The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-09-27
WASHINGTON LETTER


N"SAiiAStSh HdNe taken up the WeaN
ing OF rag carpets. OF course the prod
ucts don't bear the ugly old name.
They are called souvenir rugs Nor
are they made of bits Of all sorts Of
cloth. as in the Old days. They are
woven frcn fragments Of modern
gowns. The pretty daughters of Sena-
tor WetmOrc of Rhode Island started
the fad in Washington, and many girls
have succumbed to 1t. not only daugh-
tiers Of resident families. but some who
are only temporarily in the national
capital. 1t is said the craze is stron-
gest among aristocratic old Washing
tonians, who look down from immeas-
urable heights upon the passing throng
brought thither by politics and who
turn a cold shoulder on the newly rich.
Their mansions are rich in relics and
poor in modern carpets and the where
! withal to buy them.
Visit Of the Rechabites.
A meeting of the Washington mem-
bers Of the Independent Order Of
Rechabites was recently held here and
arrangements were made for the re-
ception of visiting delegates and past
representatives to the forty-ninth All
nual session Of the high tent. to be
held in this city commencing Oct. 10.
The high chief ruler Of the order. John
c. Moore. is n resident Of the capital.
Waste of City Water.
The city has Il new filtration plant in
operation which has been several years
in building. Water from it is turned
into the mains. but not enough greatly
to influence the supply. 1t has been
discovered that the very day the plant
Is finally completed it will not han,,c
81 r.,lcl wltrr 3; the city with is
natura! growth OF population and bust
ness is then likely to want and that
the clean water will have to be supple
mented all the time by a certain
amount which has not been run throug.
the filtration plant. This is very dis
appointing. The trouble here lies in
the frightful waste of water through
lack OF meters.
\ strong opposition against the meas
uring Of water always shows itself in
congress, eve though the plan pro
posed be to give ut the regular mini
mum charge 4 quantity sufficient for
all ordinary household uses and needs
and to let the extra cost dependent on
the measuring begin only after that
limit has been PASSED. But for the
activity Of those who had meters to
sell this sentiment would have been ir-
resistible. A small appropriation Is
now available for the Introduction Of
meters, but the movement must pro
coed quietly. The privilege Of letting
water pipes leak year in and year out
and Of tolerating defective plumbing
many people regard as among the ill.,
alienable rights Of an American citizen,
with which the law should not try to
interfere. But unless there is some
such interference the filtration plant.
completed at a huge cost, will perform
but slight service.
Progress Of Union Station Work.
1t will be eighteen months, ii not
two years, Engineer Hunt predicts,
before the union station is ready for
occupancy. although steady progress
is being made. Foundations for the
station are nearly all completed and il
large amount of the steel framing and
granite and brick work of the super
structure is in place.
The Surgeon Generals Library.
The government printing office is
completing the tenth volume Of an
index catalogue for the office of the
surgeon general. this being the second
series Of the same import. An idea of
the size and compleXity Of the library
Of the surgeon general Is derived from
the statement that there have been
twenty-six large volumes Of index cat
alogues published, and it is said that
by the time the present series is COM
pletel there will be sufficient material
Oh hand for a third series.
Speaking Of the character and scope
OF the surgeon generals library. l..
e. Terrell, superintendent Of public
documents, said that this collection Of
books was undoubtedly the largest and
most complete of its kind in the United
States and probably the most up to
date, If not the largest. in the world.
~ nlVSCUIil - uOL OLlIS JUc
home of this wonderful medical library,
but the depository Of Il great number
Of specimens of interest to the medical
fraternity, said to be the largest collec-
ton in this country.
New Rifle Range.
The II of the National Capital
Rifle and Revolver club, an %organiza-
ton that Was chartered early in the
spring, is now ready for business. 1t
Is located at Congress heights.
1t is the clubs purpose to revive the
interest in rifle work, which has long
been dormant here for lack Of proper
facilities. especially 200 yard schuet-
zen work and revolver shooting at fifty
yards. Trap shooting will also be Il
feature if the members desire It. It
Is purely Il civilian club, open to all,
and has already on its rolls the names
| NJ n trp,t,.,s. 90 ,.yn,,,tr,yt 4, s.. a,,1