Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-06
MAJOR JOHN r. LACEY is INTER.
EsTED in NEW AMERICAN
INDUSTRY
Sixth District Representative Has
Hand In Proposition for Enriching
the Government In Peculiar Way
Would Preserve American Antlqul-
ties.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
Washington Bureau OF the Courier,
Washinoton. n. C.. Feb

Washington, p. c., Feb. 2.
Congressman Lacey is very much
Interested in the proposition to de-
Yelop the "pinguay weed" In Colorado.
This weed 1t has been discovered
contains from to 5 per cent of pure
rubber and the manner in which this
interesting fact was brought to light
Will to some extent account for the
support of Major Lacey.
1t appears that a tenderfoot ram
was transferred from the succulent
pastures and hazel brush of the east
to the arid region Of Colorado. It was
turned loose near Durango and after
wandering about In search of some
thing to eat and having approached
the point of starvation, attacked as a
last resort, the only growing vegeta-
ton visible, to-wit, the pinguay weed.
Instinct seemed to have suggested to
the ram that this weed was not adapt
ed to its peculiar internal economy, but
1T was eat pinguay weed or perish and
the ram ate the weed.
In the course of a few days the ten
derfoot ram turned UP its toes and
calmly died The conditions surround
Ing it's death We're such as to excite
some remark by the men about the
place and a post mortem was held. It
was found that inside the intestines Of
the tenderfoot ram were many small
rubber balls. The action of the juices
Of the stomach had separated the pin
quay weed into Its elements, one Of
which was rubber This would not d.
gest In the stomach of this particular
ram, whose diet In the east had been
confined to grass, old carpet and cast
on shoes. This incident gives the liza
to the allegation that these animals
thrive on old rubbers.
--:---
An analysis of the rubber balls
found in the rams stomach developed
the fact that the rubber was ordinary
India rubber such az Is used for COM
mercial purposes. The ordinary Colo
RADIO ram had by gradual processes Of
evolution produced a type of stom-
ach chat handled the rubber in the pin
quay weed without Inconvenience. Col
orado rams had eaten this weed from
time immemorial and nobody had, ey-
er dreamed that 1t contained rubber.
No sooner was this important dis
covery made than pinguay weed stock
took sudden rise. From worthless
vegetation, unfit for. anything. 1t be-
came In one short day an herb of lin
ltless commercial possibilities. The
desert that would produce nothing but
this weed, and which had been value
less for any purpose became desir-
able. The F. p. u, Rubber company
at once became interested in the mat
ter and a factory has been located at
Durango which will make rubber from
the pinguay weed by process no
more difficult, 1t is said, than that to
make 1t from rubber trees.
A bill has been introduced into the
house providing for the leasing Of GER
tain lands In LaPlata county, Colora-
do, to the p. r. u. Rubber company
for ten years, with the option Of OBJ
tanning title to the land at the end of
ten years by paying the government
the regular price, $1.25 per acre. Ex-
periments with the pinguay weed have
been made In various parts of Colora-
do and In other states, and while it all
contains a certain amount of rubber,
1t has been found that the weed pro-
duced on the desert near Durango pro-
duces a greater percentage of rubber
than that grown in any other locality.
This bill has been referred to Con-
gresham Lacey's committee on pub
lie lands, and the major In pledging
his support declared that he should
do what he could to see that the ram
did not die in vain. 1t is not thought
that q single voice will oppose the
bill. The land is utterly worthless for
any purpose whatsoever and the leas-
Ing to the p. F. u. Rubber company of
the 5000 acres desired is practically
equivalent to leasing to a concern s.
600 acres OF the bottom of the Pacific
ocean.
Congressman Lacey has also intro
duced a bill for the preservation OF
American antiquities. Major Lacey
seems to be one of the few congress
men who is able to note In this period
of chasing the almighty dollar that
some other matters are being over
looked; that the country In looking
always into the future is forgetting the
past. He believes that one OF these
days reaction will occur and that
people will slow up or down and then
will turn back with view to noting
conditions in the past. 1t will then
be found that the records Of the past;
Of our early history are missing; they
will have disappeared; destroyed for
gain.
Major Lacey believes the evidences
OF our earliest history on this CONT
nent should be preserved and of
course the only way to preserve these
things is for the government to own
them and protect them. The ruins of
the cliff dwellers are still in a fairly
good condition, but they will not long
remain SO unless THE government
takes hand in their preservation. The
same may be said of the giant forests
of California and other wonders of
this country which men, greedy for