The National tribune., 1906-03-15

Representative Longworth has been
telling some stories of what happened
in Cuba while they were there, and
Representative Longworth does moi
seem to be at all original. For instance
he tells of how the train was delayed
on the way from Santiago by male
incident that has been told of every
railroad that has ever crossed the
Great Divide into the heart of the
Rockies. He says that a big steer
stood on the railroad track head down
and defied the engine, so2 that the en-
gineer had to stop the train lest Mr.
Steer should throw the whole bloomin
business off the track. Everybody got
out, and finally succeeded in shooine
the creature from the track and the
engine started things, whereupon Mr..
Steer bounded upon the track and
again defied the whole machine. Then
the engineer concluded to play STRAIT
egy. He moved slowly on the beast,
and when within a few feet turned
the hot air and steam loose on his
Steership, which SO surprised and be-
fuddled him that he sidled off the
track and gave the right of way to
the engine.
This story with embellishments has
been told often of the great trans
continental lines. Among the first was
the story that the Indians were de-
termined to stop the engines going
over their great herding grounds and
frightening their herds of cattle TO
death or into Stampedes, which meant
death to thousands of them. So one
day two Indians concluded to apply
force to accomplish this. They took
their two rawhide lariats. the bull
strong" roping lines which never had
failed in any contest yet, and twisting
these into one thick one, they stretched
st across the track ahead of an ad-
vancing Express train, each holding
an end and nerved to hold till grim
death overlook them. When the en-
gine struck the lariat it yanked one
1njun up on the coal tender and landed
the other on top an express car. They
were gathered in at the water-tank
few rods farther on, and all that could
be getten out of them was, white
man go-deyil heap strong, like HI"
The other story is rather more like
Representative Longworth's. In cross
ing the great plains of Kansas i'm
mense herds of buffalo were met in
the earlier years, and it is noted
fact in history, borne out by the war
records of Indian fighting, that trains
were often stopped for hours by the
migration of the buffalo north or south
and crossing the tracks in hundreds
oI IuouSdl1US. Anu UltCt, L vi
Dodge, Kan, the train was halted for
two days. 1t would have been as much
as mans life was worth to have rid
den into that mass of moving bison,
and there was nothing to ride until
the troops came up. and they were
nearly six hours riding around the herd
to get to the train. Well, one day n
great buffalo bull who had wandered
far afield concluded that he would
defy the white man devil wagon" and
he planted himself squarely on the
track with his head down. The en-
gipeer, with little care for the conse-
quences simply slowed up and ran full
on Mr.. Bison, who began to back and
kept backing till in an evil moment
he backed off the embankment and
went rolling down, unharmed. The
engineer stopped the train out of curl
osity to see what the creature would
do. 1t scrambled 20 its feet and looked
around somewhat surprised, then,
catching sight of the engineer and his
devil wagon. the beast tried to climb
the bank. He was big and unwieldy,
one of the largest of his kind. and the
mud of the bank would not bear his
weight. After half a dozen trials, in
which he landed each time in the ditch,
he got upon his feet and, lowering his
head, began to paw the earth, roaring
like mad, and so they left him.
How's this for a patriotic item? Mr..
James T. Dubois, of the State Depart
ment. told story the other day about
his experience on shipboard on his
return from Switzerland, where he had
been stationed for several years as Con-
sul-General. There was an entertain
ment given on shipboard, and most of
the passengers being Americans,
"America" was scheduled as part of
the program. It might better have
heaO left off according To Mr. DIIhpiS
for among ali the Americans in that
big audience not a soul of them could
sing all the words of America, and it
ended IN ignominious failure. Think
Of that!
The President didn't have any fun
finding a Governor for Alaska. He
wanted d. II. Jarvis, formerly an Off
Ger in the United States Army and now
at the head of a great canning factory
in Alaska. Mr.. Jarvis declined the
honor with thanks. He says he cannot
give up his business. and he does not
believe that it would be acceptable to
the people for him to continue in busf-
ness and be Governor at one and the
same time. That looks as though Mr..
Jarvis might be a good deal of a man.
Alaska needs a man who Will see his
duty and do it with strict regard for
law and justice. A Mr.. Hoggatt and a
Mr.. Cium, now a Post Office Inspector,
were both scheduled as candidates, |
with the odds in favor of Mr.. Clum.
who was being pressed for the place
by Postmaster-General Cortelyou, but
Mr.. Hoggatt-what a name-won the
plum. Mr.. Hoggatt owns lot of
mines and has other business interests
UP there. Look out for talkee, talkee,
Mr.. Plat, Chairman of the Commit |
tee on Printing, called up his bill the
other day TO allow employees in the
Government Printing Office 80 days
leave anrr8lly. and to place them on
the same basis as the employees of other
Executive Departments of the Govern |
ment in this city with respect TO leaves
of absence. The bill was passed with
out discussion.
On the recommendation of Gen
Bates, Chief OF Staff, Brig.-Gen. Will
Ham p. DuvaIl, recently promoted from
Lieutenant-Colonelo of Artillery, will be
assigned to the command of the Mill
tary Department of the Gulf. with
headquarters at Atlanta, Ca, which has
been temporarily in command of Maj
Gen. Wade. commanding the Atlantic
Division since the detachment of Brig
Gen. Thomas II. Barry several months
ago.
The Postmaster-General has render
ed a decision in the case of the use by
the International Reform Bureau. of
which Rev. Wilbur F. Crafts, of this
city, is Superintendent of the frank of
q member of Congress. to transmit In
fhA mails FREQ of nnGfaca ,nat.ar