The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-03-28

sion OF western topics, among others
the gradual extinction of the buffalo.
"A good buffalo robe will outlast a
lifetime" said Mr.. DAILY. II have own
ed two for almost 40 years. and there
is hardly any money that would tempt
me to part with them. When 1 went
to Wyoming buffalo roamed the prair
les in vast herds, and settlers often had
to stop their wagon trains to let the
bison go by
In those days, when they slaugh-
tered them by the thousand for their
skins. the price of hide ranged from
IS to SIS. but particularly good one
was often valued as high as SIS. That.
however. was a fancy price Those of
the finest quality were always taken
from the body of a barren COW. the fur
of such being finer and of firmcr tex
ture. The tanning of the hides in tina,
time was done exclusively by Indian
squaws. that being in the line of work
and the braves never deigncd to do
anything that savored of toll.
ITO XIII these poor creatures for their
skins was certainly cruel. and vet the
Lord never created an animal that could
furnish the equal OF buffalo robe for
comfort or protection. Some years ago.
before the herds were well-nigh exter-
minated, the Federal Government had
Uehdio oScicodtS fuTulSHeu inc SOiu1erS
stationed on the Western frontier. /
wonder what has become of all those
garments? Many of them were of iu-
ferior hides. and consequently were not
very durable. but 1t frequently happened
that trooper in liquor would sell his
coat for trifle. AS soon as he got
sober enough to tell who got 1t his
superior officer sent a Corporars guard
on double-quick to recover the article
n Df
was only too glad to restore it to escape
arrest and Imprisonment
Among the most interesting sights in
the Washington Monument are the 112
memorial stones that are placed at the
different landings in the interior Be-
sides the beautifully carved stones set
there by the several States and Terri
tories and private organizations, there
are stones from many foreign nations.
all suitably inscribed with the name of
the donor.
The Monument. tho begun in 1913,
was not thrown open to the public until
in the Fall Of 1888. 1t measures from
the base to the pinnacle $50 feet. At
the base 1t is So feet square on the out
side and Is feet in the interior. The
foundation Is 38 feet deep and measures
126 feet square. The thickness at the
Is inches at the pinnacle
The face Of the Monument Is made of
Maryland marble. On the inside blue
| stone Is used for the first $50 feet. the
rest being granite. The total cost of
the shaft was $1,300.000.
Again Isthmian affairs are all tumbled
up and down. without much prospect
OF settlement until after Secretary
Taft goes down there the last of this
month.
After the reorEaBiZa ton of the 18TH
milan Canal Comm ission, with Col. Goe-
that's rs its Chairman, It Is probable
that all seven Of the Canal Commits
sioners will live on the Isthmus, and
the Commission will become more Of an
administrative body than 1t was under
Chairman Shonts
Under Mr.. Shonts the Commissioners
were advisory rather than executive
officials. They were consulted on engi-
neerfng problems and in some cases on
administrative policies. but the author
ity to direct affairs was conferred largely
In the Chairman. Without intimate
knowledge Of exact conditions on the
Isthmus 1t is diflcuit to determine ex-
actiy how the Commission can work to
the bes, advantage. and the Secretary
OF War has no desire to outline the
policy definitely until Col. Goethais and
the Army engineers who are assisting
him have had an opportunity to famfl-
iarize themselves with conditions on the
Isthmus.
The Bureau OF Chemistry Of the Agri-
cultural Department. OF which DR..
Wiley is Chief. was called upon recently
to pass judgment on three rather odd
food products shipped to this country
from Europe. The first was q package
Of chicOry IN q dried state. put up in a
very neat case by a factory in Hungary.
Tho label and advertising matter on the
case was In tho Outlandfsh Hungarian
or Magyar language, supplemented by
statement in Yiddish- The name Of
Kave." the last word being Magyar for
coffee Hungarian manufacturers
shipped the goods. and the consignment
wss held In New York on the charge Of
misbfanding. 70, "a.
DR.. Wiley decided that the stun could
be admitted. provided the Hungarian
manufacturers label It ''chicOry" and
not coffee"
A, sample can of French fageolets.
Of "copper"" ON the back, was also re-
ceived. and DR.. Wiley decided the label
would have to be placed on the front of
the can.
'Worse still was the case of "egg
noodles There Arrived at New York,
intended for the German and Russian
Jew trafe. q consignment of egg moo
dies. made In Germany" The Food In
spectors decided that the noodles were
prepared without eggs. andsa case of
the stuff was sent to DIR. Wiley for a
final decision. DR.. Wiley sexa mined this
product. and found that the noodles
were made simply Of -four and water,
cclOred with q little saffron. but with
out trace Of egg In their composition
He decided. therefore. that the noodles
could not he admitted branded az they
were.
THE WASHINGTON STATE HOME.