The Washington times., 1921-04-24


10 generally story to at any
emergency and when Sam l.. Rog-
ers, Democrat, OF North Carolina.
resigned as Director Of ths CensuA
q day or so ago he found himself
somewhat in the same predicament
as an old cclored preacher he used
TO know down in the Oh North
State.
The resignation of Director Rog-
ers was not demanded exactly, but
the Administration rather strongly
limited there were a number of Re
publicans out Of Jobs and the po-
sftton OF census-taker was a good
berth as Government Jobs go. In
asmuch as Director Rogers. who
has practically completed the four
teWth decennial census. intended
to leave on July 1, anyway. he lin
Hoover that he would get out of
the way Immediately.
Secretary Hoover, while praislng
the services Of Mr.. Rogers ac-
cepted the resignation forthwith.
In fact. Mr.. Hoover had indicated
1t would help along the Admins
tration II Rogers would get out
and make way for some deserving
Republican job hunter.
Later. Director Rogers talked of
his resignation when q fellow-Dem-
ocrat asked him how It came about.
Well" said Mr.. Rogers, IT feel
rather like the old coiored preach
er who had held down the sarne
pulpit In rural community for
many years. On two consecutive
Sundays he did not deliver . ser
mon SO shortly thereafter one OF
his churchgoers met him on the
highway and asked:
Rev'rend, why amt you preach
ing no mo- at de Mount Zion
churchr
THE old minister took on his hat.
mopped his brow, scratched his
head and finally replied:
well. brother, fact 10 my dea-
cons done fiied my resignation for
me-" -t
Deacon Hoover has Indirectly
Med the resignation Of Director
Rogers. and thus the head of one
more Democratic office holder falls
into the Republican basket.
At that however. both President
Harding and Secretary Hoover paid
compliment to tho public services
of Mr.. Rogers. He had performed a
rapid and efficient Job as census
taker, and. remarkable to relate, it
Is promised there viii actually be
. refund to the Treasury out of
the $4,000. 900 estimated and ap-
propriated for the census. Mr..
Rogers thinks $500, 900 to 1000, 900
may be turned back by his success
sor and for once there will be no
deficiency appropriation" after
ward.
Director Rogers left nine hun
dred and sixty tons of census rec
ords behind him. They are stored
in Washington and regarded as in
valuable. The census work Is prac-
tically complete and various expert
statistical organizations have ac-
cepted the data SO far announced
by the Census Bureau. AT. the peak
of the demonstrating work 10000
employees in the feld and in Wash
ington were engaged. For the
wind-up only a few thousand are
now on the rolls.
Returning to dialect stories, that
inimitable spieler of yarns-Sena-
tor ]. Thomas Helm, of Alabama
recently regaled the cloakrooms
with q moral on military and naval
preparedness.
Down in Alabama, Heffin says,
there was an old farmer who had n
jug Of ''moonshine" safely slowed
away in the hollow of a big stump
on his farm. At regular and irregu-
lar NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to the
mood-the farmer was accustomed
to go to this stump. and take q
good swig Of liquid Joy.
One day our imbibing friend felt
a great thirst coming on and has
tened to the stump. He took
mans sized drink, waited bit for
1t to assert Its authority and then
determined to take another before
hiding the jug again.
AS he raised the jug to his lips
once more, and heard the gurgle of
alcoholic contents, the farmer also
hear another noise-a hiss in the
grass. There was beheld the up
raised head OF a spreading adder.
Looking the snake sQuarely in the
eye and refusing to bulge an inch.
the old farmer drank deep, put down
the jug and addressed the reptile as