The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-06-25

that the new office be simply named
"Pointe," but the congressman insists
that an exception shall be made in this
case. 1t Is not likely that any excep-
ton to the rule will be made.
At the Recruiting once.
There was an angry officer and a dis
gusted enlisted man at the army re-
cruiting office on Tenth street yesterday.
A big garrison flag marks the place
where talented young men may get a
uniform, rations and $13 a month in re-
turn for promise to serve Uncle Sam
Tor three years. Its bright expanse or
dinarily fiaunts defiantly In the breeze,
rain, wind or shine. At the door there
stands soldier on perpetual Sunday
morning inspection. Pipe clayed and
polished, he is as spruce as colored
print and stiff as a craven image. He
VIII speak when spoken to. but no one
ever saw his wooden statuesqueness
disappear until yesterday. A passer-
| by glanced up and saw Old Glory droop-
ing sadly around the mast, Union down.
What's the matter?" he asked the
image. observing the signal of distress.
Not sound was heard in reply from
the defender of the nation. Then his
gaze followed the pointing finger Of his
interrogation and fell on the flag, droop-
Ing dejectedly Union down.
Powder and Injuns!" yelled the SOL
der as he bounded up the stairs, "what
internal doughboy's been fooling with
the fiag?"
A minute later 1t came down with a
Jerk that nearly parted the halyards
and then scared aloft with the stars
In the proper position. The sentry re-
sumed his pose and the officer on duty
retired indoors. 1t is not known who
slept in the guardhouse last night.
The Esquimo Canoe.
where did the swift lines of the
modern cutter originator" This was the
question answered by Professor Otis T.
Mason of the National museum yester-
day before the house committee of agri-
culture. Professor Mason was address,
ing the committee on the subject Of the
Esquimos who were ranged around the
room. The establishment of experiment
tai stations for these people to assist in
the development of agricultural inter-
being considered. Professor Mason took
the ground that congress should be lib
eral In dealing with them, and that such
efforts would be followed by beneficial
results for the reason that the Esquimos
were very progressive people and were
not, as had been insinuated, only capa-
BILE OF copying without the faculty to
originate.
Holding up the model of an Esquimo
canoe the professor pointed out the fact
that the lines on which it was built
were those Of the modern record break
er. as adopted in the building of all
kinds Of craft. The Esquimos did not
get that form of boat from the boats
the Russians had brought among them,
for the latter were built with blunt
bow and In no way suggesting the
form used by the Esquimos. The fact
was, the inhabitants of the frozen zone
had invented a boat that was today be-
ing copied In its form, by the most adj
vanced shipbuilders Of the world. He
also pointed out other ways in which
the Esquimos had shown themselves SUI
perior In the possession of inventive
genius. They were the first people on
the globe who had carved ivory, and
the construction of their bows and ar
rows showed an inventive skill OF no
mean order.
In the Patent Office.
1t Is not always that officials Of the
patent office are experts in mechaioal
arts. The work Of that office is entire
~ IN dealing with intricate mecnanisms,
so that an ignorance of such matters
seems strangely out of place there. As
sistant Commissioner of Patents Vance,
who served four years term of Of
flee during Mr.. Cleveland's first admin
istration, didn't pretend to be a me-
chanic. and received while a govern
ment official a lesson he Is not soon
likely to forget. Mr. Vance used at
his desk an ordinary swivel chair. The
chair suited him exactly, except in one
respect. He found that II lacked about
one inch Of being enough for him to
write with ease. In his dilemma Mr..
Vance called the property clerk. That
old employe about mechanical contriv-
ances looked with amazement when the
assistant commissioner told him what
he wanted and began suggesting the
raising of the chair by some means.
''Mr. Vance," he said, IF you will
get up minute I'll see IL can fix it,"
The assistant commissioner arose and
the property clerk gave the chair
whirl, raising its height by a couple of
revolutions.
Nov sit down, think 1t will fit,"
remarked the clerk, while the officials
face showed signs of surprise at the
wonderful chair that could be made
high or low by being turned around.
Dubois a Good Story Teller.
Ex-senator Fred Dubois of Idaho Is
a good story teller, and always makes
a point with his variations. He told
today about an evening spent with some
miners in the Kootenai country. They
finally began to tell what they would
do when they accumulated their
fortunes, or as they put 1t, when they
made their pile" in the mines. 1t had
been a snowy winter. with bad roads,
poor transportation, and very little
food, mostly salt pork and potatoes.
One old veteran of the pick and shovel
said:
when 1 get my pile know just what
I'll do. I'll go as straight and quick
as the carsll take me to New York, and