The Republican journal., 1914-02-12
Washington Whisperlngs.


With the passing of Shelby Moore Gull
lom there is broken one of the very,
very few remaining links that bind the
present to the ante-bellum period OF pub
lie life. He was close friend OF LIN
coin when Lincoln was but country
lawyer in Springfield, ILL.,, and the friend
ships of boyhood held through the years
that brought fame and high esteem to
both the "Great Emancipation and the
man who began his political career as
city attorney in Springfield in 1855, COM
ing to the House of Representatives IN
1865 and continuing in public life until
March of 1913, when he retired from the
Senate of the United States with years
and with honor to his credit.
Such remarkable career, a long life
time holding elective Office of the gh-
est public trust, is the highest testimon-
ial of the trust and affection of the peo-'
ple: and that is not to be won save by
deserving it.
No man of his generation-or rather
of his three genera tions-had so wide an
experience of public life as Shelby Moore
Cullom and none knew more beautiful
friendships and fewer enmities. And he
died believing in the Immortality of the
soul.
A measure which, if passed by Con-
gress and is signed by the President,
will be of vital interest to the thousands
of employees of the Bureau of Animal In
dustry scattered throughout the country,
especially in meat packing centers or vi
cinity, is the bill which has been intro
duced by Representative C. O. Lobeck of
Nebraska, providing for reclassifcation
of the salaries of these employees. Those
affected by the bill will be the veterinary
inspectors, meat inspectors, inspectors
assistants, stock examiners, skilled la
borers and clerks employed by that big
branch of Uncle Sans government.
Under it they will all receive higher
salaries, The bill is before the Agri-
cultural Committee of the House, and
hearings upon it will be commenced
within short time. Members of Con-
gress are being urged from all sections
of the country, by friends of the en-
ployes, to work for the measure. as it is
believed if the measure once reaches the
floor of the House it will surely pass.
About 400, 900 prairie dogs have been
destroyed in the Cochetopa and the Pike
National Forests of Colorado and the
Tusayan and Coconino forests of Ari-
iona, according to report recently made
by the Biological Survey of the Agri-
cultural Department.
1t is estimated that the amount of for
age that these rodents feed upon would
be sufficient to feed about Is, 500 sheep or
about 1900 cattle which would be valued
at about $3.50, The cost of exter-
minating these pests of the prairies was
about $4,000.
Last year the Biological Survey used
IS, 600 pounds of oats, 1000 pounds Of
carbon bisulphid and about 1900 ounces
of strychnine in the Cochetopa Forests
in the work of prairie dog destruction.
The agents of the Survey prepare the
poison, which is mixed with strychnine
with starch mucilage of about the con-
sistency used in starching linen, and by
applying this to the oats each kernel re-
ceives film of poison starch.
L. ~G
prairie dogs has been found, in view of
the fact that American and English fur
riers secure better skins from Siberia
for five cents apiece which are much
better adapted to be worked into gloves
than are the American hides