Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-01-23
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial correspondence

| the members of the house of repre-
sentatives in the rear of representa-
tives' hall. The chairs are luxurious
affairs, upholstered in buff leather,
while the couches and sofas are of the
same material. The rugs and pictures
are as fine as those found in any of
the public buildings, and here the MEM
bers retire and smoke and gossip and
yet are able to keep track of what Is
going on in the house through the
wide, swinging glass doors. There is
but one rule in the smoking room, and
it applies to that used by the Demo-
Gratis as well as that of the Repub-
lcans. 1t hangs In the center Of the
wall of each and reads, strangers
and cigarettes not permitted in this
room" The rule is religiously obeyed,
although nobody seems to know who
| first promulgated it. The most afro
cious cabbage cigar is permitted to ex-
haust ITSELF but the finest Turkish
cigarette is not tolerated for an instant.
Recently Congressman Joy of Missouri,
who is a confirmed consumer Of paper
pipes, inadvertently lighted one In the
Republican smoking room. Before he
had taken a second Whit several Of
the members ordered an assistant SER
geant-at-arms to read the rule to him.
Mr.. Joy dropped his cigarette and
made his way to the house restaurant,
where everything goes.
White House Electric Plant.
The lighting of the White House will
be feature of future receptions. The
| rehabilitation of the White House in
cluded the installation of a complete
new electric. plant. The contract was
let to Harry Alexander Of New York.
Mr. Alexander sent one Of the most ex
pert electricians in the country to su-
perintend the work. This was Charles
NJ. Maxwell, who had been in charge
of the electrical exhibits at the Paris
exposition and who was formerly su-
perintendent of electric lighting for
George A. Fuller & Co., the contractors
and builders. Mr.. Maxwell took great
pride In the work and has received
many compliments on his successful
efforts. Speaking of the plant, Mr..
Maxwell said:
"The electrical installation in this
building is the result Of six months
hard work. There are in all about 1885,
900 feet Of electric wire, all of which is
inclosed in iron conduits, each system
being entirely distinct one from an
other"
To Patrol the Atlantic Coast.
One Of the most important develop
ments Of the new system Of naval
mobilization adopted by the navy de-
partment is the establishment Of
coast division of the north Atlantic
squadron. Its duty will be to patrol the
Atlantic coast. Rear Admiral ]. II.
Sands now in command of the League
Island navy yard, will be given the
command, with the battleship Texas as
his flagship, the squadron including the
monitors Puritan, Amphitrite, Man
tonomoh, Terror and Arkansas and the
monitors Nevada and Florida as soon
as they are commissioned, together
with the torpedo boat destroyers Deca-
tur and Chauncey, half dozen torpedo
boats comprising a torpedo boat fiotilla
and the submarine Holland and subma-
rines Adder and Moccasin when they
are commissioned.
Bachelors Are Scarce.
The woeful absence of the eternal
masculine In Washington has an impor-
tant bearing upon the leniency of social
arbiters. The national capital comes
dismally near being an Adamless Eden
SO far as single men are concerned.
Owing to the dearth of commercial
and industrial possibilities practically
all the ambitious young men migrate as
soon as they are old enough to come
to realization of the situation, where
as most of the men who come to the
dream city on the Potomac as members
of congress or to assume governmental
positions are married, and not few Of
them leave sons at home and bring
daughters-allured by the prospect Of
social career-to swell the hopeless sur
plus of young unmarried women.
Senator HOar's Little Joke.
"Can l say that you have been talk
Ing to the president on the trust prob
lemW asked reporter Of Senator Hoar
when he came out Of the presidents
Office this morning. The senator smiled
his most seraphic smile, stopped, looked
at the sky and said.
LET me see. Yes, you could say that.
Certainly you could say it,
'Then, senator the reporter inter
rupted.
Senator Hoar waved his hand.
"Yes," he said again, "you could say
that, but it wouldn't be true"
And the venerable man from Massa-
chusetts chuckled for three blocks.
One Senator Nelson.
During the speech Of Senator Nelson
of Minnesota against the admission of
Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona
as states the senator said that 30 per
cent of the population of New Mexico
is Spanish and Mexican. Delegate Ro-
dey of New Mexico, who was listening