The National tribune., 1909-06-17

t The honor roll in the House is usually
reserved for IL veterans of the civil
war who lost limbs and once appointed
= on the roll they are never removed.
Oleson went on the roll soon after
t he came to Washington, and he has
!. been an Assistant Doorkeeper ever
since.
The Department of Justice and the
Secret Service men are Just now very
much stirred up over what is called a
violation of the statute of the United
states on "counterfeiting." A current
magazine has invaded the sacred pre-
cincts of the money-making Depart
ment OF the Government, and has on
its cover number of United States
notes and bank bills in denominations
of from $1,000 to $4,000. The Secret
Service never troubles itself a bit, how
ever. about the misuse of the Flag the
emblem of the power and authority of
the United States Government 1t can
be used for a doormat, for vile adver-
tisements, or to attest the excellence of
certain kinds of beer and whisky, and
not single Government official raises
a voice against it. The one is a misap-
preparation; the other is desecration
and crime.
/ The Smoke Inspector of the District
of Columbia. or, more particularly, of
the city of Washington, is one E. w.
| Whitaker. He is a great big man with
snow-white hair and white mustache.
and is little deaf. He sits up aloft on
| tops of big buildings and walks along
| the edges of roofs looking for smoke
violators. Do you recognize him in
| that guise? No? Well. suppose you
are told that it is Gen. E. W. Whitak-
er Do you get a little warmer? And,
then. suppose you are told that this
particular Whitaker was Chief of Staff
for Gen. Custer. Then light begins to
dawn. Gen. Whitaker goes to his work
rain or shine.
Il went thru 80 battles" he said.
why, therefore. should I mind little
thing like rain. My office instructed
me to keep a watch on certain corpora
tons, and / got an umbrella and a
Building roof.
Washington is most beautiful
city," he continued ''It should be kepr
so. l fear that many Washingtonians
| do not realize how wonderful city we
have. l become more impressed with
the fact every day, no matter whether
remain on the ground or sit among
the clouds. so to speak"
He is 68 years of age, but secuted the
theory that he should be afraid of rain
on this account. II he thinks the smoke
law is being violated he will take his
stand again on a rainy day on some
high place, and his eagle eye will sweep
over the city as of yore. When Buffalo
Rilrs Wild West show was in the Capi-
tai recently the General had six grand
sons in the coach that was held up by
the redskins. Therefore, he says. it's
useless for him to try to conceal his
age.
Vice President Sherman has leased
the Thurman cottage at Ne-Ah-Ta-
Wanta, on Grand Traverse Bay, Michi-
gan. and with Mrs. Sherman will go
there to spend the greater part of tae
Summer just as soon as Congress closes
The tailor shop in which Andrew
Johnson labored in GreenviIle, Tenn
before he became President of the
United States is to be preserved. Tue
Andrew Johnson Memorial Society has
been formed for that special purpose
1t is thought the shop will be movef
entire to the National Cemetery a;
Greenville
Minister WI, the picturesque Minis
ter from China. has gone on his m ssion
to Peru. and will be absent most of the
Summer. Besides being Minister to
this country, Mr.. WI is accredited to
Peru, Cuba and Mexico. He said Just
before leaving that he had been kept so
puss it isitS tndt he Hd0 DeGn
unable to visit the others. and that his
visit now is simply for the purpose of
seeing how the Chinese are treated by
the Peruvians.
Devotion to his duty is likely to cause
compulsory retirement of Ensign Laird
He is considered one of the best young
officers in the Navy. Ensign Laird's
work in making the splendid records
with his of no haftIa-
ship Virginia. which nave brought him
congratulations and honors, has so af-
fected his hearing that one ear is said
to be practically useless. and the other
seriously injured from the repeated gun
firing
He has already appeared before Re-
tiring Board here, and there is appar-
emily no course for the Board to take
other than to retire Ensign Laird. with
out any compensation whatsoever. cx-
cept the retired pay of his present rank.
During the last two years Ensign
terry on the Virginia. This battery got
the name of making good shortly
after the Ensign. twice in succession,
had made higher percentage of hits
than any other six-inch battery in the
battleship fleet. His skill in handling
his men and his close devotion to every
detail brought his gunners to point of
periors.
There are several other cases of Off
GERS in charge of turrets suffering per-
manent injury to their hearing from
gun firing. Rear-Admiral Newton E.
Mason. Chief of the Bureau of Ord
nance. was almost deafened by the con-
cussion of a high explosive several
years ago. and feels the effects to this
day.
The State Department got busy last
week. and used its private code at the |
request of the friends of misguided
woman to keep her from marrying n
bogus "no-account Count" in Paris The
woman is 40 years old and has money.
She knew her bogus Count in New
York, and met him again in Paris, and
they were about to be married He is
credited with two wives. possibly more,
and is not divorced from any of them
He claims to be Count in two or three
countries and in several languages, but
the countries repudiate him, and the
languages would. only they are dead"
ones. He calls himself Count Bettini
di Noise" and her name is Miss Isa-
belle Garwood.
Senator-elect William Lorimer. of IL
linois. has decided that he will remain
In the House until after the passage of
the tariff bill. He voted on the House
bill. and thinks 1t would embarrass
him to vote on the Senate measure as
| it will pass that body. as he would be
voting against his former position on
the measure.