Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-11-01

Minor scenes end Incidents sketched
on the spot.

department wiseacres cared 10 take. In
stead they have devised smoking machine.
II has four mouthpieces, In each Of which
cigar Is inserted. For ten seconds the
smoke Is drawn in and is then puffed out
the process being repeated every half min
ute. while the "inhallng' II going on the
way in which the filing and the wrapper
burn are carefully noted. the ash Is exam
ined and the odor OF the burned tobacco cb-
served. The plant from which each OF the
cigars is made Is known, and the one that
makes the best showing in the competition
Is selected for planting. The test Is prov
ing an aid TO the American tobacco indus ~
by teaching the farmers what kinds Of
tobacco TO plant in order to receive the
highest financial returns
THE sensational troubles stuyvesant Fish
recently had with Z. H. Hartman over con-
troll Of the Illinois Central railroad is re-
n,inder TO we'll informed Neutrality-suspicious.
of the quiet but effective work done in the
interests OF the railroads by Mr. Fish and
another able railroad man, when rate legis-
lation was the exciting subject before con-
gress and the country last winter. The
other gentleman referred to-" SAYS the
Washington Herald. lis Samuel Spencer
president of the Southern Railroad com
pany, who is accounted by those who know
him ss probably the most intellectual man
connected with American railroad admin
istration. Messrs. Spencer and Fish were
the real representatives Of the combined
railroad interests at the capital all through
the fierce campaign for effective regulation
which 80 suddenly was sprung on these In
terests by President Roosevelt. Mr.. spen-
GERS residence is in Washington, so that
his presence here during that great heht
occasioned no special comment Mr. Fish
rented handsome residence in the most
fashionable part Of the city. and occupied
It constantly from the opening TO the close
OF the campaign. The residences Of Messrs
Spencer and Fish were not far apart. and
they had daily conferences on rate legisla-
ton. 1t was their finely trained minds that
marked the course OF the opposition to the
presidents program, although their work
was done so quietly and with such consum-
mate skill that comparatively few members
OF either branch Of congress were aware
that these two master railroad managers
were mixing in the game"
Washington shows signs Of fall activity.
The advance guard OF winters influx has
reached town. The streets are gay with
carriages, although there is little doing in
social way. The dropping in at O'Clock,
with the lengthy gossip over the tea table,
has already begun, and every day brings
an addition TO the circle of those who have
come 70 stay, for, unlike New York and
Boston, there are no nearby suburbs TO
Washington. 70 that weekend visits to the
country, unless a trip near New York IS
taken, are almost unknown
Sunday amusements are almost entirely
confined to the country clubs. which are
always gay at luncheon time. but the great
est interest, of course, was in the United
Hunt club meetings, which brought the
representative people from all over the
country to unite at Bennings to witness the
steeplechases and hurdling Of this society
organization The hotels are crowded and
the usual dinners and suppers are being
given. there.
Plans for further identifying the oitv
of Washington which were prenared bv
the Burnham commission I'm 1901. ara
soon to see their first and most interest
ing realization. The chief STUMBLING.
block to these plans was offered by the
Pennsylvania railroad station and tracks
situated on the south side Of Pennsvl-
vania avenue. where they fatally narrod
the splendid mall designed by Major
L'Enfant Finally with the cooperation
of the railroad authorities the brilliant
solution was evolved Of tunneling directly
under Capitol hill, between the capitol
itself and the congressional library. so
as to run the Pennsylvania tracks into a
big union station on the north of Capitol
hill in which the Baltimore g. Ohio tracks
should also hnd their terminus. This tun-
mel was begun nearly two years ago. At
about the same time the first, steps were
taken toward the construction of the
great white union station, which the ar
chitectural authorities predict Is to be
the most beautiful in the world The
tunnel has been successfully bored and
month ago the actual construction work
was finished. Since then the tracks in
the separate tubes have been laid and
ballasted On Wednesday the first PAS
senger train passed through the tunnel.
IL Is not yet open for regular trafic hut
special party of inspection, including
the commissioners of the District of Co.
lumbia, the engineers OF the work and
others ofIicially interested, was made up
for the occasion. The train was run
through the tunnel and into the unfinished
station. The work called forth the en-
thusiastic commendation of the commits
sioners, but the important suggestion was
made by Commissioner Mcfarland that
at the earliest possible moment all trains
coming through the tunnel ought to be
operated BY electricity instead OF steam.
Undoubtedly this will be done.
Secretary Bonaparte, who is soon TO
step over from the head OF the Navy de.
partment 20 that of justice, is generally
recognized by the legal profession as
lawyer OF profound learning and great
analytical power although he has never
practiced much in courts. His once in Bal.
timore 10 regarded as one OF the choice