The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-01-17
LETTER
Especial Correspondence

Especial Core: 2ondence.1
The foreign committees Of the two
houses Of congress will shortly bo
called ul.on to make an appropriation
Tor the purchase of the gift or gifts for
Ras Makonnen, the real boss Of Abys.
sinia. ltas is sending a batch Of gifts
to this country through Consul Skinner
at Marseilles.
Ras wrote to the consul saying he
was sending to this country two fat
adult zebras Of the kind the depart
ment of agriculture has been wanting
for the purpose of experimenting In
crossing the ordinary horse with the
big zebra. HAS wrote: II am sending
the beasts as a token Of esteem and
good will toward the American people.
l would suggest that the return present
be in the form Of repeating rifles or
cannon Of the latest pattern"
Consul Skinner says t is the custom
In benighted Abyssinia when a man
makes a present to suggest what be
given in return. The question Of what
to send Ras must he referred to the
committees, because there Is no appro-
priation from which to take the money
needed to pay for the presents Ras de-
sires. The beasts he is sending are
worth about $500, and that sum Of
money will buy a rapid fire field gun.
The Improved notunda.
When the rotunda Of the capitol is
lighted up on the occasion of a night
session of both houses Of congress per-
sons who have become accustomed to
the dinginess and darkness Of that
magnificent circular hall will be aston
ished ut it's changed appearance through
the new system of illumination that has
just been Installed.
1t is perhaps Il missioner to speak of
the present illumination as a new" sys-
On, a. the rotunda has never been
really lighted say through the agency
Of Il few miserable gas jets, which the
officials We're afraid to light on account
Of the leaky condition of the pipes that
carried the gas.
4 Novel Arrangement.
The rotun,ia has been equipped with
1912 sixteen candle power incandes-
cent globes, distributed ON the three
principal cornices, with a fourth row
, hidden back Of the balustrade ut the
top for the purpose Of lighting up the
allegorical picture, 1.-THE Apotheosis Of
Washington" the famous work of Bru-
midi. which forms the ceiling beneath
the top of the dome.
/; The illumination Of this interior IL
unique, In that not a light can be seen
from within the rotunda. Although the
interior Of the great space Is brilliant
~ illuminated, the light is soft and
pleasing to the eye.
Ancient Slang.
Some day loon former Speaker Kei-
fer and Senator Lodge will foregather
in the cloakroom to discuss the Ques-
ton Of slang. Both are connoisseurs
in that form Of speech. Both delight
to discover the fact that what often
passes for the last work in the lexicon
! Of slang Is older than the Christian
era. The expression, mot in it." &C.
| cording to the reading Of the former
! speaker. Is so old that the man who
uses it as slang ought to be punished
for di%srespect to old age. THAT ex-
preston is 1900 years old at least"
said the former speaker. "Epictetus
uses 1t in talking about the coward In
battle. He used 1t in exactly the same
sense that it il used today. He said
that the coward Is there In the sense
that his body is In the fray, but that
really he is not In it-that IL, he is no
more in it than the man who makes a
! poor run for an office and who IL doing
something his heart does not approve"
Civil War Carpenters.
Representative Blackburn b. Dove
ner of West Virginia believes that a
bridge carpenter who exposed himself
to the fire Of the enemy during the civil
val was Just as brave rs the man who
wore soldier clothes and accordingly
should have Il pension If he needs one.
He has introduced a bill placing bridge
carpenters and bridge repairers on a
reasonable status.
A Venetian Palace.
A real Venetian palace is III of the
striking productions in architecture
that will oon meet the eyes Of visitors
to Washington.
Ex-senator and Mrs. J. B. Hender-
son. among the social leaders here, are
having this palace erected. It is In We.
netian Gothic style, unique In Wash
ington and In its way Is likely to
eclipse In splendor the Washington
mansions Of the Washes. the Letters,
the .Andcrsons ana others.
1t is being built on the highest ground
Of Sixteenth street and will command
a view Of the whole city. Like the We
netian '%'palazzos," it will have its 50.
Ion. 20 by 10 feet; its boudoirs. its log
gias and the like. An immense roof
garden will be one Of the attractive
features of the mansion.
White House Visitors.