The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-04-19

laboratory provender and liquid re-
freshment. but as often as presented
the measure was allowed to die the
death of the abandoned. The North
Dakota senator Is just as enthusiastic
for Heyburn's bill as he was for his
own, being happy that at last he be-
gins to see result from his long labor.
"Blind Pigs"
One story Is told of McCumber that
illustrates his quality. At one time he
was prosecuting attorney Of his coun-
ty. prohibition law was on the stat
ute books, but the liquor men man
aged to evade it by keeping what were
called blind pigs" McCumber thought
he had been elected to enforce all
laws, and he went after the "blind
pigs" tooth and nail, with the result
that he drove nearly all Of them out of
the county. The liquor men tried to
make terms with the fearless prosecu-
tor, but found there was nothing do
ing. They then swore to get even and
made the oath good by defeating Nc
Cumber for reelection. But they did
not figure that their old foe would turn
up later in the United States senate.
McCumber, who is under fifty years
Of age, was born and reared on west
ern farm. He studied law at Ann Ar
Dor. Prior to his election to the senate,
which came about as the result of
deadlock, he served several terms in
the North Dakota legislature.
In the house the pure food fight has
been led by Colonel W. F. Hepburn of
Iowa. Hepburn Is one Of the old men,
bers both in point Of service and in
years. as he will be seventy-three his
next birthday. He is one Of the most
forceful and eloquent speakers in Ell
ther house. He is popularity known as
Pete Hepburn by his colleagues, but
this familiarity does not breed con-
tempt, whatever it. may do in the
adage. Any man who has ever been
up against the Iowa colonel in loren
sic battle has wholesome respect for
him thereafter.
The action of the house committee
In substituting the Hepburn pure food
bill for the Hepburn bill places the
Iowa mans name on two of the most
important measures before this con-
gress, as he is also author Of the rail-
road rate bill. While the substitution
changes only "" to 'p," it compli-
Gates matters in way to endanger the
final outcome Of the fight.
Originator of 1.-the Poison Squad"
But behind all the congressional spon-
sors for pure food stands the figure of
man not in congress, but who, after
all, is the real leader in the war against
food and drink adulteration He is
Professor Harvey w. Wiley. chemist
Of the agricultural department. Pro-
fessor Wiley Is over sixty years of
age and has been chief of the bureau
of chemistry for nearly twenty-five
years He it was that made the famous
experiments as to food authorizations by
feeding number of government clerks
on meats preserved with boric and
| salicylic acids and other like prepare
| lions. chemical limitations of food, doc
tored vegetables and fruits and liq-
uors concocted after the fashion Of
those usually handed out to the gen
eral public. His subjects Were popular
~ known as 1.-THE poison squad" just
as the experimenters were called 1.-The
borax brigade" When the victims got
too much Of certain kinds of tinkered
up foods they We're allowed to rest I'M
til they could stand another dose. The
effects We're carefully noted, and the
evidence thus gathered has played q
considerable part in subsequent pure
food discussions. Professor Wiley and
his associates started with no precon-
ceived notions of what the result Of
the tests would be, but they had not
progressed far until they concluded
that at least the larger number Of these
preparations are harmful. None Of 1.-The
poison squad" died, but most of them
lost weight, and many, though not pos
itively Ill, found they We're dull and
listless and could not do their work,
though this last is not exactly an I'M
usual condition with government clerks.
One of the poison squad had the
laugh on the rest Of the victims. 1t
was while they were on the salicylic
acid meat. This particular man had
rheumatism, for which the salicylie
dope is the standard remedy. So while
the others We're getting sicker and
sicker he was recovering from his
swollen joints.
AT one stage Of the game the COM
pleXions of all the diners turned deli
cate pink. So highly ornate was the
hue that girls turned to look at them
on the streets. Not an unmixed evil,
one would say, and yet Washington
men may be more shy and modest than
they are given credit for.
1t was Professor Wiley, by the way.
who made whisky like that bought
over the average bar. He took exactly
five minutes in making it, though liq-
uor exactly similar is represented to
be ten or twenty years old.
A Synthetic Dinner.
1t was another professor of chemis-
try, Thomas B. Stillman of Hoboken,