The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1916-01-28


amount of it, although the salaries paid are in
general way than fairly comfortable.
Robert Wcklife Woolley is one of the latest
of Americas well-known newspaper men to be
appointed to position in the treasury depart
ment. AS someone else has put it, Wooley makes
more money than any other in the United
States, but the personal difficulty is that he Is
not allowed to keep the proceeds of his
facture He is the director of the mint. and every
body knows that the province OF the mint is-to
turn out money for the multitudinous of the
people OF these United States.
There are not many newspaper men in the
country who better known than this present
official of Uncle Sans government Woolley
looks about thirty years old but he add quite
a number of years to that and Civ. lie to
the date of his birth He has been reporter. a
sporting editor, a managing editor, an editor and
a writer OF magazine articles, and today he can
pick up any of his old jobs and do It Justice,
and If the whirgg of politics in time shall thrust
him forth from the portals of the treasury de-
partment, he probably and very naturally will
turn to tread in the old accustomed ways.
The writer of this has known Wooley for a
good many years and worked with him side by
side for considerable length of time on great
Chicago daily Woolley was then sporting edi-
tor. He is outdoor man. who loves the things
which all full-blooded Americans love, and, more
over. he knows how to write about them, whether
1t be as close finish Kentucky track q
IA innings 80 far to at the National league
grounds In New York city. Woolley loves sport
for sports sake but It must not be supposed for
minute that sport ever occupied the major part
OF his time.
From boyhood until this day the present drec-
tor OF the mint has been student Of sociological
conditions OF economics and OF the ways and
means of legislation to get for the people what
seems to the progressive-minded the things which
they ought to have. Convictions that certain
lines OF procedure the right to follow.
and determination to follow them, have given
Robert w Woolley many strenuous and exciting
hours during his long newspaper career.
1t is not necessary to explain to the people OF
the United States what political ring Is is
II necessary to explain what an Invisible govern
meut Is. Certain brave spirits In newspaperdom
have been fighting rings and invisible government
for years. and 1t has made no difference to the
courageous ones whether the ring was composed
Of men Of their party, whether the in.
visible government likewise tinged with
partisan color of hue ordinarily deemed ad-
mjrable by the crusaders. The director OF the
mint is Democrat, but he has fought Democrats
when they were trying to exploit the people for
selfish ends.
Not long after he entered newspaper work the
director of the mint had time OF it," which
tested his courage and the sincerity of his convic
lions. l not going to mention the name OF
the place where certain thing happened but
unquestionably the scene OF 1t will be recognized
by many and the details will be remembered by
men who have not yet arrived on the borders of
middle age.
Down in the South, and not very far in the
South. either. Robert w. Woolley
managing editor OF newspaper of prominence
in q city OF considerable size. The chief editor
Of his paper and the mayor Of the town
engaged in row, for the mayor, 1t was believed
was connected with a municipal political comb
nation which, as the editor viewed it, was far
from being an institution intended to benefit the
people OF the community. Finally the lie was
passed, and the lie is, or was, anyway, sure
fighting word in certain communities.
One morning Mr.. Woolley went down to the
newspaper office and found the mayor Of the town
and his son. each with gun in hand, holding the