Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-22
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes and Incidents sketched
On the Snot.

on the spot.
An amusing feature Of official red tape
is Frightening the solemn round of adj
illustrative duties in Washington. Some
thing over half year has passed since
Charles J. Bonaparte became secretary OF
the navy. The fact was widely published
i'm the newspapers 1t is even known that
Mr.. Bonaparte is now performing the duties
devolving upon the secretary of the navy.
But common report or newspaper publica-
tion cuts no figure with the men in charge
OF the mailing lists of executive depart
ments. For them ordinary Information
lacking the official stamp isn't worth a
continental The man in charge of the
mailing list of the Interstate Commerce
commission has not yet learned from off,
cial sources that Mr.. Bonaparte is secretary
of the navy. There is no telling when he
will become aware of the fact. Documents
intended for the eyes of the secretary of
the navy, coming from the commission, are
still addressed to Hon. Paul Morton, Secre-
tary of the Navy" Letter carriers in such
cases deliver the mail to the official re-
CARELESS OF the names upon them. The
men in charge of the mailing lists of cor
respondents still send documents to news
paper men who have been dead for
decade or more.
The number of medicine concerns engaged
In the manufacture and sale of alleged
illegal nostrums which have been put out
of business by the Postofice department
in the last year or so would fill a good
sized book. Seldom, indeed, do the men
who promise to sell posons for the pur-
pose of checkmating the workings Of nature
dare to make good their pledges. They
Inn fra
them If they do, but they frequently reap
a rich harvest for time by pretending
to cater to the evil minded When ex-
amined by the Postoffice department their
medicines as a rule are found to contain
nothing but harmless coloring and havoring
extracts, which, by their taste and smell,
will serve for time to fool the purchasers.
The department Keeps a close watch of the
newspapers and magazines for this class
or swindlers and launches fraud orders
against them as fast as they make their
appearance. Frequently the operators of
the schemes go from town to town. chang
ing their names we'll as the names of
their nostrums with each removal. Gem
orally the department is able to keep so
closely upon their heels however, that the
fakirs soon discover they are travelling at
a loss and seek other channels of endeavor.
Colonel Clarence A. Edwards, chief of the
bureau OF insular affairs of the War depart
ment, tells an interesting story illustrating
now the canteen operates to reduce the sale
of whisky in the vicinity of army posts
Several years ago, before the canteen was
abolished by act of congress- he was in
charge OF an army post in the northwest
When he took hold of it there were upward
OF forty low saloon dives skirting the edge
OF the military reservation, along the main
road leading into it. Colonel Edwards at
once established canteen, where under
the regulations, he arranged for the sale of
beer and light wines to the enlisted men, At
once the business of the grogshops outside
began to decline, and in less than six
months every one Of them had gone out of
business. This withdra wal from the field
cut a large hole in the trade Of the whole
sale whisky dealers and increased the trade
of the brewers, and while this was the case
the department of the enlisted men was
greatly improved. There were fewer
breaches OF discipline, fewer arrests, and
the men, as a whole, began to save money
to send home or put in bank
Since the announcement of his coming
marriage to Miss Roosevelt CONGRESSMAN
Longworth's mail has increased fourfoId
Nearly. half of his letters contain recipes for
promoting the growth of hair and he is Of
fered any quantity of infallible tonics If he
Will use them and send testimonials in re-
turn. lie gets sta tistics to prove that no
! bald-headed man has ever been known to
| so insane; that lack of hair is a preserya-
| tive against all manner OF pulmonary dis
cases. that criminals of all classes are noted
for their growth of shaggy hair. usually
straight and black, and that bald-headed
| men in all times and ages have stood for
| benevolence, intellectual ripeness and law
| abiding qualities.
The feeling between Senators Spooner and
| La toilette OF Wisconsin is not without
precedent. Senator Gallnger and Senator
! Chandler for years represented New Hamn-
! shire together in the senate and never ex-
changed greetings. The feud between sena-
tor Tillman and his colleague. Senator Nc
/ Laurin, became so intense that they came
! to blows several years ago on the senate
/ floor. An intense personal feeling alase
between Senator Wellington and Senator
| McComas during the time they served in
the senate together from Maryland Sena-
! tor Berry and Senator Clarke of Arkansas
meet and pass each other as total strangers
In their case the ceremony of walking down
the main aisle together when Senator Clarke
was sworn in was omitted and Senator
/ Clarke played the part alone Senator
Berry volunteered to act as his colleagues
escort upon that occasion, but the offer was
spurned.
Senator Perkins OF California is the only
| whaler i'll congress; Representative Wash
ineton Gardner Of Michigan the only clergy
man. Representative Anthony MichaIek of
Chicago, the only grocer; Delegate Kalia-
naole of Hawaii the only prince; Repre-
sentative John Thomas Hunt OF Missouri.
the only stonecutter; Representative Ed
ward j. Minor of Wisconsin the only
licensed master of steam vessels. and Rep
resentatiVe 8 W. Robertson of Louisiana,
the only college professor.
COMMON WISH OF CROOKS.