The National tribune., 1906-06-28


ate by Senator Nelson. and in the House
proposed to give to S2 surviving Gener
ais of the civil war over the age of 80
years 500 a month iE lieu of the |
amounts they are now receiving.
Several efforts were made to bring
the bills out of the Pension Committees
of the two houses, but opposition de-
veloped on the ground that it would
create a precedent that might result in
the payment to every General of the
army like pension as soon as they
reach the age of 80 years. In the event
that il was desired to specially reward
the men named in the bill the Pension
Committees argued that it would be bet
tier to pass individual measures. The
Senate bill has been considered by the
Committee on Military Affairs, but no
action was taken toward recommending
its passage. The Generals named in the
bill, together with their ages and the
amount of pensions they now receive,
are as follows: William Birney, So
years. s12; julius Stahl, so years, SIS;
Thomas NJ. Harris, SO years, $50; A. l..
Chatlain, 50, $50; John Cook. 81, $50;
Thomas j. Lucas. 80, $50; Frank s.
Nickerson. 80. $40: John l.. Beveridge,
81. $50: John 5. Clark, SO, $50: John
Coburn, 81, $50: James F. Curtis. 81,
S12; William n. II. Davis, Sc, $50: John
G. Fonda, 81. $50; Theodore b. Gates,
50. $50; Edwin L. Hayes. 81, SIS; Her
mann Lieb, so, $50: Thomas Mcknight.
80, $50; Josiah Pickett "a. $40; James
NJ. True, S3. $50; Isaac Dyer. So. s12;
Henry Guss. 50, s24, and Frederick ID.
Sewell, so, $12.
The Senate has voted for lock canal.
The Hopkins substitute, which was
adopted by the Senate, provides as fol-
lows:
THAT a lock canal be constructed
across the Isthmus of Panama connect
ing the waters of the Atlantic and Pa
cific Oceans. of the general type pro-
posed by the minority of the Board of
Consulting Engineers, created by order
of the President dated June "a. 1905,
in pursuance of an act entitled. An act
to provide for the construction of a.
canal connecting the waters of the At
lantic and the Pacific Oceans approved
June 28, 1902"
Thus is ended what promised to be n
long. bitter fight, but the Senate wilted.
1t is something unique to have the mi
nority report in such a grave matter as
the Panama Canal made the basis of
action of the majority party. and il
came about through the President en-
phatically declaring that he would only
sign a lock canal bill. There were 13
members of the Engineers Committee
which reported on the type for the
canal, five of them Americans and seven
of them foreigners. The majority re-
port for sea level canal was signed
by five of the Europeans and three
Americans. Five Americans signed the
minority report.
The Military Secretary of the Army
has been advised of the death of Maj.
Henry B. Mellon, U. s. A., retired. which
occurred at Durham, n. H, June 20,
1906.
Maj. Mellon was born in New Hamp-
shire, March 2, 1928. and entered the
I'd Cal. Cav, Sept. 81, 1861; was sue
cessively promoted to the grades of
Captain and Major, and honorably mus
tered out June 21, 1866. He was ap-
pointed Second Lieutenant, 9Th Cav,
May 4, 1866, promoted First Lieuten-
ant, Jan. %, 1867, and retired Oct. 4.
1872, for loss of right foot at ankle and
in line of duty. and advanced to the
grade of Captain April %, 1904.
Senator John NJ Gearln. of Oregon,
sailed from New York, Thursday morn
ing on the Kaiserin Augu~ta Victoria
for Europe. in company with Charles
Sweeney, the Western mining man, and
other friends. The party took with
them an Ameriean-made automobile |
and intend to tour the British Isles and
the continent, returning in September.
Senator Gearin will then go to Port
land. Ore, to remain until the opening
of Congress in December.
Just $500 miles away from Washing
ton. the Government has established a
free rural delivery route. This new
route Is in the Island of Guam away out
in the Pacific Ocean. The route was
established on the recommendation of
Capt George Dyer, who was Governor
of the island for several years, and who
interested himself greatly in the well
fare of the islanders.
Punch refers to Representative Mich
elas Longworth as Senator" Long
worth Is this a prophecy? Or is it
simply an attempt to perpetrate an
English joke?
They do mighty funny things at the
Hospital for the Insane,
which has been under fire here for sev-1
eral weeks. Last week. for instance, a
Mrs. Wagner was adjudged insane by a
jury. and formally committed to the
this same Mrs. Wagner has been for 80
years an inmate of the hospital. sent
there in 1876 by the Secretary of the
Interior before jury trials were author
lied. All these years she has been suf-
fering from secondary dementia.'
whatever that may be, and has made
her home in the asylum when she could
have walked out any day if she liked
Her husband and son have been dead
for 25 years. but she still talks of going
home to them. A brother of Mrs
Wagner's died a few months ago and
left her $1,000 or so. and in the effort
to locate her 1t was found that she was
in the Government Asylum for the In
sane. This is the first and the only in
quiry that has reached the authorities
for Mrs. Wagner in % years. A jury
was Immediately set to work on her
case, and, as has been stated. after hav-
ing lived 80 years there, she is now reg.
ulariy committed.
Cincinnati firm is making for Mrs.
bride of Congressman Mich
BIAS Longworth, a gold-trimmed piano
that will cost the Congressman $40, 1000
He ordered the instrument several
months ago. 1t is to be ready for ship
nent in August, so that it can be in
stalled in the Washington residence of
the couple before their return from
Europe.
The instrument is said to be perfect
n tone and other qualities that make a
piano. The case is beautiful
" inlaid with native hard woods, and
S ornamented with gold from caster