Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-09

5N--
Nearly every day for the past two years
the Secretary Of War has received letter
from a man in Massachusetts, who SIMPLY
gives his address and says nothing else
The letters are supposed TO be rehihueis
that the writer Is awaiting reply TO some
communication to the department. Oh d
matter of interest to him The letters orig
finally appeared during the ADMINISTRATOR
of Secretary Root, and were addressed ~
him by name. The writer is evidently I'M
aware that Mr.. Root is no longer at tne
had of the War Department. for his let
ters are still addressed to him as secretary
of War. So far as the records snow; .he
department has never had any business
with the writer, and consequently mas M u
no occns sion to communicate with him the
letters have come regularly ever since oec-
rotary Taft assumed charge OF the militia s
establishment. AS they are auuteSseu "
Mr. Root rs Secretary of War, IL mas peel
sIIrgested that the writer be notified OF MT
Poets change of residence. The man must
have spent a large sum in postage IN SEMI
ing a daily notification OF his ADDRESS
Successful efforts have been made during
the past few months to impanel for jury
service in the local courts a more repre-
sentative class OF citizens than ever before.
The iury in each court. as a rule, now IN
cludes several men prominent in the imam
oial and business circles of the natlonai
eapital. But in bringing about this better
ment of jury intellectually it seems that
The number of talesmen who desire 10 DE
excused from serving has increased ma
terialIv. Only a few days ago an lnuiVld-
nal whose name is familiar to nearly every
one hereabouts pointed out to the presiding
Justice in one of the criminal courts that
lie ought not to be compelled to sit in the
box His excuse was:
..Your honor, / have chill every hVe
days" ,;os tho
: when is the next one due?' inquired the
d; gnifed judge. o, tho
reply. .. sor,,a =" do
'6s.I shall have to ask you to serve. ue o
cidad the court. "If necessary you may pe
excused the days you suner rom oi,iS act
In another court man eXcepuohally az.
yye i'm local politicS-one who is never d, Z,
loss for material for a speech. ana WHO 70
always able to deliver his remarks eioauei'
fv-merelv looked bewildered and mace mo,
-. with his hands when the judge asked
e;yn tbe usual questions as to his fitness Tor
Jury duty. -, .Lo, ,yanted
to know. , ,avar utter
The politician shooh MS Aea'' "
you're excused" was the decision.
The temporarily dumb politician hasteneu
frorn the room his face taking on SANS
ca axnrassion as soon as he was out OF
SIGHT Of the learned jurist on the pehch'
!: x x x 4 .
Tho cbanlain of the Moundsville penltenu-
.rv was somewhat surprised lie" gay
400 when he called upon a prisoner WIZ
was soon to be released and attempted "
give him advice which was lntenueo "
benefit him after his discharge from prisoii'
what was your occupation peIore 9ou
were arrested" the chaplain inquired
,r'.It was that of thief. answered 'he
man. who had spent much of his time with
prisoners from this city.
"Perhaps you don't understand me-. the
chaplain said. Il mean before you were
arrested for wrongdoing.
"Simply thief" came the response.
And did you find it a profitable occupa'
tion?'' the chaplain wanted to know. re-,
IF | hadn't" the prisoner RESPONDED
wouldn't have followed il.
i The chaplain concluded that his subJec'
could not be assisted in religious way
and asked no more questions. after Deine
told that the man, who was soon TO DE re
leased intended to return to his OLD TRICKS
X = X
Senator Hepburn has waited patiently 10
get his pure food bill before the Senate In
order that he may have 1t passed before adj
t1nurnment The other part of the story Is
low Senator Hepburn helped few days
ago to prevent his bill from coming up for
consideration.
One of the purposes that it is declared
wire served by the oebate on the post Of
fee appropriation bill was the suppression
of other legislation that the leaders in the
b. nate decreed should not come up during
the present session. Among those measures
Is the pure food bill.
O. when the debate on the post office ap-
Tropriation bill was being pushed along
with this purpose in view, the leaders were
surprised to see Senator Hepburn himself
&C me into the debate and assist in consum-
ang time In the interest of the deep-laid
scheme 10 prevent his bill from coming up
While Mr.. Hepburn was debating the post
office bill the leaders whose duty il was to
keep the thing going" until the sundry
civil bill should come before the Senate sat
back in their chairs and rested easily.
's The ways that are dark and the tricks
that are vain as practiced in the Senate
are yet to be learned by the brilliant Sen
ator from Idaho
X
Vi Limitations for the enjoyment of life in
accordance with his natural tendencies was
one of the hardest trials of a German who
was a member of the army of the United
States in the olden days when the wagon
trail had not yet been superseded by the
steel rail. He had been used to having his
own way before entering the army and &c
suddenly have his sphere of activity hedged
about with military restrictions was a Sc
we're blow to his idea of the boosted free