The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-11-03
WASHINGTON LETTER
Ispecial corresponuencsa

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"a from Malta a flock OF sixty-elaht
goats for experimental purposes lies
the determination to build up = new
branch OF animal industry In this coun-
try. The Malta goat is q very different
animal from the Angora goat, which
has been raised in some parts OF the
United States for Its fleece. The snes.
strain Is remarkable for its milk pro
ducipg qualities as we'll as for It's value.
Is q meat product. These two reasons
commended the breed to the depart
ment, and Secretary Wilson expects to
develop it as a new farm animal for
the poor, just as in Europe.
Training Firemen.
10 perfect iremen In the art OF say-
ing lives in burning buildings and in
fire fighting and to break in the new
members Of the department the depart
ment has erected a six story training
tower on the lot in the e a OF the No. 8
engine house.
This training tower consists OF a
frame structure six stories high and
about eight feet square. 1t measures
seventy-fve feet from the roof to the
ground and is constructed on heavy
iron braces. Through the middle OF the
tower is built a ladder, which will be
used by the men in reaching the vari-
Gus floors during their practice.
fyl,;ne ~ d 40 NO, I~o5 A-y, <3,.r,,s-yos
made to aid in the practice work. One
measures Eve feet eight inches in
length and weighs 145 pounds, and the
other will be five feet four inches high
and weighs no pounds. They will be
used In training the fire fighters to get
persons from burning buildings quick
II. These dummies will also be used in
the practice Of Catching persons jump
Ing from windows into a net.
Free Flowers For An.
There are flowers for nearly all In
Washington IL they will only take the
trouble to pick them up. Most people
do not know this, but 1t Is a fact none
the less. This Is the, season for strip
ping the beds in the public parks, and
there are cart loads Of plants that are
dug up and dumped on the banks Of
the river below the propagating gar
dens that any one can have for the
away. OF course flowers that
are salvaged from the dump heap at
this season have to be nursed through
the winter before they will bloom
again. But they are said to be worth
the picking up, and more people each
year + getting to watch for the fall
stripping Of the beds as a good time to-
renew their stock OF plants at small
expense.
White House Pianos.
The White House is now equipped
with three pianos. the third instrument
recently been installed In the
mansion. One is kept in the east room
and used by Ethel Roosevelt. Another
q for Miss Alice Roosevelt. The third
q q mechanical player.
Up to quite recent years one piano
was all that was necessary at the
White House. The three pianos are
the personal property Of the resident1
of the executive mansion.
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The Artillery Corps.
The artillery corps Of the army L.
preparing to ask for 10000 additional
men, with officers in proportion. This
would mean an Increase Of 3%00yO00,OOOY
IN the cost Of maintaining the army.
Possibly more artillerymen are need
ed to take care Of the coast defenses
and fortidcations, but the increase u
not likely to be made In the Fifty
ninth congress.
Sending Out seeds.
For many years the work OF putting
up the seeds In packages for congress
sional distribution was done entirely
by hand. 1t was the custom OF the sem
ators and representatives to send their
franked and addressed slips to the de-
ipartment of agriculture, where the
work Of counting the slips, pasting
them on the envelopes and filing them
with seed was done by manual labor.
In the past three years, however, a
remarkable change in the methods Of
preparing the seed for shipment has
been inaugurated. The work is now
carried on in a large three story build
ing in the vicinity OF the department,
where the latest mechanical devices
have been Installed. The antjquated
methods were left behind when posses
sion Of the building was taken three
years ago. The laborious hand work
has been supplanted by machinery SO
human in its action that one Is almost
a-ANl 49,.