The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-08-20
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence


The interior department adopted thi'
new regulation by reason of Secretary
Garfield's interest in the matter. The
department of commerce and Labor
soon followed, and it is expected thai
before long such a regulation will be
in effect in each department.
Saving of Notary Fees.
While the Abandonment of the oatI
in connection with expense accounts
might be criticised as tending to lax
ity and prodigality, it is the conten
ton of Secretary Garfield and those
who favor certification on honor that
the later method is in nowise less
efficacious than the old method II
is pointed out there is great difficulty
in finding notaries to administer oaths
in many parts of the country, especial
ly in the mountain districts of the
west. Moreover, notaries are wont to
tax the government OFFICIAL to the
limit. 1t is estimated that. through
omission of the requirement of swear
ing to the correctness of expense ac-
counts, thousands of dollars in no
torial fees will be saved the govern
ment.
A Historic Railway Station.
The old Pennsylvania depot at
Sixth street, near Pennsylvania ave-
nue., will soon be abandoned. By Oct.
Is the Pennsylvania railroad and, in
fact, all the roads entering Washing
ton affiliated with the Pennsylvania
system, will be using the magnificent
new union station, one of the finest
railroad stations in the world
The old depot possesses much his
toric interest, and was the scene of
the shooting of President Garfield in
1881. Hundreds of visitors have made
it a point on coming to Washington
to see the spot where the assassina-
ton took place. The depot was con-
structed in 1873.
Passing of Old Landmarks.
Incidental to the abandoning of this
depot by the Pennsylvania railroad
and the prospective early abandon
ment by the Baltimore and Ohio of the
one it uses there is sad fate in store
for that part of Pennsylvania avenue
that lies between Seventh street and
the capitol, about six blocks long. The
indications are that when the new
union station is opened business will
be rapidly shifted away from that part
of the avenue to streets farther north
west.
The effect is likely to be to compel
the closing down of many of the places
of business on Pennsylvania avenue
that have been landmarks of Washing
ton for a generation or two.
An Ancient Jar of Preserves.
Five hundred dollars is the price ask
ed by a Washington man for a jar of
pears of which he has been
the owner for more than a quarter of
a century.
The fruit was put up Feb. 25, 1878,
by Mrs. Ella G. Haller, then a resident
of Paterson, N. j. A few years later
the jar was brought to Washington
and placed on exhibition in the old
Riggs House barroom, where it was
admired by statesmen and public men
generally. When it had been there for
a year it was ratified off for charity,
netting $1,000.
The man who won it presented it to
his sweetheart, and she, when she mar
ried another, gave it to relative, who
is its present owner.
There is exactly one bushel of
pears in the jar. They were put up in
peach brandy and are in perfect state
of preservation The name of the wo-
man who put up the pears, together
with the date, is on the jar, the seal of
which has never been broken.
Smithsonian Gets curios.
The Smithsonian institution has re-
ceived and Installed among the histori-
cal exhibits in the hall of history the
valuable historical collection of the
late Henry R. Magruder, who died sew
eral months ago i'm Florence, Italy.
For several years Mr.. Magruder
made his home. I'm Florence and de-
voted much time to gathering valuable
works of art Under the terms of his
will he gave part of his collection to
the United States for use of the Smith
sonian institution.
The collection includes heavily gold
mounted sword and silver pitcher pre-
scented to Mr.. Magruder's father, Cen
eral John Bankhead Magruder of the
Conferedate army, by the states of Vir-
ginia and Maryland in appreciation of
his services; a portrait of the donors
sister in pastel, a porcelain plate with
a picture of Mime. du Barry and IAN
oil painting of Jo- and an Aztec cross.
Proposed Episcopal Cathedral.
The movement for the erection here
of Protestant Episcopal cathedral
has been given added impetus and the
aspect of national church enterprise
by the exhibition of the plans.
The style of the cathedral, as shown
by the plans, is Gothic of the four
teenth century.
In its dimensions it will be larger
than most of the cathedrals in Eng
land or On the continent. The total
length is 476 feet, and the total width
1872 feet. These are external dimen-
sions. The height to the ridge line OF
the roof is 1870 feet, while to the in
ternal apex of the vaulting it is nine
ty-three feet. The central tower will
rise 300 feet from the ground. The
plan is that of nave and aisles, tran
septs, choir and two chapels. Double
aisles are planned for the nave. These
latter will be especially useful fol