The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-12-24


WASHBURN, WIS.
PRINTING CO., Publishers
Congressman Hobson continues to see
things when he looks toward Japan. In
behalf of his own nerves, he should be re-
uuested by his constituents to turn his
eyes in another direction.
The cattle disease which has created
so much embarrassment in the East has
spread to Michigan one hundred cases
be;ne reported west of Detroit. Here's
hoping it will not invade Wisconsin!
The plea for improvements at insular
stations, made in report by Rear-Ad-
miral Holiday, chief of the Bureau OF
Yards and Docks of the United States
navy. is in accord with the opinion that
the government should have ample ship
wards and drydocks on all of its island
possessions.
rield Marshal Lord Roberts declara-
ton in regard to the lack of preparedness
against attack in Great Britain will be
generally regarded throughout Europe as
a soldiers view of things. The soldier
wants the army and the Notifications to
be always in the pink of condition, and
the sailor is dissatisfied unless everything
is shipShape
Fears are expressed at Manila because
of the non-arrival of the hospital ship
Relief at Guam, whittier she sailed On
the 18th inst. But it should not be for
gotten that the Relief was detached from
the battleship fleet because she could not
keep up with the fighting ships, and
this slowness may be the cause of her
failure to appear at Guam on schedule
time.
The great automobile race of over
four hundred miles, at Savannah, Geor-
gia, was won by the driver of an Italian
car, with a German car close second.
The power of the vehicles engaged pre-
saged speed, but the fact that nothing
worse than a broken jaw and nose was
inflicted upon participants is surprising
when the risks of the long drive are con-
sidered.
The need of closer restraint upon the
sale of poisons, and particular upon the
sale of carbolic acid, seems to be shown
by the increasing frequency of suicide by
the acid route. While it would be i'm
possible to prevent would-be suicides
from perpetrating self-murder, there
would doubtless be fewer impulsive poi
sonings if it were more difficult to pur-
chase carbolic acid.
Gen. w. L. Marshall, chief engineer of
the United States army, will report to
Congress that the sum of $41, 100000 can
be used to advantage in the promotion of
channel and harbor improvements on the
Great Lakes. This is a large sum, but
the immensely of the carrying trade of
the lakes warrants its expenditure in pro-
viding channels and harbors for the steel
freighters which exceed in dimensions
the best of the tramp steamers of the At
lantic and Pacific oceans.
The fatal boiler explosion on the Mis-
sissippi river steamer III. M. Carter, near
Bayou Goula, about a hundred miles
north of New Orleans, recalls numerous
similar happenings in the palmy days Cf
river navigation, When tradition had it
that racing captains compelled ''niggcrs''
to sit on safety valves. There are COM
paratively few river accidents nowadays,
L = L
railroad competition and the absence of
fast packets" and rivalry for speed
The American Industrial Journal, pub
lished in the Wisconsin School for the
Deaf at Delavan, takes ground against
the sorting of pupils in accordance with
mechanical aptitudes, in the manual
training department. The value of man
ual training lies in the fact that it re-
veals the aptitude of the recipients there
of, and enables them to undertake that for
which they are naturally qualified. To
adopt any other system would be to
waste time and invite failure in many
instances.
Count Zeppelin's success has inspired
a venturesome German professor named
Hergersell to undertake the work which
Walter Wellman was compelled to aban-
don. He proposes to erect rigid bal
loon of the Zeppelin type on the coast
of Spitzbergen, and try to reach the pole
by the aerial route. Although he will
have a better airship than Mr.. Well
man had, the German professor will en-
counter all the obstacles incident to the
climate of the Arctic circle and his flight
will be hazardous in the extreme
Capt. Amundsen, the famous naviga-
tor of the Northwest Passage, discaims
endeavo' to reach the pole during his
proposed drift of seven years in DIR.
Nansen's stanch exploring ship Fran.
He says he will devote himself to ocean
ographic observations during the invol-
untary voyage, and try to enrich scien-
fife record. But, of course, he will not
omit accurate scientific observation and
record should the Fran drift directly
across the pole. That would be de-
liberately ignoring grand opportunity.
OF course some Of the ships now with
the battleship feet will return to the
Pacific ocean after they have completed
their voyage. This does not imply that
there is any particular need for them
on the Pacific, however. The fleet on
that OCEAN will be enlarged as naval DIN.