Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-08

in two thousand years because her
fertile soil lies over a similar source
OF perpetual renewal. / am not sure
that this suggestion Of the elevation
by the action of water of the fertiliz-
Ing material from beneath the under
lying strata has been adequately con-
sidered by men who have made a
study of the chemistry of the soil. In
the plains of Lombardy the running
water deposits in the bottoms of the
irrigating bitches material dissolved
from the Alps. The farmers there mix
the sediment with stubble and spread
it over their fields, thus keeping their
lands always as good as new. With
such resources the future fertility of
that part of the Louisiana purchase is
assured. / like to take cheerful
view of our future. l am an optimist.
The statement have just made is a
full answer to the pessimists who pho
phecy the early decay of our fruitful
ness. With these prophets of evil
never had any sympathy
Some of the Iowans in Washington
are rather amused at Judge Wade's
statement that he will not bring any
secretary to Washington with him be-
cause he cannot afford it, Nearly ev-
erybody knows that the government
allows each congressman $1,000 year
as salary of a clerk. The congress
man draws this whether he has a
clerk or not. Some have been known
to designate member of their fam
lily as their clerk-wife, daughter or
1ot lro1 fha chm q
month and add it to the family purse.
Practically every representative in
congress who expects to care for the
interests of his constituents in care
full and business like way has his pri-
vate secretary. A ccngressman's mail
alone is a surprisingly large feature
and takes much time. To handle this
right, every letter, no matter how trl-
fling. should be answered, and are in
the case of all business like congress
men But the good secretary does
much besides the detail work II he
is clever he can assist his congress.
man in hundreds of ways, by keeping
his eyes open, noting the drift of mat
tiers as evinced by general conversa-
ton. He can also take practically all
the details of pensions off his chiefs
hands. A fine example of the right
sort of secretaries are Charles A.
Spirll of Davenport and William M.
Reece of Ottumwa. Mr.. Spirk is sec
rotary to Congressman Rumple of
the second district. He came
to Washington with Hon. Joe R. Lane
and had the benefit of the training of
propably the best example of bust
ness congressman Iowa ever sent to
the house. When Mr.. Rumple came
down he reappointed Mr.. Spirk. For
Captain Rumple Mr.. Spirk keeps a
set of personal books and records as
complete as could be found in any bus
mess establishment. The system of
handling pensions insures every con-
stituent of Captain Rumple the spar
ing of not one attempt in his behalf.
Correspondence files, memorandum,
ETC., are all kept rigidly to date. Mr..
Spirk has been studying law at Colum-
bian college while in Washington and
graduates this coming June Mr..
Reece is clerk to the committee on
public lands, of which Congressman
Lacey is chairman There Is no more
efficient or popular gentleman in the
capitol. In addition to the manifold
duties which fall upon him as commit
tee clerk Mr.. Reece is right hand man
to Mr.. Lacey. The latter is commonly
known as ''the hardest working and
most conscientious congressman in
Washington" SO it is necessary that
Mr.. Reece be hustler.