The National tribune., 1910-03-24
the retired list in 1904, with the rank
|of Major.

the retired list in 1904, with the rank
of Major.
President Taft was called to Pitts
burg, Pa. last week TO attend the fu-
neral of Thomas Mex. Laughlin, Mrs
Tafts brotherin-law There was an
element of tragedy in his death Mr.
Laughlin was wealthy man, and lived
in beautiful home. His wife is q
delightful woman, and they were per-
fectly congenial, and yet the element
of melancholy which entered so largely
into Mr.. Laughlin's nature prompted
him finally to take his life. Mrs. Laugh
lin has been the companion of Mrs.
Taft at the White House almost halt
the time since the Tafts have occupied
it. and is well known and well liked In
Washington. Mrs. Taft was unable to
go to Pittsburg with the President. She
sent a large wreath of flowers from the
White House Conservatives, and flow
ers were also sent by Representative
land Mrs. Longworth from Washington.
The President was accompanied by his
Military Aid, Capt. Archibald w. Butt.
Judge John w. Heron, of Cincinnati,
father of Mrs. Laughlin and Mrs. Taft,
was also unable to be present at the
funeral because of serious illness.
President Taft has appointed the wild
ow of an old personal friend to a clerk
ship in the Land Office of the Interior
Department, where her chief business
will be to sign the name of the Presi-
dent of the United States to all land
patents or warranty deeds issued from
the Land Office. She is the only clerk
authorized to sign the Presidents name
to official documents, and she viii sign
on an average of 5000 ors7 1000 patents
a month. The lady is Mrs. James A.
lie Roy, of Pontiac, Mich, widow of
James A. LIE Roy, who went to the Phil
ippines in 1907 as Secretary. President
Taft and Mr.. LIE Roy met while the
President was Governor General of the
island possessions, and warm friend
ship sprang up between the two. 1t
was Mr.. LIE Roy's dream to see Mr..
Taft elected, but it was never realized.
Mr.. LIE Roy died the 1st of March, 1909,
and was buried in Pontiac the day Mr..
Taft took the oath of office.
/ The origin of the clerkship is inter-
esting. Previously the deeds had been
signed at the White House by the Pres
idents' Secretaries. but President Ar
thur created the special clerkship for
Miss Marcia Mexican, a family friend
who was in straitened circumstances.
| Miss Mexican held the Office 10 years
when the appointment went to her sis
ter, Miss, +. NJ. Mexican, who held it
another decade. Mrs. Young. who is
now succeeded by Mrs. LIE Roy, held the
position two years. The position will
continue to go to a woman, as it was
created as female clerkship.
The wedding of Theodore Roosevelt
Jr., will probably take place in June.
Gen. Cyrus Bussey, who was Assist
ant Secretary of the Interior from 1889
to 1903, and who is widely known thru
out the country and is one of the old
time leaders of the Republican Party,
was knocked down by a bicycle one
day last week and his face was pretty
badly cut Fortunately he was not
dangerously injured. Gen. Bussey, who
was born in Ohio. raised the Sd Iowa
Cav, which participated in many of the
big battles of the war.
Senator Tillman has recovered suffi-
ciently to be carried back to his South
Carolina home. It is not at all proba BILE
that he will ever again leave it. While
his mentality seems to be all right his
physical strength is almost gone, and
he will never again have the same con-
troll of his big, muscular body that he
had before this stroke of paralysis.
Senator Percy. the new United States
signed to the immigration Committee
to succeed the late Senator McLaurin.
He has also been placed upon the I'm
migration Committee, Laws, Indian
Depredations, Public Expenditures and
Expenditures in the State Department,
quite a valuable bunch of committee
assignments for new member.
There is a new division in the en-
ployes of the United States Govern
ment- They might be dubbed walters
in-chief to United States Senator's" The
United States Senate has constructed
for its use one of the finest white mar
BILE restaurants in the country. 1t has
all the modern appliances for stewing,
baking and brewing, broiling, frying or
steaming. 1t is thing of beauty, but
it hasn't been a joy for a single min
ute. On the contrary, it has been
tremendous nuisance ever since it was
opened, as United States Senators, as a
general thing, are not epicures- They
are given to lunching on a bowl of
bread and milk and quarter of a sec
ton of luscious pumpkin pie and cup
of weak tea, and occasionally there is
one who enjoys a bit of rare roast beef
with sandwich. There are a few of
them, like Senator. Hale, who want
regular luncheon Layout" beginning
with a soup and ending with a rich
dessert, with all sorts of rich and indi-
gestible eatables in between. Restau-
rant men have employed high-class
chefs and gone in there expecting to
make lot of money, and very speedily
found that the half dozen men who
feed well would not stack up high
enough financially to offset the Senators
who have hiked back to the simple diet,
and so have thrown the job up in dis
gust. They couldn't afford to pay COM
petent walters, and that was another
drawback; but to get around the COM
petent waiter business the walters of
the United States Senate restaurant
have been placed on the salary roll, and
in employing them 1t is expressly stipu-
lated that they shall receive no tips;
also, the same walters have got to be
SIN mooth-faced. Just how this is all GO
| ing to work out nobody can tell at the
present time. At least, United States
Senator'S are feeding very freely, I'M
alarmed over the amount of tips they
will have to pay their walters.
just Envy.
Hon. Chester l. Long, former United
States Senator from Kansas, is in
Washington on one of his periodical
visits, and he declares that political
conditions in the West are very much
disturbed. He gives envy as the prime
cause of the political ferment, of which
he was at one time the center, and
which finally ended by sending to Con-