Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-01-05

are not under the civil service.
Ship Subsidy Prospects.
1t seems to be virtually assured that
the senate will pass a ship subsidy
bill before this session ends, and it is
within the limit Of possibilities that
the house will follow suit Senators
and representatives found out that the
word subsidy had hurt the cause Of
their particular legislation, and SO
they avoid it whenever possible. The
present senate bill, which is fathered
by Senator GaIlinger Of New Hamp-
shire, is called innocuously, an Ocean
Mail Service Measure"
The subsidy which will be granted
to ship builders If this bill becomes a
law is an indirect one, but none the
less it is a subsidy. 1t provides
round sum in payment for mail carry
ing service in steamships of different
classes between the ports of the
United States and ports of South
America, the Philippines, Japan, Aus
tralasia and Panama. The amount that
is to be paid is said to be sufficient to
induce Americans to build and to put
steamships into the service, thereby
Strengthening the merchant marine
and to a considerable measure restor-
ing the American flag to the seas.
Coast Districts Support 1t.
Ship subsidy in times past has had
stormy sailing in house and senate.
and while the measure is likely to
make harbor in the upper house at
the present session, it may be that the
lower house will deny 1t passage, and
if it does succeed In getting an af-
f1rmative vote from the representa-
tives the majority will be exceedingly
small
Naturally the strength of the sup
port for the bill comes from the coast
wise districts. The middle western
members are said to be largely against
the measure. 1t has been trouble
some theme for congressional discus
sion for years. 1t has produced one
investigation because Of editorial
charges brought by advocates Of the
bill against members of congress, and
it has been shifted from one commit
tete to another until finally 1t Was put
back into the committee where 1t
seems to belong, that on merchant ma
rine, congress certainly will be re-
lieved If the bill is given life or killed
beyond hope of resurrection, for it has
| taken up great amount Of legislative
time
The holiday season in Washington
is one of cheer in every home which
has the heart to produce 1t. The White
House always is joyful at the holiday
time, and 1t has been especially SO
since families of children have been in
stalled therein. At every army post
and on every ship in tho naval service
there are dinners, entertainments and
general rejoicing from a day or two
before Christmas until a day or two
after New Year enters. This connec-
ton in one paragraph of cheer at the
White House and cheer In the armed
service has brought out a White House
army story.
Christmas Tale of "SnoWbrd."
Early in November one year a man
who had deserted from the army re-
ported at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and
gave himself up as deserter. His rec
ord was looked up, and 1t was found
that he was what he admitted himself
to be, a man who had forsaken the
colors. He was put in the guard house
to await trial.
Every year in November when the
cold weather comes on and the pinch
L itca1 PnIS
a good many deserters surrender them
selves, knowing that they will be
housed and we'll fed while waiting
trial. and that of course they may have
some chance of escaping conviction.
The soldiers call these desert
ers who surrender 'snowbirds." A
few days before Christmas the Snow
bird" who had surrendered at Fort
Sheridan became sorry that he had
given himself up, and so sat down in
the guard house and wrote an appeal
ing letter to Mrs. Benjamin Harrison,
wife of the President of the United
States. and in it he told how repent
ant he was for deserving and what
an altogether dismal thing it was to be
behind the bars in the glad season Of
good will to men.
White House tradition has it that
this letter reached Mrs. Harrison on
Christmas eve, when everything was
JOYOUS In the big mansion and that it
made her cry. She went to her hus-
band, the president, and the result
was that In a few days the door of the
cage of the "snowbird'' at Fort Sher-
idan was thrown open and freedom
came
The soldiers good-heartedly gave the
deserter a good holiday dinner and al
lowed him the freedom of the barracks
for ne afternoon. Then the Snow
bird" fed, and it was found shortly
afterward that with him had fed the
money which one of the sergeants had
saved up for furlough purposes, and
to keep it company went gold watch
which a corporal had bought only
short time before out Of the savings of
the pay given him for his cam
paigning.
~--o~-~~~~-~~-~-~~~-~~~