The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-01-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.

the public lands administration is quies.
cent, pending the assumption of Office by
Mr.. Garfield, who will become Secretary
of the Interior the fourth of next March.
In the meantime, however, the President
will be called upon to make decision
which will show how much credence he
places in the reports that Senator Warren
of Wyoming, one of his personal friends,
is involved in public land scandals. This
will be in the appointment of Francis E.
Burke, as District Attorney, to succeed
himself It is we'll known that Mr.. Burke
is strenuously opposed by the Interior
Department whose confidence he does
not enjoy, but it is none the less we'll
known that Senator Warren stands for
Mr.. Burke and that he will make the
strongest kind of fight for his retention
Senator Warren is close friend of the
President, the latter having been enter
tanned at his home in Wyoming. The
Senator has been frequent visitor at the
White House and has been entertained
there formally and informally on many
occasions. He is popular in Congress
and there are many of his stanch friends
in the Senate who declare that the
charges against him are false but the
President will now have an opportunity TO
show what he thinks in the matter. The
situation, which is embarrassing for the
President, is further complicated by the
fact that Senator Warren is head of the
Senate Committee on Military Affairs
and an affront to him now would have
unpleasant consequences on the Senator
ial attitude in the Brownsville affair which
is already distressing muddle, and one
which is being taken advantage of by
those who desire to obtruct the legislation
urged by the President.
~
The President accompanied by Mrs.
Roosevelt and the children are spending
the holidays at Mrs. Roosevelt's country
lodge in Virginia called "Pine Knot"
The name was doubtless given the place
because of its situation in the midst of
pine wood forest but it has double sig
nifcance for the Presidents family which
truly does pine not for the glamour of
Washington life when they can escape
for few days and find a relief from con-
ventionality, hypocrisy and society of the
city, Roosevelt weather." already
famous as Roosevelt luck" prevails and
though the journey to the place was made
when the thermometer was low enough
to have prevented almost any one from
leaving steam heat and the comforts of
home to take up life in the hack woods,
the temperature is much milder now,
and the President took his guns
and hunting clothes, the boys being
similarly equipped. Mrs. Roosevelt too
has special costumes for the country and
with short skirt, sweater and wooden
tam defies wind or rain in her long tramps
through the woods. Probably no invest
ment the President has ever made has
yielded such an income as this little home
for it is a source of health and inspiration
when he is jaded almost to illness with
the cares of his Titanic job. 1t also gives
Mrs Roosevelt relief from her arduous
social duties and prepares her with new
stock of energy for those that are to fol-
low. The Presidential party will be back
intime for the, New YEARS. reception.
when the President will see as soon as he
steps out of bed in the morning and looks
out of his window the crowd already
forming which he will have to meet and
shake hands with, beginning at noon.
This is the most strenuous day in the year
for him, though it is one which he seems
to enjoy and for which few days of
country life prepares him physically.
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