Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-28


BITS OF wAsHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes ana sketched
81 the Spot.
Among the many fascinating charms Of
which the national capital rightly boasts
the most conspicuous Is the extensive and
well-stocked pie counter Of Uncle Sam.
Though vastly superior to any similar in
s%titution between the two oceans, attractive
in variety Of stock and boundless patronage.
It does not wholly satisfy local tastes and
desires. Like promotes like. Federal pie,
once tasted, grips its victim like a poppy
pill and makes pie a daily three-time win
ner. This accounts for the prosperity Of
unofficial pie foundries and explains why
Washington puts In a claim for the blue
ribbon as a pie consumer. The digestive
capacity OF the residents is estimated at
25,0O0 pies a day, equal TO 1880 cubic feet
Of pie a month. OF the 5000 pies used
daily between 1900 and 1900 are small
scent pies or button pies. between 1900
ard 1000 medium-sized pies and between
5000 and 1900 large pies. The monthly
estimate is 100000 small or button pies,
100000 m~edium-slzed pies and $1,000 large
pies; all Of which cost the consumers at
least $4,000 a month.
There are fewer persons on the United
states pension roll today than at any
time for the last fifteen years, says a
Washington dispatch to the Brooklyn Eagle.
The army of beneficiaries from the gov
ernment's bounty at last seems to be on the
downward grade in point of numbers. There
are now only e51 6s7 left, and at the rate
at which death is cutting into the ranks
the total will have shrunk to 100000 before
another year.
The high-water mark in pensions was
reached in 1904, when for a brief period
there were more than 100000 persons on
the roll. The spectacle of this enormous
number Of persons drawing monthly checks
from the government frightened the repub-
lican leaders for a while. So long as the
army was kept within six figures 1t was
found comparatively easy to defend the
liberal pension policy. No mention will
be found IN the report Of the commissioner
Of pensions of the fact that at one time
more than 100000 pensioners were on the
roll. The figures are given for fiscal years
only and the high-water mark was touched
in August. Before June 80 came around
again the figures had gone back into the
hundreds of thousands, so that so far as
the official reports go the highest point
reached was 9s9, 446.
The pension roll, prior to the present
year, has been growing larger and larger
with a regularity that attested the eager
ness for business of the pension attor-
ney. 1t assumed visible size after the civil
war, for Inv 1866 1t numbered 5000. From
that time on it's expansion was as steady
and regular as ]. Pierpont Morgan's in
come. In 1880 there were $4,000 pensioners;
in 1890 there were $4,000; in 1890 there were
s9S,0O0.
Within a few years from now Washing
toms chief Sums. in the triangular tract
from the capitol to the treasury, lying be-
tween Pennsylvania avenue and the Mall,
will have given way to a chain of parks
surrounding notable public buildings. The
Postoftice and the Municipal building have
already risen in this section, and congress
at its last session appropriated $500, 900
for acquiring another huge slice, upon
which Is to be erected a group Of struct-
ures for the Departments of State, Justice
and Commerce and Labor. The private
owners of this property having failed to
offer their holdings at reasonable prices,
condemnation proceedings ave been
promptly instituted, and within another
year 1t is hoped one of the elaring eye
sores of the city, only a few hundred yards
from the White House, will be obliterated.
washington's police department Is TAX
ing a novel method of closing up the red
light district. II lies south of the down
town section of Pennsylvania avenue,
where a magnificent municipal building
tlaN l. 81 - - a. H. -. 49,
erected. The red light district comes up
against this dove white marble edifice in
flank and rear, which Major sylvester,
superintendent of police. finds out OF conso-
nance with the eternal fitness Of things.
Orders have been given the police to clear
the streets Of the red light district and
keep them clear. Men are not permitted to
pass through them at night. Any one at
tempting to do so is driven off with q
warning. Loiterers or roysterers in the dis
trict are arrested promptly. Certain streets
are as much closed as IL they we're guarded
by fire lines. Any one caught within the
policed district confines after nightfall is
liable to arrest, no matter how good his
name appears upon a card. Neither arc
the police supposed to worry about his
destination or intentions. The ground is
forbidden him, and that is all there is to it.
o. d. Earl, an Arkansas mule trader,
tackled the Treasury department the other
day with a package of decsyed paper
money which gave the redemption bureau
a job for a day. The package originally
contained $4,000 and the money experts
deciphered 1886, giving the Arkansas
traveller that amount in new bills.
Four years ago Earl buried the money
in his garden. He got the habit of pre-
serving his money this way, ne said. be-
fore banks became common in his section.
Recently he had occasion TO use SOM OF
the money and attempted to dig It UP. HI
found the can rusted away and the money
stuck togther in a large mud ball The
bills crumbled into bits when he tried to
get them apart.
Although told by %neighbors that he might
as we'll throw 1t away, and that the gov
eminent would not give him anything for
It. Mr.. Earl decided to go to Washington.
He brought a letter from Charles C. Reid,
member OF congress from his district. testi-
flying to his character and standing in the
community. He also brought Lloyd Rain
water. cashier OF the Bank OF Morrillton.
As soon as the money was placed in
Treasurer's Treats hands, he took 1t to
Mrs. A. F. Brown, who for twenty-five