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Show THE SAUNA SUN, SAUNA UTAH I i MUSHROOM OF j COLLINGSVILLE They Much of Him Back Home, but Then Horae. They Never Did Think Much Back Didnt Think By ELEANOR PORTER Author of X Etc. Just David, Pollyanna, 4 Copyright by Eleanor H. Porter. men in the hotel Monday evening: Jared Parker, the proprietor; Seth Wilber, town authority on all things past and present ; and John Fletcher, known in Collingsville as Tlie Squire -p- ossibly because of his smattering of Blaekstone; probably because of his bank silk hat and account. Each of the three men eyed with unahtished curiosity the stranger In the doorway. Good evening, gentlemen, began I er this is a deprecatory voice. the hotel? In a trice Jared' Parker was behind the short counter. "Certainly sir. Room, sir? he said. "Hrn, yes, I I suppose so," murmured the stranger, ns he signed his name with painstaking care. Now, where shall I find Professor Marvin, please?" Why, there aint no Professor Marvin, that I know of. Mebbe he means old Marvins son, Interposed .Seth Wilber with a chuckle. were three THERE that the scientific world in a flurry. . . Professor Marvin is now unanimously conceded to he the greatest entomolo- He knows his as the most of us Hex-a-pod- gist. living. and MyrI-a-pod- . a it know our alphabet. . . . Thehumble home of the learned man has become a Mecca, toward which both great and small of the scientific world are bending eager steps. . . . The career of Marvin reads like a romance, and he has fought his way present enviable position by sheer-gritand ability, having had to combat with all the narrow criticism and misconceptions usual In the case of a proIngressive thinker in a small town. deed, it is said that even now his native village fails to recognize the honor that is hers. exclaimed Seth WilJelioshiiphat - to-hi- , 1 ber faintly. Fletcher folded the paper and brought his fist down hard upon It. Theres more a heap more, he cried excitedly. stammered how what But Jared, whose wits were slow on untrodden paths. Its old Marvin's son don't you see? interrupted Squire Fletcher ImHes big famous. patiently. It was on Monday, three days later, that Jared, Seth and tlie Squire were once more accosted hi the hotel office ! man they did not know. gentlemen, I " You don't even have to say it, cut in Jared, with a flourish of both hands. We know why youre here without your telling. An you've come ter the right place, sir the right place, declared Seth What Professor Wilbur, pompously. Marvin dm't know about bugs an spiders aint wutli knowin. I tell ye. sir, he's the biggest entymollygist that there is ter he found. That he Is, affirmed the Squire, with an indulgently superior smile the very greatest entoward Wilber tomologist living, he corrected carefully. "And no wonder, sir; lie's studied bugs from babyhood. Ive known him all his life all his life, sir, nnd I always said he'd make his mark In the wqrld. Oh, but " began the stranger. Member when he took (he parsons hat to cuteli butterflies In? chuckled Jared, speaking to the Squire, but throwing furtive glances toward the stranger to make sure of his attention. Gorry but he was a cute one! Wish t had been my hat. Id a' had It framed, an labeled an hung up on the wall there." nodded the Yes, 1 remember, Squire; then he added with a complacent smile: The mischievous little lad used my overshoe for a once I have that overshoe yet. , The stranger shifted from one foot to the other. "Yes. yes. he began, but You'd oughter seen him when old Marvin used ter send him out to hoe pertaters," cut In Jared gleefully. See here, gentlemen," broke in the stranger pompously, with a shade of Irritation In his voice. Will you allow me to speak? And will you inform me what all this Is about?" About? Why, Its about Prof. George Marvin, to be sure," rejoined Squire Fletcher. Pray, what else should It be about? 1 guess you know what Its about all right, stranger, chuckled Seth You Wilber, with a shrewd wink. cant fool us. Mebbe youre one o them fellers what thinks we don't know enough ter 'preelate a big man l when weve got him. No, We aint that kind. Come, ye neednt play off no longer. We know why you're here, an we're glad ter see ye, an we're proud ter show ye the way ter our professor's. Come on t aint fur." The stranger drew back. His face grew red, then purple. 1 should like to know, he sputI should like to know tered thickly. If you really think that I I have come 'way up here to see this old hug man. Why, man alive, I never even heard of him ! What ! ejaculated three disbelieving voices, their owners too to take exceptions to the sneer tn tone and words. "Zounds, man! what did you come for, then?" demanded the Squire. The stranger raised his chin. See here, who do yon think I am? he demanded as lie pompously. squared himself before them in all his glory of checkered trousers, tall hat, and flaunting wutehehain. "Who do you think am? I nm Theophilus Augustus Sinythe. sir. advance agent and head manager of the Kalamazoo None-l.ike-I- t I came, sir alve company. to make arrangements for tlieir ar rival tomorrow morning. They show In this town tomorrow night. For a moment there was absolute silence: then Seth Wilber spoke. Well. by you ginger youd oughter have come ter see the professor. anyhow." he muttered, weakly. ns he fell hack in his chair. "Say Squire, .'member when Marvin " Over the desk Theophilus Auguste Smythe crossed ids t with so violent nn energy Hint tlie pen siut-e-i.n! made two blots. by a Good-evenin- 1IIS spring about 13,000,000 Americans received free packages of vegetable and garden seeds from tlieir senators and representatives In congress. Uncle Sam not the member of congress bought the seeds, tied up the packages, put them in the mall and carried them free to every nook and corner of the land. Of course, In the last analysis, the people themselves though they apparently got something for nothing, paid for these seeds, since the cost of the purchase and distribution came out of the public funds. Doubtless this seed business all seems peaceable enough to the voter who gets the seeds, hut, goodness, he should be in Washington when the annual flurry over these same seeds Is on ! Its really as exciting as a two-rincircus, for there ore two seed flurries going on at one and the same time. One flurry Is going on at Uncle Sams seed warehouse, where a small army of girls Is doing up the seeds and pasting on the franks of the members of congress and hustling the packages oft to the malls. The other flurry Is In the capital, where congress Is fighting tooth and toenail over the question of whether It will distribute seeds again next spring. You see, Uncle Sams fiscal yeur begins July 1 each year and he has to make a seed appropriation a year in advance or no seeds. So this Spring, while congress was fighting out the same old fight on seeds for 1923, the 1922 distribution of seeds was going merrily on under an appropriation made after a prolonged fight in the spring of g 1921. The fight over the seed distribution usuully rty.s about like this: The appropriations committee f reports the agricultural department appropriation bill without the seed Item. Some seed man" Offers a seed amendment. The antis object to ,ne amendment on a point of order. If the speaker rules against the seeds the house overrules him. Then the bill goes to the senate and the senate throws out the seed amendment. The bill then goes to conference and the senate and house wrangle over the seed Item with other Items until an agreement is reached. Its like a game of poker bluff1 and raise. And of course theres alfor the agricultural appropriaways a tion bill must be passed, seeds or no seeds. This year ,the fight was unusually prolonged, but as usual the seed men in the house had their way. The agricultural hill carrying $30.XK),000 contained nn Item of $300,000 for the free distribution of seeds In 1923. In the course of the house debate this spring Representative Bill O. Lowrey of Mississippi, a "seed man," read into the Congressional Record nn Interesting article on Uncle Sam's seed distribution from the Washington Sunday Star. Here are some of the points brought out in the article : At a cost of $300,000 food products to the value show-dow- n : of $130,000,000 will be grown from 100,000 packages of vegetable seeds and 10,000 packages of flower seeds which are being sent out from Washington by each and every one of the DC senators and 433 members of the house under 13,000,000 franks (free postage) to home gardeners in every State in the Union. Now, let us look over the historical background for this annual "graft." The purchase of seeds and plants by the government may be said to date back to colonial days. As early as 1743 the British parliament granted $000, (XX) to promote the cultivation of indigo and other crops In the American colonies, and the assemblies of the various colonies appropriated small sums from time to time to encourage the cultivation of plants now to the country, such as hops in Virginia, mulberry trees for silk culture lnJ&flMTund vineyards for the establishment of &n AlfHean wine Industry. In 1S39, through thefefforts of Henry L. Ellsworth. copmiissioner ox putents, nn appropriation of $1,000 was made or the purpose of collecting, and distributing seeds, prosecuting agricultural investigations, and procuring agricultural statistics,' with which 30, (XX) packages of seeds were purThis appropriation chased and distributed. tnnrked the beginning of the Department of Agriculture. Demands upon members of congress fir seeds became so numerous and Insistent that it was impossible to fill the orders with new varieties of seeds. The practice of sending out larger and larger quantities of vegetable seeds thus developed. During the years from ISM) to 1S93 practically he entire seed appropriation was expended for standard varieties of vegetable and flower seeds. In 1S94 a change was advocated and action taken to discontinue the customary distribution. This action was not approved by congress, which, In an act approved April 23, 1890, changed the wording of the previous act. The attorney general, to whom the question was submitted for decision, held that the purchase and distribution of seeds. Including vegetable and flower seeds, were mandatory and left the secretary of agriculture without discretion. Congress has specifically reserved for itself the distribution, with proportionate allots ments to each member, of of all the seeds and plants purchased by the department. So that Is where congressional seed distribution origifive-sixth- nated. cents Now, then, it costs Uncle Sam about 3 for every package of seeds sent out by a congressman. Each package contains five different kinds of seed. The following kinds of vegetable seeds are purchased for free distribution: Pens, beets, lettuce, onions, radish, beans, corn, enrrots, cucumber, pnrsley, parsnip, squash, tomato, turnip, and watermelon. There are 14 combinations, that a member of congress can select the five different kinds of seeds he wants to send out in one package. Similarly there are 22 different varieties of flowers, such as chrysauthemum, aster, cosmos, balsam, candytuft, dlanthus, nasturtium, peppy, sweet pens, petunia, zinnias, mignonette. That package containing five small papers of seeds, which costs the government 36 cents, If bought In he open market would cost 50 cents. The office of seed distribution In the Department of Agriculture keeps an exact account for each member of congress, just the same as a bank account. The member is credited with Ids quota and Is allowed to draw against that quota, just the same ns against n hank account. From one sample package, containing five small papers of seeds,, any person can raise at least $15 worth of food, according to t lie agricultural authorities. Deducting $3 for waste, loss in transit, or eureiessness In planting nr poor soil, It leaves a $10 net production. Members of congress are sending 'out this year 13,000,000 of these large packages (five papers in each), which, it is eon servatively estimated, will return $130,000,000 food products for an outlay of $300, (XX), which certainly should have some effect on the economic life of this country. When the annual fight over the appropriation Is being waged the claim is often made that the distribution comes near wrecking the Post Office department and Is responsible for an mutual deficit. The records show that the run Is usually from 1,500.000 pounds to 600.000 or 700.000 pounds, and that If the office of seed distribution paid postage on each package, the same as any private Individual, the postage bill would never have been more than $131,000, and that it would average about $95, (XX). Every seed sent out Is tested for vitality and for trueness to name. These tests are made on the experimental farm of the department, near Arlington National cemetery, although the germination tests are mostly made in the laboratory by using blotter paper. All seed lias to be or the particular variety ordered. The department, while opposing t lie congressional distribution, takes very good care that the seeds are all good before tliej are sent out. It sets a very high standard to which the seeds must register, a much higher standard than Is often required commercially.. If the seeds do not reach that standard, they are shipped hack to the contractor from whom they were purchased at the hitters expense. Some years they reject a very large amount this year, for example, about 130, (XX) pounds, after it had reached Washington because the germination was not high enough This is sent buck ns not good enough for con gressiotinl seed distribution, but there is no assurance anywhere that tlie very same seed is not 1 free-see- d disposed of commercially. Uncle Sain buys these seeds on straight competitive bids, and when any contractors deliveries show a consistent poor germination he is Each bidder is informed why he did blacklisted. not get the contract, told who did get it and why and the price paid. This is a straight official letter. Congressmen are coming more and more to send their quotas of seeds out, not to the voting lists In their districts but to the school children, to civic organizations, chambers of commerce, banks, and factories for workmen, and a great deal to miners. With the department opposed to the congressional seed distribution, and with congress habitually for it, Oliver F. Jones, originally from Cincinnati, who Is in active charge of this work, has had an unenviable job as buffer between the department and congress for about twenty years. He probably knows all the members of congress more Intimately than any other man In Washington, because lie is calling upon them In their offices every day in the year. At present he is getting more than 2(X telephone calls a day from them, dictates about 100 letters a day to them, and has 20 or 30 of them calling on him in his office each day. The seed distribution Is conducted under the bureau of plant industry, of which Dr. William A. Taylor is chief. R.,A. Oakley, and J. E. W. Tracy purchase under contract all the seed that enters into the congressional distribution and super-- e the mechanical and physical work of filling the packages and mailing them. Mr. Tracy is In charge of the seed warehouse, located at 339 Pennsylvania avenue, which is not at all modern, well ventilated or lighted. This building was erected in 1884 and was the scene of receptions, banquets and Inaugural balls for Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren and; Abraham Lincoln. This is not a government-owne- d building, but has been rented by the department and used ns a seed warehouse for about ten years. The filling of the orders of congressmen is an distribution. The interesting part. of the free-see- d members supply their franks in sheets of ten. They are cut up Into single slips and counted into bundles by expert counters from the bureau of As a member sends in engraving nnd priming. an order a blue slip is made out calling upon the seed warehouse to deliver that quantity, nnd t his Is accompanied by the corresponding number of franks. The seed pucknges are either sent to the ifltlce of the member of congress, if the franks are not addressed, or are mailed out directly from the seed warehouse if they are addressed These franks are now coining in at the rate of Each member is entitled 2(XVXKi or 300,000 a day. to 20.000 packages of vegetable seeds and 2.000 paeknges of flower seeds. As eacti of these packages contains five small papers of seeds, it really nienns that 110,000 papers of seeds are sent out by each member of the senate and house. The way In which these seeds are first put Into the sinnll papers and sealed and then put one each of five different" kinds into a larger pmliage and sealed, with the members frank pasted on cacti package for direct mailing. Is an Interesting part of the congressional distribution system. Tills is done by contract, and t his year a new contractor is on the Job, Frank Clarke of Waco. Tex., who lias speeded up the work by devising a new gluing machine. The seed envelopes are filled by machinery, which automatically weighs the contents of each envelope. Two girls work at one of these machines. one lilling and the other sealing t lie little livelopes on a revolving licit. Filling and sealing oO.tXXi of these little envelopes is considered a good days work. The girls get piecework over 20.000 a dry. Other girts sit at big tallies pasting the emigres dot m franks onto the container on which urs printed the names of the live varieties of vegetables or flowers tliaj are to lie placed within. A belt carrier runs beside huge bins into which the small packages of seed have been dumped. As t he franks mi the Dig ent he girls finish pasting velopes they are carried, one at a time, along fills traveling licit roadway and in front of a ln at regular intervals are girls, each of whom slips in a small envelope, and the container proceeds to an inspector and then past another girl, who seals up the package by machinery. I Out but I never heard of his professin anythin nless twas laziness." The stranger's face showed a puzOh hut I mean the zled frown. man who discovered that ants and Good gorry!" interrupted Seth, with a groan. If It's anythin about bugs an snakes, hes yer man ! Aint done nothing but play with hugs ever since he came into the world, said A most unthe Squire ponderously. fortunate case of an utterly worthless son born to honest, -- hard-workin- g par- ents." The stranger stopped. Oh, hut r had the floor. The "It began when he wan't more'n a baby. lie pestered the life out of his mother, bringing snakes into the slttln room, nnd carrying worms In his pockets. The poor woman was most mortified to death about it. Why, once when the parson was there, George used his hat to catch butterhotel-keepe- . flies with smashed it, too." Humph ! snapped the Squire. The little beast filled one of ni.v overshoes for once, to make a swimming-tanhis dirty little fish." "They couldn't do nothin' with him," An when he chimed In, Seth Wilber. was older, t was worse. If his father set him ter hoein pertaters, the little scamp would he found histln up old rooks au Ixvards ter see the critters k under em crawl." hut" Agtjln the stranger was silenced. "And In school he didnt core nothing about 'rithmetlc nor jography." He was forever Interrupted Jared. scarin the teacher into fits, twingin' In spiders an' caterpillars, an asking questions about em. Yes; well er extraordinary, extraordinary very ! so It Is. murmured tlie stranger, hacking toward the door. Tlie next moment lie was out on tlie street asking the first person he met for the way to George Marvin's. On Tuesday night a second stranger stopped at tlie hotel and asked where lie could find Irofessor Marvin. Jared, Seth nnd Squire Fletcher were there ns before; hut this tiniV tlieir derisive stories such ns they managed to tell fell on deaf ears. On Wednesday two more strangers nrrived, and on Thursday, another one. All, with varying manner hut unvarying promptitude, called for Professor George Marvin. Jared. Seth nnd the Squire were dutnfounded. Their mystification culminated in one grand chorus of amazement when, on Friday, the Squire came to the hotel bugging under hi arm a daily newspaper. Just listen to this." lie blurted out. hanging his paper down on the desk nnd spreading It open with shaking hands. discoThe recent vers of Prof George Marvin have set Yes, fish-pon- d sir-ree- duin-found- 1 |