The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-05-05
WASHINGTON LETTER
rspecial Correspondence.l

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good deal of energy aIsd thought to the
solution of a problem which is Of far
greater personal Importance to him
than the affairs of state. He is busy
trying to reduce his weight, which Is
more than 800 pounds.
With Mr.. Taft it is question Of his
health, for the doctor has told him that
If he does not materially reduce his
weight he will suffer during the two
months he will be confined to steam
ship next summer on his trip to the
Philippines. In his extremity he has
taken up horseback riding in desperate
earnestness and takes long trip every
afternoon. With all his weight Mr..
Taft knows how to ride, and only once
has Colonel Edwards, who always leads
the way, succeeded in getting him into
a hole where he was forced to dismount
and lead his horse. That was when
they struck an almost perpendicular
declivity Of fifteen feet with only one
doubtful break In the side.
An international Alliance.
The next international alliance to in
terest Washington will be the marriage
of Miss Frances Newlands, youngest
daughter of Senator Newlands Of Ne
vada, to Lieutenant Leopold Won Bre-
dow Of the German army, which is
scheduled to take place in this city
about the LIST of May, Immediately aft
er the arrival Of the bridegroom elect,
who obtained the consent Of his en-
peror and sailed for America April 20.
Lieutenant Won Bredow, who is now
stationed in Berlin with his regiment,
the Cuirassier guard, is well known in
Washington, where he was an attache
of the German embassy during 1908.
Miss Newlands is the youngest of the
three attractive daughters Of Senator
Newlands, and through their mother,
who was a Miss Sharon of California,
inherited large fortunes.
A Remarkable Plant.
Those in charge Of that section of
the government greenhouses devoted to
tropical plants and agriculture recent
ly witnessed the blooming Of a very
remarkable plant. This is the Amor
phophallus riviere, plant Indigenous
to Cochin China and the only speci-
men in Washington. The plant looks
like giant Jack-in-the-box or Indian
turnip, the specimen in question stand
ing five feet nine inches in height. The
stalk is green, notified with curious
looking white REGULATIONS, which
cause it to resemble the body Of a
snake. The blossom opens out in the
same pulpit fashion as the Jack-in-the-
box of our southern woods, and out Of
this rises a giant purple red spathe.
The blossom has most pungent, sick
ening and disagreeable odOr, which in
the present case SO permeated the
greenhouse in which the plant was
placed that work had to be abandoned
there for nearly two days. One man,
an employee of the department who
has this greenhouse under his care,
contracted severe headache as a re-
suit Of inhaling the odor.
New Army Hospital.
Secretary Taft approved the recon-
mendation of Surgeon General O'Reilly
for the erection of a new general army
hospital on the Cameron tract on the
west side of Brightwood avenue, near
ly opposite the Battle National GENE
terry. Congress fixed the limit Of cost
Of this hospital, including site, at $780,
600 and appropriated 100000, which
was made Immediately available, for
the purchase of the site.
The property acquired for the pur-
pose contains about forty three acres
and cost about $4,000, leaving $1,000
Of the appropriation to be devoted to
other expenses In connection with the
new building. The property is owned
almost entirely by ex-senator Donald
Cameron OF Pennsylvania.
Fairbanks In Marble.
The vice president in cold but con-
vincing marble will soon occupy one
of the two empty inches in the vice
presidential Valhalla along the walls
Of the gallery Of the senate chamber.
Here long procession Of other presi-
dents Of the senate, sawed off at the
waist, glare down sepulchrally on the
up to date proceedings below. The
bust of Mr. Fairbanks, for which he
has been sitting all winter, Is now in
the plaster stage Of its artistic evolu-
ton. Franklin Simmons, it's sculptor,
will take it Immediately to Rome to be
done in marble.
Government Press Room.
The press rooms of the government
printing Office are said to be verifi-
cation of the saying that 'the use OF
paper is the barometer Of a nations
progress" for the greater the progress
Of the American nation the more
presses the public printer is compelled
to install. The press room of a mod
ern newspaper is one Of its show
places, and the same holds true of the
government Office. Some idea Of the
magnitude Of the main press room Of
the largest printing Office In the world
might be gained from the statement
that the daily consumption Of paper
is about nine tons, 300 pounds OF ink
being required. Twenty tons OF paper
Of different kinds are used each day
In the operation Of the entire plant,
over twenty-five cars being required