Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-23
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known to the people Of the country at
| large. is from an architectural standpoint
one of the finest structures in the national
capital. In fact, several distinguished ar
chitects in attendance at the recent con-
vention in this city freely expressed the
! opinion that the building was not only the
best work ever done by Architect Mckim,
but was the finest specimen of architecture
in the United States. not excepting the Cap
| itol building. This effect was produced de-
spite the fact that the limited appropriations
available compelled the use of the common
est building material, such as common red
| brick and ordinary sandstone. know that
Major Sewell, the engineer officer who SUI
perintended the construction Of the building,
is exceedingly proud of his work, and con-
siders it a better job all around than the
new government printing office. which
also was built by him. The War College is
practically finished save in a few minor
details, and could be occupied now II 1t were
necessary. 1t will be entirely finished in ev-
cry particular and turned over to the gov
eminent in about a month, and certainly by
the LIST of April. 1t Is now open for in
spection. and is well worth visit by every
body interested in first-class architecture
* x X X X
When the vote was taken In the House of
Representatives last week on the PROPOSE
ton to appropriate sum of money for the
erection of a modern foundry at the Wash
ington navy yard there was a rather I'M
usual scene in one of the galleries. An en-
tire section of the north gallery was filled
by body of resolute-looking men and as
the vote was taken which knocked out"
the foundry proposition the resolute-look-
ing men recorded the names of those who
voted against the foundry, besides making
copious notes.
After the fate of the proposition had been
sealed the men flied out of the gallery. One
of them explained that they were members
of the Brotherhood of Machinists and their
W. RI Y1ofa he of Inc
members who had voted in the interest of
the steel trust OF Pennsylvania against the
foundry.
and said the machinist, some of them
will hear from us in their districts at cleo
ton time
& + -
eff there Is a man In the world who does
not deserve to be buried in consecrated
ground he is the fellow who devised the
scheme Of putting paper bands on cigars"
said an old smoker to a Star reporter the
other day. THE banded cigar Is nui-
sance to the man who buys a cigar for Its
quality and not for the looks of 1t. The
band does not cost much, 1t is true, but to
the factories turning out cigars by the
thousands Of boxes 1t must constitute an
appreciable item. 1t does not improve the
cigar. Nobody except the rankest snob
would smoke cigar with the band on, and
even he would have to take the band off
when the fire got down to 1t. And further,
slipping the band off ruins the wrapper OF
more cigars than does anything else If you
cut the band off to save spelling the wrap
per, it is an unnecessary trouble. and the
chances that at the moment you do
not have knife or a pin or toothpick
or anything else that will answer the pur-
pose.
LAS 1 say. the cigar band rs sign Of
snobbery. The best cigars that were ever
turned out of Havana used to be those
made for a European sovereign. They were
made of especially selected tobacco and put
up in locked boxes. Incidentally they cost
from 10 cents to 81 each: But they never
had a band on them They were the real
thing and did not need it. "A good wine
needs bush.' YOU will recollect. Then
some one originated the scheme of putting
bands on a few expensive cigars. The ci-
gars were wrapped in oiled paper and tin
foil The band was put on partly as an
additional ornament to the wrapper and
partly from utilitarian motives, to keep the
wrapper in place. But the scheme struck
the fancy of the dealers and spread like
wild fire. Bands were put on unwrapped
cigars and were supposed to be mark OF
distinction, and now 1t has gotten to the
point where if you are poor and have to
patronize a five-cent smoke. you get your
band and mucilage and broken wrapper all
thrown in without extra charge but 1
strongly suspect at the expense of the quail
ity of the cigar
x x * 4
Now and them said a prominent men,
Der Of the Cosmos Club today, inquiries
are made concerning the names Of members
of our club and 1 am embarrassed in en-
deavoring to explain the name of our dis
tinguished scientist, Prof w MCGEE.
whose eminence has placed him in the front
ranks of biologists of the world Every one
assumes that w ] are initials and almost
invariably they are printed with a period
after them.
THE fact is they stand for nothing at all.
Prof. McGee's name Is w j, and that's all
there is about it. But never expect to see
the day when the newspapers will acknowl-
edge the brevity of his name by leaving
the usual period Oft after each letter.