The National tribune., 1904-08-11


gressive. said that in Rome she should dc
as Romans did only she should not wear
decollete gowns. She never changed the
style of her dress from the loose kimonO
/ fashion. and in that she was perhaps sen
sible. Walking about was quite a trial
at first. Her feet were so tiny. and she
was quite tall and she had almost to learn
| to walk over again. She would go tipping
about the White House parlors at re-
ception. half afraid to go alone. yet insist
ing that she be permitted to do so. An
other source of joy to the Wus was the
electric cars. They could be seen almost
any fine evening. Summer or Winter, sit
ting in the front seat beside the motorneer,
| MIR. and Madame WI and the little Wus,
and the faster the cars went the better
they liked it. Madame WI was always
bareheaded. her wonderful black hair al
ways as smooth as paste could make it,
and it never seemed to get ruffied.
The Wus were the most progressive
Chinese who ever came to the Capital.
They entertai ined magnificently, and at
Christmas they gave away the most elegant
silks and Satins for Christmas presents to
| their friends. Their children went TO the
public schools of Washington, and the
son who has just been recalled graduated
ut the head of large class from the High
School. Minister WI has built him a
palace in the country near Shanghai, and
intends to gather his family about him
and live there the life of country gentle
man. surrounded by his family. to whom
he is devoted. and his books. which he
! loves. 1t is quite certain that Minister
WI placed China far ahead of what she
used to be in the opinion of other nations,
and that he carried back a whole bunch
of new ideas when he returned to the
Flowery Kingdom from the United States.
I The President and Mrs. Roosevelt have
/ at 10
since their return from Oyster Bay
immensely They take long walks in the
| cleaning. and in the afternoons. when the
weather isn't too roasting hot. they take
horseback rides. If too hot for that kinl
OF pleasure. they take the handsome White
| House Victoria and make for Rock Greek
! Park. where they enjoy the shady drives.
| Mrs. Roosevelt is nearly always in white.
Soft. snowy linens. creamy mulls. and now
and then white pique. They are all plain
~ made. Mrs. Roosevelt is not the least
bit in the world given to tucks and frlls.
except on her handsome evening gowns.
and even then she seems to prefer long
straight lines. The President dresses for
comfort. He may appear in teanis fannels
to match the white of his wife's dress. or
| in white linen. and not very often in con-
| yenflona1 afternoon attire. He eSchewS the
top hat as much as possible. 1t is a
real, ideal Darby and Joan sort of life
that the President and his wife are living
just at present. for there are no fashion
able people in town. so there is no dinner
giving or receiving.
The society world of the country was
very much shocked and yet not unprepared
for the death Of Mrs. Nelson A. Miles.
| which occurred last week. Mrs. Miles had
heart disease. and for the past year had
been an invalid from this trouble which
at last carried her away. Mrs. Miles was
a Sherman, and a niece of the late Gen
Sherman. She lived much at Western
posts during her early married life. when
Gen. Miles was hunting Indians, and be-
came daring horsewoman. She was big
| hearted and hOspitable, with the ways of
Western woman. being much less cOnser-
vative than most society women. In So
ciety here she was a leader. and will be
sincerely mourned and missed.
Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, is "
ing seriously ill of pneumonia at his home
in Worcester. Senator Hoar has been q
years i'm the United States Senate. He was
! in the House several terms before enter
ing the Senate. Senator HOar is getting
to be an old man: he was born i'm 1926 but
he is hale and hearty looking. with snow
white hair and the clear pink and white
skin of man who has lived wisely and
well.
Corporal Tanner. who is Register of
Wills of the District of Columbia. has
evolved a novel way of holding out money
from the United States Treasury As the
close Of the fiscal year approached it was
| found that after all the current expenses
were paid. there would be about 5000 re-
naming of the sum appropriated for that
Department by Congress. Mr.. Tanner
| Immediately proceeded to raise all the sal
/ a rio in htc arft tIak
$500, for the month of June, and parcelled
that 5000 out to the employees. so that on
the last day of the fiscal year there was
but Sd remaining, and he sent his Chief
Clerk to buy postage stamps with that.
Of course, that manner of "holding up''
the Government did not please the Audi
tor, and there was some discussion. but
Mr.. Tanner justified his action by saving
that the law gives him a right to adjust
salaries in his office. The salaries were
much too low. he declared, and he had to
discharge several clerks because the an
| preparation was so nearly exhausted But
| he considered that Congress gave the De
| partment the money to use, and rather
than turn single penny of it back, he
| divided it among the clerks and called il
| raising" salaries. On the first of July.
| the beginning Of the new fiscal year, sal
aries were promptly lowered again to the
| old schedule.
| Secretary Taft has done away with the
| uniform which for the past four years
Army officers have had to wear when on
duty in the War Department. Secretary
Alger gave the order while he was Secre-
tary of War, and Secretary Root in
dorsed it. 1t was very great hardship in
hot weather, and the officers objected Sc
riOusly. Secretary Taft. to their great JOY,
mas now cOuntermanded the order. and an
Army officer can wear any old thing he
likes, even to a shirt waist, while on duty
at the War Department. Secretary AIger
issued the order during the Cuban war, be-
cause it was often difficult to tell an officer
from q common everyday clerk except the
uniform was worn.
The historic old ables at Arlington
caught fire the other day and burned to the
ground. 1t is not known exactly how old
they were, but they must have been con-
structed pretty early in the last century
Only the stone pillars of the facade re-
main. and it is probable that the stables
will be rebuilt around these, so as to pre-.
serve the architecture of the place exactly
| as it was when the old Mansion was CON
structed. 1t is one of the purest types of
the Colonial extant.