Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-20
BIrs oF wAsHINeroN LIFE.
Minor scenes and Incidents sietched
on the Spot.

Minor scenes and Incidents sixetched
on the spot.
The Department of Agriculture has is
sueo bulletin setting forth the good
qualities OF eucalyptus oil, about which
little Information has been available mere
tofore. According TO the bulletin the oil
has been in use for about forty years. but
only during the past ten years has II
been employed as medicine very extensively.
Its use is now constantly increasing as its
properties and medicinal value becomes
better known. The fact that II is non
poisonous and nonirritant makes II espe-
cially safe and valuable. AS much Of Il
as fourth of an ounce has been taken
Internally without injury and II may be
freely applied to the most delicate tissue.
Notwithstanding the fact that It is neither
dangerously poisonous nor irritating to the
human system, 1t is a very effective antisep-
tic and dsinfectant and has come to be
used quite extensively for dressing wounds,
ulcers, and other diseased tissues. 1t enters
into the composition Of several antiseptic
preparations The oil is also a well known
remedy for malarial and other fevers and
is used in treating diseases of the hair
and skin and of the stomach, kidneys and
bladder, and is especially valuable for af-
fections of the throat bronchi and lungs.
The question as to why the national
salute consisted of twenty-one guns was
put to one of the classes at Washington
preparing young men for the entrance
examinations for West Point and An
napolis, and, strange to say, not one of
the embryotc generals or admirals "hit
the nail on the head"
The coach" who knows American his
tory away down underneath. furnished
the Washington Herald the information
that the national salute, which is the in
ternational salutts-that is, the salute
given to a national fag-is fixed by army
regulations at twenty-one guns, and that
the number appears to have been In con-
formity to the custom of foreign nations
at the time when the number was so fixed.
The first record of national salute is
in army regulations of 1912, which was in
conformity to the number OF states COM
prislng the union, then eighteen, but in
1878, a new regulation was made fixing
the number at twenty-one, which was at
that date the number of states in the
union: and which was at the same time
in accordance with the kings regulations
Great Britain), which fixed twenty-one
guns to be fired as a salute on the an
niversary days of the BIRTH accession,
and coronation of the king the birth of
the queen, the restoration of Charles II,
and the gunpowder treason.
At that date the national salute in
France was also fixed at twenty-one guns,
to be fired only on Corpus Christi Day and
on the kings birthday
II is proper to remark, however, that
the national salute of twenty-one guns at
the present time appears to be peculiar
TO the United States and Great Britain.
inasmuch as the national salute of
France is 101 guns; Of Germany thirty-three
guns, and that the superlative salute in
the United States is that on the Fourth Of
July Of one gun for each state in the union.
and it is called the salute to the union.
A young newspaper man of Boston was
sent to Washington to find what impress
sion has been made there by the Massachu-
sets legislatures petition for tariff re-
vision. He called on Speaker Cannon and
said rather jauntily: Il suppose, Mr..
Speaker, that congress can not resist the
demands of all sorts of citizens of Massa-
chusetts, irrespective of politics, for i'm
mediate tariff revision?" Uncle Joe gave
his cigar a vicious nip. Young man." said
he, "this is a constitutional government,
country OF the free and home OF the brave
has the right to petition congress and have
his petition read. The right Of petition IL
one of the safeguards of our liberties. But,
by Jehosaphat, sir, congress does not have
to grant the prayers of every tramp. No,
sir, not by a darn slght!' The visiting
newspaper man FASTENED away.
The gold coins OF the United States will
be changed some time during the coming
year, for the first time in fifty years The
work OF preparing the new designs has
been placed in the hands of a celebrated
New York artist. President Roosevelt he
lieves that the gold coins now in use are
inartistic and after discussing the matter
with the treasury officials he took It up
with the New Yorker in question. AS a re-
suit, appropriate designs. artistic in effect
and beautiful in workmanship, are about to
be submitted for approval of the president
Under the law the president has a good
deal of authority in prescribing just what
figures or emblems shall appear on specie
money. Congress has made certain llmita-
tions however. 1t provides that the de-
signs on coins shall not be changed oftener
than once in a period of twenty-five years
that on each coin there shall appear an
emblem of liberty, the year OF coinage. and
the words "E Pluribus Unum." Beyond
being bound by this general description
the president may do as he likes.