Evening star., 1921-06-19

All the thrills Of living On the outlands
Of civilization with savagery as next
neighbor, Of sleeping in heather tenn
Piles. Of searching out the hidden treas
Tres Of the earth and of being called in
by Uncle Sam to take charge Of provid-
ing essential materials for the manufac-
ture Of munitions that won the world
war have been experienced by DIR. H.
Foster Balm, the new chief of the bureau
af mines.
He comes to his Job experienced as an
this country and all over the world.
He knows something Of how the other
governments are handling their busl-
ness. He has spent most Of the last SIX
years in mine exploration in Africa and
the far eastern countries. from Siberia
was assistant director Of the bureau OF
mines, in particular charge OF the raw
materials needed for war munitions.
This time last year he was in China
and out in the interior where the travel
was by pack trains. They slept in the
temples and so got such an intimate ac-
auaintance with the heather gods that
he doesn't think much OF their house.
Keeping. Once they were SO far out in
the wilderness that they slept in the
in a graveyard because there were grass
and trees. Again. they were getting into
town and couldn't find a temple to
sleep in, so they set up their army cots
at wide place in the road. When they
started to get up in the morning they
near to witness the ceremony.
He crossed the Yangtze way up in
the interior where it flows in a canyon
like that OF the Grand Canyon in
Colorado. He descended in one day
from 1o.5oo fee, above sea level to
on the other side next day to 10000
feet. That night he was tired enough
to sleep.
When in Central Africa he visited
Missouri mining engineer making
copper in smelter for some Belgians.
whom had not seen q white man five
years before, and where the country
was so wild that they heard the lions
roar regularly at night. One night
the lions showed their contempt for
the local authorities by coming into
who had gone to sleep on the steps
Of the commandant of police.
Around the mines 1t w4ss so ctYSlf
lied that DR.. Balm went 10 .AftAs1sooR.
tea parties and fenhis matches, 1favs1-
Ing by automobile and had elaborate
club. That sharp contrast between
civilization and savagery. DR.. Balm
says. grows to be an old story in the
life Of the mining engineer.
Representative Richard N Elliott of
Indiana-President Harding and his
other many friends call him Dick
boasts that his district is the only one
represented in Congress that has a
,;rl, 3nts
and that 1t harbors more singing
Quakers than any other community in
the entire United States. 1t also Is ia
nous for Fountain City, the principal
station of the underground railroad
Eliza, heroine Of Uncle Toms Cabin"
took refuge is still standing, Repre-
sentative Elliott says.
There are two stories as to why
the Elliott district got its nickname
one that after spirited election big
bonfire was started into which the
victors threw the plug hats Of their
adversaries; the other that in the
early days. when the votes In ma
tionai election were being canvassed
In Philadelphia, the returns from this
travelling facilities and the fact that
there had been serious forest fires
thef, some one said, "Wait till the Old
Burnt District is heard FROM"
Z +
Some one is always starting some
reform at the Capitol which causes
a lot of bother. them some small
change in procedure-and then
things go on again Just about as be-
fore. Here's an illustration: For
some twenty years the clerk Of the
House, under q requisition. has been
getting printed copies OF neat vest
pocket Congr ressional Directory, which
carries the rules Of procedure in the
House. This usually comes out about
. month before the big Congressional
directory in which are the biogra-
phies Of the members. This session
the vest pocket directories have not
been Forthcoming. and the members
who have learned to depend upon
them have been asking Why. They
are especially desirable this session
because they would be OF the utmost
value to the. unpfecedentedly large
number Of new members. II has been