Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-14
sage 5 GOOD SERVICE
Department Of Agriculture Rewards
Good Work Of Iowa Weather
Service Man.
John R. Sage Placed on Classified
List by Special Order of the
President.
1t is an Exceptional Honor and Re.
numerative-W Woolson's Illness
State Printing.
special to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, Nov. 14.-John r. Sage,
director of the Iowa weather and crop
service, has been highly complimented
by the department of agriculture and
the president for the valuable service
he has rendered the department and
the country by devising and putting in
to execution the present efficient crop
reporting system in Iowa. The plan
has been adopted in many other states.
The United States weather bureau,
division Of the department of agricul
ture, has co-operated with the state in
this service. supplying the postage and
a good part of the expense. The result
has been, under Mr.. Sages skillful, in
dustrious and devoted attention, that
much more practical good has been ac-
lcomplished than in any other state, un-i
| til the Iowa plan was adopted else
where. Being an old newspaper man,
Mr.. Sage has applied newspaper meth
| DDS to the gathering and dissemination
| of information, getting it when it was
new and interesting and valuable and
giving it out Immediately through the
lspress and through bulletins. He has
organized a corps of 500 reporters, an
average of eight to the county, all rel-
able persons, including hundreds of the
| best farmers in the state. When the
| reports come in they are not mere
guesses of some town fellows, based on
| hearsay or scattering observations and
| impressions, but are the painstaking
| and accurate observations of experts
| accurate and complete. This sort of
| thing has made the reports of the state
| service more RELAX BILE than those of the
government. The officials of the wealth
er bureau at Washington have long
| recognized the superior work Mr.. Sage
was doing here, and he has had oppor-
| tunity to take positions with the de-
| partment. He preferred, however, to
remain here and continue this work in
cooperation with the federal govern
| ment, making it better all the time.
That Mr.. Sage is modest man may
be inferred from the fact that the
! knowledge of his receiving an excep-
! tional honor has only just leaked out
i on The 1st of October ne was placed IL
the classified list by the special order
of the president, and while his relations
/ for the present remain unchanged With
/ the department of agriculture and the
/ weather bureau. he receives a salary
1 from the government. substantial
/ recognition of his work He Will con-
| tinue to do the same work that he has
/ always done, and his relat tons with the
state service are in no way changed.
| but he is subject now to the orders OF
1 the department at Washington. He
/ may be detailed at some time on some
/ special investigation or service. The
/ number of men qualified by scientific
knowledge and experience, as Mr.. Sage
! is, TO do this sort of work, is very linn
| tied, and the reason assigned by the
/ department for this action is that ii
4 was desired that the department should
be able to command his services at any
time they We're needed. The appoint
/ ment was entirely unsolicited by Mr.
Sage, and was a great surprise to him
he knew nothing of it till ne received
a telegram from Secretary Wilson tell
ing him of the appointment. That
"Tama jim" Wilson had something to
do with 1t is not to be doubted, though
Mr.. Sage was in high standing with the
/ department. purely on his merits, be-
fore Mr. Wilson became secretary OF
agriculture. Mr.. Sage has always held
his position purely on merit, the con-
sideration which secured his appoint
ment by Governor Boies in the first
/ place. AT that time he told Governor
Bcies he was a republican and should
vote against him (Boiesl, but he was
Iappointed, nevertheless, because. under
the law. the governor could do nothing
else. The state board of agriculture
had recommended Mr. Sage's appoint
ment. and that settled it. 1t is fine
thing to find devotion to duty, to the
pursuit of science. so becomingly rec
ognized as in this case. Mr.. Sage has
no desire to leave the state, and prob
ably Will not, except 1t may be for brief
periods. At any rate his appointment
j will not interfere with his present du-
ties.
Judge John s. Woolson, of the federal
ldistrict court is still confined to his bed
/ and is a very sick man. A consultation
4 of physicians was held yesterday, and
u the result is not very favorable. 1t was
hoped he could be taken to California
soon for the winter, but he can not be
moved. it is feared, for some time
Judge Woolson is another victim OF
overwork. He has been running Gown
for some time and has not given him.
self the rest which he should have done
Now he is paying dearly for it. 1t vii
be months and months before he car
hope to resume his work on the bench
II
So Bernard Murphy is going to be {
candidate for state printer. He ough'
to have the office if he wants it and be
i lieves it will pay him to take it. Yer.
few men in Iowa have been as faithful
and valuable TO the republican party a
all times and in all places as this Vim
ton editor. No man is more deserving
no man has been more patient. ST,
years ago he would have been elected
had it not been for the complication O
the fight for United States senator
which came to the rescue of Mr.. Coma
way and his friends just at the critica
time and made their victory certain.
J forced some doubtful votes and some o
Murphy's votes into Mr.. Conaway'
camp. Mr.. Murphy took his defea
] without growing or talking about pun
ishing any one. He simply grinned an,