The National tribune., 1906-06-21

| lWashingtonian turned and looked a:
| the Prince with some anxiety.
"If I'm going too fast for your High
ness" he said, please tell me-"
| 81 like speed replied the Mahara-
jah, quietly.
| Did you ever go so fast before?" in
quired the Washingtonian, after an
other bit of swift driving.
Would you mind intrusting the
wheel to me?" said the Maharajah for
reply, and the Washingtonian, not with
out misgivings. changed seats. The
Maharajah instantly showed himself to
be a practiced driver to the Washing
tonians surprise. He got every ounce
out of the machine that there was in
| it. and he took all of the curves of tho
unfamiliar road at the top speed, while
| the Washington man wriggled in his
seat.
"You have learned how 10 drive on
ian.
mo, at home" replied the Maha-
ajah, "I have IA cars. l had one OF
| the first SO cars manufactured, and
| motoring has been my favorite amuse-
ment at home for many years"
| Herbert Putnam. the Librarian. took
| the Maharajah through the Library of
Congress. The Prince was greatly in
| terested in the systematic arrangement
| of the books, and the vast number of
| the volumes seemed 10 impress him
deeply.
How long," he asked Librarian Put
| nam, would it take man to read all
| of these books?" waving his hand in
| the direction of the book-banked gal
leries.
Mr.. Putnam smilingly replied that no
one man could ever begin to read all
| of the books in the library, some o.
900, 900 in number. Then he made a
| rough calculation. He told the Maha-
| rajah that it had been estimated that no
man in the course of the average life
| time of 20 years. could read more than
| 5000 books. Therefore, figuring on
100000 in the Library of Congress. a
! man would have to have ESQ lifetimes
| of 20 years each to get through with all
of the books, and that would mean
1850 years.
The computation seemed to amuse
| the Prince.
"And what would your DIR. osler say
to that?" he inquired.
A curious incident occurred in the
presentation to the President of Thomas
J. Buckley. of Racine, Wis, by Repre-
sentative Cooper, of that State. Mr..
Buckley Is a survivor of the historic
fight between the Kearsarge and the
Alabama, serving in one of the gun
crews on the former vessel. He is now
on his way to Boston to attend Re-
union of the survivors of the battle.
The President chatted with him inter-
estingly and in the course of conversa-
ton asked him whether it was at one
of the 11-inch guns that he was sta
toned. Mr.. Buckley said 1t was not,
but he afterward expressed surprise
that any one outside the naval profess
-
sarge carried 11-inch guns, this being
caliber that is not in use in the Navy
at the present day.
The item placed in the Sundry Civil
appropriation bill for S25,000 for ex-
penses of the President when travelling
was knocked out on a point of order.
Representative Watson, of Indiana, has
prepared a special bill appropriating
this sum, which he hopes to get through
Congress before it adjourns.
Senator German was the minority
leader of the Senate, and Senator
Blackburn has been selected to fill that
position. Senator Blackburn retires
himself with the end of this Congress.
Edward c. Baumann. a clerk in the
United States Land Office, has been
signed by w. A. Richards, General
Land Commissioner. Affidayits sub
mitted to the Bureau showed that in
two specific cases Baumann had bought
entered land, taking the deed in the
name of his wife.
1t is a violation of the law for Land
Office officials to deal in Government
land. 1t Is thought that Irregularities
of this kind have been extensive and n
Special Agent is making an investiga-
ton.
About 900 native Kentuckians now
residents of Washington went to Louis
vile last week to attend the Kentucky
"home-coming"-w exercises.
A large proportion of the work Of
the Interior Department In the investi-
CATION of Government land frauds has
been brought to a sudden standstill on
account of lack of funds, which has
made It necessary to furlough Is Spec
ial Agents of the General Land Office.
Heretofore, when the appropriation for
terror Department, as well as all OF the
other Government Departments. has
continued the work of the particular
office affected Just as before and created
a deficiency which Congress was asked
to meet. This method of doing busi-
ness was quashed by Congress. how
ever, in the Executive appropriation for
the present fiscal year, which made it
criminal offense to exceed appropria-
tionS.
The Is Special Agents of the General
Land Office referred to have been at
work in the Middle and far Western
States under the special supervision Of
Secretary SyShcock. who has been
pushing the land fraud cases. They
will be forced to LAY off, until the next
years appropriation becomes available,
July ! next.
The Secretary is naturally somewhat
disappointed at this halt in the work.
The early completion Of several big
| warships will result in the reorganiza-
ton of the fleets of the United States in
the Autumn. If a plan now under con-
sideration is approved the Atlantic or
| home feet will comprise one of the
most powerful naval aggregations in the
| world. The scheme contemplates the
| organizat ton of the Atlantic feet in four
divisions of four battleships each. max
| ing a total of 16 first-ciass battleships
| To do that II is proposed to bring home
the battleships Ohio and Wisconsin. the
Only vessels of that type in the Asiatic
| fleet, and sending to that station the
| four big armored cruisers now attached
1 to the Atlantic fleet.
4 The coast squadron, which was under
i the command of Rear-AdmiraI Dickins
and was part of the Atlantic fleet, has
| been abolished and most of the vessels
| put in reserve The cruiser SQUADRON
Of the Atlantic feet, commanded by
| Rear-Admiral Sigsbee, has also been
| broken up, the cruisers Chattanooga