The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-01-04
DOWN AT WASHINGTON
Interesting Notes from the National
Capital by 6. A. Wood, Special
Reporter Correspondent.

Iowa was sixty-tive years old
Thursday.
Almost any of us could supply Ed
ison with that $4,000 he is worry
ing about.
"Marvelous Griffith" the lightning
calculator is dead. Probably tried
to make his holiday expense jbe with
his income.
The Pennsylvania man who eloped
with his sister-in-law and then killed
himself evidently didn't think Of pos
sible sinister sisterly similarity.
A specially bound volume bearing
the significant title THE Life of Job"
was among the Christmas presents
received by President Taft this year
Assistant Surgeon j. F. Pollard has
been ordered to the navy recruiting
station at Des Moines, to relieve
Past Assistant Surgeon r. l. Long
abaugh.
The medical department of the
army has decided, after investiga-
ton, that blondes have as good stay
ing powers as brunettes. They refer,
of course, to soldiers.
The report of the Moss committee
on the investigation of the charges
againts DR.. Wiley, and into the con-
duct of the administration of the
pure food law will be ready soon at
ter congress reconvenes.
Massachusetts manufacturers will
soon advance the price of shoes so
cents a pair. Just little more pa
per in the makeup, just little more
cost, and We'll have to go barefooted.
A Michigan manufacturer has sent
President Taft a couple of back
scratchers, with the significant
words, "Should you have occasion to
use them before 1912, please enter
tain the happy thought that Michi-
gan is at your back
Following similar action by the
army, the secretary of the navy has
directed that all officers and enlisted
men in the navy and marine corps
under As years of age shall be moe
ulated with the new anti-typhOid
serum. Applicants for enlistment
will also be required to undergo the
treatment.
The navy department has an
nounced the appointment as agent
of the office of Naval Records of
Henry H. Marmaduke, one of the
few surviving officers of the old Mer-
rimac. Mr.. Marmaduke was born in
Naval Acadamy from that state.
For the third time President Taft
has denied a pardon to Charles w.
Morse, the New York banker, now
serving a fifteen year sentence in the
federal prison at Atlanta. Strong
have been made that
the banker will die very soon,
whether released or not, but the
president has been slow to act.
The department of agriculture has
issued a bulletin entitled ''The Treat
ment of Bee Diseases Reports
show that 100000 stands of bees
have been lost by the farmers of the
country, and the department believes
that this loss can be checked to a
great extent if the bee keeper will
learn how to doctor his charges.
The Greater Des Moines commit
tee, alleging discrimination against
their city in favor of points farther
east, has asked the Interstate Com
merce Commission for an order COM
polling reductions in the freight
rates now being maintained between
Des Moines and points in Utah by
the Union Pacific, Missouri Pacific,
Burlington, Santa Fe, and other
railroads.
President Taft has issued an Or
der amending the recent executive
order prohibiting the practice Of
medicine, surgery, dentistry, phar-
macy, and midwifery within the
Canal Zone without a license, and by
this act has removed the doubt en-
who thought that the original order
might be a discrimination aginst
them.
The Assistant Secretary of the
Navy has written to the governors
of number of states, asking that
they recommend to their respective
legislatures bills prohibiting discrim-
ination against enlisted men of the
navy. A year ago a similar request
was sent to the governors of all the
states, and in response to these re-
quests several states have enacted
laws in the direction desired.
The census bureau has figured it
out that at the present rate of de-
crease the great American turkey
will be an extinct bird by the year
1920. AS consolation, however,
the bureau of education comes for
ward with the statement that within
a few years venison will be cheaper
than beef. William r. Lopp, in
charge of the reindeer service in AL
aska, estimates that there will be
100000 prime beef reindeer in
that territory within rs years.
Mrs. Tom Thumb, the world fam
Gus midget, called upon President
Taft Thursday. Mrs. Tom Thumb,
who is now Countess Magri, was &C
companied by her husband and
brother-in-law, Count Primo Magri,
who are both in the short staple
class. Mrs. Thumb was received at
the White House by President Lin
coin, in 1868, when she had come to
Washington with General Tom
Thumb on their honeymoon. The
diminutive lady is now seventy years
of age.
If the increased demand for the
Congressional Record is any criterion
there is a tendency on the part of