The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-06-27
Washington Whisperings.

0CAllIE SOAA ~~AAs6S'
WASHINGTON, D. g., June "a, 1912,
Owing to the absence of SO many mem
bers of the Senate and the House from
Washington, no attempt has been made
to reach an agreement on the River and
Harbor bill this week. 1t is not probable
now that the measure will be perfected
in time for the Presidents signature be-
fore the close of the fiscal year. For
tunately, however, this will not result in
any particular embarrassment to the
corps of engineers in charge of the vari-
Gus works throughout the country. Those
projects which have already been author
lied will proceed just as though the ap-
preparations authorized were made avail
able, and while it will be impossible to
begin the new works provided for in the
bill now pending, the practical certainty
that the measure will soon become law
assures the continuance of the general
policy of improvement of the waterways
beyond any question.
Great interest is manifested through
out the whole United States in the
development of the phosphate deposits
in the Southern States. 1t is asserted
that many millions of dollars worth of
fertilizers have already been extracted
from the phosphate rocks of Florida, the
Carolinas and Tennessee, and that pros
pecting is proceeding in a number of
other States with excellent prospects of
success. In the meantime the agrlcul-
tural department has been advised that
a chemist of New York has perfected a
method of doubling the available solu-
rock now in sight and which may here
after be uncovered. The department
expects as result of the experiments
made with this new process that the
plant food of the phosphate rock de-
posits will be doubled in value and that
the agricultural interests of the country
will be benefited thereby, because Of the
consequent reduction in price of all fer
tilizers of which ''the component part
of chief value" is extracted from these
Southern deposits.
There will be youngster among the
pages at the Democratic convention iii
Baltimore who gives promise Of becom-
ing a distinguished politician when he
attains few more years. He is Harry
Schaefer, a skid" of little more than
thirteen, the son of an official of the
Navy Department. Employees of the
federal civil service with large families
do not have very large bank accounts as
a rule and Harry's father is not an ex-
ception to the rule. The boy conceived
the idea of earning his own way. He
remembered that Representative Hobson
of Alabama was engaged in trying to
block the entrance to the harbor of San
tiago about the time that he, Harry,
was born. He interviewed Mr.. Hobson,
father was connected with the Navy De-
partment, asked the ex-captain to secure
him place as page on the floor of the
House Of Representatives. Captain Hob
son was taken with the enterprise of the
youngster and complied with his request.
Harry concluded that he would like to
see national convention from the in
side." He borrowed a typewriter and
wrote out half dozen letters of recon-
mendation for himself. These he took
to Speaker Clark, leader Underwood and
other prominent Democrats and asked
their signatures. They all complied with
the request. Then he wrote an applica-
ton to Mr.. Urey Woodson, Secretary of
the National Committee, and enclosed
the letters. Mr.. Woodson in letter to
Speaker Clark promised the appointment
and added that such a youngster is too
good a politician to be kept down.
That's how it happens that among the
pages at the convention in Baltimore is
Harry Schaefer, some day destined to be
known as more than page.
The rather warm proceedings in Chica-
go during the past few days have brought
out all sorts of "reminiscences of previous
hot political contests. A gentleman from
Oklahoma tells of an incident which oc-
cured in Ardmore when that town was in
the old Indian Territory. R. L. Williams
is little fellow, weighing not much
more than hundred pounds. George
Mansfield is a six-footer and is all bone
and sinew. They sat opposite each other
at hotel dining table on one occasion
when Mansfield made ''rather nawsty"
remarks about those vino favored man
whom Mansfield opposed. Williams said
''of course you don't intend your re-
mark to apply TO present company. ="
Mansfield replied to the effect that the
man whom the cap fitted was privileged
to wear it. Whereupon Williams picked
up quart pitcher filled with Oklahoma
molasses and landed it forcibly upon the