Show LIGHT ON striking facts in congressman emersons report american desert is no more what happens to senators who make mistakes posthumous publication of a speech senators and street car men hardest workers washington may two fifths ot the area of the united states is arid and for the moet port dependent upon irrigation to secure a crop this is the statement made in a report submitted by imerson of new york from the committee on census in recommending the adoption of a resolution directing the census office to procure statistics relative to irrigation so many men have talked about the disappearance of the great american desert meaning that the great desert beyond the missouri was a myth that many of us have come to believe it and in act actual and but sand covers but a email area of the west much of the arid region Is stone and mountain but was once known as the american desert Is mostly alkali lands or parched but fertile soil 0 great richness when fed with water representative emersons statement is general and covers that entire region now well settled but where from time to time crops are destroyed by drought I 1 refer particularly to the dakotas nebraska kansas oklahoma and part of texas as well as the settled portions of the mountain states another statement made in this report showing the possibilities of the united states la that one third of the area of the country is still unsettled bad place to be wrong the senate of the united states Is a very poor place in which to make a mistake as to facts of ancient or modern history or even of everyday occurrences curren ces the man who does not know that the information he uses is correct is liable to be floored by bome one in possession of the true facts in all that body of men there always beems to be some one besides the speaker who Is familiar with the subject be if there is a doubt about some statement a senator makes a note is made references are sought books produced and at a later date even it not at the very time the senator who has made bis statement without sufficient knowledge sharply to account amid the amusement of his opponents and to the contusion of himself A posthumous publication three days after the death of peter J otey of virginia the congressional accord published a speech he had delivered about elx days before bis demise mr atcy had been down to the good roads convention in his state and had made an address there it was BO well received and so highly commended by those who beard it that be determined to circulate it and to do po be took an opportunity of delivering the same speech in the house on some appropriation bill that was being considered si the speech was an interest lag argument in favor of the improvement of the roads throughout the country published with it was the address delivered by banger hermann commissioner of the general land office at tho same time which gave a history of the building of highways throughout the country air obeys oteys speech is published but it can never do him any capital city workers the only men who work harder than we do remarked senator aall son to senator cullom are these street car conductors and motormen As near as 1 can see united states senators and these men on the street railways have the hardest work in washington we may have longer hours bathey are compelled to be put in the weather all the year round and upon the whole I 1 think they have a little harder time than we do the iowa senator made this remark upon boarding a car just after a day of usual business at the judge smiths prize representative smith of iowa lg ono of the comparatively new members ot the bouse he Is called judge be cause he sat on the bench for a number of years before he came to congress and until he reaches that pinnacle of fame in the bounce reserved for a very few he was no doubt of more consequence in his judicial position than as n congressman however among blo home people he la of more importance aa a member of congress than a district judge not long ago judge smith wa the most successful roan at a party when tho innocent game of euchre was played arid the prize was n very fine stein well what 18 doiy asked the judge and his query was greeted with a roar of laughter thata all right judge said one of bla friends we know you are boiu iowa a prohibition state you can hide it or use it foe pitcher until your Is over wa still talking john L allson ex senator from the bbate of washington drifted into the the other day and senator pat of colorado was making a speech ocllo Pc llo exclaimed willnon if tom lant talking I 1 think the last time I 1 aw bilm in indiana thirty s ago be was talking in fact it a habit with patterson it was then and it abb been ever since at the time be IB ft mighty able man |