The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-10-13
WORLDS FAIR WANDERERS
They Visit United States Gov
ernment Building


ST. Louis Oct. 6, 1904.
l always thought of Uncle Sam as
good -natured sort of loafer. with MOTH
ing particular ito do aside from carrying
the mails and collecting some taxes on
whiskey and tobacco. But I've changed
my mind about Uncle Sam. And so has
John. John says he seems to be buster
than a country doctor in a smallpox dis
trict and Jane displayed evidences of her
advanced schooling by remarking that
the Government building really was "an
exhibit Of astonishing paternalsm."
Anyway, Uncle Sam is no loafer. He is
the busiest individual on this globe. Any
one who has any doubt upon this point
should spend a day or two in the United
States Government building and see what
our government is doing for the people.
From building a gun that will carry
shell eighteen miles to measuring the
rainfall and making it hot for the Hes
sian fly and lne chinch bug is a wide
range of activity. but Uncle Sam does
one as easily and successfully as the
other.
Before entering the big Government
building we found that Uncle Sam, in
addition to his many other accomplish
ments. is great fisherman. He is not
in the amateur class in anything. He
goes after the seal as well as the salmon
and he makes it his business to increase
the supply of food fish and other fish
that are of value to the people. We
thought we saw the fish exhibit over in
that is only side show compared to the
magnificent exhibit of fresh and salt
water fish made by the United States
Fish Commission. AS we entered the first
specimens of marine life to meet our
eyes were sea horses, of which there is
large collection, showing all signs and
colors of this very rare and curious fish.
1 had always thought that the sea horse
belonged to the realm Of children's story
books. but here was the real thing pad
ding about In tank by means Of one
tiny fin stuck in the middle of his
hack. All the sea horse is good for is to
look at. He has no food value. In the
long row of glass tanks arranged in cir
cular form were specimens Of swell-fish
bnr-fish. long -nosed gar. paddle-fish.
sheepshead and the common fish of our
iakes and streams. There was the ugly
hermit crab. the sea robin. a fish with
wings. from the West Indies. and the
skates
John was interested In the placard over
the skates which conveyed the informa-
ton that this tish had mo food value"
He said he never knew a skate" to be
good for anything except to consume
food
around In the big pool in the center of
the building the greatest interest centers
In the exhibit of salmon Matching. which
shows the process from a pasketful oil
little pink salmon eggs to tank of tiny
salmon minnows. 1t takes forty days to
hatch a salmon from the egg and for
twenty-five days he lives on pink food
sack attached to him, which is generally
so heavy he cannot swim After that.
however. he hustles for himself. The
salmon are planted In fresh water ans
returned to salt water at from to 8
months of age, and 1t requires four years
for them to reach full growth.
Jane Is still gazing intently at the play
full seals. one of which is asleep on a
large rock in the center of the pool. She
says this is as near to a sealskin sacque
as she ever expects to get. T. A. d.