The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-06-23
WASHINGTON NEWS =
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which was over Two LlLueS IueLl ANU
ment- $S,OOO,0OO. There were $4,000
Of them who helped to do the job up
slick and fine, and several hundred
others who applied direct to the Treas.
ury who are not included in that fig
ure. One OF the grizZled old gallery
doorkeepers Of the House was the first
subscriber to the bonds in the United
States, and he is all swelled up over 1t.
A few minutes after Congress authoriz-
ed the loan, he dropped letter into
o mail box, addressed to Secretary
McAdoo, containing his application and
his check for $500. He followed this
up with the balance Of his lifetime
savings, $4,000, and he is the proudest
old chap 10 be found anywhere on
land or sea. The little copper but
ton on his coat lapel bears mute evi.
dence that he learned the story OF Old
Glory in the Sixties.
The big hole in the ground at Yer
mont avenue, H and streets, where
the old Arlington hotel used to stand,
is to he covered up with an eleven
story building costing 100000. The
war, with It's urgent demands on the
government for more office space, fur
nished the way out to the corporation
owning this site, which has been try
ing for a couple Of years to promote
hotel building. The Navy will take
almost all Of the new Office building,
when 1t Is completed, having signed
a lease to that effect. The govern
ment will help the contractors get ma
terial delivered at once, and the struc-
ture must be up and ready for occu-
pancy in from seven to nine months
It is a rush job, and work will be
done night and day. Out-of-towners
who have visited Washington, may be
able to locate the site when 1t is stat
ed that 1t Is In the rear Of the Shore
ham hotel and opposite Lafayette park.
what are safe mushrooms? The
only mushrooms safe to eat are those
which are gathered by a collector
who knows exactly what he is doing,
according to the Department Of Agri.
culture. There Is no simple test for
distinguishing between edible and pois,
onous mushrooms. II you eat EN-
and live why, Of course, they were all
right. The common belief that any
mushroom may be eaten with safety
if the skin can be peeled readily with
many poisonous species. The pres
ence Of insects on mushrooms, too,
is no proof that they are safe for
human consumption. Insects infest
some of the most poisonous as well
as some Of the best species Of fungi.
Again, there is common belief that
II poisonous mushrooms are soaked
or boiled in saft water they will do
no harm. This is dangerous and un-
founded supposition.
When you get the habit Of jumping
up and dressing for every Zeppelin
whistle that is blown 1t Is hard to get
over it. Ben Allen, right-handman to
over it. Ben Allen, right-hand man to
Hoover, acquired the habit while in
London. When a raider was sighted
over there all the whistles were blown,
and residents took to places Of sup
posed safety The other night rail
road whistle let loose blast near
Aliens home and he was out OF bed
and half dressed, before he bethought
himself that he was now in Washing
ton. Then he peeped out from the
blind to make sure of that fact. From
those drawn blinds hangs another
tale. For Allen acquired the habit
Of pulling down blinds in London, and
that habit, too, is hard to overcome,
The London hobbies helped him get
that habit. One night his blind slip
ned up, a matter OF a few seconds or
SO, and Allen jumped to yank It down.
But he was too late. He was arrest
ed and compelled to pay fine. For
in London, you know, Old Dear, 1t ia
imperative that there be no lights to
serve as signal posts to Zeppelins OF
aeroplsnes.