Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-06-21

reCJ management vi the ITuSb WhiCh
about 95 per cent of the pow
der output, larger proportion of the
finished product than was ever con.
trOlled by the Standard Oil.
Probably the thing that has moved
the government to proceed against The
trust is tue increasing cost of powder |
for the army and navy. There are
bids formally opened for powder sup
plies as formerly, but the officers of
both the army and navy know that 1T
is farce. Tue same company pres
ents all of the bids under different
names and il there is any difference in
the price ii Ia because the trust wants
some particular mill to do the work
instead of some 9th r. Efforts to es
stablish government powder factories
have been successfully fought in the
past, and if the country we're to be
plunged into war next week, 1T would
either have to cOnfiscate the mills of
the powder trust or else pay whatever
price the trust chose to name for firing
every gun in the army and navy.
One of the most important pieces of
archaeological work ever done in the
United States has just heeu reported
to Washington. 1t is the partial com
petiOn of the work of excavation at
the casa Grande. " Most people know
that the Casa Grande has always been
ranked AS the most important and i'm
presslve of American ruins. The trans
latiOn of it's Spanish name is 1.-The Big
| House" and 1t is located in southern
Arizona where it has been known to
the scientific world since the conques
tador AIvarado first entered that sec
tiOn in his search for the tabled Seven
Cities OF CibOla. 1t is great building
something less than 100 by fifty feet in
area with walls in some places thirty
feet high. 1t is built up of adobe con.
crete with wooden door and window
frames. and is different from any other
Indian construction of the southwest.
1t is a remarkable stT ucture that the
government some years ago made an
appropriation to help preserve it from
the effects of the weather. and last
year DIR. Walter Fewkes of the Bureau
of Ethnology was sent down there to
do little more protective work. But
Instead of combining himself to the
work be was sent to do, be commenced
excavatlng, and the result Is that he
has unearthed what was the ground
floor of the house which Is 400 feet by
235, and 80 feet high, making the ORR
ginal house small by comparison. What
the world has known for three and a
half centuries as the Casa Grande, il
merely the delapidated story of al
immensely larger struc ure 1t seems
to have been the citadel of the Pima
tribe against the att acks of the Navajos
aud Apaches. 1t is by far the most re
markable chronological discovery eveI
made on this continent end has wor
DIR. Fewkes much credit f,om the
branches of the Archaeological Society
all over the country.
1t will be of interest to users of the
weed to know that the Treasury De-
partment has officially decided that
tobacco is d necessity and not a luxury
The case came up in an appeal to tht
Com ptroller over an expenditure fol
tobacco for some labOrers who were
held in quarantine in Panama Tnere
WAS SIS so worth of tobacco bought fol
le laborers, and the item Was 4ues
toned by the discussing officer. The
Treasury decided that it was an ex.
penditure for one of the necessaries OF
life within the meaning of the act
The decision went on to say that what
ever might be the moral or hygeinic
aspect of the case. that tobacco, espe-
eli lily to the Iaborlng Glasses, was sc
mnch part of their regular ration
that it must be ranked as a nee essity,
and the item Was allowed liz the &C
count.
The Treasury is called on to render
a number of interesting decisions, and
another ever more curious than this
was made some time ago where it was
decided that man could not possibly
tell how old he was and could not be
convicted Of perjury III swearing false
ly on the subject. The case came up
under the civil service act where q
Treasury employee had stated his age
proven cOnclusively that be was at
least five years older. 1t was shown in
this case that the man had gone on in
} formation given him In stating his age
and the Department made q ruling in
general form that nobody could be GER
tain of their own age, as they always
had to depend for the Information on
hearsay evidence.
There have Deen no new develop
ments In the Japanese situation in the
past few days, and it Is inferred that
this government does not feel much
uneasiness on the subject, as the Navy
Department has just sent 5000 tons oil
coal to the American naval depot al
Y okahama where the vessels of the
Asiatic squadron refit instead of going
to Manila. This action certainly
would not be taken if there were any
apprehension of trouble during which
the coal supply would easily fall into
the hands of the Japanese.
The Navy Department has just start
ed on a new system of Identification
for the sailors of the service. The
'scar system" has been in use for a
number of years, and has worked very
well. The recruits were all identified
by scars and moles on the body, and it
was found to be remarkable fact that