Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-30
nIrs or WASHINGTON LiFE.

BITS or WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes aud Incidents sketched
on the spot.
II congress takes kindly to the propo-
sltion and passes the bill introduced by
Congressman Burton OF Cleveland the de-
mand for the preservation Of Niagara Falls
viii have reached an effective working
basis The bill authorizes the secretary
Of war to grant revokable water power
permits at the falls. but only TO individual
companies or corporations which are now
actually enjoying privileges there, and to
them only the amount now actually IN use.
This would shut on extensions and regulate
all future use Of water To prevent power
companies from locating on the Canadian
side and thus escaping American jurisdic-
ton, Il IL provided that no electrical power
generated from the waters Of the Niagara
river shall be brought into this country
from Canada, except such as is now
brought in. A maximum fine OF $500 and
Imprisonment of one year is imposed for
violation OF this law.
Meanwhile the president is requested to
take such action as he may deem neces-
ssry to preserve the cataract as near as
The provisions OF this act are to remain
in force for three years. This is to give
the president ample opportunity to arrange
by treaty for the preservation OF the falls.
1t is expected that he will have little diff
Guilty, once the matter IL taken up by the
State department, in negotiating treaty
that will prevent power companies from
depicting the Niagara river.
1T am afraid" said Senator Knox that
the railroad rate advocates have got rod
in pickle for us"
Yes" replied Senator Elkins OF West
Virginia, land the best we can do is to
get it as lightly picked as possible"
Reminds me-" said Senator Aldrich, "of
the boy in Providence who went to the
drug store for cents worth of salts
THE druggist began measuring them
out. The boy stood around watching.
Here, he said finally, to the drug
gist, don't give me any more of them
salts than you have to for a nickle. You
see, have got to take them"
Senator Bailey certainly did do things
to Senator spooner in his speech on the
rate BILL" said James Cecil Hooe.
YES" replied Louis A. Coolidge, che
0lus IL IeInlnus me OF ln0 man "llO llctu
a row with the hackman. He was telling
about 1t when his friends saw him in the
hospital.
"'what happened?' they asked.
"'why,' said the man, 4 called the hack
man down.
"'Yes?'
"'And he came down. replied the man
in the hospital"
Secretary Shaw has a number OF push
buttons on his desk, including one which
rings when he finds his visitor to be a
"crank." Recently he was chatting with
several prominent officials when he acci-
dentally touched the crank" button. In
about two seconds three officers rushed
into the room all heavily armed The Sec
rotary understood what had happened, but
the visitors did not and hurriedly took their
departure, while Mr. Shaw sat back and
roared with laughter.
The tribulations OF the conductors on the
elevators in the state, war and navy build
ings are many. There is as much etiquette
on one of these cars on a busy day as one
would find at one of the big dinners at the
White House, relates a correspondent. OF
the New York Sun.
The approach of the secretary of state,
of war, or of the navy in the direction OF
one of these lifts is signslled by a =
culiar clapping of the hands by all the mes
sengers or veterans who guard the APP
proaches to the building.
So, at the sound OF three bells on the
push button "a secretary callH no matter
who is on the elevator. be he an admiral or
a general, the lever is reversed, down or
2 fndfpa Or and the
secretary is carried at once to the floor Of
his destination, for there is no stopping at
the floors to take on or let OFF anybody else.
| Now comes the time when the keen dis
erection Of the conductor-his remembrance
of faces and his knowledge OF ranks of
army and navy offices and their precedence
lis brought into play.
For instance-on the day of the funeral of
General Schoheld, the building was alive
| with officers in full dress uniform on their
| way to st. Johns church to attend the GER
| emones. major Of cavalry from Fort
| Myer Va, having business at the quarter
masters department, was on the elevator
| and was being shot up to the third floor,
when three bells" announced the secretary
| of war at the ground floor. Down went the
elevator The secretary and the major sa-
luted, and before the salutation was over
two bells" rang meaning that an ofticer
of high rank wished to ride in jiffy.
The secretary, of course, was 1T" and
was first ushered out at the second floor.
! Then up flew the elevator to the fourth
| floor to answer the two BELLS" to take on
a brigadier general who desired to descend
| to the street floor. More saluting by the
major. Down shot the elevator The brig
adler departed, and the major, who had
been carried past his destination twice, now
breathed a sigh OF relief, but just then
two bells rang again on the second nSor.
and this time the chief Of stan, with the
rank of lieutenant general, got aboard, and
down the majsr went again, salute and all.
After the chief of stan went, the ever po-
lite conductor, turning to the junior oficer,
and observing his rank and insignia, said,
| Major, what floor. please?''
1.-The third, please" replied the belated
officer ''but the next time I want it I'll
| walk"
There are several markets in Washington
with their special days, but the most inter
esting and the biggest is the Central mar
ket looking out on Pennsylvania avenue