Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-04-21


newspaper correspondent in Washing
ten who has made an almost lifelong
study of birds has been ringing as a
summons to him to tell someone at
the other end of the line what the
wonderfully beautiful birds are that
have come to Washington in such
great fiocks this season. One OF
these telephone messages was from
the Office of the speaker of the house
of representatives, Champ Clark,
whose secretary wanted to know the
identity of the visiting birds and to
give the information to many interest
ed ones in the capitol
Cedar Waxwing Visits Capital.
The speakers secretary. Wallace
Bassford, is an observing man. He
had watched a flock of visiting birds
for long time Just outside the capi-
tol, and he brought back to his Office
with him a perfect description of the
visitors. The birds are not at all rare,
but seemingly fairly abundant as they
are, they are strangers to most people
in Washington. The visitor is the
cedar waxwing, frequently known in
the country districts as the cherry
bird. 1t is the Beau Brummel of its
type, dressed as it is with exquisite
neatness, with attractive yet not
gaudy co1oring. On each wing is a lit
tie flaming red deposit like wax, from
which the bird gets it's more common
name Of waXwing.
One day not long ago, a senator OF
the United States came into the capi-
tol in some excitement and told half
a dozen of his colleagues that there
was quail on the capitol lawn. He
said the quail had no business there.
that it ought to be out in the wilder
| places, along the hedges or the Dor
| ders of the corn fields in Maryland or
| Virginia
One or two of the senators to whom
the information concerning the quails
| presence was impaired we're skeptical
about the matter, and so they asked
the superintendent of the senate press
| gallery to ask the ornithologically in
| clined newspaper correspondent to in
vestigate. He did so, and found that
the quail which had aroused the inter-
| est of the senator was no quail at all,
but flicker, or yellow-winged wood
| pecker, or high-holder. This beautiful
and common woodpecker has about a
| hundred and fifty names by which it
is known locally.
The flicker is one of the most abund-
ant of our woodpeckers, and yet a
country-bred senator of the United
States, standing within twenty feet of
the bird, thought it was quail.
War Department Rushed.
Elders among the correspondents in
Washington when they visit the wal
department are reminded sharply to
day of the time of the Spanish war
The Mexican trouble has started the
machinery into renewed and quickeneC
motion. The heads of departments
and many of the employees are work
ing longer hours than the soldiers il
the field
Some time ago there was an attemp
the working day of the employees O
the government. An amendmen
which was proposed to pending bill
was intended to increase the length 0
the working day, but it wag over
whelmingly defeated. One of tn
prime reasons for the defeat OF tn
measure was the showing made b,
the chiefs of the departments tha
when the pinch came all the govern
ment's employees were willing to worI
overtime and did so. although the
received no extra pay.
This is one of the times in the wa
department when men who are CON
| PEELED by law to work seven hours
day really are working many add
tional hours and it is said that the
ar doing it willingly. Perhaps tn
most exacting duties of the war dt
partment today are those of Genera
Crozier, chief of ordnance; Genera
Aleshire, chief Of the quartermaster.
corps, and his immediate junior, Ger
| eral Sharp, who looks after commi.
sary matters. Probably no outside
has any conception of the headqua1
, ter's work that is necessary Whe
even so small an army is in the fel
p as that which is now operating
Mexico and along the border
7 The chief of ordnance has had hi
2 troubles. A machine gun, which wa
\ in use at Columbus, N M, at tn
2 time of the Villa raid, became jamme
e while the Americans were trying t
use it. This caused a good deal {
D criticism and the ordnance depar
J. ment, in addition to its labors of keel
: ing the troops supplied with guns an
a ammunition, which is huge task
p itself, is looking into the machine gu
o trouble and doing its best to prever
t like troubles in the future.
n The United States is still eXper
r menting with machine guns. The III
k derstanding is that it never has bee
+ entirely satisfied with the one now
n use.
G Food and Clothing Problems.
The soldie4., as the old saying goe
marches and fights on his belly.
other words, the trooper has to
s well fed or he can neither fight nj
y march as he ought to be able to {
e if he is to get there and to win ba
/ ties. Not only must soldier be we
e fed, but he must be well clothed al
both food and clothing must be a
j. commodated to the climate in whiC
d the troops are operating.
q There are all kinds of climate
d Mexico, the terrific heat of the To-
s lands, the fairly temperate climate
o the midhighlands and the severe co
d of the upper mountain regions. A
o these things had to be taken into co
e sideration in preparing Pershing
It punitive expedition for it's incurslt
4 into the Mexican field.
| A centrifugal pump that has been
4 l1-