The Washington herald., 1909-03-14
AT THE HOTELS.

with Key West" said John D. Grim
minis. Of New York, AZ the Shoreham re-
Gently, Henry NJ Flasi~- Is. at his oga
expense. attempting an unserssh and pa
triotie public work. When completed its
benefits 10 the United States win become
more and more appreciated every year
Few realize what Mr.. Flagler's enter
prise in all its magnitude really means 70
the commerce OF Cuba and the United
States Within a short time the Florida
East Coast Railway viii be completed 70
Key West" continued the prominent New
York politician. "and passengers in Pull
mans can 90 from New York 10 Key
West. there 20 be loaded on the huge
car floats OF Mr.. FIagler's railroad, and
in few hours find themselves n Ha-
vana. ninety miles distant.
Trains are now running elghty-four
miles southwark from Miami. and q total
OF about $50 niles OF the extension has
been completed, leaving only very short
distance Of road 20 bring the line into
Key West and make connections with the
ferry 10 Havana
Mr. Flagler is geventy-ntne years DID,
fun OF enterprise. and the whole work
has been constructed with his own
money.
Col. H. G. Ballard. a retired army or
Ger. OF Kansas City. Is az the Ebbitt-
The old soldier said Many and striking
changes have occurred in the army. fts
personnel uniform. armament. and
equipment. since 1885. the tins OF our war
with Spain. II is really interesting 10
compare conditions.
when We entered upon war with
Spain. in April. 1855. the strength Of the
army was $500 men, the line consisting
OF ten regiments CT cavalry. seven regi-
ments OF artillery. and twenty-five regi-
menJs OF infantry. The various star de-
partments had about half their present
strength. And what have we got today
The strength OF the army is nearly I0.ooo.
The line Includes battalions OF engineers.
Is regiments OF cavalry, 6 regiments OF
field artillery, 10 companies Of coast aTtil-
Iery. and 80 regiments OF infantry. The
stan departments consist Of about 45o0
men. and the Hospital Corps has about
3.000. Fifty companies OF Philippine
scouts and the Porto Rico regiment o.
Infantry bring the total strength up 10
about 5000 men.
Uniforms had 70 be devised 70 suit the
various climatic conditions. and this
necessity has been met BY the adoption
OF uniforms for stations IN the tropics
and others FOR comfort Thus We have
the white and cotton khaki uniforms IN
the Philippines. Cuba. and Porto Rico,
while the Buffalo overcoat. fur cap. and
gloves Offset 10 some extent the rigors OF
the Alaskan winter. Life is being made
more comfortable for the soldier every
year. his health is better looked after.
and he is receiving higher pay than ever
before in the history OF the American
army. or. in fact. the army o. any coun-
Try"
Discussing the question OF collecting
claims from the government. Albert ".
Hinkle. a lawyer OF philadelphia who Is
at the New Willard. said yesterday: at
IS with painful step and slow that claims
are collected from the government TIE
history OF the French spoHatiOn claims
furnishes the most conspicuous instance
OF this. but il does not stand alone When
Gen Butler took the contents OF the Cit
zens' Bank IN Louisiana and sem them
20 the United States Treasury Il was a
confscatiOn Of private property without
compensation, contrary 70 the rules OF
modern var
In the Forty-seventh Congress and
ever since bills have been Ia---ably re-
ported providing that this money be re-
turned 90 the original claimants OF their
heirs through the hank from which Il was
taken, but never until q short tine ago
did such a bin pass.
In any other large business concern
dIla.Oriness in The conduct q its Affairs
would have 20 be remedied az once, IN
order 70 save the concern from the
inevitable ruin which necessarily would
follow as q consequence OF carelessness-
Why the United States government can
not be conducted on strictly business
principles. I could never understand"
Henry G. Burke. OF Atlanta. Ga. who
is at the National, the talk being about
animals and hunting. told this story a
traveller recently stopped az a Georgia
hotel. where the landlord had Just bought
a live wildcat, which was chained n the
yard. That traveller had never seen such
an animal before and was rather nervous
about its being so near. That night the
landlord went through the house putting
out the lights. and the traveller heard
the rafting OF the chains on the lamps
as they were lowered % be eXtingulshed-
he thought 1t was the Wildcats chain,
and as the sound came nearer. he was
convinced that the beast had escaped
and was proving through the house.
Remembering that his door was aja-,
he sprang from the bed. made a dash
for the window IN his nightclothes. and
jumped 10 The ground The proprietor
heard the noise, looked out, and seeing
the guest making of, supposed he was
Jumping his board and chased him. the
town u,arshals joining II the pursuit. The
traveller ran as fast as his short legs
would carry Aim for nearly a nile. when.
hearing the footsteps close behind. hs
attempted 10 climb q tree and was cap
tured- he convinced himself that Il was
not the wildcat which had been chasing
him. and he explained 70 the landlord
that he never in his life Jumped a board
bill"
Russia cannot afford 10 30 TO war with
Austria on account OF the Servian trouble.
according 10 Leopold KILLER. OF Vienna a
banker OF the Austrian capital, who Is IN
this country travelling for pleasure. NJ.
Hitler IS at the Shoreham.
Russia is not IN a position 20 hazard
war IN behalf OF Servia." said Mr.. Hi
Ter. ''her internal political situation being
such that no guard regiments could be
sent from st. Petersburg. nor could the
other garrisOns be reduced much below
the present strength.
I have heard IL said that should Rus
sia become involved IN war. Russian
Poland would. In all certainty. rise II IN
surrecuon, and Finland would follow Pc
y ~r~aHn