Arizona republican., 1907-02-11

A meditative poet once wrote:
 "Of all the funny things that live, In woodland. marsh or bog;
 That creep the ground. or fly the air. The funniest is the frog
 Our great ana good government. in whose bosom there sweils a very large wave of patcrnalism. has been. for some time. engaged in finding a de- 1 lightful habitat for the musical frog a habitat where water, climate and moonlight would combine to make his life one of real joy. In this endeavor through the bureau of biological sur vey. it has expended many thousands of dollars. You know in these good days Of paternalism We have bureaus for almost every imaginable object; there is the bureau of chemistry. ostensibly intended to apply to that science as il might concern agricul- ture. but latterly made to apply to the eating of borax and drinking certain brands of whisky; there is the bureau of animal industry. supposedly in tended to find out some way to make a balky horse pull his share Of the load; then We have a bureau of plant industry, that is, to make plants work over time in growing while the planter goes to the circus, and then this bureau of biological survey. For fear the reader will not know what biology" means let it be said that a short but clear definition of the word is ''the science of life" Life is a very important thing to us. and we should have it surveyed from every point of view. especially from the scientific point. Most everything has life. IL is said that even a rock grows 1T it grows it has life. and. grow ing or not growing it has many uses. But there are some things that have life for which no particular use has ever been discovered. In this class the late eminent philosopher. Josh Ril- lings placed bed bugs and fleas. David Harum. however. found an excuse for a flea being-to remind the dog that he is a dog.
 Now a frog has life. It may not be a very joyous and happy sort of a life he lives. but that is altogether owing to how he views It. and so far as is known he has not yet given his views tO the world. Having life he becomes a fit subject for the biologist and on that principle We have every reason to believe the bureau of biolo- gical survey has been more comfort able and happy. to lengthen its span. or to make him by his own unaided ef- forts. grow more sleek and fat for his eventual tickling of the palate of the
 
 real object may be. the house com mittee on agriculture has jumped on- to the science with both feet. to speak after the manner of the street gamin. and voted to abolish the bureau. Jok- ing aside. it does look if the bu- reau can find nothing more import ant on which to eXpend it's time and the money of the government than finding the best place to grow frogs. as if it had Outlived it's usefulness and ought to be remanded to that bourne set apart for all obsolete things.
 An old negro who had been doing odd jobs at an institution in a large city, said Champ Clark. of Missouri. to a circle Of his colleagues. recently.
 'i' "iiNii'"H iSdN'h ildu ulSdp- peared for number of weeks One day another old darkey came in his place and the matron asked the cause of the absence of the former employe. His wife am sick. was the answer. Nife:' quericd the matron. Why I 1 didn't know he had a wife 'Yas'm. | he's got wife. but de reason yo nevah heah him say muffin about it is he doan' talk very much about his trub- 1