Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-28
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Taking Leave of Retiring
Cabinet Officials.
TRIBUTES OF ESTEEM
NEW MEMBERS TO ATTEND MEET
ING ON FRIDAY.
Secretary Cortelyou to Take Rest
Arranging Sale Of Lands-Presi-
dents Return From Oyster Bay.

The cabinet meeting today had little
business before it, and leave taking OF At
torney General Knox and Secretary Cortel-
you as the principal features. Each cab
met officer paid tribute to the retiring fel-
low officials and there were expressions OF
good will and best wishes.
The President felicitated Mr.. Knox and
Mr.. Cortelyou on the prospects ahead OF
them, although again reitera ting his re-
grets that he should lose valuable and com
petent men. Mr.. KnoX's resignation has
been accepted to take effect July l, and on
that day there will probably be whole
sale swearing in Of cabinet officers at the
White House. Mr.. Moody will take the oath
Of office that day to succeed Mr.. Knox;
Representative Victor Metcalf Of California
will be sworn in as Secretary Of Commerce
and Labor, and Mr.. Morton is expected here
to take the oath as Secretary of the Navy.
The time of the arrival Of Mr.. Morton is
not definitely fixed, but it is understood at
the White House that he will soon be here.
All of the new members will attend their
first cabinet meeting Friday, and that
meeting will be the last that will be held
in Washington for some time
Mr.. Cortelyou to Take a Rest.
Secretary Cortelyou will not remain in
Washington long He intends to get away
for a brief vacation, without specifying his
whereabouts. The President has urged him
to take rest before ne begins the cam
paign and he will do so. There Is compare
lively little work for the national commit
tee to do now. There is much correspond
ence which Secretary Dover Will have no
difficulty in attending to, but Mr.. Corte-
you will be able to take vacation for a
few weeks without impairing the prospects
of his chief in any way. and when he re-
turns will be all the more qualified to take
up the work.
Sale of Indian Coal Lands.
Secretary Hitchcock had brief chat with
the President about the sale of 333 900
acres OF coal and asphalt lands belonging
to the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes Of
Indians in the Indian territory. The ar
rEngements for the sale of the lands by
sealed bids have been made, and will be
duly advertised. In the act of July l, 1902,
there were provisions for the sale of these
lands, chiefly valuable for their coal and as
phalt deposits. The Indian appropriation
act of the last Congress modified certain
provisions of the former act and required
that the Secretary of the Interior should
prescribe the terms of the sale in tracts not
exceeding $50 acres.
The rules and regulations for the coming
sale have been approved by the President.
districts. containing from 52.432 acres to
IS, S3S acres, and sealed bids for the pur
chase Of tracts within each district will be
opened at times specified Bids for tracts
in the first district will be opened in this
city October 3, and the sale days for the
other districts will be scattered over a pc
riOd of nearly a year, the tracts In the last
district being June of next year. block
cf asphalt lands, containing 800 acres. will
be sold August I, 1905.
Presidents Return From Oyster Bay.
Summer arrangements of the President
have been modified somewhat by the de
cision Of the notification committee of the
Chicago convention to inform Mr.. Roose-
welt officially of his nomination for the
presidency on July 81. The President had
expected to return to Washington several
days before the 9th of July He will await,
however, the formal notification of the
committee and return to Washington July
2S. After remaining here for about three
weeks he will return again to Oyster Bay
to stay until the latter part of September.
Invitations Could Not Be Accepted.
Gen. Thomas ]. Stewart, adjutant gen
eral Of the National Guard of Pennsyl-
vania, called on the President and extended
him invitation to attend the annual en-
campment Of the guard at Gettysburg from
July % to 80 this year. Gen. Stewart told
the President that Presidents Cleveland
and Harrison had attended encampment OF
the state guard in different years, and 1t
would be a pleasure to have him this year.
The President said that he would not be
able to accept the invitation, much to his
regret. There will be II 900 soldiers in the
encampment this year.
Col. B. f. Bingham, former commander
in-chief of the Potomac department of the
G. A. r., invited the President today to at
tend the unveiling of a monument to the
122d New York Volunteers on the battle
field where Early was repulsed July II at
3:30 o clock in the afternoon. The Presl-
dent said that 1t would be impossible for
him to be present as he would be at oyster
Bay at that time.
Postmasters Appointed.
Presidential postmasters were appointed
by the President today follows
IOwa-Schaller, c. G. Aldrich. New
York-Mohonk Lake, Daniel Smiley. Kan
sas-Halstead, f. J. Bookwalter; Gas,
Frank McKelvey. Pennsylvania-Berwyn
H. c. CARRIER. New Mexico-Roswell, Rob-
ert Killihan. Ohio-Findley, Theo Totten.
Henry Noll; st. Elmo !.
W. Arnold. Texas-La Porte, Geo. E. KEEP
pie.