Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-01-06
CR4RZE5 NIGEL, SEcREZNRY O
CO/zHERCE mp LABOR

he has on 5,.ofr&" keenest and most analytical
minds KIN SwH to the profession Mr.. Wickersham
cares very little for the outdoor life and perhaps ne
is a man who by temperament would not have APP
pealed in the least to a president like Theodore
Roosevelt but the attorney general has diversions
which occupy his leisure hours, and they are dl'
versions, of which, unquestionably the country
will approve He is interested in the welfare OF
at least a dozen charitable organizations and one
of his beliefs is that: He gives twice who gives
quickly" Mr.. Wickersham is immensely interested
in the welfare OF the blind He is director OF
great New York institution which cares for and edu
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 a 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
entihc 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 were 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 similar that 1t is impos-
sible for any except the most sensitive ear to differ
entiate between them. Mr.. Hitchcock identified one
on time the postmaster general classified 10000
birds for museum OF natural history with which
be was connected. One of the ties between the
present postmaster general and former President
Roosevelt was their common love of nature,
Secretary of the Interior Richard A. Ballinger
has few diversions except that of golf. Mr.. Balm
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,
asked what his diversion was he an
of q
that is held largely by men who combine the love
of nature with agricultural instinct
One OF Mr. Wilson's diversions is story telling.
They say in Washington that If his homely sayings
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 over matters of edu-
cation and art Mr.. Nagel is to some extent de-
voice of the outdoor life but he is prone to giving
much of his time to the study Of matters pertain
ing to the schools
Taking Mr. Taft's cabinet all in all It is Just about
as human body of men as can be gathered togeth
er. There is an impression prevalent that the mem
bers of this Washington official family are rather
OF what Walter Scott calls, "thedry-as-dustY mate
rial but there has been misunderstanding appar
emily 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. bu
not one Of them knows how to play one whit bet
ter than does their chief who Is about as jolly
man personally as the United States has yet pro
dueed.