Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-08
nIrs or wAsn1NcroN LIE.

hits or WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes and incidents sketchcd
ON the spot.
The inalienable right OF petition for
which John Quincy Adams Numbered n
the way-back days has been worked to
the limit this year. The strenuous Rctivi-
ties Of congress brought to that body
great variety OF petitions. some couched In
humble tones. some appeals. othevs COM
mands A noticeable feature Of the deluge
II the systematic industry Of petition
makers. The earmarks Of their activity
are visible in sameness 81 language ami
copied names. 1t IL not an exsggcration
20 say that Of the hundreds Of thousands
Of petitions that al committee rooms. the
speakers room, the vice presidents room
and nearly every available niche I'm the
capitol. e5 per cent are the machine-nade
article and have been obtained by sys-
tematic use OF club and lodge registers
labor and patriotic organizations and pos
sibly 5 per cent are the bona hde express
sions OF individuals who have signed their
own names
This session the greatest number Of petit
tions have been presented in favor OF what
are known as labor bills such as the anti
Injunction bill, the employers liability bill
the eight-hour bill, the immigration bill
and the pure food bill on the railroad
bills the petitions have nearly all n not
all, been inspired by Mr.. Fuller. represent
ing the Railway Employees association.
For the Immigration bill thousands upon
thousands of petitions have been presented
all alike and the signatures in each hear
Ing the same characteristics. Mr. TAYLOR
representing the Junior Order United Amer
lean Mechanics, has an ONCE in Washing
ton and by using the vast chain Of lodges
| throughout the country he has been able
to smother senators and members of the
house with petitions each a counterpart
OF the other In like manner the anti
Smoot petitions were procured.
President Roosevelt has an account AZ the
Riggs National bank in this city. The
bookkeepers have no end of trouble keep
ing the presidents balance straight and.
~ tact' are never able to bring the ac-
count up to date This is because so many
people who get checks from the president
fail to cash them, preferring to preserve
the checks as souvenirs
This fad on the part Of the au.orranb
hunting public saves several hundred dol
lars for the president every year. A sur
prisingly large number OF persons are will
ing to pay from 81 to SO for an uncashed
check of the presidents Consequently
when drafts are issued for small amounts
over the presidents signature they are ant
TO fall into the hands of collectors. There
Is standing order for small Roosevelt
! checks at the stores of Tablespoonful who
supply the White House The result of all
this Is that there is always large number
or Roosevelt checks unaccounted for. So that
the bookkeepers at the Riggs bank are
never able accurately to settle his account
few months ago the president appointed
committee to make a thorough investiRa-
Ton OF the business methods Of each of
'ne several departments at Washington
with view to Kidding them OF some of the
red tape ways of doing things
Secretary Bonaparte on being ir+ar-
viewed by this committee. told the follow
! ing story, which beautifully illustrates tho
free use Of red tape in the government
| service:
one OF the naval officers on a certain
| snip desired to change a Thermometer
from one side OF the vessel 10 tho other
! assigning very good reasons for doing so
Ihls could not be done, according 10 naval
regulations however. until he had CARRIES
the matter to the ships commander ava
through him to me. readily consented %
the proposed change, which cost iust "a
cents-6o cents for the postage and station
cry ana 3, cents for the nail and. the wear
and tear on the hammer"
An official of one of the departments at
washington says that whenever he en-
counters an unknown person Of distin-
sulshed appearance he is reminded NJ n,
GXnaFinnqa 90 H..
TO late secretary OF war
IL appears that this nrivste soo......
before he got well acquainted. maid IittIo
attention to persons he did not know IN
De OF Importance. One day there entered
the ahte-room member of the cahiret
whom the private secretary had never seen
oetore' Being ignored by the secretary for
considerable time. the distinguished ,,,s
itor finally entered the room NJ the H.,
/ OF the department unannounced. Irndorht-
edly ne made complaint In the matter o.,
the next day the private secretary received
reprimand from his chief
Inc very next day one Of the first par.
sons 10 enter the private secretarv's room,
was distinguished looking old man with
q 'ohs' patriarchal beard. Bearing in mind
nus experience OF the day before the pri-
vate secretary received his visitor u,,,h
| DOW ne offered a chair to the old GENTLE
man. who accepted 1t, not without an ax-
preston Of some wonderment. q fact ~.
private secretary himself observed rbs
latter seated himself opposite his distin-
guished caller and, with his most engaging
smile. asked:
And now, SIR" what can l do for YOU
toda.T'
on nothing much" replied the man
with the patriarchal beard I've dropped
| in TO wind the clocks"
! While travelling from Pittsburg to WASH
ington a few days ago Congressman Harry
Maynard Of Virginia was robbed OF his
watch and money in a sleeping car. Next
night he left the capital on a night boat
| for Norfolk. Just he got on board he
/ found that he was moneyless once more.
! though he had cashed a fair-szed check
! that morning. Then he yelled loudly for
/ the key to his stateroom. I'm going 70
! lock myself in he said. "and see IL 1 can
| get 10 Norfolk without losing anything
else" Half an hour later after the boat
! had swung down the stream. the door OF
J Maynard's stateroom opened and he