The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-09-26

suddenly left for Vancouver. What
Secretary Taft thinks of the situation
no one knows save himself as he re.
fused to discuss the question, saying
that it was matter of international
Importance and would be of vital
interest to at least two nations beside
our own.
Yesterday the Secretary and his
party left on the Minnesota for the
Philippines where he had promised
to return to be present at their first
Legislature.
Speaking of big things it may not
be amiss to speak OF the Minnesota,
the great ocean steamer, sister to the
Inflated Dakota. We were so fortu-
nate as to be iAcluded in a party in
vited to visit OF inspection to this
great boat. Those of your readers
who have never seen this boat can
scarcely conceive of its bigness, but
those who have will know that | am
not exaggerating. Fancy climbing
t. the top of the Palmer House on a
board, with Stats nailed on it Tor
''toe holts" and railing of ropes for
"hand holt" said board standing
at an angle nearly straight mp, and
then when you have reached as far as
the board goes you are only on the
lower deck and there are three of
these decks.
The gentleman through whose
courtesy we received this invitation is
young business man of this city, a
Mr.. Byran and it is amazing the
knowledge which he, a Gland lubber,'
has of steamboat. He was given
the freedom of the boat and escorted
US ''fore and aft" and from the
'stabbord" to the "labbord" side,
showed us the hurricane deck, parlor
upholstered in plush and the library
in leather, the three dining rooms,
smoking room and state-rooms and
the ball ground-a fact. Wired in
with close netting and with a soft
ball they play great deal. He ex-
planned all the intricate little ma
chimes. Some round tin affairs
strung to the guy ropes attracted our
attention and we learned that they
were traps to keep the rats from
leaving the boat. A tiny spirit level
no larger than carpenters level
balanced the boat or rather indicated
balance and when the boat is ready
to leave port that level must show true
balance.
We saw them making ice, the
odor of ammonia attracting us to the
spot. They have complete telephone
system besides the interesting little
clock-like affairs the officers have to
signal to their men, and on a boat
over two blocks long they certainly
need some effective mode of signals.
We were standing on the hurricane
deck and looking away off down the
street as it seemed, and saw a China.
man sharpening razor on his pants |
leg. Then fellow Chink seated him
self on a coil of rope and the man
with the razor began to shave the
other fellows head without particle
of lather or any other preparation.
A lady standing near me espied them
at the same moment and exclaimed
to her escort: 80 land, Gawge, look
theah! "What a funny bah bah!"
Every visitor was followed about by
a Chinaman until he had been in
duced to buy something that was sup
posed to have evaded the duty. If
his was the fact they are very
race Of people for they
Iaveigled everybody into buying
The boat is now 48 hours out of
port. and the big secretary and his
party are probably experiencing big
Ease of sea-sickness.
We learn by tonight's papers that
he Japanese-Korean Exclusion
League was not allowed to hold its
demonstration last night as published.
There are 5000 idle loggers in the
,ity, who have been driven from their
amps by the cheap labor OF the |