Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-10
pIrs or wAsHINeroN LIZ.
Minor scenes and Incidents sketehed
on the spot.

Minor scenes and Incidents sketehed
on the spot.
Rear Admiral Charles Edgar Clark, a
member Of the general board OF the navy,
retires from active service today, having
reached the age limit. He has been in
active service since graduating from Ann
spolls in 1868. and has proved himself a
capable and fearless sailor at every post Of
duty. His most distinguished service was
rendered when, as Captain Clark, he
brought the battleship oregon from San
Fransisco to the caribbean Sea in time to
participate In the destruction OF the Span
ish fleet at Santiago. The oregon sailed
from San Franssco. March ls, 1925 and
covered the 1900 miles around the Horn in
sixtyfive days, the quickest time on record.
, Despite this long voyage, the Oregon Joined
Rear Admiral Simpsons squadron without
any accident or delay, and played con-
spicuous part in the battle at Santiago.
Captain Clark was advanced seven numbers
in rank for Spanish war service and later
became rear admiral. After the war Rear
Admiral Clark was on duty at the Phila-
delphia yard, and later at the Naval Home
in that city. In 1902 he was appointed
United States naval representative at King
Edwards coronation, but he declined the
position No promotion will be made by
Nillb ltllENHlelllt hs EhthE AuiulIhA Nldih 10
an additional number in the list Of rear
| admlrals.
The edct has gone forth from the ONCE
OF Director walcott Of the geological sur
vey, forbidding government mining experts
booming mines OF any character. The spe-
| cific offense which caused the promulgation
OF the rule was that OF the engineer who
! doomed the Mexico property OF a Baltimore
syndicate Largely through the glowing
accounts of the mine which the govern
ment engineer wrote. the promoters OF the
affair disposed OF all their available stock.
after which they got out. The concern Inn
medately went 10 smash, and its stock is
now about as valuable as wall paper One
| of the worst features of this case was the
fact that the engineer In question told his
friends that he was taking his fee in stock
and that the members of his family were
buying It.
THAT whole transaction was an outrage"
| said one of the high oficials Of the survey
! today, in referring to this case. The COM
| pany was a fraud of the worst character
and all the innocent persons who bought
stock in II were badly bitten. The engineer
| who drew UP the report was severely rep
rimanded by those In authority here. and
| he was lucky to escape without dismissal
But that report was enough to damage
| forever the reputation of that engineer as
an expert. Up to that time he occupied a
| high position in the engineering world and
his opinions on mining properties carried
great weight. While he was not dismissed
for his work on the Mexican property, he
received a heavy punishment in the loss Of
prestige and reputation"
The annual fall cleaning OF the White
House is now in progress, and this year an
innovation has been introduced in restor-
ing the executive mansion to its pristine
whiteness by course of scrubbing and
washing instead OF painting the exterior
Every two or three years the White House
has to be painted white, and this item is Of
| considerable expense to Uncle Sam. II
costs nearly 1900 to give the exterior of
the presidents home a suhicient coating OF
white paint to make 1t presentable. This
year the superintendent of buildings has
| tried the method OF scrubbing and washing
the house instead OF painting it, For a
number of days past workmen with buckets
! OF soap suds and large scrubblng brushes
have been standing on ladders washing
down the walls and cornices of the house
The immense portico and port cochere Of
cleansing, and workmen on tall ladders
have been cleaning the immense pillars not
only with the brush. but with the hose
The capitals of these pillars are elabor-
ate in their carving, and the dust of several
years has made them almost black But
a strong stream Of water from a hose has
been poured upon these pillars and capitals
and they are now as white as II they had
received a liberal coating of paint
The members of the new congress who
will assemble in November, II the presi-
dent calls an extra session, had better
bring with them an extra supply of towels
for their own use In the toilet and bath
rooms at the capitol. Congress hitherto
has always made a liberal appropriation
for providing towels, soap and other toilet
conveniences, and there has always been
a plentiful supply of these articles about
the capitol. But for some reason unknown,
perhaps observation-disclosures the Fifty-eighth
congress at its last session either struck
out or failed to insert in the appropriation
bill money providing for clean towels used
by members of congress. Undoubtedly
some way will be found after congress
assemblies to correct this oversight, but at
present It looks as If there will be no clean
| towels at the capitol when congress meets.
The Army and Navy Journal has letter
from an indignant American who lives In
Paris and saw the John Paul Jones parade.
"The courtesy Of the French populace will
never be excelled," he writes, 'for not only
did they salute their own colors when car
ried by French troops, but every man
uncovered when Old Glory was carried by.
It was in bitter contrast that noticed the
Americans who saluted their own colors,
but kept their hats stolidly upon their
heads when the tricolor went by. As to
those of our fellow countrymen who were
so ill-bred as to fail 10 salute both the
French flag and our own, no phrase, name
or statement is strong enough TO qualify
such behavior"
James F. Bruce the contractor who IL
removing the CRIME of years from the
, treasury building is an object of great
. curiosity, particularly from the sharps anN'
. ious to secure the formula OF the liquid
/ used As the dirt and dust disappears from
the building under the magic bath thai