The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-05-24
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence }

Mines on New England Coast.-The
war department has ordered four tor
pedo planters to. start north for par
ticipation in the coast defence ma
noeuyres OF the New England states.
These boats will go first TO New York
and from there will proceed along the
New England coast, going from state
to state TO meet the dates for the ma
noeuvres.
The Rev. Henry N. Couden, the blind
chaplain OF the House OF Representa-
tives, during the last session, conceiv-
| ed the idea that he would prefer TO be
the chaplain of the Senate and went
to Speaker Cannon about IL. What
do you want TO go over there for"
inquired Mr.. Cannon. The House is
a flower garden and the Senate is a
graveyard" Il know" replied the
chaplain, gently, but one stays longer
in a graveyard than in a flower gar
den"
Against Precedent.-Concernin the
alleged failure Of the state department
TO invite the Japanese Prince Fushimi
TO visit America after his English
visit, it was stated the other day that
precedent prevents the department
from extending an invitation to any.
foreign potentate TO visit America
without the express direction of Con-
gress. No official notice has been re-
ceiyed that Prince Fushimi contem-
plates visit TO the United States, and
no invitation can be extended on mere
unofficial advices.
To Keep Voices of the Great.-Fol-
lowing the arrival in this country Of
the so-called Photographic records Of
an address recently delivered by the
German Emperor for preservation at
the Congressional Library, is the GU
rious discovery that the word phono-
graph does not appear in the patent
Office lexicon. Contrary TO general
suposition this designation is not rec
ognized by Uncle Sam, who officially
calls them all graphophones. With the
installation Of the royaI vocal records
at the Congressional Library the ad-
visibility of including the utterances
Of great living statesmen among the
records of Indian dialects at the
Smithsonian institution is being con-
sidered. At present the Smithsonian
records are limited to Indian dialects,
but with the addition mentioned, the
example set by the French and Aus
trian governments in preserving the
famous voices of the stage as well as
forum may be followed. Another in
novation has just been made by the
bureau of forestry in adopting a series
of debating graphophones. The nov
city is attributed to the shortage of
expert stenographers in Washington
particularly in the various government
departments.
Counting Sub-Treasury Cash.-It is
said that poker enthusiasts are much
given TO quoting this motto: Trust
everybody; but cut the cards" OBJ
servers who have acquainted them
selves with Uncle Sans methods of
doing business can hardly have failed
to arrive at the conclusion that he fol-
lows some such motto. For exam
pie, there is the official counting of the
cash in the United States sub-treas-
ury at Pine, Nassau and Wall streets,
New York City, which was begun a
few days ago by a committee of eX
perts from the treasury department
here. This counting is made neces-
sary by the expiration of the term of
office of Assistant Treasurer Hamil-
ton Fish. Far from being an unusual
procedure, the work is part of the
departments routine, the custom be-
ing to count all the paper and coin
currency at the expiration of the as
sistants term of Office. AS evidence
of the governments confidence in Mr. |
Fish. it is confidently predicted that
the President will re-nominate him as
assistant treasurer as soon as the |
counting is completed; and that the |
denomination will be confirmed by
the national senate. Incidentally, an |
idea of the Importance of the New |
York sub-treasury may be had from |
the estimate that the operation of |
counting and checking up the money |
deposited there will occupy at least |
forty days.
To Safeguard Miners Lives.-Scien-
tifc study Of the causes Of mine disas- |
ters has been undertaken by the fuel |
division of the geological survey in the |
hope that the great loss Of life in the |
mines of this country may be abated |
Clarence Hall, an explosive expert, |
has returned from a trip TO England |
and Belgium, where mine owners. min |
ers, the government and the manufac-
turers OF explosives cooperate in an
effort to prevent explosions. Plans
have been made by the fuel division
to erect, probably near Pittsburg, q |
unique experiment station where |
tests will be made Of various dyna-
mites and blasting powders for the |
purpose of accurately determining |
their safety in the presence of fire |
damp and coal gas. Explosives will |
be hurled from a mortar into a steel |