Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence.)

other half, the sender says, was sent
to the custom house in New York. In
note the sender says, THE product
of a New England conscience, tine.
tured with Yankee caution"
Offer Use of Mssons.--Rev. c.
G. Hurlburt, director of the African in
land mission of Kyabe, British East
Africa, called on the President a few
days ago and talked with him regard
ing his African hunting trip next
year. Mr.. Hmlburt extended to the
President an invitation to make use
of any of the stations of the mission
while he is in Africa, should his route
take him in their vicinity.
New England Public BuiIdinga-
Asst. Secretary of the Treasury Win
throp returned to his desk last week
after a six weeks vacation in the far
west and in Canada Mr. Winthrop
found waiting him reports of inspec-
tors on their examinations of sites Of
fered the government for new public
buildings in % New England cities All
sites in that section have now been
inspected except those at Athol and
Greenwich Conn. Mr.. Winthrop says
it will probably be several days before
he can find time to take up the Boston
customhause site matter, or any of he
other site inspection reports.
Daring Aeronaut mproving-Orville
Wright, the aeronaut, who has been
confined in the hospital at font Myer
ever since the accident to his aero
plane Sept. II. when Lieut. Thomas E.
Selfridge was killed, is rapidly recov-
ering He is expected to be able to
move about with the aid of crutches
in a few days. 1t will probably be
long time before he is able to make
any flights in his aeroplane The army
dirigible balloon No. J., bought from
Capt Thomas S. Baldwin last summer,
is being overhauled preparatory to a
series of test flights by the army Off
GERS at fort Myer the next few weeks.
Experiments with wireless telegraph
will be conducted and flights over the
country surrounding Washington will
be made.
Models Should BE SaVed.--Economy
Of floor space and the demands of
house cleaning offer far more rea-
sonable explanation of the action of
the reorganizing commission of the
Patent Office in selling $4,000 old
models than does the suggestion of In
ventor O'Brien that this is one of a
ne etc tn critr 40 0nrTnrot inD q
advantage. in depriving inventors OF
their rights. Nearly all the models
sold were. of inventions on which pat
ent rights have expired, so that invent
0rs' rights do not seem to have suf-
fered. The records are still preserved.
But the sweeping destruction of old
models is not desirable. In many in.
stances they still have value for study
and research by inventors, and many
Of them possess historic interest
which should warrant their preserva-
ton The economy of space is not
so urgent in the scheme of govern
ment buildings in this city that the
necessary space for the preservation
of important modeis need be be-
grudged.
Designs Her Own GoWns.-The one
social topic of conversation here is
the announcement that Miss Ethel
Roosevelt will make her debut at a
small dance Dec %. Many of the
gowns to be worn during her first So
cial season were designed by Miss
Ethel One intended for informal din
ner dances is made of soft pale vel.
low silk; another, designed as a call
ing costume, is OF pale blue velvet,
with a long directoire coat embroid-
cred in heavy black silk. The coming.
out gown is secret, but on good au-
thority it is said it will be a white
handkerchief linen embroidered in
white forget-me-nots. Miss Roosevelt
is tall and has fine figure. She has
a mass of chestnut hair shading a face
Of more than average intelligence. Her
eyes are gray, so dark that at times
they appear black, and her complexion
is pure and clear
Ask for Square Deal.-Important
changes in the programe for the ma
llOuhl lllC nldlIhIp VIII PlOOAbiJ W
made at the next annual meeting Of
the national board for the promotion
of rifle practice. A number Of novel
suggestions have been advanced, all
being intended to relieve the situa-
ton incident to the winning of the first
four places in the national team
match by the teams representing the
regular service. The army, navy and
marine corps collected their most ex'
pert marksmen from all quarters and
spent months in selecting and train
ing the teams which finally represents
ed them. The national guard teams
feel that they are at a disadvantage
under the present rules, as they are
necessarily restricted both as to time
and ammunition, while the regular SER
vice teams are not Again, the caval-
ry and infantry teams which represent
the army are chosen from so to GO
men who are regularly instructed in
marksmanship and whose pay IS in.
creased in proportion to their skill
with the rife. On the other hand, such
teams as those from Oklahoma, Utah,
Arizona, Wyoming and other Of the
states where the national guard are
numerically weak, are selected from
few hundred men whose instruction
and opportunity to-practiee are neces
sarily limited. The national guard IL
as whole willing and anxious to try
conclusions with the army and Other
service teams, but there is a growing
desire to see conditions adjusted sc
that especially the weaker states will
have better chance.
Bicycles are not out OF date in Hol-
land, which imports over S1,bOOIo0e
wnrfh a rnar