Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07

the front he slipped. and before he
stopped he was In the corner and the bal
loon standing on point In q perpendicular
attitude. According to Beachey the airship
was coming toward the earth with all kinds
OF speed. but he quickly gathered his wits.
and, realizing 1t was q race with death, he
climbed for dear life up through the frame
work. and once again righted the machine
Beachey said that the one feeling that was
paramount was that his heart was about to
leap from his throat.
Y X
They had evidently been having a very
moist night and they met on the corner in the
not very early morning. Both bore the
brand Of hard soaks. 1t was hard to say
that either one looked worse than the
other.
H. S. No 1 pulled himself together with
an early morning shiver not justified by
the thermometer, and said:
"Ug-g-g-h! I sure was in bad shape this
morning. Woke up and saw Shiny green
lizards crawling all over me. 1t took three
or four to set me right"
H. s. No. 2 regarded him critically from
head to foot.
Hump" said he. you amt in such good
shape yet l can see 'em still crawling
over YOU"
An attorney Of this city. who was for
merry prominent in the councils of the ma
ton and who has been for many years IA
miliar with politics in the state OF Missouri,
tells the following story: During a heated
campaign In Missouri for the governorship
there was much discussion as to the war
record OF one OF the leading candidates.
1t was charged by his enemies that he had
not shown that bravery and devotion to
the state which the people OF Missouri love
to honor. In Polk county the argument ran
high. At the county seat several parti-
sans were gathered In front Of the court
house one day debating the matter in heat
ed language. Why said one Of Polk coun-
tvs citizens this man failed to go to the
front In the time OF his countrys need.
Yes. gentlemen. he was afraid to enlist. He
skulked at home while his neighbors shoul-
dered their guns and marched away to
battle. But his friends say that he defend
ed the flag. Well, he did join the home
guards. Yes gentlemen, he Joined the
home guards. but not until he got a sworn
promise that he would not have to so out
OF the county unless the enemy came In
But that statement OF fact, II It was
such. may have shown the Polk county
citizens what wise and prudent man they
were called upon to support for he was
duly elected governor OF Missouri"
Not single pound OF the great quantity
OF smokeless powder manufactured by pri-
vate concerns for the use of the army" re-
marked an ordnance officer, "is inspected
in any manner during the process of maxi
has not progressed to a point where it is
possible to be sure Of the keeping qualities
of that powerful explosive. the ordnance
officers OF the army are kept In a state of
constant anxiety as to the safety OF the
soldiers handling the powder, as well as for
the civilians resident in the neighborhood Of
the magazines.
That condition results from the lack Of
nance Corps, and although that fact has
been repeatedly shown to Congress no reme-
dy has been applied.
Another Illustration OF the lack Of skilled
ordnance officers Is found in the case Of the
great manufacturing arsenals. At Water
town only one officer can be spared to in
spect the work Of 1.6OO men who are daily
turning out $50 modern rifles Of the most
accurate and delicate workmanship. Every
one OF the numerous patterns and parts
of these should be carefully measured. but
that is impossible for mere lack of inspee-
tors, and 1t Is feared that some Of the
weapons may fall below the high standard
required. So the proposition from Congress
to establish a government factory for max
ing smokeless powder for the army like the
naval plant at Indian Head threatens to
make the situation worse, for 1t will draw
upon the already depleted force of ord
tendents.
1T has been found difficult to recruit that
force, too. for the service Is no longer either
from pay or duty attractive to ambitious
past few days 1t has been found necessary
to meet an emergency by temporarily de-
failing a dozen young officers to the Ord
nance Corps without much reference to
their own wishes"
x X X X X
Now I have seen everything" was the
remark of an aged resident Of Capitol HILL
when he returned from trip to Great
Falls, Wednesday, and greeted his wife
at the front door, land you will have to
go and see 1t tomorrow
See what?" the wife inquired.
The falls" was the response Of the ex-
cited man.
What falls?"
why. the Great Falls, of course"
The husband said to his friends that he
had lived in Virginia and Washington all
his life. and 1t was not until the Fourth OF
July that he really gave the Great Falls
thought.
People were talking about going there"
he told a friend the morning after the
opening of the new road, and 1 followed
the crowd. I didn't care for the music and
dancing and all the things that amused the
children but when saw the mass of rocks
and water l felt as II I should have gone
there long ago. People spend their money
TO rush miles away from home to view
scenery and here they have one of the most
beautiful pieces of scenery In the world
and they don't appreciate 1t enough to
travel twenty miles.
II know there are thousands of persons
in this city who have never seen the Great
Falls" he added, and my advice to them
Is to go there even If they have to walk"