The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-05-17

usual hour 81 their arrival Sometimes
the boy would get the papers earlier
than anybody else and consequently
he would sell good many Of them be-
fore others got started. He made
quite little money in this way.
Becomes Merchant.
A year or two later young Smith.
became a merchant. With another
boy he thought there was good mar
ket for popped corn, and SO they
agreed to start In business. Smiths
companion popped the corn and Smith
sold It, and they managed to make
money In this way. The partner OF
Mr.. Smith In this early venture Is
now the head Of great corporation in
New York and every winter the sena-
tor is guest at a dinner given by
the corporation chief to the employees
Of his concern
Senator Smith also In his early days
BACKED boots. and he is not at all,
ashamed today to refer to the fact.
When he was about fifteen years old
he was made a page in the Michigan
legislature and later he sat In the
body In which he had been an errand
boy, and SO he came to the lower
house of congress and later was ad-
vanced to the senate.
Senator Jonathan Bourne, Jr., who
Is also a member of the Titanic dis
aster Investigating committee, recent
~ was defeated for the senate In the
primaries Of his state, Oregon. Mr..
Bourne for years has been an advocate
of the primary system, and his defeat
at home was unexpected in Washing.
ton. 1t Is said here that he owes 1t
to over-confidence in the result, for he
did not go to Oregon to plead his own
cause.
Senator Bourne has not taken an &C
tive questioning part In the investi-
cation, because that work is left al.
most entirely to the committees chair
man, Senator Smith. There are men
In. Washington who wish that Mr..
| Bourne would ask more questions, for
be is eminently qualified to deal with
questions of the sea. His father was
one of the great whalers OF New Eng
land, man who knew ships from
stem to stern and from topmast to
keel, and he impaired his knowledge
to his son, not only In lessons, but by
sending him to sea. Senator Bourne
once was shipwrecked and went
through many dangers like those
which attended the rescue OF the pas.
sengers of the Titanic. +.
Perkins Was Seaman.
Senator Perkins of California, who
also is on the Titanic investigating
committee, spent several years as an
able seaman. He knows the sea and
ships, and while he has not asked
many questions during the course OF
the Investigation, he made many
notes, and his judgment will be rem;
dered on the case at it's end. -.
The sailors who have testified in the
Titanic case have shown something
very much like amusement, and posi-
bly, savoring of contempt, Of the lack
Of seamanship knowledge as shown By
some of the questions which they are
asked. It is needless to say that,
none of these questions were asked By
the two members of the committee
who were formerly sailors. Senator
Smith had an idea that the. water
tight compartments were places Of
refuge for. women and children, not
knowing that they were depended up
on to keep the ship atloat, and ii the
doors had been opened to admit any
body or anything the water woula
have rushed in and everybody would
have gone to the bottom. The ships
officer who was asked If any women
and children were put into the water
tight compartment was completely
"fabbergasted" by the question. He,
Of course, was aware of the dtgnity Of
the occasion, but he had to gasp and
then smile at the corners OF his mouth
when the question was put to him.
The audience was not as self-ccntained
as the sailor witness. It's emile de-
veloped into q laugh. It probably was
4 slip of Senator Smiths tongue. but
the question proved that he il very
much OF landsman.