Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-21

~~1
Referring to an article that appeared In
The Evening Star of the 18th instant. to
the effect that a lady clerk in the quarter
master generals office who had recently
become a believer In Christian science and
the faith cure had submitted question to
the War Department for decision In regard
to her rights to sick leave, 1t is ascertalned
from the chief clerk of the quartermaster
generals bureau that so far as that office is
concerned no such decision has been re-
quested by any lady employee.
There is but one lady employed in that
Office who Is a believer In Christian science
and she has been a member of that church
for three years or more and has never ofh-
cially raised the question for decision or
the War Department with reference to SICK
leave.
1t is further ascertained that the record
of the female employees In that bureau for
attendance is fully equal to that OF the
males. and that only three ladies out OF a
force of about fifty have been absent on &C
count of sickness for thirty days each dur
ing the past calendar year, and these were
cases of prolonged serious illness necessi-
tating in some instances hospital treat
ment.
IL is also fact that several lady clerks.
In order to preserve their record of attend
ance have awaited themselves of the priv
ilege of charging absence from sickness to
annual leave
while the hand gun Of the American
soldier has a grooved BORE said military
man to Star reporter, "the same Is true of
all modern types of ordnance, from a re-
volver to the monster 16-inch cannon. Con-
seQuently, all of them, regardless of bore or
use are properly called rifles. The term
rifle describes the type OF gun and not its
size or callber. According to General Gro
zier, chief OF ordnance Of the army, the dis
tinctive name of the gun carried by SOL
der Is "musket" that being the only proper
name for the gun carried and operated by
the soldier. Muskets were used during the
revolutionary war, when the soldiers car
RED flint locks; during the civil war, when
they carried the Harper's Ferry musket
and they are now used, In the form Of the
Krag-Jorgenssen magazine musket. Rifles
are modern invention, and as already
said the term includes all firearms having
grooved bores, from the smallest to the
largest By the way, the War Department
hasn't yet finally selected the name Of the
musket which Is to displace the krag-
Jorgenssen If the tests now in progress are
successful. 1t Is magazine gun, and diff
fers mainly from the Krag-Jorgenssen in
having the magazine beneath the barrel
officers of the ordnance department as an
Improvement on several other models. Be
cause II Is manufa ctured at the government
arsenal at Springfield. Mass. General Gro
zier calls It "The Springfield, model of 1903.' %
but 1t is probable that some more dis
tinctive name will be selected In order to
distinguish 1t from the more familiar
Springfield gun of former models. used by
the army for many years following the civil
war"
The person who forgets or overlooks a
social engagement, especially IL 1t be for din
ner, occupies an extremely embarrassing
position" The man who gave expression to
this very obvious proposition elected not a
word either Of assent or dissent from the
group of three or four friends who were
enjoying after-dinner cigars. The fact is he
would have been surprised II that observa-
ton had proved to be an entering wedge
for conversation and much more so IL 1t
had started controversy. The speaker
had merely taken a good start, as the
athletes do for running jump. and what
he was after was to bring out rather
common annoyance an the lives of people
who like to enjoy the society of their
friends.
However he went on, "a treacherous
memory or even carelessness Is recog-
nized frailty of human nature. and every
T..
At any rate, 1t is an explanation of a cir
cumstance which might prove to be cause
OF much feeling, unlsss some mutual I'M
Outstanding was reached.
But what are you going to do" he went
on. about Invitations which are not re-
ceived? The person issuing the invita- ton
has your maine on the list, and the card to
you is treated just like many others. But
you not only fail to put In an appearance
at the function. but you make no ac-
acknowledgement in the way of regret or
otherwise. How is the sender to know that
through some error in transmission or stu
pidity of a servant the invitation never
reaches its destination? He does not know
Il. All he realizes is that you have totally
ignored him, and unless he seeks an eX-
PLANTATION directly ne has every reason to
believe that he has been sighted
Every one agreed with the speaker that
such a situation was full of danger, and
then followed a succession of experiences
which confirmed what had been said as to
the fatalities which are apt to ensue after
q mishap OF that character.
X y
The Treasury Department has just rem
dered a decision that malangos are not
yams. To reach this conclusion 1t was nee
sssary that a consultation should be held
between the Secretary of the Treasury and
the Secretary of Agriculture. The latter
official. from his superior knowledge Of
vegetables. was looked to for the expert
information. Malangos were furnished and
also yams. and the pot was set merrily
boiling. When the Secretary had finished
his judicial repast he declared with empha-
sfS that malangos were not yams. The
Secretary neglected to state what malangos