The leader., 1904-01-27
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence. j

Smithson.
Professor Bell offered three years ago
to bring the remains of Smithson here
at his own expense aud renewed the Of
fer last spring. The action is taken
with the sanction and authority Of the
regents of the Smithsonian institution.
1t is expected that there will be no OPP
position to the removal OF the body, as
EInithson had but one relative, neph-
ew, who died many years ago.
The removal of the remains here at
this time is desirable because a stone
quarry has encroached on the English
cemetery at Genoa to such an extent
that 1t has become necessary to move
the bodies buried there.
The plans for the interment of Smith
sons remains in Washington have not
been fully arranged, but it is intended
that there shall be tomb erected on a
suitable site and that the ceremony of
interment where Smithson's benefac-
ton and his name have become best
known shall be fitting one.
The matter has been discussed in To-
cal scientific circles, where the opinion
prevails that the grounds Of the Smith
sonian institution are the proper site
for the final resting place of Smithson's
remains.
The Presidents and the Birds.
President Theodore Roosevelt pays
the penalties of his position with an
always smiling face. None of his Wis
itors who call to see him for the sole
purpose of telling the folks at home
that they have shaken his hand and
| few of the politicians who are anxious
about the consulates at Lake Tchad,
Africa, and Himalaya Point, Asia, re-
aiize the utter WEAKNESS that is be-
hind that smile.
There are smiles and smiles, how
ever. The other night the front door
Of the White House swung inward,
and a man with a portfolio under his
arm entered and gave his card to an
attendant. In less than a minute the
visitor was with the president, whose
face was glowing with the satisfac-
ton of the greeting. For the rest Of
the evening politicians, diplomats and
Washington swelldom were barred,
and Theodore Roosevelt sat at q table
side by side with his caller for an
evening Of unadulterated enjoyment.
The White House visitor was Louis
Agassiz Fuertes, the bird artist, and
he had brought portfolio full of his
drawings for the president to praise or
criticise at his own sweet will. There
was everything in the pictures, from
the golden crowned kinglet to the sand
hill crane, and there was nothing in
the whole feathered range that was
unfamiliar in life to the president of
the United States.
Washington Barracks.
Work has just been completed on
the reclamation of the Washington bar
racks military reservation at the old
arsenal, which includes the straighten-
ing Of the sea walls on the Potomac
and James creek canal sides and the
addition of twenty-eight acres of made
ground. The big force of dredges has
beyond recognition, while large force
under Captain Sewell Of the engineer
department is hard at work recon
structing the place and erecting about
thirty new garrison buildings. When
completed-and about $2,500,o00 is to
be expended there-the post will be
one Of the handsomest and most de-
sirable in the country.
New White House Trees.
Colonel Symons, superintendent of
public buildings and grounds, has Sc
lected the two trees which he proposes
planting near the entrance to the east
ern terrace of the White House. They
will be variety of beech closely re-
sembling the cut leaf species, of which 1
four were planted to the north of the
western terrace. They will be taken
from Garfield park, in this city. The
little oak tree planted by President
Mckinley is fast becoming one of the
things visitors ask to be shown.
Bills For Monuments.
Dozens of bills have been introduced
for monuments and statues of various
military heroes and some distinguished
statesmen and for men of literary
fame. Some of these bills are favor
ably reported, some pass the senate,
but the house has not felt the CULVER of
patriotism and sentiment to such a de-
gree as to insure many of them ever
becoming laws.
Bibles For West Virginia.
What is all this going on heref'
asked visitor in the committee room
of Senator Scott, where a lot Of Bibles
were being packed up.
"Oh, schoolteacher down in West
Virginia wrote me that she couldn't get
Bibles for her scholars, !" replied the
senator, $50 | sent out and got sup
ply for her.
Too Much of 1t.
Representative Sulzer of New York
asked unanimous consent for reprint
Of bill which he had introduced.
Let us hear the title" said Repre-
sentative Payne, and Sulzer read
"A bill to regulate commerce with
foreign nations. to make preference in
the use OF American vessels in the
postal service at sea and to promote
American commerce"
II shall have to. object to that, Mr..
Speaker" said Payne. 'There is too
much of it. ILaughter.l move that
the house now adjourn
A Committee That Doesn't Meet.
You are on good committees" said
one senator to Senator Elkins Of West
Virginia, and he enumerated the list,
ending with the committee on rules 81
thought it fine committee said the
senator, when got on 1t, but it never
meets" This is almost fact, and 1t is
not very encouraging to those who
want to change the rules of the senate.