Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-24

sition. Of assistant secretary OF the
treasury to which he was appointed by
Secretary Shaw is to draw a salary of
$4,000 a year with an Insurance com.
|panyg in New York. He is to be vice
president OF the company, which is one
|of the largest In the metropolis. AS
assistant secretary of the treasury Mr..
|Armstrong has been drawing $4,000 a
year. When he first came to Washing.
ton about two years ago he drew only
1900 as private secretary to Secre-
tary Shaw. He gave up a $4,000 news
paper position to accept that place.
Mr.. Armstrong has risen entirely
through his own pluck and industry.
To q young man who went to him
some time ago Respondent and asking
advice he remarked: why, my boy
you don't know what hard luck is. I
have known what 1t is to spend my
last dime for a cup Of coffee and a
sandwich" This, 1t is understood,
took place in Des Moines where Mr..
Armstrong afterward became q we'll
known newspaper man in the employee
of the News. Mr.. armstrong was ap-
pointed assistant secretary Of the
treasury by Secretary Shaw strictly on
his public record and there was some
opposition to the appointment by the
older senators on the ground of Mr..
Armstrong; youth. He is the young.
est man who ever held such a place:
being 81 at the time Of his. appoint.
ment. He did splendid work however
in clearing up abuses In the custom
service, which was under his charge.
J. w. Blythe, general attorney for
the Burlington road in Iowa, who is
at present in Washington. lunched at
the White House at the invitation Of
the President on Thursday. 1t is I'm.
derstood that the President wished to
discuss with Mr.. Blythe the present
proposed railroad rate legislation. 1t
is understood that Mr.. Blythe is in
favor Of legislation doing away with
rebates and pooling but is opposed to
giving the interstate commerce com.
mission the absolute right to make
rates.
Judge Wade obtained the passage Of
a bill the other day correcting the
military record OF Eugene Ely, an old
and respected citizen Of Iowa City.
Through a great injustice Mr.. Ely's
war record showed that while a first
lieutenant in the Third regiment In.
dian Home Guards he was dismissed
on the charge Of being absent without
leave. This in the case Of an officer is
the same as desertion in the case of a
private.
Under an order from his captain,
Lieutenant Ely was given leave to go
to Fort Leavenworth, and upon return.
ing from there he was sent to Fort
Gibson. On arriving at Fort Gibson
he found that Maxwell Phillips.a broth.
er Of the colonel, had been transfer.
red without authority from Company
I to Company @ by the colonel com.
handing the regiment, who was a
skillfur lawyer and a%bundantly able to
handle and devise affairs of that kind
the purpose being to displace Ely and
make the brother In question captain
of Companw G.. On discovering the
conditions Of affairs Lieutenant Ely
returned to Leavenworth to lay the
matter before General Curtis but be.
lore TSHCiluS Liz SCNClA.
ment at Washington changed the de-
partment of Kansas so that the Indian
Territory was cut off from that de-
partm ent and attached to the depart.
ment at Arkansas. Hence General
Curtis assured Ely that it would be
necessary for him to make application
to General Frank Steele, commanding
the department of Arkansas at Little
Rock and issued orders to Ely to re.
turn to Fort Gibson. On arriving at
Fort Gibson Ely found that he had
been reported absent without leave
and was Immediately placed under ar.
rest and in a short time orders were
received from General Steele dismiss.
ing from the service.
This all took place in 1854 and Ely.
who is now an old man, has been try.
ing ever since to get his record
cleared. He made this effort solely
for the sake Of his four sons, all Of
whom are in the army today. Several
of the sons have already seen gallant
service, one Of them being at the siege
of 'ekin.