
moval from the capitol building Their
presence accounts for his request for
an appropria Son large enough to pay
for binding them at the government
printing office the branch bindery al
the library being inadequate for such
a mass of work. He also finds the let
tering Of books on the back pretty
troublesome concern. In the case of
some society publications the titles
have called for more than dozen
lines, of which the cost has been as
high as 80 cents a volume.
They Like Detective Stories.
."Metcalfe," said Senator Platt OF
Connecticut to the representative from
California, "do you like to read booksT
"Yes," replied Metcalfe.
"What kind of books do you like tc
read?"
"Well to tell the TRUTH" said Met
calfe, with some hesitation, Il like tC
read detective stories about as well as
anything"
"Old Sleuth?" asked Senator Platt.
Eyes"
"With villain in them?"
Eyes"
$50 do l." rumbled Senator Plat
| Then he stalked away.
They Sit In Twelve Dollar Chairs.
In the corridors at the south end Of
the capitol the luxurious management
of the house is now apparent. Hand
some doorkeepers and committee mes
sengers no longer sit in ordinary
chairs. They have furniture in keep
ing with the splendid furnishings anG
beautiful panels that now abound.
Hereafter every doorkeeper and ev
cry messenger who comes down t
Washington is assured of a $12 chair
The house has a multitude of them
| Just from the manufactures. For for
| ty-two articles of this ornamental an(
substantial furniture to be used BY
men who guard the statesmen from
| intrusion the government has just pu
down $500 in cash.
An International Money Conference
In continuation of the administra
| tons efforts to secure an adjuStmen
of the ratio of gold and silver currency
in the orient and other silver basis
countries a proposition for the appoint
ment of an expert commission of three
men to represent the United States il
an international monetary conference
along the lines indicated by the Chi
nese and Mexican notes will be pre-
scented to congress soon. The commits
sioners, it is planned, will not have
power to commit the United States t.
any modification of its currency sys
TEN, but merely will secure informa