The Washington herald., 1910-09-13
AT THE HOTELS.


The only parts Of the United Statea
where borax is produced are California
and Nevada" said Oh. B. Newman. OF
San Francisco. Cal. at the Arlington
last night. In those two states more
than one-fourth OF the worlds produc-
ton Of this article Is obtained. It is
used IN great quantities IN the preser-
walton Of meat. and many people use IL
for the preservation OF their complexion.
The Sevres porcelain. as well as the COM
moner tableware. contains borax. Door
knobs and other articles owe their polish
from its use.
Most OF the borax that is found IN
California, continued Mr. Newman. IN
whose thoughts borax seems uppermost,
comes from the southeastern part OF
the State. being mined in the region
known as Death Valley. which is not a
valley in any sense except that It Is
surrounded by mountains It is, in fact,
a desert
"A strange story is told OF the man
ner in which borax was discovered in
this valley OF death. A number OF years
ago prospectors passing across the val
ley found a woman lying on the sand.
She had died in this desert and. strange
TO say. her body had been preserved.
Even the features Of the face were rec
ognizable, and she was identified as ono
Of a party Of emigrants who had come
into the valley several years before. The
scientific men in the camp to which ths
prospectors belonged readily ascubed the
preservation Of the flesh to the action OF
borax, and soon mining for the precious
product was in operation.
'Borax in California appears IN de-
pressions which are technically known as
marshes There are no outlets to these
depressions. and the sides are barren
mountains. The bottoms are covered with
deposits which resemble dirty snow and
which vary in depth Most biologists
ere OF the opinion that these marshes
are the bottoms Of prehistoric lakes. IN
some Of them a foot or more OF water
stands in the bottoms during the rainy
season. but most Of them have long
since dried Up. There are few substances
that have more uses than soraX. The
gloss of most white papers comes from
IL; the blacksmith uses it on the two
pieces Of iron that he Yields together,
while the many household uses are IA
miliar to all who bay for the home
It is worth about $50 a ton OF the
% 900 tons annually produced IN the world.
California and Nevada furnish 1000.
I do not know much about politics. I
am business man and have no time TO
fool with politics. but almost all OF tine
people on the Pacific Coast that know
think that Teddy. Roosevelt is going 10
be our next President. Now. take it
from me, I'm no politician"
'Rezin T. Mead. OF Chicago. who was
seen az the New Willard. was asked
about the Roosevelt-Lorimer incident and
what effect. in his opinion, it would have
on the voters OF Illinois Mr.. Mead said
that no matter whether Lorimer is found
guilty OF the charges brought against
him or not, he is. in the eyes OF the peo-
| pie, not a At man TO represent the State
Of Illinois in the United States Senate.
II the man who is elected &c III the
| high and responsible Office OF United
States Senator has not a clean bill and
clean credentials which entiUe him 10
I the Office without any suspicion Of dis
honest dealing in connection with Il, he
should never be permitted 70 take his
seat. His election should be absolutely
fair and square and honest, and no sus-
picion should attach 10 It. In the present
case there seems 10 be a whole lot OF
doubt in the minds OF the people whether
LOrimer came by the Office IN a proper
( manner. The doubt which has been
raised should be SUFFICIENT 10 disQuaufy
him from taking his seat. AT any rate.
he should not Ill tho Office until he has
/ been completely exonerated. Unless the
| United States Senate values its dignity
and standing higher than that. this body
( of lawmakers viii have themselves 10
blame Il the people lose their respect for
them.
''One thing seems TO be generally ac-
/ cepted in Illinois, and that is that Uncle
Joe will not be Speaker OF the next
House Of Representatives. Insurgency
has at least accomplished this much.
even though Cannon derides insurgency
/ whenever he finds an opportunity.
{ Uncle joe is pretty clever proposition
/ and it seems strange that he does not
wake up and discover that the DAYS OF
| the regulars and standpatters are count
( ed. The prOgTessives and insurgents viii
be the power in the next House Of Rep
/ resentatives and there IS no doubt that
Roosevelt viii hold very important ad-
visory position in that party. he having
put himself at the head Of the movement
when II needed a leader"
Mr.. William Burdette Mathews. a for
mer resident Of Washington. but now
clerk Of the Supreme Court OF Appeals
Of West Virginia. is spending a day or
/ two in the city renewing old acquaint-
/ ances. At the Raleigh last night he
stated that a very important amendment
to the West Virginia constitution is now
| pending
The object OF the amendment" said
Mr. Mathews, is to AFFORD much needed
relief TO our Supreme Court. Owing 10
the fact that the work Of that tribunal
has been steadily Increasing. it IS greatly
overworked-
AT the close Of the present September
term at Charleston there will have been
800 cases which have been argued and
which remain undecided. No superior
courts between the Circuit Court and
4 the Supreme Court exist in our state, as
g.