The National tribune., 1909-05-06

one OF the SdC0eSt OF IIle many SITeSl
car accidents which occur in Washing
ton happened last week. Mrs Sarah E
Thompson, an aged woman, stepped
from one car directly in front of an
other. and was wounded so that she
died a few hours later. Mrs. Thomp
son was a member of Burnside Wo-
mars Relief Corps. and was on the
pesion rolls as a veteran of the war OF
the rebellion. the only woman whose
name appears on the pension rolls OF
the United States as soldier.
Mrs. Thompson won fame for merl-
torious service in the civil war. She
served as a spy and scout for the Union
forces and discovered the hiding place
of the noted Confederate, Gen. John
H Morgan. For this she received let
ters of commendation from Gems
Grant. Sherman. Rosecrans and other
Union commanders, which she kept un-
til her death. She was buried with
military hcnors in Arlington.
Again there is talk of revision" of
the Army uniform. If this revision"
is really to come. let us hope that if
will be to get our soldiers and officers
out of the greenery-yallery uniform
they are wearing now. 1t is simply
the ugliest thing in clothes that ever
came down the pike. One cannot en-
thuse over the soldier in 'oliye-drab," ?"
as tne Color is OFFICIALLY ueSlS idteu al
other change will. be tough on the OIL
GERS, for their various uniforms cost
them a pretty penny, and they cannot
sell their old clothes, so they are dead
loss, for, of course, when the change is
made the clothes on hand have to be
discarded.
The School Board of the District of
Columbia is just waking UP to the fac.
that the lighting in the public schools
may not be just as good as it should.
Undoubtedly the lighting of the schools
of the country has something to do
with the awful increase in the necessity
for glasses for young children, to say
nothing of the older pupils and the
thousands of young men and women
who are obliged to put on glasses before
they are 25. Bad lighting in school
rooms, however, is not as much of a
menace as the way poor little babies
are treated. / have seen mothers hold
babies up TO look at the gas, at lamp
light, at an electric light, and even to
look full at the sun-s'betauSe e dee
little sing woyes e light" And "'e dee
little sing is probably paralyZing the
nerves of the eyes right then and there,
getting ready for glasses at four when
il enters kindergarten to be got out
Of the way of the mother, who wants
to go to clubs. and lectures on how to
anu Int lht- 2NuISc
girls are usually ignorant and very often
cruel. At least those 1 see around the
parks of Washington are. They leave
the baby in its cab in the broilfsg sun.
the rays glaring down on the poor lit
tie weak eyes till the tears roll down
its checks. while the nurse is gossiping
with some admirer or another nurse
girl whose charge is in the same plight.
1t amounts TO a crime, for the babies
are being robbed of their birthright of
sight; but what does a mother care if
she gets rid of the trouble2 Just try
looking steadily at a bright light your
self and then look away, and see what
happens. II is five minutes before you
can get rid of the black spot that seems
to half hide the vision. Then imagine
the condition of a baby's eyes after
half an hour staring ar bright light.
That is where the trouble really starts,
in ali probability.
Senator Stewart, who has just passed
away. was as unconventional as Unit
ed States Senator should be formal.
when he first came to Washington. and
he brought with him to Washington all
his Western ways. He stuck to his
broad-brimmed white hat to the end.
He did not wear it to the Senate, but
he wore ii at all times when he was out
by himself or on his farm. His death
rechIs the strange effects in raiment
with which the picturesque statesman
from the mining camps surrounded
himself.
1t has not been many years since the
Senator went to a fashionable wedding
of a Senator's daughter here. 1t took
place at noon. Senator Stewart went
arrayed in his famous broad-brimmed
white hat and a swallow-tail coat La
ter on he went to the Capitol and at
dad n NJ tha in
daytime garbed in the swallow-tail.
Representative James Breck Perkins
of New York, is an authority On French
history He lived in Paris for five
years, from 1890 to 1895, engaged in
study of this subject. Before that he
had written various works on French
bic volumes as the result Of his soiourn
and study In the French Capital.
One of the tragedies of the D. A r
Congress is related just now, but I,
probably isn't so. The Mrs. William
Cummings Story forces simply want tc
give q good reason for the defeat oi
Mrs. Story. that's all. The story runs
this way: That about Is of the STORY
candidates were invited to a bridg,
party. where the sta-um, well, yes, the
playing-was noted for being spirited
at that house. don't you understand
and there would be a-um, well, sub
stantial sort of fun, you know, and 81
the Is ladies succumbed, and did no
vote at the Congress; and that, theI
say. Is what defeated Mrs. Story An6
some one OF the administration people
was just mean enough to say: We'll
IL those Is women thought more o.
bridge than they did of the President
General, / am glad they did not get il
their votes"
The story tells all right; but, you see
1t isn't so. Mrs. Story did not hav'
enough votes to elect her, that's all.
Former Vice President Stevenson
who has been very i'll and in a hospita
in Bloomington. Ill, his home, is re
ported to be much better. Judge Stey
enson was utterly prostrated by th
death of an only sister and only broth
er the middle. of April. the two dyin
within two days of each other. Judg
Stevenson was quite i'll at the time. an
grief for his brother and sister almos
finished him up. Judge Stevenson a
Vice President is very kindly remem
bered here. and Mrs. Stevenson wa
idoiized by all who knew her.
Senator Nelson, of Minnesota, Is
Norwegian. having been born in MOI
g-ay. His Government is mighty prou
of him, and tho he was poor boy an
was humbly born as TO riches and sta
ton, he was highly honored on Wis
to NORWAY a year or two ago. Th