The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-09-04
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence.l

Especial correspondence
Work on the great tunnel which will
lead under Capitol hill to the Union
depot at Massachusetts and Delaware
avenues has been begun. Mr.. e. G.
Williams, representing the New York
Continental-Jewell Filtration company,
contractors for the tunnel under agree
ment with the Pennsylvania railroad,
has been at the District building going
over with the engineer authorities the
various details Of the preliminary
plans for several days.
The construction of this tunnel will
be one of the most important features
Of the Union station project. The con-
tracing company is making elaborate
plans for carrying on the work.
One of the problems to be solved is
the disposition Of the thousands Of tons
Of earth to be removed from the exca-
walton. The contractors have leased
a wharf lear the foot Of South Capitol
street and will construct a narrow
gauge railway from the tunnel mouth
at the junction of New Jersey avenue
and D street southeast to the wharf.
The dirt will be taken down the river
on barges and disposed of wherever
conditions will permit. A great guam
tity Of the earth will be transported to
the new Long bridge for filling in the
approach to that structure.
Baggage Men to Handle Newspapers.
Baggage men on trains not provided
with mail clerks are to be employed by
the post Office department to take
charge of and deliver open newspaper
mail, according to a decision of Post
master General Payne. For the pres
ent the new service will be tried as an
experiment. Later it may be much ex-
tended.
This decision has been reached after
much consideration, and in response to
a petition flied by many of the leading
newspaper publishers of the country
who asked the department to provide
of papers along the lines from trains
which carry only closed pouches.
There are Il large number Of such
trains, and as the department is not
represented by an employee on them
the postmaster general declined to as
sumo responsibility for papers not in
closed in the pouches. Second Assist
ant Postmaster General Shallenberger
then suggested the expedient Of en-
r1ovi,,~ +1,.. lo ,,o., ~
charge Of the mail in such cases. and
the suggestion was adopted.
ret Roots Retirement.
Secretary Root. who has gone to Lon
don to attend to his duties as a mem
Der Of the Alaskan boundary commits
sion. will return to Washington in the
fall after the work on the boundary
commission has been completed. 1t
probably will be merely for the purpose
of preparing his last annual report and
winding up the affairs of his admins
tration.
The secretary does not expect to re-
main in the cabinet after the first Of
the year. His purpose to retire was
formed several months ago. 1t was
not carried into effect partly on ac-
count of the added weight which will
be given to his counsel in the boundary
commission through his connection
with the administration 1t has been
the presidents earnest wish also that
he should remain at the head of the
war department just as long as he
could without too great a sacrifice of
his own interests.
Judge Taft, governor Of the Philip
pines. will be Secretary Roots success
sor if the present plans Of the admins
tration so into effect. This has been on
the cards for some time.
Hall of Records Site.
1t is announced at the treasury de-
partment that there will be little if any
of the property in square 143. between
q and r and Eighteenth and Nine
tenth streets, to be condemned by the
secretary of the treasury before the en-
tire square can be obtained by the gov
eminent as u site for the proposed hall
of records. Practically every property
owner in the square has now notified
the treasury of his willingness to part
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