The Washington times., 1921-07-28
HU NJ A NISMS
: William Anterior Du Puy-

Senator J. w Harreld Of Oklahoma one day
hack in 1914. was sitting in his office In Ardmore
Okla. when a conclusion titanic un-
leashed to suggest that all the battleships of
all the navy had come inland and discharged
broadsides.
Half the buildings in town collapsed, every
window pane broken. the air was filled with
debris, dead men lay strung about the streets
A carload of casing head gasoline, Ii afterward
developed, very light and volatile. had been sit
ting in the railroad yards. 1t sprung a Leak the
emerging liquid changing into gas and spread
ing out in the still air. Some one came along
and struck match
In ALL forty-seven people were killed and there
were 1900 claims for damages filed against the
Santa Fe Railroad Company. The marvellous
thing about it all was that every claim was set.
tied without appeal to the courts.
An arbitration board of six reliable citizens
was appointed, Senator Harreld being a member.
They heard every claim, reached conclusion as
to a fair recompense set the figure They did
IL all in sixty days without salary. The Santa
Fe paid promptly--more than million DOLLARS
The slate was sponged clean Ardmore went
about its rehabilitation No such thing has ever
been done before or since, yet 1t seemed to have
proved itself the ideal method 30
There are several railroads running through
Artlmore. Whenever there In opportunity for
citizen Of that town to choose between any one
of them and the Santa Fe, the latter gets the
business The profits derived from the friend
Illness engendered are believed to have already
paid the railroad for the sums expended.
Just before Mr. Wilson completed his term
there cameNt to Washington an old Norwegian
couple from wax up in the northern part of Min
nesota The woman had red shawl around her
head and the old man carried the accouterment
for the trip tied up in n bandana handkerchief,
which he never released.
They planted themselves at the White House
gates and refused to be moved. They had come
to see the President A railroad had been run
through their farm without their consent, had
damaged it, and the President should see to 1t
that they were recompensed -.
Finally they were coaxed away by the magic
name of Knute Nelson, Senator from Minnesota,
himself native son of their own Norway.
The courts are the agency to settle your claim,
they were told. but they had tried the courts
without success. The President should secure
justice for them
but the President cannot see YOU" said fsena-
tor Nelson He is very sick man. He sees
nobody"
"Ah! He bane sickr' said the farmer. II tank
ne bane got fall at Paris"
CONGRESSMAN Volstead father Of the prohibi-
ton enforcement act, Is a prodigeous chewer of
tobacco. The other day every member of Con-
gress got through the mails a tiny plug of ordi-
nary tobacco of the chewing variety, and on the
shipping tag accompanying 1t was typewriter
a request that IT be given to Volstead and
statement that It contained tartar emetic. This
latter substance tends to make very sick.
anxious to reform the reformer.
The Navy Department has received the sug-
gestion that appropriate punishment for Ad-
miral Sims would be to order him to apparel
himself constantly in green.
Copyright, 1921,