Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-01-30
WASHINGTON LETTER

WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence
II having been definitely determined
by Chairman Edward j. Stellwagen OF
the Inauguration committee that the
veteran soldier and sailor organlza
lions shall have the position Of honor
In the parade of March 4--personal es
cort to the president elect and vice
president Representatives Of the
q. A. r., Union Veteran legion, the
United Spanish War Veterans and the
Army and Navy union have been add
I'd to the committee on civic organlza
lions. General O. o. Howard has also
accepted the appointment as marshal
Of the veteran division, which will es
cort Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Sherman from
the White House to the capitol, where
they will take the oath Of office.
Parade In Two Divisions.
The most serious problem that con
fronts Major General j. Franklin Bell
who will be grand marshal Of the pa
rade, will be to keep it within reason
able bounds. To shorten the regular
parade 1t has been decided to divide
it into two divisions. One will be the
escort, consisting Of veterans Of the
civil and Spanish wars, and will &c
company the president from the White
House to the capitol. The other will
pass in view after the inaugural cere
mony at the capitol is concluded
Despite this new arrangement General
Bell still faces the embarrassment OF q
too lengthy parade. There is great pres
sure from the national guard to OBJ
tain desirable places in the line, but
the marshal has decided to limit the
number Of troops from any one state
to brigade.
Naval Heroes Statues.
The location in this city Of statues
of John Paul Jones and Commodore
John Barry, each of whom Is heralded
by his admirers as the father Of the
American navy" will prove a difficult
task for the special commission
charged Nth that duty. This commits
sion consists Of the secretary Of war
the secretary Of the navy and the
chairman Of the senate and house com,
mittees on library.
For each statue congress appropri
ated $4,000, but no action has been
taken to decide the controverted ques
ton relating to the navy's pedigree
1t is for this reason that the location
of the effigles is regarded as impor'
tant, as the prominence accorded each
in the matter Of location will be sup
posed to give some indication Of their
respective merits in the competition
for the honor Of being the father OF
the navy"
Sacred Books Of Tibet.
The library of congress has an add
ton to the collection Of extraordinary
interest 1t is a very fine complete
copy-that is to say, a full set-of the
sacred books of Tibet. These, known
as the "Kanjur," comprise over 10C
volumes, together with an index vol
ume, each volume about two feet long
and four inches wide and containing
about 300 sheets.
Like most Tibetan books, they are
printed In red on coarse paper. They
come from Lassa and were secured
by purchase, through our minister to
Pekin. Mr.. Rockhill.
Mr.. ROckhill remarks of the work
that lit is absolutely necessary in the
study of Buddhist literature and also
of great value for correcting Buddhist
books written In other languages, as
almost all of them were translated
from single original"
He believes that there is no copy OF
1t in America, though there are three
In England, one In France, two in
Berlin and one in st, Petersburg
BattIeship Fleet Medal.
Frank A. Leach, director of the
mint recently laid before President
Roosevelt a beautiful bronze medal
commemorative the departure of the
battleship feet from Hampton Roads
for it's trip around the world. The
president Is delighted with the design
and has directed Mr.. Leach to cOmpli
ment the officials Of the United States
mint at Philadelphia upon their work
One side bears the figure Of COlum.
bia sending away on the waters of the
Atlantic the fighting vessels, young
America standing behind. There is
also a shield Of the United States and
in the lower right hand corner this in
scription: Hampton Roads, Dec 16
1907. Departure of United States At
lantic Fleet In Cruise Around the
World"
The other side of the medal contains
a fine relief profile Of President ROose.
welt, with the words, Theodore Roose,
welt, President Of the United States,
and a small anchor, surrounded by q
bouquet Of flowers.
Tons of Gold Moved.
Halfway across the continent, from
San Francisco to Denver 1925, 100000
In gold coin has been transported, the
largest amount Of metal of that value
ever hauled such distance.
Because of the accumulation Of gold
in the San Francisco mint, brought
from Alaska and other points, the
vaults became congested, and 1t was
necessary to either store 1t in insecure
vaults or move 1t.
The work of removal began Aug. Is
Every shipment Of the gold had to be
counted or weighed at both ends, first
at San Francisco and then at Denver
The contract for the removal was Civ.