The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-01-15

4 ~ -4.JI. 49, O.'J u go. ~ AOVA'
Represen tative Geissenhaimer has
! inaugurated a movement to increase
the pay OF one OF the most worthy
classes of government employees
those connected with the life saving
service. These men, who make the
saving OF life and property their call
ing, are now lily paid, and should
death be the fate OF their generous
courage their families are left to pow
erty. At the best they are employed
and paid for but part OF the year.
The New Jersey member asks congress
t, grant them annual salaries, that of
keepers of stations to be $500 and that
of surfmen 5000. The late "Sunset"
Cox of New York took these men I'M
der his care as he did the letter car
riers, but he was not go successful in
securing liberal legislation for them
If Mr.. Geissenhaimer can induce
either this or the next congress to do
justice to the life saving crews who
patrol American coasts he will have
builded legislative monument more
enduring than stone.
The women clerks in the treasury
talk about putting up monument to
the memory of the late Gen. Francis
f.. Spinner. 1t is. to be done through
small contributions by the many
thousands of female employees now
under the government. The old
general made their employment pos
possible in the first Instance, ne hav-
ing been the first to introduce women
in the civil service. At the start they
only secured places as counters in the
treasury, but the old man gradually
extended their sphere until before he
resigned some had reached the higher
grades of clerkship, not a few receiving
$l400 and $1,000 year. Grateful for
this service the women clerks now
propose to erect monument to per-
petuate his memory.
Col. William r. Morrison of Illinois
does not take much stock in his presi-
den tial boom. He says political
lightning is not very likely to strike
in his neighborhood. There are those,
however, who think the party could go
further and do much worse. The
colonel is not only Democratic in prin
ciple, bat is one of the most Demo-
cratic of men. None of the "inso
lence OF office" or political bumptious,
ness attaches to him. When in
Washington he can be found any
evening in the lobby at Wizards sur
rounded by congenial friends, every
one of whom feels that all Americans
are born free and equal. Like Lincoln,
he is an inimitable yarn spinner, and
the sounds OF merriment are ever to
be heard from the party of which he
is the center. Col Morrison says he
has no time to work up presidential
boom, as the conflicts between the
people and the railroads keep him, as
interstate commerce commissioner,
more than busy.
The Sioux are not the only 1ndrs1Is-
who are starving, as official advlces re-
ceived here give the information that
the people OF Northern Alaska are
similarly situated. Those Northern
Indians, however, do not 60 to war to
get food, because there are now vast
herds OF fat cattle roaming the Alas
kan plains. An appeal has been made
to the government in their behalf, but
it is not proposed to feed them like
other Indians, but to provsde a way
by which they can feed themselves.
The plan suggested is to introduce
into that country the domesticated
reindeer of Siberia, and train the
Eskimo in their management, care
and propagation. Unless this is done
it is estimated that it will require
several hundred thousand dollars
year to issue rations to this people
after the usual Indian fashion. When
it is known that white possession OF
Alaska has driven away the custom
airy food supply OF the natives there
would appear to be justice in the gov
eminent stocking the bleak prairies
of Alaska with reindeer. ALBERT.