Suddenly a curve in the flume brought them into a wide stretch of water, and they had reached their journey's end. The little boat, still propelled by the force it had gathered in its journey down the mountainside, cut its way through the water, and reached the wharf,—only two hours having been taken for the trip.
It must have been a wonderful ride. What a clever and yet simple device for bringing the lumber down from the mountains with so little trouble and expense!
Some people have been complaining that Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, the President of the Board of Police, has been giving the men, who want to join the force, such a severe examination that it is almost impossible for half of them to answer the hard questions that are asked.
Mr. Roosevelt declares that it is necessary that policemen should be intelligent men, and have some slight amount of education. He thinks they ought to know a little about the history of this country, and of the laws which they are called to uphold.
He says the questions were only such as a fairly bright child could answer with ease, and that the men who cannot answer them have no business on the force.
To prove the truth of this, he prints a few of the answers made by the rejected policemen, and asks the people who complain to read them, and then let him know whether they would like to have such ignorant men as guardians of the law.
One question was: "Name five of the New England States."
One man wrote: "England, Ireland, Scotland, Whales, and Cork"; and another, "London, Africa, and New England."
To the question: "On what instrument is the Government of the United States founded?" one answer was: