THE STORY OF AN ENTOMOLOGIST 



was blowing an incredible number of miles per hour. Neither 

 my guide nor I had said a word for a very long time, and then 

 it began to snow. I opened my lips after this long silence and 

 said, 'I'd rather it wouldn't snow.' The taciturn guide replied, 

 'This isn't a day for rather s.' Now, gentlemen, I would rather 

 do as you suggest, but it isn't a day for rathers. The Congress 

 has already fixed the composition of the Canal Commission. 

 There must be an engineer, a business man, etc. Nothing is said 

 about a sanitarian. But, assuring you of my deep appreciation of 

 the matter, I promise you that I will find the best man possible, 

 to take care of the health of the Zone. And I will see that he gets 

 full authority, even if I have to pay him a salary larger than 

 those of the Commissioners themselves." 



Of course, history shows that he did not have to look beyond 

 our own army, and that General Gorgas, fresh from his clean-up 

 of Havana, was put in charge of the sanitation of the Canal with 

 military authority. 



During the Roosevelt administration the famous conference 

 of the governors of the different States was held to discuss the 

 subject of conservation. This was the first big conservation move- 

 ment in the United States. In anticipation of the conference, 

 experts in different departments of the governments were asked 

 to prepare reports, which were assembled and studied. I hap- 

 pened to be one of the experts and was therefore invited to the 

 conference. The sessions were held in the big East Room of the 

 White House, and the scene was most impressive. President 

 Roosevelt was in the chair. At one side of him sat the members 

 of the Cabinet, and at the other Justices of the Supreme 

 Court. The Reverend Edward Everett Hale, at that time ap- 

 proaching his end, gave the invocation. In the body of the room 

 were seated, not only the governors of the different States of the 

 Union and their aides, but prominent national figures of various 



[239] 



