The National tribune., 1906-08-16

. building Wnlcn VIII IN time DeCOife lHe
home of the committees of the House
was laid there were exercises to beat
the band Such a spread as was made
over Ii all you never did see. The Ma
rine Band paraded. the Masons laid the
stone with the Washington gavel, the
President spoke, the troops and Ma
rines were all out in all their fine feath-
ers and gold lace, and women in all
their society garments for afternoon
teas braved the drizzle. The other day
the cornerstone of the Senate offices
was laid. and nobody knew that such
thing was going to happen till the after
noon papers came out and said the
thing was did" There were some deco
rations. however. An American Flag
was flying from the top of the derrick
which lifted and laid the cornerstone,
attached bore a shield with a faded
wreath of laurel around it.
The day had not been selected with
any view to historical significance. In
fact had il been day earlier it would
have been the 129th anniversary of
Washington's crossing the Delaware
and the 2S7th day from the meeting of
the House of Burgesses at jamestown,
the first popular legislative assembly
ever held in the New World. AS it was,
the historically minded could take their
choice of it being on the anniversary of
Gen. Wolfes first assault on Quebec or
the day on which Lafayette, at the age
of 90, was made a Major-General in
the American Army. When the whistle
blew for noon the engineer in charge
of the hoisting machine opened the
throttle. and the big hollow stone arose
from its place on the platform at the
southeast corner of the building and
gently circled till it was over the spot
in the foundation wall where lay the
black tin box decorated with the Amer
ican colors wherein were deposited
more than three score and 10 articles
that will be of archaeological interest to
Macaulay's New Zealander when he
digs into the crumbling ruins of one of
Americas greatest Governmental build
sngs.
The stone settled almost into place,
and there was clicking of photo
graphic shutters as the event was
graphically recorded. But it was a
false alarm The stone was not quite
true and had TO be lowered again. Then
the laborer with big maui hammered
it into place. the shackles were cast off
and the ceremony was completed. 1t
was the 31st day of July. A. D. 1906,
at 1919 exactly when the stone was
finally in place. And the thermometer
was 81 in the shade, with very little
shade for 1t to be in.
Reconstruction of the old Constitu-
ton Is one of the tasks of the Bureau
of Construction and Repair of the Navy
Department, provision having been
made to save all that is possible of the
famous old ship. Constructor Snow, of
the Boston Navy Yard, recently made
trip to Salem, Mass. where there is
model of the Constitution as she was
before being reconstructed in 1S45. This
model was presented to the Salem Ma
rine Museum by Commodore Hull, and
is the only one available showing what
the Constitution was in her best days.
It Is quite likely that in reconstfucting
the Constitution the Salem model will
Be used.
Listen to all the nice things that A.
e. Werner. of Idaho, says Of W. E.
Borah, OF that State, who beat the Re-
publican machine and got the nomina-
ton for United States Senator:
"W. f. Borah, who was nominated
for United States Senator, which means
his election by the Legislature next jan
uary, came to Boise, Idaho, about Is
years ago with nothing but his charac-
ter and ability. He hung out his shin
gle as lawyer, and his meal ticket and
room rent were in doubt. To-day his
legal practice nets him probably from
$4,000 TO $4,000 year.
h'As an orator he will take the place
Of the late Senator Wolcott, of Colo
RADIO, who was conceded the most bril-
liant in the Senate in his day. Four
years ago Borah was candidate for
the Senate, and by caucus manipula-
ton was defeated by the narrowest of
margins. and his hold on the people OF
the State was so strong that the Demo-
Gratis of the Legislature offered to COM
bine with the Borah Republicans to set
aside the caucus nomination and send
him anyway.
"Borah refused the offer, and in the
present campaign went before the peo-
pie of the State in the face of the op-
position of the entire Republican ma
chine. and advocated the nomination of
a Senator by the people at the State
Convention. His victory, single-handed
and alone. instances his wonderful pop
ularity. ! predict that even in the con-
servative Senate of the United States
his forceful ability and talents will
command admiration, and Idaho and
the country at large will be proud of
him."
Washington society people were
much startled by the report of the death
by suicide, in Seattle, Wash. last week
of the son of former Secretary of the
Treasury Gage. whose vagaries are well
remembered here. Only less startled.
perhaps. was the same society world
when 1t learned that the former Secre-
tary of the Treasury had followed OFF
after the teachings of the famous "Pur-
pie Lady of California, who appeared
In the courts few years ago, and was
declared unfit to care for some little
girls whom she had in a way adopted
and was rearing in her fantastic faith.
The Purple Lady is pleased to be called
a Theosophist, and has established a
colony something after the Dowie plan.
Ex-SecretAry Gage does not claim to be
one OF her du-well. let's say one of her
disciples. but ne says he Is studying"
Meantime. his erratic son, who seems
to have lost a balance wheel, has quit
studying and solved the mystery The
Cages were always doing queer things
when In Washington, and nobody knew
exactly how to take them. Mrs. Gage
never caught on so to speak. and is
now just remembered as "has been"
Secretary Taft is going up into Maine
TO help out Representative Littlefield in
getting back 10 Congress. Now, put
ting this and that together. a good many
differences may be drawn. II YOU like
The American Federation of Labor. un-
der the leadership of President Com
pers. is making a determined effort to
prevent his reelection. When Mr.. Taft
speaks for Littlefield 1t virtually will be
as the representative Of the National
Administration, and the natural con.
sSrucdon to place upon his action is
that the Administration is not In SYM
nathy with the Federafion's fiphi