Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-08-28
JOHN SMITHS SAY.
Numerous Items on Dakota Mat
tiers and Dakota Polltlclans.

hut there are happenings of minor i'm
portance which may prove interesting.
The discussing officer Of one of the
departments, acting as superintendent
of the building and general custodian
of everything, ordered an official of the
department to put up the coupe and
give the official horse a rest, a few days
ago. The official asked him what bust
ness it was Of his, and he said: II am
running the expense account of this
department, and l do not want to buy
another horse this year. We must be
economical But the horse remained
on duty all the same. 1t is not certain
that the oflicious and extremely eco.
nomlcal official will so remain.
Since the departure of Messrs. Engle,
Frost and Ryse there is Il dearth of Da.
kota news here.
One Of the clerks in the postofice de-
partment %propounds the conundrum {:
"ls it better for me to remain q puppy.
VI LltAl L OSCOIlle u pdupef
His explanation of the conundrum is:
elf | remain here, on sutferance, this
administration will continue TO treat me
as a puppy. | am a mere creature a
cur not wanted in the house. But the
civil service law makes it impossible to
select some other dog in my place, and
am suffered to stay. But the boss
shows me all the time that he don't
want me here, and that | am only a
cringing cur, or ! would get ut. If l
resign, after being here for ten years, l
will be II pauper. for | don't know any
other business to get into. Therefore
the problem for me is, Shall | be a pau
per or a puppy?
Two or three papers in the territory,
lnstigated by a certain party, are pour
ing hot shot into the man who runs the
Dakota News Bureau. But they will
get no reply. Last year this end of the
line took up the cudgel for Lounsberry
and Day. The result was 8 very com.
plete assortment of enemies. Hereafter
this bureau will take up the fight of no
one, and will accept nothing but friend
ship from every paper and person in the
territory. Nobody can get any fight
here, and the sooner that is known the
better. There are plenty of fellows who
delight in a scrimmage, but none of it
from here now.
The officials at the interior depart
ment are very proud Of the appoint
ments which were made at Aberdeen.
They consider Major Burke and Gen
Harris among the best officials, and the
most satisfactory to the people Of the
land Office appointments.
Numerous exchanges, containing all
shades Of opinion, lead one to the con-
clusion that Major Edwards, of Fargo,
will have to he one Of the candidates
before the Iankton convention. The
major is taking The unsolicited aonors
which are being showered upon him
with .Job-like resignation. Ifhe should
be nominated and elected would he
draw his salary with the same child-like
simplicity? But what's the use Of talk
ing Of it? The Republicans will prob.
ably do the fair thing and give Clifford
an opportunity in +" second term to
show what he can do for the territory.
No man can do much the first term.
The patent attorneys are not doing
such a big business in the matter of
Washington correspondence, but their
places are being filled by fellows who
start u bureau of information. Some
cases bite ut the bait, take in the stuff
and palm it off on the innocent subscrlb-
er. He will think it is genuine stuff,
and the best in the market-if he is a
mutton-head.
NJ. IL. Day says lie is practically out of
politics. Me means to retire from the
political arena and return to his old bus
mess as soon AS the campaign is over.
He want to practice law and look after
his mines. But he will stay in the po-
litical ring just to let some Of the boys
see that they cannot build a monument
over him unless they first make a corpse
of him.
I am also informed that Mccormack
is not Il candidate. That is news direct
from the seat OF war. 1t cannot be said
to be good news.
1t would be we'll for the Republicans
to remember that there is a man in
Brown county out of whom a good dark
horse could be made. Charlie Mccoy
is there, and he will be in the conven-
ton. 1t is not unlikely that some of
his friends will make use Of his name at
a time when Clifford and all the rest will
be surprised. Mccoy has many friends
and they would like to boost him up il
a chance occurred.
Hon. J. W. Ryse, chairman of the
Marshall county Democratic committee.
has returned here from a trip to Vir-
ginia and is now on the wing again. He
will stop a day or two in Indiana, and
then he will 90 on to Dakota. He will
make things hum among the Democrats
Of Marshall county when he gets back.
One ofhis brother Democrats has called
81 .,,,l l>l,.oto- cheated "a