The Caucasian., 1910-02-03
WASHINGTON LETTER
ny CARL scHoFIeLD. Special corre-


renort to the senate, with a favorable
from the District
of the names of Cuno
II, Rudolph and General John A.
Johnston to be District commissioners.
This action insured the reorganization
of the board of commissioners without
further. delay in circumstances to war
rant the belief that the business OF
the national capital municipality VIII
he carried on without interruption ana
with jealous attention to their assign
ments by the new administrators. Inc
acquaintance of both the two new
commissioners with local affairs Is SO
wide that they will readily slip into
their new positions.
President Taft's Genealosy.
The Society of Mayflower Descend
ants in the District Of Columbia mas
acted favorably on the application for
membership Of William Howard Tart,
president of the United States.
The president is direct descendant
In the eighth generation from Francis
Cooke. one of the pilgrims who came
over in the Mayfiower and landed at
Plymouth rock in 1920. A committee
from the society, consisting OF the
governor, Justice Brown; the deputy
governor. DR.. William S. Washburn;
the secretary, E. w. Bradford, and
ex-Governors Thomas S. Hopkins ana
William L. Marsh, recently waited
upon the president and extended to
him an invitation to apply for mem
bership, acquainting him at the same
time with his correct line of descent,
which had been previously prepared
by the historian of the society, A. A.
Aspinwall.
The president very gladly assented
and prepared and signed his applica-
ton papers, at the same time express
ing his appreciation of having his line
authoritatiyely established.
A Portrait In Pine.
A wood carving Of William A. Rich
ards. former commissioner of the gen
eral land Office under President Roose-
velt, has been placed in position in the
office Of the present commissioner, Fred
bennett. 1t is about "a by 80 inches
and Is regarded as perfect likeness.
1t was carved from block of pine by
Frank Bond. chief clerk of the land
Office, who served under Mr.. Richards
while commissioner Mr.. Bond, who
was close friend of the former conl-
missioner, was occupied about three
months In the carving.
New Annuals at the Zoo.
Crouching in their cages in the lion
house at the zoo, gazing out upon
new world with blinking. bewildered
eyes, the five East African lions and
the spotted leopard that A. B. Baker,
assistant director of the national ZOO
logical park, recently brought from
Nairobi, are gradually getting accus-
toned to their new surroundings.
Beautiful specimens are these newcoIn-
ers at the zoo, their condition being In
strong contrast to that of the others
Of the cat tribe in the same house.
Young, vigorous and healthy, their
skins show all the luster and flexibility
of the dwellers in the wild.
Gifts of MIR. Mcmillan.
The leopard is the least uneasy. He
is specimen of unusual beauty, young
and exquisitely formed and marked.
In the cage next to his is leopard
that has been at-~4se- zoo several
months.---Rlre Contrast between the
two is striking. The older leopard is
the larger, but in every other respect
he is far inferior to the new arrival.
The five lions and the leopard were
presented to the zoo by w. n. McMil-
Ian of st. Louis, who owns a large
shooting box twenty-five miles from
Nairobi, where former President
Roosevelt has made his headquarters
during his hunting trip to East Afri-
ca They were brought across the
plains on a wagon drawn by oxen,
shipped from Nairobi to Mombasa
by rail and thence by sea via Port
Said to Philadelphia
Farmer Heads Labor Committee.
Just why John Gardner, a repre-
sentative in congress from Atlantic
county. N. j., a farmer at the seaside,
should be selected as chairman of the
committee on labor Of the house Is a
puzzle that has often caused criticism
Mr.. Gardner is proud of the fact that
there are number of manufactures
In his district, which comprises Bur.
lington, Atlantic, Cape May and Cum.
berland counties. But the total mum.
Der of skilled labor in that district il
not many. Yet for many years Mr.
Gardner has been head of the labor
committee.
Mr.. Gardner is not susceptible In q
great measure to the labor vote In his
district. although 1t cannot be ignored
But it Is one Of the oddities Of the sys
tenn of government chat a seaside
farmer should preside as the head Of
body that proposes to regulate labor
conditions in the country.
Oddities Of Government.
Along the same line Ii Is question
:, ,.s,,,, .,,s.t4 that Aha .Is4s i7-.4,an af fff