Omaha daily bee., 1904-08-05
n1rs or wAsHINeTON LIFn.
Minor Scenes and Incidents sketehed
on the spot.

Minor Scenes and Incidents sketched
ON the spot.
with the regularly enrolled congressman
busled with their political fences, quite
bunch Of cranks OF the summer variety
| meander daily through the echoing halls OF
the capitol. The great building draws peo-
pe with wheels I'm their heads as well
| in summer as in winter. farmer from
| Currituck, n. c., who Is bent on finding
member OF congress who would Introduce
| certain reformatory measures In the house,
is followed by ''Dr" Walsh, who has
panacea for all ills. physical and political.
Then comes the old woman who christened
many OF the trees In the capitol parks.
Horrer Reynolds OF Alliance o., who has
scheme for collecting from Uncle Sam
millions OF dollars in imaginary rents due
him for the occupancy by imaginary peo-
pie OF imaginary houses, called at tho
! big building early last week. He told his
troubles to a capitol policeman and as a
result was locked up until the police sur
geons can make an examination of his
| mental condition.
Later in the week tall individual, with
| frayed suit Of black made his appearance
in the building. He sought the chief elec-
| trician but as that official had gone home.
/ the tall man promised TO return. He be-
came confidential with Harry Fordham
and told him he had invented a plan for
supplanting gas and electric lighting by
using stored sunlight for Illuminating
purposes.
During the darkest hours OF the night"
he said, ''I can flood this building with
generous sunshine at a comparatively
small cost"
He added that he expects to become a
millionaire in less than year after his
scheme goes into effect.
Contrary to general expectations, the
forthcoming report of Mr. Ware. the com
missioner OF pensions, will state that the
total number Of pensioners on the rolls is
still less than 100000 At the close of the
fiscal year 1903 there were s9s,545 pensioners
Mr. Ware has not yet received the final
and oficial figures for the month OF June
but from unofficial estimates handed to
him he believes that the record for 1904.
VIII be Just about what It was a year ago
ana that the Increase, II any, is small
There is only one thing that keeps the
total below 100000 and that is the heavy
mortality among the veterans. They are
dying Off at a rapid rate, but their places
are filled by pensioning widows and men
with no other disability than old age. Moro
than 5000 pensioners died during the month
OF May and the monthly average will soon
be 5000. Commissioner Ware says that
II 1t were not for the widows of old sol,
oilers the pension roll would shrink with
regularity, despite the operation of order
No. 7S
The National JobbinR companv NJ Rocb-
! ester N. Y, has been denied use Of tba
mails by an order issued by the postofBce
department. The company has done an az
tensive business in the past seven months
ana r I'd branches in New York Pittsburg
chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis. II ad-
Vertised for branch office managers, etc.
ohering salaries Of $50 per week, but re-
quiring deposits OF $50 for the outfit OF
plated silverware which the inspectors re-
ported not worth over So and which
| they were required to sell at an advance
| OF 70 per cent over its commercial value
bach was also required to secure six
canVassers' who were to deposit S5 each
! Tor smaller outfits. The applicant subse-
| HuentIy found the $40 salary was not
forthcoming unless the sales of silverware
exceed $50 per week, and when he tried to
obtain his SO'deposit It was regarded as n
sale. II. 8. Braman, secretary and treas
urer of the company acknowledged in the
investigation by the department that 1874
special representatives and 1000 canvass
ers has been employed on the terms named.
| and the report of the inspector notes the
fact that II the conditions could be carried
out the number of employees on the basis
| In the course of a year would euuaI the
total number OF employees of the postal
service. The attorney for the department
held the scheme to be one coming within
the scope OF using the mails to defraud the
public and the order was issued.
Secretary Morton found a vexed question
| on his hands the moment he took the desk
| In the navy department one of the titles
which the chiefs OF the stan bureau and Of
the bureau Of navigation have been fghtinR
over for some time past. These naval ON
GERS are very sensitive on the matter OF
rank. A few days ago one of the stan
bureau received communication from a
bureau Of navigation officer, the title OF
rear admiral being omitted. The letter was
| returned unopened, with a statement that
| 1t would not be received until properly
| addressed. 1t came back in a few minutes
addressed rear admiral" with apologies
Secretary Morton has turned the matter
over to his assistant and will go over the
case before the new register is issued.
When It is given out on the authority
Of quartermaster and commissary gem
eral-who certainly ought to be qualified
by experience to form an opinion-that
during a lifetime of observation and asso-
citation with mules he has never known
one to kick man or ever met a man who
/ knew another man who had been kicked
| by a mule then it is time to give the
patient animal his tust dues Colonel
\ George E. jerks is the authority. Now
the old slander should be strangled unless
someone comes along to exhibit the evil
dence of collision with the heels OF such
an animal. II was Herman Oelrichs of
New York who avowed that a shark never
did nor ever would attack a man In the
water, and he held all doubters of this
theory at bay until II leaked out one day
that an unknown man with one leg had
waited on him and much 70 Mr.. Oelrichs'
discontinue stated that he had heard of
his shark proposition and wanted TO settle
the whole thing right there. for that ere
leg stranger, was bit of by a man eater,
and don't you forget It, I don't"
In front Of an old four-story building in
! Seventeenth street, near the state, war
and navy building, and diagonally across
! from the old Blair mansion, stands a For
! sale" sign. Those of the present genera