The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-05-17
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON
Notes and Happsnings Complied at the
Capital nv Carl scoAeId,
[special correspondenee.I


Especial Correspondence
! Secretary Cortelyou has lately been
doing something in the Haroun-al-R as-
child business One evening recently
about 10 o'clock he called up Commits
sioner General Sargent Of the bureau
of immigration BY telephone and asked
him to get ready at once for trip to
New York and be at the Pennsylvania
railroad station in time for the mid
night train. That was the first notice
any one had Of the secretary's inten-
ton to visit Ellis Island. He appeared
at the immigration station the next
morning bright and early, and when
he returned three days later it was
with lot Of first hand information
which he thinks will prove very useful
in handling the Washington end Of the
service.
The President as a Handshaker.
President Roosevelt has succumbed
utterly to the Handwriting necessity.
| When he undertook the duties Of the
presidency he had an idea that much
valuable time had been wasted by his
predecessors In unnecessary saluta-
lions Of this kind and for many weeks
he did little promiscuous shaking. But
the pressure from the pump handle bri-
gade has been severe, and he has felt it
necessary to yield from time to time
until he is now one of the most expert
| grippers of the palm known to the
trade. Every day just before luncheon
he holds an informal reception at
| which from twenty to fifty persons,
mostly women, are presented and
greeted in the stereotyped manner. The
other morning he received visiting
delegation of one of the fraternal or
CARNATIONS, and report credits him
with shaking hands with 1900 men In
twenty minutes. On that day he is
said to have cut out his Japanese wres-
Ting practice.
Judicial Rcpartee.
At recent dinner Associate Justices
Harlan and Brewer of the United
| States supreme court were among the
guests. Both made brief speeches, in
to each other. Justice Brewer said it
| was popular error to suppose that
any law points were decided in the
Northern Securities case.
THE opinion of the court" said JUS
tice Brewer, with a merry twinkle in
his eye, twas delivered by my brother
Harlan
Later ON in the same speech Justice
Brewer said: "My brother Harlan is a
most lovable man, whom / have been
instructing in the law for fourteen
| years. Now, if Justice Harlan only
knew little more law he would make
good judge"
None enjoyed these humorous drives
more than Justice Harlan.
Scaling Down the Bill.
When man goes to law in the mat
ter of claim for damages he is in
clined to put the figure high, though he
may be fairly well satisfied if he gets
a 1.-THE of his demand. States seem to
be something like men In this matter
Of going to court with big bills. New
Hampshire, through its representative,
Senator Gallinger, asked congress to
give it $4,000 for some land coded by
the state to the general government in
| 1871. In Senator Gallinger's bill "for
the relief Of the state Of New Hamp-
shire 1t was stated that the sum
named was "a reasonable amount" A
committee took hold of the matter and
cut the $4,000 to $1,000, and Mr.. Gal
linger accepted the amendment with
smile that was sincerely grateful.
Young Women of the Navy.
| There is a large book outside the
door of the chief of the bureau Of navi-
cation in the navy department in
which all naval officers who report at
the department are { ypected to write
their names, when ~ arrived and
the probable date of eir departure.
The other day a number Of young
women who were attending the con-
gress of the Daughters Of the Ameri-
can Revolution explored the depart
ment. They found the register and
filed a page with entries like this be-
fore Admiral Taylor's Mortified mes
senger found out what was happening:
"Name, Mary Jones, Oshkosh; date
Of arrival April II; date of probable
departure, unknown"
He Played Poker.
When Senator Fairbanks first came
| to Washington he was unacquainted
with the extent to which the game of
poker was played by government off,
Gals. He was asked to recommend a
| man for appointment in the treasury
department.
| But be plays poker" protested the
senator.
''That makes no difference" said Sen
ator Pettus. IF all the poker players
in Washington were to lose their jobs
on that account there wouldn't be
enough Of us left to organize a debat-
ing society"
Looks Worse Than His Cartoons.
Representative Cushman relates that
when President Roosevelt was in the
state Of Washington last year he had
an enthusiastic reception. At one Of
the gatherings an old frontiersman
confided to Mr. Cushman that Roose-
welt was the greatest man he ever saw
and the greatest man who ever visited
/ the northwest. On being asked for
the reasons for his judgment the man
| replied