The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-05-10
HE WANTS TOSUCCEED" BEV
One ShOyel-NOsed Shark Has Raised
An Interesting Point i'm the
Navy Department.
Especial to The Free Press. ]

here III Washington, Is planning to trlI
up Senator Beverage and Wrest that
young stateSman's tOga from him, OF
, whether he Is initiating a senatorial
boom to be in readiness if the presi
Dental lightning strikes the tall form OF
Vice President Fairbanks. In Il loca
morning newspaper there appeared an in
nocent looking paragraph, which, if it is
not inspired, has all the indications OF
bein" so. This little paragraph draws
attention to the fact that Ex-Governor
Durbin is here and that there is reason
to believe that he will become for
midable candidate for the next senator
ship. That paragraph dwells on the fact
that he was Union soldier, is still an
active man, and adds ''he is a gentle
man of high character and sound judg-
ment and has been very successful both
i'll business and politics." To close stu
dents of national politics it is evident
that Mr.. Durbm Is playing a very
clever game. On previous visit here
the former governor of Indiana issued a
, statement to the effect that the people
of his state were for President Roose.
welt for third term, and the interview
was taken to be direct attack OH the
presidential aspirations of Vice Presi-
dent Fairbanks. That this statement
was pleasing to President Roosevelt is
evidenced by the fact that this week
Mr.. Durbin obtained from the occupant
of the White House Il promise that he
would make a short stop at Anderson
the Durbin home, and deliver an adj
dress. This indication of favor is all the
more striking when it is known that
similar requests have been brought in
upon Secretary Loeb from all points i'll
the middle west and all of them have
been refused Inferentially it may be
believed that if Mr.. Durbin does launch
his senatorial boom it likely will have
Mr. Roosevelt's support.
One shovel.nosed shark has raised a
peculiar question in the navy depart
ment. 1t appears that few weeks ago
as one of the boats belonging to the
eunboat FL Cano was being rowed out
to the ship in Manila harbor. the plug
in the bottom of the boat came out.
To prevent the swapping of the craft,
j. J. Dunlap, a sailor, thrust his finger
into the hole. The shark then got on the
job and as the Dunlap finger looked sue
culent it nipped it off at the first Joint
as neatly as though it had been ampu-
tated by a surgeon. Mr.. Dunlap's inter
est i'll the hole Immediately ended and
other means were taken to prevent the
bOart from sinking. When the mutilated
Mr.. Dunlap was taken aboard it was
discovered that he thoughtlessly had Of
tered his trigger finger as a tit-bit to
the shark. As a result he will have to
be retired, being incompetent to perform
his duties. The question now is whether
Dunlap was guilty of gross careIessness,
or whether he is eligible to retirement
on Il full pension as having been injured
in the performance of his duty. The evil
dence of his shipmates is being taken.
The shark has not yet been subpoenaed.
The first meeting of the inland water
ways commission, recently appointed by
the president was held this week in the
committee room of its chairman. Repre-
sentative Burton of Ohio. The commits
sion was organized by the election OF
Senator Newlands of Nevada, as vice
chairman and DR.. w. j. MCGEE as sec
rotary. The one point that was most
emphasized at the meeting was the ne
cessity for having the work of the COM
mission conducted on ii broad plan and
from national point of view. So far
as possible all sectional or local interests,
plans or projects will be eliminated.
While the commission will make a gen
eral investigation of the inland streams
with a view to preventing floods, utiliz-
ing the waters for irrigation purposes
and the improvement of swamp lands,
its chief task will be toward a solution
of transportation difficulties by the
handling of great quantities of slow
freight OH water courses instead of on
the railroads. Such substitution would
not only greatly facilitate the handling
of all kinds of freight, but at the same
time would prove to be the most eff
Gent means of keeping freight charges
down to a minimum. The work of the
commission is bound to bear rich fruits
and the question it will study is rapid
ly being recognized to be one of the
most important before the country to-
day. The creation of the commission
is due in large measure to the pioneer
work done by the National Rivers and
HarbOrs congress, which for the last five
years has impressed upon Congress and
the country the necessity for undertake
ing steady and scientific policy of
waterways development. Although no
plans have been formally adopted it
was announced by Chairman Burton
this week that in all probability the
commission would make a trip of inves-
tigation down the Mississippi river, the
tour to be taken just as soon as the
government boat can be placed at the
disposal of the members.
=:
Secretary Wilson, of the department
of agriculture. this week appointed
board of food and drug inspection, which
hereafter will pass upon all questions
arising under the new pure food law.
The board consists of DIR. Harvey w.
Wiley, chief chemist of the department.
chairman; Frederick L. Dunlap, associate
chemist of the department, and George