The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-04-15
LETTER
Especial Correspondence


Especial Correspondence
II Is doubtful If any of the labora-
tories maintained by the government
for scientific research are more unique
In character and yet bear promise Of
more important results than n which
has Just Deer established in Washing
ton by the United States forest service
for investigating the structure of com-
mercially important woods.
Forest Service Laboratory.
Laymen will not understand the sig
nifcance Of the proposed investiga-
lions carried on in this laboratory so
uuickly as architects, builders and
! other wood users, who in these days
II growing scarcity of the more valua-
bic woods are seriously perplexed in
identifying substitutes. Mistakes Of
this kind in Identification have In the
last few years in several instances
meant the loss Of thousands of dollars
and many embarrassing lawsuits.
Many Of these woods look alike even
to the trained eye of the mill nan or
the builder, and yet they are widely
different in value for certain purposes,
and it is of the greatest Importance to
be able to distinguish them quickly
and certainly. Again. a new wood may
come to q mans notice for the first
time, and it may be necessary for him
to decide what It is and what it Is
worth.
Practical Investigation.
The government has been helping in
diyidual lumber users for some time,
but the facilities have not been near
so complete as they are now. 1t is to
meet such needs and answer such
questions that the forest service has
established the laboratory and placed
1t in charge Of a trained dcndro!ccist.
Architects, lumbermen. manufacturers
and makers Of woodward are already
sending in samples Of wood for identi-
fcation and asking if there are not
some structural characters by means
Of which such woods may be conven-
|iently separated from relative species
having greater or less value for some
specific purpose.
The laboratory will investigate in a
practical way. The structure of the
woods. sections lengthwise and cross
wise, will be studied so as to separate
by structure alone the various species
Of a genus. Analytical keys to the
trees of each group will be worked
out. These will be based on the ar
arrangement and character of the pores
%discernible to the naked eye or by a
hand lens.
A Historic Medal.
Senator Owen of the new state Of
: Oklahoma showed the president the
other day a large silver medal, in
. which the chief executive was greatly
interested. 1t was a peace medal
e awarded to Senator Owens Indian
grandfather, Thomas Chisholm, by
i. President Jefferson. 1t bears the in
= scription: medal of Peace and Friend
ship to the Last Hereditary Cherokee
g War Chief. 1908. BY Thomas Jeffer'
i son." On the reverse side, in the mid
}, die of the medal, are clasped hands,
q showing the agreement between the
e white man and the Indian for peace
+. The medal is treasured highly by Sen
ator Owen. who is one of the two mer
in the United States senate of 1ndiar
blood, Senator Curtis Of Kansas being
the other.
Indians at the Capital.
There are more Indians in Washing
ton, blanket Indians, than there are IL
Omaha or Kansas City-that is to say
! the sight of a noble red man is mor'
J. familiar to the people Of the nationa
le capital than to the residents Of tn
te middle west, hundreds of miles neare
e. the stamping ground Of Lo. Probabl.
ID there are from 100 to 200 redskins IL
Washington the year round. The,
4, are visiting delegations-come to pu
up q heap big kick with the grea
white father. to collect their triba
= land moneys. to protest against som
VI order prohibiting the killing Of game.
Pension For Blind Girl.
Lille Small Rib Is an eleven-yeal
xt old Cheyenne Indian girl, living @
the Cheyenne-Arapahoe agency, nea
&c Bridgeport, Okla. She is a claiman
e. for a pension, and Senator Owen G
"a Oklahoma. himself part Indian, is tai
~ ing an interest in the case. In Jal
uary, 1906, Lille Small Rib was acc
dentally shot in the face by a soldit
r of the Thirty-ninth infantry, who's
company was temporarily camped ne
the tepees Of the Indians on the Che,
enne reservation. Two soldiers ha
been hunting along Il creek near b,
AS they were returning to camp the
ne met a number of Indian childre
Cd among them Lille Small Rib. I'll
\, gun Of one Of the soldiers was acC
80 dentally discharged, the load strikir
=, Lille full in the face. The child ";
nc picked up for dead. Army surgeon
We're summoned at once, and. viii
We Lilies life was saved, her injuri
be made her blind for life. Bills have be<