The Lemmon herald. (Lemmon, Perkins County, S.D.) 1912-1917, 1916-06-14
A SWISS MYSTERY CTTESU.S. GROWTH
II Looked For a Time as if II Were
Beyond Penetration.
BUT IT WAS ALMOST SOLVED.
An American Visitor In the Republic
Who Warted to Know About Its
President. Finally Came Near Get
ting the information He Crsved.

Who Warted to Know About Its
President. Finally Came Near Get
ting the Information He crsved.
Switzerland is a republic that runs
with the exa-tneSs Of Swiss watch
it's machinery as hermetically cUnreal
ed had heard that the Swiss repBb-
lie set the pattern Of government for
the world. and ! was anxious 10 know
something ~ its methods and person
mel.
was sorry that ! was so ignorant
| didn't even know the name of the
Swiss president and for a week was
ashamed TO confess 1t. | was hoping :
papers puzzled over every evening.
but at the end ~ the week / ,inidly
and apologetical'y inquired Of our
friendly landlord rs to the name OF the
Swiss president,
But then came a shock. Our land
lord grew confused bushed and CON
fessed that he didn't know it either
lie had known Il. be said, OF course
but II had Slipped his mind
Slipped his mind. Think Of the name
If Roosevelt or Wilson or Taft slipping
the mind Of anybody In America-aad
u landlord,
asked tie man who sold me cigars
He had forgotten too. | asked the
apothecary, but got no Information.
was not 50 timid after that
asked a fellow passenger !
mcan--an American. but Of long Swiss
residence. and got this story. be-
lieve most Of il. He said:
when ! came to Switzerland and
found ont what a wonderful little
country il was. It's government SO eco
nomical. so free from party corruption
and spoils. from graft and politics. so
different from the h3re life Of our
own dear Columbia. thought. The
man at the head OF this thing must lie
a master hand: I'll find out his name.
So picked ont bright looking subject
aud said, What is the name OF the
Swiss PRESIDENT
He tried To pretend he diln't under,
stand ms French. but be did for can
tear the language off all richt-learnel
il studying art In Paris, When pinned
him down he said he knew the name
well enough. rarfaitement, but couldn't
think of 1t AT that moment.
That VS. a sr2rnrts Sc Int asked the
next man. He couldn't think Of il
either. Then | asked a police officer.
or course be Knew it all right. oh
onl, certainument. mals' - then he
scratched his bead AMI scowled but he
couldn't dig Gp that name. lie was
just 4 plain liar-toat supplement-
like the others
Il asked every man met. and every
one Of them knew ii. had II right ou the
end Uf his tongue. but somehow II
seemed 10 stick there Not man In
EeyeF OF Muntreux could tell me the
name Of the Swiss president. 1t was
the same In Irihourg, the same even
ia EcrUe. the capital
Il had about given up when one even
Ing In Berne | noticed a sturdy man
with an honest face approaching Ht
ooked Intelligent. too aud as a last re
sort | said, Could you by any chance
tell NE the name Of the Swiss presi
dent"
The effect was startling. He seiZeC
me by the arm and. after looking "
and down the street. leaned forward
and whispered in my ear:
Mon Dleu. C'est moi. am tht
Swiss president; but-ah. non. dom
tell any one. am the only man il
Switzerland who knows it.
You see nv friend continued h,
is elected privately; no torchlieht cam
Pa.Gns, no scandal, and only for /,
year
He is only a sort of chairman
though Of course his work is impor
! tant, and tie present able incumben
! has been elelted a number of times
| His name is--is-is- All. yes, that
my tram. So sorry to have to hurr,
/ awag-see you tonight at dinner
/ Albert Biselow Paine in Harper's Mag