The Holly chieftain., 1908-04-17
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence.l

rial commission, of which Secretaries
Root and Taft and Senator Wetmore
are members held at the state depart
ment a few days ago preliminary ar
rangements were made for the erection
on the plaza Of the new Union station
In this city-of q memorial to Christie
pher Colunbus in accordance with the
provisions Of the act Of congress ap-
propriating 100000 for that purpose.
As result Of consultation with Mr..
Burnham Of Chicago. architect of the
Union station building. Colonel Brom-
well, the engineer officer in charge Of
public buildings and grounds, and 9th
er officials directly interested. 1t was
decided by the commission that the me-
mortal should he In the form of
monumental fountain with standing
figure Of Columbus as its leading fea-
ture.
Memorial to Columbus.
According to the general scheme ap-
proved by the commission, the foun-
tain will be placed directly In front of
the Union station at the juncture Of
Delaware and Massachusetts avenues.
1t will be semicircular in form, with an
inner and an outer basin, having an
extreme width Of sixty-four feet.
A stone column or shaft about forty
feet In height. surmounted with globe
representing the world, Is the principal
feature of the rear of the fountain and
IL intended to serve as background
for II statue of Columbus standing at
the how of a Spanish caravel similar
In general design to the picturesque
craft that first brought him to Amer
lea. The appearing prov Of the ship.
with Its figure of Columbus. stands on
the line OF Delaware avenue and faces
the national capitol. Two recumbent
lions are placed on the walls of the
fountain. one at the east and the other
at the west side. and there are other
architectural and artistic details en-
bodied in the general scheme.
Small Rodent Ravasss.
Some weeks ago the story came to
Washington Of how the meadow mice
were laying waste the fields of alfalfa
In Nevada. The biological survey sent
u man out to the afflicted region to see
what he could do to check the pest.
The biological expert found that the
birds OF prey had been attracted In
Z large numbers and were doing what
! they could to destroy the ravagers of
the grass fields, but the mice being In
millions 4nd the birds being in hum
dreds 1t Was an unequal contest.
Gr4at Slaughter Of Mice.
Finally 1.-THE expert hit upon the
thought of trying chopped alfalfa soak
ed in a phlatable but poisonous solu-
tion This he scattered through the
fields. and just what he expected hap
pened. The mice preferred the chop
ped and deadly mixture to the stand
ing crop. and in less than twenty-four
hours the work Of destruction was at
its height. There were 1900 mice to
the acre. and the government expert
succeeded In killing IS per cent Of
them and succeeded also In covering
all the way from thirty to 100 acres
day. the latter figure being the high
acre mark. Admittedly 1t seems al
most incredible, but in one day 1.O0O,-
600 mice were killed, and on the other
days the numbers slain rarely fell be-
low 10000.
American In Jail In Hungary.
The president has been asked to
make representations to Hungary for
the release from jail Of Frank Pola-
kovic, a naturalized American. A petit
tion signed by 10000 slavonians and
Bohemians in the United States was
handed to the president by Represent
alive SABBATH Of Chicago.
Polakovic and several other Slavo-
nians who are citizens of the United
States by naturalization returned to
the old country late last summer to
make visit. While In the town Of
Rozshegy Polakovic sang the hymn Of
1.-The Slovak Poor" which was so dis
tasteful to the Hungarian authorities
that in October last they arrested him,
tried him and sentenced him to seven
months In prison and to pay a heavy
Ane.
orssnoush Statue to Go.
The historic Greenough statue Of
Washington. which has decorated the
east plaza Of the capitol and been the
center Of admiration and ridicule for
more than sixty-hve years. is about to
b removed to some quiet and COM
paratively unobserved spot in tho
Smithsonian institution.
This was decided by the house when
1t adopted a resolution to that effect
introduced by Representative Mann oe
Illinois. For some time Mr.. Mann,
t>k - -