The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-01-08

be bas one Of the keenest and most analytical
minds known to the profession Mr. Wickershah
cares very little for the outdoor life and perhaps ne
is a man who by temperament would not nave ap-
pealed in the least to president ike lheodore
Roosevelt but the attorney general has diversions
which occupy his leisure hours and they are dl
versions of which. unquestionably the countr,
will approve He is interested IN the weliare OF
at least dozen charitable organizations ana one
of his beliefs is that: "He gives twice VINO gives
quickly" Mr. Wickersham is immensely Interested
in the welfare of the blind. He Is director or
great New York institution which cares Tor and eou
Gates children who have lost their sight
Frank H. Hitchcock, who is Mr.. Tafts postmas'
ter general, is a bachelor. devoted to the outdoor
life, a lover of birds and beasts and student OF
nearly every branch Of natural history. NOT only
is the postmaster general student of nature. but
he has done an immense amount of work along sci
entiic lines
Three years ago last summer the writer of this
article went to oyster Bay the home OF President
Roosevelt Mr. Hitchcock there also and sew
eral hours spent in his company in the
grounds outlying the former presidents home
There Is deep wood just beyond the Roosevelt
lawn and garden, and from the wood on that sum
mer day there came constantly. songs OF BIRDS
many different species singing one after the 9TH
err Many OF the notes that were heard were those
of different members of the little warbler family
birds whose notes are SO similar that 1t Is lmpos
sible for any except the most sensitive to differ
entiate between them Mr.. Hitchcock identified one
bird after another simply by hearing its song Once
time the postmaster general claSSlned lU,OoO
birds for a museum Of natural history with which
he was connected. One of the ties between the
present postmaster general and former President
Roosevelt their common love of nature
Secretary OF the Interior Richard A. Banger
has few diversions except that Of golf. Mr.. Ban-
ger was born in Iowa SO years ago, and nearly all
his life has been spent in some part of the west,
When James Wilson, secretary of agriculture
was asked once what his diversion he
swered, farming" This idea of diversion is
that is held largely by men who combine the love
of nature with agricultural instinct.
One of Mr.. Wilson's diversions is story telling
could be gathered and put into book, the reader
would get fund of humor and wisdom combined
When Charles Nagel. Mr. Tafts secretary OF
commerce and labor Is not engaged in the work OF
his department he is thinking matters of edu-
cation and art. Mr.. Nagel is to extent de-
votee of the outdoor life but he is prone giving
much Of his time to the study of matters pertain
ing to the schools.
Taking Mr. Tafts cabinet all in all 1t is just about
human body of men can be gathered togeth.
There is an impression prevalent that the men,
bers OF this Washington official family rather
OF what Walter Scott calls, "the-dry-
rial, but there has been a misunderstanding appar
entity concerning the nature of these advisers of the
president. They know their law and they know
their agriculture and their finance, but while they
know how to study they also know how to play but
not one of them knows how to play one whit bet
ter than does their chief, who is about as jolly
man personally the United States has yet pro
duced