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Show I WORK OFUANDAL Abuse of Statesmen Chalked on the Capitol. LEVI P. MORTON COMING BACK Report That He Will "Improve" His Beautiful Rhode Island Avenue House Alarms the Lovers of Beauty. By GEORGE CLINTON. Washington. Some one with a grievance or with an unbalanced mind has been scribbling on the walls of the capitol in "a large, free hand" with, blue chalk various uncomplimentary uncomplimen-tary comments about great and almost al-most great statesmen doing their country's service in Washington. No matter what the motive which inspires in-spires the scribbling, the act is one of a vandal because it disfigures the walls of the building, and the police find the watchmen are trying to catch the .culprit. It will be remembered that not long ago a large piece was cut out of the1 oil painting of "Perry at Lake Erie." Since then a special watch has been kept to prevent repetitions of the vandalism. van-dalism. False Alarm About Webster. Washington 1 was much disturbed a day or two ago when it heard that somebody with a chisel had chipped pieces out of the marble trousers and the marble coattail of the statue of Daniel Webster which stands in Statuary ball. A close inspection h)s led to the discovery that tWe Webster memorial has not been injured by the propriation of $10,000 for plans alone. The sum of $1,500 is suggested for a small statue to Capt. Charles Wilkes, who is chiefly celebrated in popular recollection for taking Mason and Slidell. the Confederate commissioners, commission-ers, from the British mail steamer Trent in 1S61. The United States government did not back up Captain Wilkes In his act of taking the Confederate Con-federate commissioners off the British Brit-ish vessel. In fact, nearly all diplomats diplo-mats thought, and think today, that Wilkes acted without proper authority under international law and that the Confederate and the British governments govern-ments had a perfect right to protest, and that the United States authorities authori-ties could do nothing else than to disavow dis-avow the naval officer's act. Admirers of Major Andrew S. Rowan, Ro-wan, U. S. A., who is still living, have put in a bill appropriating $5,000 for some memorial of his famous exploit in 1898, when he was sent by President Presi-dent McKInley to Cuba to communicate communi-cate with General Garcia, the leader of the Cuban revolution. He made a landing from ar open boat near Tur-qulno Tur-qulno Peak and with much difficulty succeeded In reaching Garcia. Mann Is Friend of Poultry. Representative Mann of Illinois, who Is the leader of the Republican minority on the floor of the house, has introduced a bill to require all common carriers engaged in interstate inter-state commerce to provide food and water for poultry in transit, and to prevent suffering from over-crowding by providing crates of sufficient size to be humane and tcj be open on at least three sides so tlwit proper ventilation venti-lation may be assured. Congress has acted before this on behalf of cattle In transit and now It is proposed to extend the humane effort to chickens. One congressman said that because chickens wore feathers It was supposed that they nrai-a n Oil Onotlti hi a tr PflM. Hfl hand of man. Elliott Woods, the superintendent su-perintendent of the capitol, says that the holes which were discover in the Webster statue were put there by the sculptor and have been plainly visible vis-ible ever since the statue was erected. Some one suggested that the vandal who was at work was a new kind of moth which had developed aiv appetite appe-tite for marble garments. , Former Vice-President Levi P. Mov-ton Mov-ton has made up his mind to come back and live in the capital for eight or nine months a yeap'for the rest of his life. He owns a beautiful residence resi-dence on Rhode Island avenue, where he lived when he was vice-president of the United States under Harrison. When Mr. Morton went out of office the Russian ambassador moved into the residence and, following iiim, came Secretary of State Elihu Root, and then John Hays Hammond. Mr. Morton Mor-ton himself lived there for a few months two years ago. Morton Mansion In Peril. There is a fine arts commission which is supposed, to take cognizance of every attempt to increase the beauty beau-ty of the capital, a cognizance which embraces the overlooking of improvements improve-ments in public buildings. The wish has been expressed that the commission commis-sion might extend its espionage to private dwellings, for some of the beautiful old places in Washington have been remodeled by their socially ambitious purchasers into mere resi- added, however, that feathers, while warm, did not provide food and drink. The bill has gone to the proper committee com-mittee and there Is a fair chance of its passage. House "Babies" Have Frolic. At one of the Washington restaurants res-taurants the other night there was a frolic of the "babies" of the ' house Df representatives. Men to the mmber of one hundred serving their first terms in congress gathered for a dinner at the restaurant They formed a house of representatives of their own and passed the time making mak-ing fun of the methods of their older colleagues and the personalities of some of their own number. In the main, however, they "pointed with pride" to themselves as the real statesmen and referred to members of longer service as being entirely out of date and belonging In the pigeonholes pigeon-holes with the archives rather than on the floor of the house with the "live ones." No party lines were drawn at this gathering. Republican and Democratic Democrat-ic babies had fun together. The tariff tar-iff came In for a bit of by-play. Protective Duty on Cats. A high protective duty was put on cats In order to protect the home industry. Every feline, whether a wild-cat a polecat or a domestic cat imported into the United States or its island possessions, it was decld- J 4- h..nnft.. nn.r 1 A In dence monstrosities, in many cases glaring and in most cases unbeautiful. It is understood that Vice-President Morton intends to spend $60,000 to improve his Rhode Island avenue home. Today it is beautiful as it is, a warm red brick pleasing to look upon and suggestive in every vJay of comfort. It is now said that it is intended in-tended to give the house a mars stately state-ly appearance by the introduction of white marble in places. The old house has been a comfort to the eye of many a Washingtonian man and visitors, and the changes are awaited with trepidation. Children's Playground Lost. Washington, with all her monuments and statues, good, bad and indifferent, and all her vacant land, still has not space left in which to erect public memorials, me-morials, and it ought to be said also that projects more necessary to the public health than marble statues, like playgrounds for the children, cannot be thought of apparently because of lack of room. For two years by means of private subscriptions, for , example, a little grove at the corner 'of Fourteenth street and Columbia road has been used as a playground and fitted up for the children. It was covered with oak trees of priceless value, as far as their shade qualities are concerned, and was one of the most picturesque spots In the city. It is in the heart nf n. thicklv Rftttled district, whprn It order to be admitted to full American catizenship. As a rider to this bill catnip was placed on the free list. A prize was offered to the member w"lo could make the most stirring oration ora-tion on the American flag. Representative Repre-sentative Littleton was chosen as judge, but the oratorical flights of Representative Connell of New York and Witherspoon of Mississippi were so nearly equal in grace and distance that the judge gave each the first prize. The senate galleries broke out Into applause the other day when the name of Theodore Roosevelt was mentioned. The senate gallery has applauded at times the names of William Wil-liam Jennings Bryan and of many other well-known Americans without regard to political party, but it must be understood that it is against the rules of the senate to allow applause in the gallery. Mustn't Applaud In Senate. It makes no difference who it Is that is receiving the applause, the vice-president must bring down his gavel while the noise is continuing and say with all due solemlty and severity that all demonstrations of approval ap-proval are not allowed and that If they do not cease "the galleries will be cleared." 1 This word from the vice-president has been said thousands of times In the senate and its effect has never been visible for more than an hour at a time. It Is only rarely that the senators themselves laugh and It Is only once In a lifetime that they applaud. ap-plaud. The cases where senators have broken the applause rule can be counted count-ed on half the fingers of one hand. The senate, however, has Its Jokes . frequently and while laughter Is subdued, sub-dued, broad smiles are always In tJ-dence. tJ-dence. When Senator Jonathan P. Dolllver, now dead, referred to Senator Fran-'' cis E. Warren of Wyoming as "the greatest shepherd Blnce Abraham,"' the broadest of broad smiles was risible risi-ble on the face of every senator. The wool bill was under discussion and Mr. Warren Is said to be the propria-, tor of a considerable fold. ,, is a cruelty to keep children within doors and a continual danger to let them out on the streets. Nevertheless congress, which would spend $75,000 for a Federal building in a town of 281 inhabitants, neg-nected neg-nected to secure this breathing space. The magnificent oak trees are being cut down, and where last summer the place was alive with children, a family fam-ily hotel will stand. Many Monuments Projected. Should congress be In a giving mood toward the shades of the departed, de-parted, it Is a question where suitable suit-able sites for memorials could be obtained. ob-tained. The demand for space la Insistent, In-sistent, and the senate committee on library has record of no less than eight requests, while the house committee com-mittee doubtless has as many more. A bill appropriating $100,000 for a statue of Alexander Hamilton already has passed the senate. The sum of $50,000 Is wanted for a statue to Matthew Fontaine Maury, the American naval officer whose scientific work descriptive of the sea Is among the classics. A memorial to the signers of the Declaration of Independence In-dependence Is asked for, with an ap- |