Evening Star Newspaper, September 7, 1895, Page 2

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1895-TWENTY PAGES. LATE NEWS BY WIRE Disastrous Fire in Boston’s Masonic Temple. FIREMEN PROBABLY FATALLY HURP ———_----— The Loss May Run Up to $400,000. CHIEF REAGAN’S CLOSE CALL BOSTON, Mass., September 7.—Masonic Temple, one of the finest Masonic build- ings in the United States, was almost en- tirely destroyed by fire today. The build- ing was magnificently furnished, and the loss will probably reach $100,000, The fire was discovered by a passerby at 10:05 o'clock, and a few moments later an alarm was given from box 33, noted as be- ing located in one of the most dangerous fire districts in the city. At almost the same tUme an alarm was sent in from box 729 in the Parker House, and all ghe fire apparatus down town hur- ried to the corner of Tremont and Schvol streets. The biaze here proved to he trivial, but the confusion resulting from the almost simultanecus alarms geve the fire in the temple a good start before the apparatus arrived. District Chief Reagan, who was on the top of the tower, on the Tremont street side of the building, found the flames curl- ing up around him and was forced to jump to the roof, a'most twenty feet below. He escaped uninjured. At about the same time a tube on the chemical engine gave way, and Lieut. Mad- den, who was working on the engine, was thrown to the ground and probably fatally injured. He struck on his head, and it is believed his skull was fractured. SS VIRGINIA GOOD TEMPLARS. Installation of the OMcers and Ad- journment. LYNCHBURG, Va., Sept. 6, 1895. The members of the Grand Lodge assem- bled at the hall at 8 o'clock last night and proceeded In a body to the Methodist Pro- testant Church. Rev. E. A. Warfield, pas- tor, delivered the address of welcome, which was responded to by J. M. Thorne of Fairfax. Other addresses were made by H. D. Shepherd of Pittsylvania and W. T. Bundick of Accomae. The committee on finance recommended that the per capita tax be fixed at 12tic. ing salary of grand secre. grand s nile temple and the grand chief templar be paid his travel- are of the committee on juvenile d the encouragement of ced the of the Zz ng oflic aplain, Rey and mi ; deputy , Staur shal, grand m: ton; as. E. s ‘Church; M. Witt of Buchanan nd sen- Sorthampton; grand enburg. re installed y of the grand devoted to a session uté (Questions ork in the state mong the and Lodge adjour one of the me essions ever I t, afte moni > — HAD SPAS” a Scene in the Court. of the P. motion in h adjoins t pri , and it was SHE cs having 1 one spa arcther, that it w 3 clan w: and late: wemaa was removed to Fre pital in t ambulan| Two m cut in th injured that she was spitel for tore than a ved this wou but since leavir a sufferer a numl She bicomes very violent. ‘Phe case was to have been heard in court today, but owing to the illness of the was returned to jail, and not want m. es HALL LIQLOR CASE. ‘Not to Be Tried Until Mr. Pugh Re- turns. Attorney Thomas sald this afternoon that the Frank Hall liquor case will prob- ably not be taken into court until Mr. Pugh, his tant, returns from his vaca- tion. If the report of Inspector Woodward can be wh tiated by he said, the District will be od case. This is the ec: man Greer filed an aft oon ke vit inst the ag the = into court provides for a Mr. I i that he ould be a eh explain: '$ time he ught in a ake two to e the forfeiture of the Robberies Reported. he De from his room in satchel, iiyan, street north t of a bridle. ast, com “ -—»__ Good Sport en the Island. The u hal trip to al Ale the were made and crowd LY, t ted to a The card presented w Tr ple ul (Lohrman), 3 i Hill), 9 to 10, third. — Death of Mrs. Jane @. Smith. Mrs. Jane R. w sm Smita, died this mor years kept a be: of 12th and H st services will be he 4 o'clock from 14 west, and the rem: J 1, Conn., sons of the deceas known in Masoz The c ner and M Abbie 1 ged with vd rancy because they were found in a room together by the woman's husband, as pub- lished in The Star at the time, was have been heard in the Pol Court vod: but for reasons not stated a continu of <s week was granted. The raided was not numbere 4k str errgneously reported, but No. 40 F northwest. | oxi in which Po- } ADVANTAGE OF ALUMINUM)L QCAL LITIGATION|The Reason For Advertising. Salt Water Does Not Affect It When Al- loyed With Nickel. Its Use in Ship Construction Opens Up a New and Endless Field for Experiment. The use of the aluminum plates In the construction of the yacht Defender has at- tracted unusual attention to that metal, while the report of the naval experts at Norfolk, Va., against its use on naval ves- sels, because of its corrosive tendencies, has raised a fear that it may lessen the chances of the American yacht in the international race with the Valkyrie III. But James C. McGuire, consulting engineer of the com- pany which supplied the Defender’s alumi- num plates, says that there need be no such misgivings, because the Defender’s alumi- num plates are alloyed with nickel, while the plates tested by the naval officers at Norfolk were alloyed with zinc. The for- mer, he says, are proof against corrosion, while the latter are not. he Navy Department,” said Mr. Mc- Guire to a reporter for the New York Times the other day, “tested aluminum which we furnished for ship construction. The ob- ject { had in view was to get the strength und stiffness needed in ship construction, and I bent all my energies in that direction. In order to get the requisite strength and rigidity, we used an alloy of zinc. When those plates were tested by the authorities of the Navy Department at Norfolk, it was found that they collected barnacies and corroded, and it Is from the result of those reports that the opinion has gone abroad that aluminum is corroded by salt water. “We taen did not know that salt water js such an enemy of zinc, but these and other experiments taught us that when aluminum is to be used in and around sait water, we have got to use other alloys an zine. This we can do. The difficulty as been overcome by using alloys of cop- per ard nickel. We had to find this out by experimenting, and now we are not recommending the use of any alloys which contain zinc for use around sait water, and the alloys we have used for marine work which have had no zinc in them, while they do not collect barnacles, do not corrode to an appreciable extent. “I personally supplied the aluminum plates for the Defender. They are made with nickel alloy. There is no danger in her plates at all, so far as direct corrosion goes; the only thing to-be feared is gal- vanic action between the aluminum plates and other metals. “Aluminum plates are 2 3-10 times lighter than Tobin bronze, of which the Vigilant is constructed. The Defender’s bottom is of ma which is of about the in bronze.” uire exhibited two plates—one of aluminum and the other of copper—taken from the hull of a vessel plying between New York and West Indian ports. The copper plate was badly eprroded, while the aluminum plate was free from rust, but was covered with barna. The copper of the two. * said Mr. McGuire, “were on I dusting the same period, so comparison is instructive. During _six months the copper plate, though free from barnacles, lost 7-100 of an inch Goth plates, same the that a in thick while the thinner and lighter aluminum plate lost 5-1,000 of an inch. early all the European navies use aluminum plates in the construction of war i. and reports received from naval orities of the old world are favorable to them. If aluminum was unsatisfactory they would quickly abandon its use. Aluminum,” continued Mr. McGuire, “is ‘ke any other metal and must pe treated a If aluminum used in ship is kept clean and painted there will never be any trouble with it.” Mr. MeGuire gave some interesting facts aluminum. mined,” he said, “in Alabama and , where it is ly found on high sreund in light, earthy soil. It is hydrated de of aluminum in its crude state, and is known as bauxite. When the impurities are d, only oxide of aluminum is left. at is put through an electric fur- nd the affinity which oxygen has for um is broken by the electric current —the oxygen Is set free and the aluminum is deposited. It is poured in its melted fo molds, and becomes cool as soon ed out. luminum is also found in clay. licate of aluminum, while bauxi n. We cannot too expen left behi ye aluminum in nd it will event- d car constru. and dur: eral That is $1,00 Aluminum is very ductile, and may be rolled into shee! of an inc hickne nd b leaf, the same s gold leaf made in Paris. It ma drawn into tubes or wi and amped into different s It ng only one-thi 43 a delicate purple it it is believed that the colors of metal may be varied. Pure aluminum seldom corrodes or tar- except when exposed to damp Even salt water has little effect on pure metal. Aluminum melts at 630 degrees centi- grade, or 1,160 degrees Fahrenheit, and } does not volatilize at any temperature or- dinarily bon. re aluminum is soft, but the commer- 1 aluminum is as hard as copper. It rdens when being worked either by sing, forging, rolling or stamping. C: ings require a large amount of alloy metal, but when they are drep-forged er hem- mered the metal becomes as hard and rigid as brass. A sheet of aluminum 12 inches square and 1 inch thick weighs 11. pounds. A bar 1 inch square and 12 inches long weighs 1.176 pounds. A bar 1 inch in diameter and 12 inches long weighs .918 of a pound. Cast aluminum, in tension, has an equal strength to cast tron, but under compres- sion it is weaker. Aluminum readily unites with all metals except lead, antimony and mercury. Alum- inum bronze, which is made with an alloy of 10 or 11 per cent of aluminum with co} per, is one of the densest, finest grained and strongest of known alloys. Aluminum bronze may be worked in a lathe: the chips cut smooth and long, and do not clog the Tt is much more rigid under trans- » strain than gun bronze, and it is an ually safe metal under compression. soe FOUNDLING HOSPITAL, produ by the combustion of Institution for the r Just Past. The annual report of the Washington Ho: al for Foundlings was submitted to the Commissioners several days ago, and made public today b charitle: It says: the superintendent of Sumber remaining in hospital June 30, 18M, 25; number admit- ted during the year ending June 30,- 15 #9); adoptions during the year, He r remaining in hospital June average during the y hs during t out of 1 e expens. been and the directors feel that the appropriation of any previous m it advis: fact that there wer all your atten- -three the twent: 2 duri reduction in mortality, Ing that of any previo! attained by the valuable # matron and her dd faithful nurses ned by T. Sow corps of For an Assaul Jackson Newton was arrested this after- noon In Anacostia by Otfcer Reagan on the charge of assaulting and striking Rob- ert H. Jones, and was released on $10 col- atera Attorney Thomas Submits His Re- port to the Commissioners. SUMMARIES AND SUGGESTIONS Necessity for Legis!ation Relating to Vital Municipal Interests. CASES OF THE YEAR Mr. Sidney T. Thomas, the attorney for the District of Columbia. has submitted to the Commissiorers a statement cf the operations of his office for the fiscal year ending June 30 last. Mr. Thomas proceeds to the consiceraticn of the decisioa of the Court of Appeals in the case of Burgdorf against the District, in which it was held District water main assessments since 1883 are invalid because not authenticated by the water registrar, which, he says, “emphasizes the necessity for legislation authorizing reassessment in all cases where proceedings for the collection of general und special taxes. prove ineffectual. No reesonable objection can be raised to such legislation,” continues the attorney. “The only cases in which hardsbips are likely to be inflicted by svch a law are those where a tax is reassessed upon land which has changed hands since the tax should have been collected from it; but under our tax certificate system, for a mere nominal fee, @ purchaser would readily discover the iia- bitity and be enabled to provide against it. Such legislation, while it would noi validate a tax which was originally void, would at least remove the temptaticn from property owrers to avoid the payment of public dues on technical grourds.” Important Cases of the Year. There were four new law suits brought against the District to recover damages for personal injuries, and six new equity suits. Referring to the decrease in the number of damage cases brought since his last report Mr. Thomas attributes it to the policy of the engineer department in readjusting water and gas boxes so as to place them in_the parking or near the curbs. Proceeding to the other cases of impor- tance in which the District is an interested party, Mr. Thomas enumerates those now pending, and then examines the cases set- tled by the Court of Appeals. Speaking of the case of Kerr against the Commissioners, which involved th? plumbing regulations of the latter, ~he “In order to make the plumbing regula- tions effective, in view of this decision, it will be necessary to obtain from Cong further legislation. I would suggest the provision referred to in the first section of the act of 1892 be repealed, and that the ommissioners be authorized to annex to heir plumbing regulations such reasol penalties as will secure their enforcement. Reccmmendations and Suggestions. There were 201 lunacy cases since the last report, being a decrease of five as against the previous year. Whilst there is a slight decrease in the number of these cases ,Mr. Thomas thinks there are yet enough of them to suggest that the District of Columbia Is being imposed upon by ha ing the lunatics of other places imported, and suggests that the Commi recommend te Congress such legist: will tead to prevent this abuse. Mr. Thomas compliments his assistants, and especially Mr. James L. Pugh, Jr., for his diligent efforts in the Police Court, where 1 2 cases were tried during the in fines, a de- : 2.56 from the former year. ‘Tue Commissioners should also be in- vested with power to remit fines and pen- alties,” concludes the attorney, ‘and to perjon for all offenses against the Di: : wherever in their judgment execu- tive clemency is expedient and proper, and thus relieve the President in such matters.” ee S AND GROUNDS. WUILDI Col. Wilson's Report on the 0 tions During the Month of Augast. Col. J. M. Wilson has made a report to the chief of engineers of operations on public buildings and ands during the cnth of August. The Executive Mansion been painted throughout, including the brown stone work on the north ha all frent, the stairway leading from the main the vestibule leading to the cons the lower portion of the woodwork of the blue parlor, ete. The entire roof and the flagstaff have been re- hall to the ba: painted, and the woodwork throughout the house tecuched up where necessary. A slight depression was noticed in the floor oi the corridor between the state din- ing room and private dining room, where a dense crowd usually _ col- lects during evening receptions when the presidential party descends the private stairway on the way to the blue parior. On taking up the flooring it was found that the girders and beams were cracked and in a dangerous condition. New ders and beams were inserted, and the floor made amply strong for all possible reasonable re- quirements, The repairs of the conservatory have been completed and the entire structure painted inside and outside. Col. Wilson says the woodwork of the conservatory is in a very decayed condition, and rapidiy growing worse, and that the structure may be destroyed by a heavy gale at any time. timates for an entire superstructure have been submitted from time to time in past years. In spite of the constant vigilance of the small force on duty, vandals have agvin been at work on the floors of the Washing- ton monument in the vicinity of the beauti- ful mural tablets, and two of the tablets have been badly damaged. There were 14,062 visitors to the top of the monument curing August, of which number 10,843 made the ascent by the elevator, and 3,219 by the stairway, making a total of 1,127,429 persons who have visited the top since the monument was opened to the public, Oc- tobeg 9, 1888. Cor Wilscn says that the usual care has t extended to the large and valuable collection of plants in the various parks. He says that the beauty of the park south of the Ixecutive Mansion has been greatly marred during the summer by the con- struction of the large sewer, work on h has been hs. tensive repairs have been made to the el roads in the Henry, Seaton, Smith- sonian and monument ps An asphalt walk five feet wide and cov- ering 200 square yards has been laid in Lincoln Park. In Judictary Park the asphalt roadway has been extended over n area of about OW) square yards between the east F street entrance and the-south going on for over four entrance to the pension building. Asphalt pathways have been constructed and re- paired in various other parks. ‘The work of examining and relaying the Capitol spring pipe w continued during August, and the whole line between H and reets was carefully examined and re- where necessary, and between Mas- husetts avenue and G street the pipe s lowered about a foot. It is expected to complete the entire work this month. ae The Kengla Estate, Charles Robert Kengla, guardian of Edith Louise and Eunice Marie Kengla, chilffen of the late George M. Kengla, today peti- tioned the Equity Court for the sale of the children's interest in an undivided halt of a tract of land, known as part of Alliance, on the Tunlaw road. fe Asking for Relief. Mrs. Virginia E, Bradshaw filed a peti- tion with the Commissioners this morning, signed by about forty or fifty citizens of the southwest, asking for the relief of ex- Policeman Thomas P. Lightfoot, who was found to be in very destitute circumstances, pice Her Will Filed, The will the iate Tillie Warden, dated July 11, 1895, filed today, names Jacob C. Warden and Clarence L. Trevitt as execu- 's, and mukes the former, her widower, beneficiary. The estate includes lot square 7 —_—>. Ellen Miles, a small colored girl, was turned over to the board of children’s guardians by Judge Kimball today. Pett ae use The eo use le results fends ertising in it. They know, also, that each one pays a like price for a like service. Advertising space is not iven to one in order t it may act as a decoy duck for pal No “discount” for one, ial discount” for an- er and- “extra sj Like price for like service is the only fair way. BONA-FIDE CIRCULATION. Below willbe“found the sworn cir- culation stateriént of The Star for the past wegk, | It is well ¢o.bear in mind that no “padding” of any kind is introduced into this statement. The average: circulation exhibited is much In extess of that of any other Washingtéh newspaper, and is believed to be fully five times that of any afternoon contemporary. Clreulation of The “Evening Stur.” SATURDAY, Aug. 31, 1895. MONDAY, Sept. 2, 1995... TUESDAY, Sept. 3, 1595. WEDNESDAY, Sept. 4, 1895. THURSDAY, Sept. 5, 1995. FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 1595. Total... Daily average.............00++ 1 solemnly awear that the above statement rep- Tesents only the number of copies of ‘THE EVEN- ING STAR circulated during the six secular days end- ing Friday, September 6, 1895—that is, the num- ber of copies actually sold, delivered, furnished or mailed, for valuable consideration, to bona tide purchasers or subscribers, andghat none of the copies so counted were returned to or remain in the office unsold. -- + 28,856 J. F. NEWBOLD, Sup’t Circulation. Subscribed and sworn tg before me this seventh day of September, A. D. 1895. JESSE W. RAWLINGS, Departure of the German-American War Veterans. BERLIN, September 7.—The German- American veterans of the war of 1870-71 left Berlin this morning for Leipsic. The reception committee and a numerous party of Berlin comrades of the tourists accom- panied them to the platform of the Anhalt station. With the party were many ladie: The Americans repeatedly expressed their thanks for the hospitality of their enter- puneent and the warmth of their recep- tion. Their Berlin comrades responded, saying that the visit had afforded them great ure. As the train started, the mem- of the party from America waved tiny z rlean flags, while their Berlin friends cheered heartily. —_> -— MORE TROOPS FROM SPAIN, Arrival of 1,400 at Santingo de Cuba. HAVANA, September 7. urteen hun- dred troops arrived at Santiago de Cuba teday from Spain. The reinforcements consist of a battafion of the constitution regiment and two companies of the Burgos reg:ment, The press of Havana have agreed to give a banquet to the last battalion that arrived from Spain. >_-— THE CLOSING SESSION. The Agricultura hemists Adjourn to Meet xt Year, At the meeting of the 4 jon of A; ricultural Chemists today reports w read as follows: On tannin, W. H. Krug of the Department of Agriculture; on sugar, E, EB, Ewell; on dairy products, E. H. Far- rington of Wisconsin. Reporters wgre appointed for the meet- ings of the chemists as follow H. B. Me- Donald, College Park, Md.; 1. P. Street, New Brunsw: N. K, L. Winton, New Arthur Gross, Las Cruses, N, M.; J. B. Lindsley mherst, W. D. Bigelow, Washington, D. ¢ Le. Nicholson, Lincoln, Neb.; A. G. Keer, Co- lumbia, Ind. 30 o'clock the association adjourned to meet in this city next year. Food Adulterations, The Association of Agricultural Chemists took an important acti: yesterday ufter- noon by the appointment of a committee to consider legislation on the subject of food adulterations. The inembers of the association did not want it to appear that they were trying to influence jegislation on the subject, but the committee was in- structed to make a study of existing stat- utes on the subject in various states, and to consider what, if anything, was left to be desired in this direction. Officers were elected as follows: Presi- dent, B. B. Ross, Alabama; vice president, Dr. William Frear, Pennsylvania; secre- iary, Prof. H. W. Wiley, chemist’ of the Agricultural Department; executive com- mittee, H. J. Wheeler, Rhode Island, and J. W. Traphagen, Montana. > Mrs, Ruth Johnson Declared Insane. Mrs. Ruth Johnson, aged about seventy- seven years, was today declared to be of unsound mird by a marshal's jury, and her insanity was found to have existed since Janaary 1, 1894. It was also found that the unfortunate woman, now under treatment at Mt. Hope, Md., possesses real estate here valued at $5,000, and that she enjoys a pension of $20/a month. — The Pistol Eliminated. The case of Christopher Terrell, the col- ored boy charged by Policeman Vermillion with having used a beanshooter in North- east Washington three days ago, as pub- lished in The Star at the time, was called in the Police Court today. This is the case in which Perry arson made complaint against the policeman, claiming that he shot at the boy and struck him. Witnesses were not permitted to tell about the police man’s tol. The evidence against the boy was conclusive, and @ fine of $ was im- posed. pe — Urged to Fly the Red Flag. CHICAGO, September 7.--J. Keir Hardie, the English socialist, addressed an audience last night in 12th street Turner Hall. He urged his hearers to follow the sociatistic doctrizes, but condemned anarchy as a thing separate and apart from soctaif proper. He ursed that the red flag be 1 and said: “If a dozen stanch Chicagoan should fly the red banner, raise the ard and stand by it, it is my belief that alt that is worth haying in this city would flock around it.” —_—_—__. Government Receipts. National bank notes received today for redemption, $249,200. Government receipts— From internal revenue, $601,689; customs, $714,008; miscellaneous, § The heaviest rain in twenty-five years fell in Baltiniore ‘yesterday. The storm be- gan at 2:10 cam and continued until 6 p.m., 4 76-100 inches falling during that time. During the, entire day the streets of the city were flupded, and in some places the rushing tgfrents inflicted severe damage. THE TIE RODS CUT What Has Been Done to the Gov- ernment Printing Office. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENGINEERS Lieut. Sewell Says It May En- danger the Building. MR. BENEDIOT’S VIEW There is a difference of opinton between the army engineers in charge of the con- struction of the additions to the govern- ment printing office and the public printer which involves the safety of the new por- tions of the building. When the wing of the building over the wagon-way, which opens on Jackson’s al- ley, was built the iron posts of each of the floors were securely fastened together and braced by tie rods. These rods were of steel, and connected the two sets of pillars running diagonally between them, so as to prevent any lateral motion. The Tic Rods-Cut. A short time ago this new portion of the building was turned over to the public printer, and he began preparing it for the needs of his great workshop. It was de- sired to have a set of shelves along the rcrth wall of the fourth floor, but the tle- rods being there, it was necessary to either remove them or to set the shelving about three inches from the wall. Mr. George E. Reid, tne engineer of the building, decided that the tie-rods were of no practical pur- pose, and he cut them out and allowed his shelving to set flush with the wall. On each floor there were four sets of these tie rods. Mr. Reid cut out three sets on the fourth floor and later took two sets out of the third floor. In order to strength- en the floor at the place of shelves intend- ed to be used for storing metal cuts, he ran a steel rod one and one-half inches in diameter from ceiling to floor, tying it to the iron girders above and below. This rod was intended solely to strengthen the floor and not to take the place of the tie rods placed between the pillars by the engineer designing the building, as the tle rods were deemed useless. What Lieut. Sewell Says. When Lieut. Sewell of the engineer corps of the army heard that the tie rods had been removed from the fourth floor of the bvilding, he informed Col. Wilson of the fact, and suggested that If the braces of the building were to be interfered with it would be well for the engineer corps to disclaim all responsibility for its safety. While the building was constructed by the engineer corps of the army and from plans prepared by Lieut. Sewell, yet from the day it was turned over to the public printer it passed entirely from their control. ‘A star reporter called on Lieutenant Sewell today and asked him how he re- garded the strength of the buildings since the cutting out of the tle rods he had provided. Lieutenant Sewell was aware only that tle rods had been cut from the fourth story and did not speak of the third story having been treated in a like manner. With the idea that only the fourth Moor had been relieved of the strengthening rods he replied: ‘I can only say that the building as it stands now would be subjected to strains not calculated upon in its construction in the cuse of a storm from the south, in which the wind should blow at the rate of seventy-five or eighty mffes per hour. I think it is improbable that the top stories should be blown off jn such case, but us I have said, the structure would be subjected to strains not calculated on.” ‘Army engineers regard the tampering of the building by the public printer as very dangéfous, and it Is said that should ail the tle rods in the new building be removed the structure would be looked upon as ex- tremely dangerous. The Public Printer’s View. Public Printer Benedict was also called upon by a Star reporter, and when told of the cutting of the tle rods at first” dis- credited the report, and then remarked that these rods were of no importance, so far as the strength of the building was affected by th He said he took a common. view of the matter, and did not bel the tie rods were of any consequence. order to learn the truth of the report Mr. Benedict accompanied the reporter to the portion of the bu ing in question. Mr. George E. Reid, the engineer, under whose fons the work of fitting up the new has been going on, was.aiso pres- when this inspection was made. The were fourd cut out, as stated Mr. Benedict said that the question the tie rods out in order to ace they took up by putting in ng was brought before him some time , and he had said that they should not be cut out, as any accident to the building that might happen even twenty years hence from some faulty construction might be attributed to the cutting of the tie rods, and he thought it advisable not to jected to the possibility of such criticism, ‘As the work had been done, however, he did not consider it of any importance and expressed the utmost confidence in the good judgment of Mr. Reid, who, he said, he had appointed during his first adminis- tration in the government printing office. He did not know that Mr. Reid was a civil engineer, but he regarded him as a me- chanical engineer of great ability and one who was looked upon as very trustworthy in all questions of handling great weights. Won't Cut Any More. Mr. Reid in explaining how he had hap- pened to cut the tie rods out said that they had been put in in order to strengthen the iron work during construction, but now that the building had been completed he regarded them as absolutely useless. If he had his way he would not have put them in at all, he said. Mr. Reid said, however, when questioned, that he did not intend te take out any more of the tie rods from the building. Col. Wilson and the chief of engineers were out of town today and could not be seen. It is understood, however, that Col. Wilson regards this action on the part of the public printer in permitting the tamper- ing with the new portion of the government printing office as a serious matter. ‘At the last session of Congress the joint commitiee on printing considered the ad- visability of having all the government buildings in Washington under the con- trol of an efficient engineer. It was said at that time that the law should strictly prohibit any government officer not pos- sessing technical knowledge about archi- tectural matters from tampering with a building. The disaster at the old Ford's ‘Theater building showed the necessity for some such law. It may be that the pres- ent difference of opinion regarding what is necessary for the safety of the govern- ment printing office may result at the next session of Congress in a further agitation of this question. tes A SPLIT INEVITABLE. Ex-Congressman Bland on the Poli- tical Outlook. KANSAS CITY, Mo., September 7.—Ex- Congressman Bland was here yesterday. He asked: “In case the national dem- ceratic convention refused to adopt the free silver platform, what would be the result “There would be a division between the easiern and western democracy. It is, it seems to me, inevitable, anyway. The party is inharmonious. War issues, the tariff and other things have kept the pariy together heretofore, but they are being lest sight of. The only thing the free sil- ver demccrats can do now is to keep or- ganizing. Z “If there should be another bond issue before long it would have a great effect. It was the issue of the last $62,000,000 that set the people to thinking. The eastern capitalists know this, and will try to pre- vent another issue.” “Is not a compromise possible?” “They tried it in Kentucky. They put up a free silver candidate there on a gold standard platform. What is the result? Why, they are in worse s¥ape than they were before the convention.” THE FLOORWALKER He Has a Substantial Smile and Important Duties. A Wide Range of ‘Detnils Which Come Under the Supervision of ‘This Official. From the Chicago Chronicle. He looms amid clouds of lace and piles of ribbon, towers over mountains of silks and beams on you from afar. His hair is part- ed exactly in the middle, his sidewaiskers are startlingly stiff, and his necktie is of surpassing whiter:ss He ts the floorwalker, and as the ground floor representative of the powers upstairs, whore names appear on the sign, he is Igoked upon with awe «nd veneration by the 1eet of the help. By the public he ts looked upon end used as a guideiook to the store and @ randy reference marual as to street cars, halls and pubiic buildings. An@ through it all he smiles and rubs his hands. No one has been able to discover just who was the first floorwalker or who taught him his business. Searchers after knowl- edge in this direction can only imagine what mental struggles the first floorwalker must nave nad trying to remember on what floor the hosiery was ana whether the firm kept stove lifters. With no master mind t> guide him and no predecessor to teach him things, how he must have wor- ried when some one asked him to mind a baby ‘while she and mother went upsiairs to see the corsets. But the floorwalkcr of today is a creature of evolution. He is the product originally of the larger dry goods stores, which were the forerunners of the great department stores, and in the latter estublishiments the floorwalker is an ubso- lute necessity. His job is a peculiar one. In the first place, he has to struggle aloug through Ife under a misnomer. There is no palpable, cogent reason why he should be calle “floorwalker”’ any more than a policeman should be called a sleeper. Both do other thinzs at times. The Sloorwalker might be called usher or director or steerer with much more rezson and propriety. But some one began by calling the first one a floor- walker, and since then the class must bear the name until such time as the Floor- walkers’ Protective Union shal! rise and de- mand that a change be made. But in the ary goods store, as an offset to the de- pressing title, the floorwalker has the per- quisite of being called ““M. while the clerk in the notions is simply “Thompson.” This | is regarded as a distinct advance in the scale of the store, and Thompson, while he hates “Mr. Smith,” looks forward longingly to the time when he will be “Mr.” Thomp- son, anc have stiff sidewhiskers and a white necktie and a smile. His Many Duties. The duties of the ficorwalker are not laid dewn in any code or copy of rules and regulations. ‘They are not limited; no one, not even the floorwalker himself, knows just wheré ‘they end. They are by no means ccnfined, as the thoughtless might suspect, to walking the floor. The floorwalker is ex- pe@ed to smile constantly and rub his hands as often and as steadily as is con- sistent with his other duties. He is a gen- eral guide to the establishment, be it one hundred feet square or sixteen stories high. It he doesn’t know where the depart- rent that you ask for is located, he is to smile, wave his hand indetinitely and say “Third floor, to the right: take elevator. In all disputes arising bety employes and customer he is the board of arbitra- tion, and his powers in this regard are broad or limited, according to whether or not the proprietor.is out to lunch, If he is, the question is promptly settled, and there is no appeal from the dictum of the ftcor- walker. If he is not, the autocrat of the noticn counter sometimes eondescends to let him know what is gving on aud to offer him advice. Hut the manifold and pecullar duties of the floorwalker do not end here, by any means, He is also a detective. Besides being a guide book, a judge and an ex- pert on prices, he is ‘a wise and wary Sher- lock Holmes. He is supposed to keep an eye open for shoplifters, and while he is smiling his blandest and rubbing his hands he may be “piping” a-suspect, as the de- tectives do in dime nove When the floorwalker mind that some one hes designs upon the stock, he j few other things and watch Usually the floorwalker is right, for th get to be experts after awhile, the wo- man with the lorg cape will be seen to pick up something from a counter and pass wittly along in the crowd. But the floor w of s made up kis fs or her own the sus out he s “Excuse me, madame; will you kindly step into the mar offi When He Gets Mar Then it is all off. She kindly steps in sometimes, and then again she makes a fuss and threatens to have them all ar- ed and hanged, but the manager gets r the property, the shoplifter is arresied, and the floorwalker resumes his mile, gently rubs his hands together, and re- turns to his place to tell people that the crockery is in the basement and the yarns are on the third floor. And there are other troubles galore for the man of the smile and the eagle eye. If one of the young women clerks has a picnic party on hand, and, therefore, be- comes suddenly ill, the floorwatker has to see that her plate is filled, and that her salary is docked one day. And when the forewoman gets married, which is the only cause of vacancies in the dry goods stores, the floorwalker is expected to recommend a clerk for the place. When business is dull, the floorwalker is expected to keep the young women, es- pecially the pretty ones, from growing tired, by chatting gayly about his younger days and what a gay young man he was when he was in the ribbons. Now and then a floorwalker get ried, and there is one clerk store, for, of course, no self-respecting floorwalker would go outside of his own establishment to seek a wife. The affair usually begins by the little chats over the showcase becoming more frequent and he- fore long he begins to take her to her car every evening. In the course of time he gets on the car and pays her fare, and sees that no one steals her before she gets home. Then they begin going out To lunch to- gether at noon, and the cther clerks look wistfully at the proceedings, or declare that she is a bold, forward thing, and has been trying to catch him ever since she came to the store, and the Lord knows it's time she caught some one. And not much time goes by until there is a very small and quiet wedding one night, and he comes back to the store looking very proud and happy, and declaring that he has the best little woman in the world, while she does not come back at all. After that the talks with the girls over the counters are not so frequent or so con- fidential, but the floorwalker continues to smile and rub his hands as he talks to his customers. And he will probably con- tinue to do so until the last floorwalker is holding the last job in the world, | fore he gives way to what manner of man will succeed him. Col. Corbin’s Trip. Col. H. C. Corbin, assistant adjutant gen- eral, left here thfs afternoon, in company with his daughter, for a drive in the moun- tain regions of Virginia. He will be gone about ten days or two weeks, and his movements will be governed by circum- stances. The trip is made for the benefit of his health, which has not been good for several weeks. oe A Poor Plan. From the New York Weekly. Miss De Fashion—“‘Mother, what shall we send Miss De Style for her wedding pres- ent?” Mrs. De Fashion lished in the paper Miss De Fashion— vulgar,” Mrs. De Fashion—“Send her a plated salt- spoon, “Will the list be pub- No; she says that's 00 In Switzerland. From Le Voltaire. The landlord presents his bill to the tray- eler. The latter looks at the sum total and prepares to pay with6ut demur. Mine host, stupefied at this unwonted prompti- tude on the part of a guest, stammers out: “Beg your pardon, sir. Will you let me have another look at the bill? I must have omitted something, st forgets a | wiker is after her, and before she gets | FINANCE AND TRADE Volume of Business Narrow and Professional. LONDON BUYING AND SELLING Sentiment Favorable to Highe, Prices. GENERAL MARKET REPORTS ——— Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. NEW YORK, September 7.—The result of today’s speculation was generally favora- ble to values, although the volume of busi- ness was extremely narrow and profession- al. london traded moderately on both sides of the market, but as usual was dis- regarded as a factor. Sentiment continues favorable to further improvement, as an excess of purchasing orders convincingly attests, but at the points of most prominent activity realizing sales ure still neticeable. Reactions are, however, naturally attend- ant upon a bull campaign, and are prompt- ed Ly conservative business methods, and do not indicate a decreasing confidence in the main trend of speculation. The yearly report of St. Paffl was favorably construed by the street and stimulated renewed buy- ing of this local favorite. London, how- ever, refuses to concede any merit to this property around present prices and is still heavily short of the stock. Foreign arbitrage houses are authority for the statement that this short interest may be forced into covering before the settlements there next week. The entire Granger group was fractional- ly improved under a moderate demand, in- spired by the belief that any activity dur- ing the coming week will result in addi- tions to present values. Tennessee Coal and Iron was marked up 1 3-8 per cent by buying of the character usually incident to any movement in this properiy. At the top level sales of long stock were encountered, which retarded the advance. The friends of General Electric were again active in advancing the price of that steck, the movement attracting a fair vol- ume of business from the room element. With the exception of the properties men- tioned the da business was void of sig- | nificant feature. fhe bank statement reflects a loss of 0,000 in lawful money, the major por- tion of which is in legal tenders paid out on account of the gold movement. Those most familiar with the market for foreign exchange express confidence in a decidediy | easier market within the next fortnight, due to an increased supply of commerciai drawings. It is expected that the syndicate banks will shortly turn over a round amount of gold to the treasury and estab- lish a good werking margin over the pres- ent reserve limit. The sincerity of the syndicate’s efforts is no longer doubted, and it is believed that all possible assistance wiil be offered the government without regard for any stipulations in last February's contract. The best feature of the week's banking operations is found in the loans item, which reflects an increase of over $5,000,000 as is in all probability the forerunner of an early advance in interest rates, which will again put the loan busi- ness on a profitable footing. The decrease in reserve brings that item | down under $35,000,000, This improved de- mand for money will have a beneficial effect on the exchange market by attract- ing capital to this center for investment. Tho outflow of gold, while passing almost wizhout comment in circles where the real situat & understood, has exerted an adverse i. nee on the always c seryative Investment pub With ever: indication of the speedy adjustment of existing troubles tly in this respect and a brightening business outlook a looked upon 3 alization. Reac- i upon the situation from but long holdings are not sed for sale during the nm should control ich certain of e ns Will be ur to time, to be pre direction, but as yet ———————— FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL, The following are the opening, the high. est and the iowest and the closing prices of the New York stock market today, as re. ported by Corson & Mac Yor’: stock 3 srs. Moore & members »ndents Stocks. Last. American Sugar. 112% | American 163 95% 4 wig 56 son ‘anadu Sout Canada Pacitic. Chesapeake & Ohio. G..C, C & S.1 Chicago, B. & Q... .... WO BY Chic. & Northwestern. 106 10555 106 Chicago Gas. SH GH CAI C. M. & St. Pant. 18% Tite C. M. &St. Pau! Prd’. ic., R. J. & Pacific.. Mlinols Central Lake Shore. Erie Louisville & Long Island a Metropolitan ‘iraction.. Manhattan Elevated. - Michigan Central. Mixsouri Pacitie National Lead Co. N.Y. C. & St. Louis. Northern Pacific. Northern Pacific, Pfd. North American. ... Cnt. & Western Pacific Mail... Fhila & Reading. Pullman Pal. Car Co... Southern Kallway, Pfd. Phila. Traction. fexas Pacitic Tenn. Coal & iron. Union Pi ic Waba: Wu Pt shy Wheeling & L. Wheeling & L. Erie, Western Union Tel Wisconsin Central. Silver . timore Markets. jour weak, un- 150 bat Me Sagar iter steady, ec firm, unchanged. Grain and Cetton Markets. Cotton and grain mark: ported by W. B. Hibbs, stock, grain and cotton broker, 1421 F st. ‘Gt unchanged. isk is 21° 21% Lard—Jan 5.8 Hibs Jan 5.00 5.00 Month, Low. Close. Tonth. 88 rts 8.03 8.04 8.09 8.10 815 8.17 St. Ann's Asylum. annual report of St. Ann’s Infant The Asylum was made public today. It shows that the largest number of inmates at any one time was 150, and at the close of the fiscal year there were 128 in the asylum. The cost per capita for support of inmate was $8 per month.