Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-09-06
j. G. Cowan has Just received al

j. G. Cowan has just received al
interesting letter from Mr.. Jacobson,
who a few months ago lived in Bis
marck when he was employed in Bis
clerk for Mr.. Cowan. 6ince leaving
Bismarck Jake" has secured a civil
service position with the government
in the bureau of agriculture. He Is
now stationed at Manila in the Philip
pine Islands, and it is from there he
writes this interesting letter:
MANILA, p. l., June II, 19l2.-The
idea of writing a letter has presented
itself a number of times but 1t has
| never quite acquired sufficient poten'
ticality to materialiZe. 1t may be a
sufficient reason that | am writing
now, that l cannot recall being asked
ito be sure to write"
Today Is an "off" day in the Office,
there being no work assigned and it
is not a popular policy here to hunt
work but to patiently wait for it to
be duly presented to you. Such is
the dignity OF labor and office in the
realm Of government employ. There
is also another popular belief that it
takes twenty government employees to
do the work of one man in civil en-
ployment. l am not competent to pass
Judgment upon this matter yet, but !
am rather inclined to believe that
there is a grain of truth in the asser.
tion-perhaps several grains. Any.
way, it is safe to infer that few de.
stroy themselves by over-work. "
! have been assigned to the duties
Of acting agrouomist and my office.
mate is the assistant director, so you
can see that ! am in very close touch
with the powers that be. The assis.
tant director is a fat, good-natured
Irishman, born in Missouri and late
of Florida, he says, and is well versed
in the rules Of proper conduct in the
tropics. Yesterday forenoon was
spent in debate and consultation with
with the machinery expert in regard
to the merits and dement's OF the
Hup-mobile. No definite decision was
reached. The matter may need to be
taken up officially later. Likewise a
few Official stories must daily be
detailed and all other equally import
ant work must always be done dur
ing office hours. l was wondering il
| could take an official hair cut this
week but am finally deferred from do
ing so.
We are, however compelled to be
on duty thirty.nine hours a week. You
a imagine the effect on me. l get
up at six a. m. because it is cool then;
arrive at the Office at seven.thirty;
labor until noon; return to the Office
at one-thlrty and close at four o'clock
except on Saturday, when We do not
return after lunch. OF course, there
are a few who do work quite hard, by
force of circumstances and by incli.
nation, 1t may be periodical however
One man has the habit of rushing
around. on the streets and in the hall
ways, like a city news reporter, but
spends a great deal of time in his
office making maps. This mar has ac-
quired a great reputation for industry.
And there are some occasional 'olo.
gists who go about in that absent
minded condition peculiar to- a Ger.
tain species OF COLLECT professor. Be-
sides, we have the case.hardened, gov.
eminent clerk, who is a distinct type
and easily classified even at a long
distance. AS far as I am concerned l
do not find any overpowering desire
to serve Uncle Sam any longer than
/ will be morally obliged to. The ten.
dencY is very strong in the direction
of a parasitical existence.
The work l have planned for my.
self for this ensuing year will be quite
interesting, believe. l will begin the
experiment Of selecting a variety of
corn most suited for this country and
conduct fertilizer experiments for the
same. Also will lay the foundation
for conducting acentgener experiment
with rice. That is absolutely original
work. Experiments with sugar cane,
cover crops. fodder crops, and sman-
er detail experiments. This will en-.
tail considerable travel by boat and
rail and l will thereby gain a very
good general idea Of the country. The
professor and I are allowed $4,000
for expenditures this fiscal year be.
ginning July /, 1912, and we could
not graft even IL we would.
l found q, very c%ongenial bunch OF
fellows to work with, mostly young
fellows, fresh. from school and full of
theory. The older ones are of the
type aclicted with wanderlust.
We arrived here May 4Y.h after a
most pleasant trip; no sea.sickness;
good company and good feed all the
way. We are living in a family hotel
in the Walled City. or Manila proper.