The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-03-05
Washington Whisperings.

WASHINGTON, March 2, 1914. The
River and Harbor Appropriation bill
which was introduced last week carries
ss9. 227. 5O4 in cash appropriations and
s4,O6l, 500 in continuing contract author
izations. This last amount is made up.
Of three items, So, 0OO, 900 in continuing
contracts for the Ohio river, $1,000, 600
for the Delaware river and SCI, 500 for
Beverly Harbor, Mass.
Representative Sparkman, chairman
of the Rivers and Harbors Committee,
said that it might be all of two
weeks before the bill Is reached in the
House, the army appropriation bill and
several other important measures having
the right of way. 1t was Mr.. Spark
mans opinion that the bill would have
little or no opposition on the floor of the
House, the committee having labored
indefatigably to hold the bill down to
reasonable figure and at the same time
take care of worthy projects throughout
the entire country.
Every once in while curious things
occur in the dry and humdrum routine
of government office work in the de-
partments in things that
possess intense human interest, aud Of
ten bring unexpected happiness and re-
lief, or on the other hand, sorrow and
disappointment, to those whose matters
are in TIE hands of Uncle Sam. Here is
the case of man-Osc Gunnarson, OF
Aurora, Nebraska-a man of years and
of high standing in his community, who
for three years past has been almost in
the depths of despair, but to whom hap
piness was brought a few days ago by
the accidental discovery in the musty
files of the General Land Office of an old
and valuable document that he had long
searched for, high and low, and had final
lv given up as hopelessly lost or destroy
ed years ago. This document lifted from
his name what he considered stigma,
ard over which he had brooded and dis
tressed himself for many months.
His father and mother had come to
this country from the old home in Swe-
den when he was less than six years old.
He grew to manhood and middle age,
and was honored at different times by
his fellow citizens by election to local
and county offices, among them beng
the office of county judge. Retiring to
private life Mr.. Gunnarson interested
himself in immigrant cases before the
courts, and one day in St. Louis was
amazed 20 have the government lmmi-
grant inspector demand that he qualify
IS an American citizen before his testi-
mony could be accepted.
His parents were dead, and he made
Frantic search among the effects of his
farther for the naturalization papers he
knew the latter had taken out. His
search was unsuccessful, and beng a
man of high sens of honor he felt that
ne was disgraced and Inundated in hav-
ing accepted office at the hands of his
neighbors under what his political oppo-
nents might term false pretenses. He
exhausted in the past three years every
expedient to right himself, but without
avail, and he felt himself an outcast.
A few weeks ago, however, the
thought came to him that his father had
been a homesteader in the years way
back, and writing full history of his
ease to Senator Hitchcock of his State,
he enclosed the required government fee
of 81. 90, and asked the Senator to Sc
cure copy of the official patent to the
land granted his father as a homestead
er, The letter and fee were sent by the
Senator to the Commissioner of the Gen
aral Land Office of the Interior Depart
ment The original patent was found,
and there. yellow with age after repos-
ing more than a quarter of a century IN
the nouIdy archives of the department,
and n sting close to the land patent,
mas the precious original of the aged
naturalization papers of A. Gunnarson,
his father, the last place IN the world
one would have thought to look for
them. And by reason Of the finding of
the papers Judge Gunnarson is the
proudest and happiest man IN Nebraska.
Instead of giving the young prize WIN
ners of the corn, canning, poultry ana
other agricultural clubs of the country
trim to Washington, the Agricultural
Department recommends that years
course be given in practical training at
some Agricultural College. In case the
Young champions training would not De
sufficient to permit him to enter the
AGRICULTURAL college of his State a more
elementary course. in a school where
agriculture is taught, or course in an
AGRICULTURAL High school, is recon-
mended.
One of the first persons to raise the
question as to whether the practical
training of the more spectacular trip
was preferable was a young man from
Arkansas who had won the corn club
nrize for that State. Given his choice
of all the prizes offered by the State OF