Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1911 — Page 3

Washington.—What with the dinners, receptions and other functions which the president must give, and the ordinary demands of his household, vast quantities of flowers are used in the White House every year. Of the departments of the White House conservatory, the violet house is the favorite of Mrs. Taft. She takes great pride in it and frequently gives it her personal attention. Miss Helen Taft especially admires the orchid and the hot house in which that fanciful flower is grown is the one that enlists her interest. The conservatory contains many very rare and wonderfully beautifui varieties of orchid.

OLD INVENTOR BUSY

Johnson of Portland Cement Fame Translates Greek. Noted Englishman Finds Work Is Necessary and Tells Something of His Life as Patentee, Preacher and Magistrate. London.—ln a neat little ' cottage called Maywood, at Graveßend, lives Isaac C. Johnson, J. P., the inventor of Portland cement. On January 28 he attained the age of 100 years. The closing days of his life he is spending in translating the new testament and parts of the old from Greek Into literal English. Mr. Johnson has been not only a wonderful chemist, mathematician and business man, but a closo and loving student of the scriptures. “Though only a layman," says he, “I have preached the gospel in very many of the countries of England and also on the continent But what I have done I have done by the will of God and I do not myself Beek exaltation.” The old man occupies himself in the translation of Greek, because,'as he says, he now has nothing else to do and does not believe that anybody should be idle. “An object In life," he declares, “is necessary to mental, moral and physical health. Let it be a language, or some branch of research, or even a thing like amateur photography." Mr. Johnson was born at Vauxhall of working class parents and received only very humble schooling. For some time he was employed in a bookseller’s shop in Craven street. Strand. Later ho entered the service of a firm of cement manufacturers at Nine Elms, where he worked in every branch of the buslnoss and eventually obtained an appointment in the office of the manager. Here, making his first acquaintance with mathematical instruments, he attended a night school for architectural drawing and became so proficient in the “science of lines” that he was able to supplement his income by giving instruction to young joiners.

In the course of yearß he became a manufacturer of cement on hla own account and finally Invented the world famous Portland cement He says he got on simply by hard and persistent work, doing everything that lay before him in the most thorough manner of which he was capable. His longevity he attributes to the fact that he has been a total abstainer for eightytwo years. He explains that at one time he was very near to becoming • drunkard, “cast aa I was Into London as an apprentice in the midst of men of low habits.” Referring to his career as a magistrate, Mr. Johnson states that he always took the merciful side as far as he could. “Punishment is necessary for the welfare of society, but It must be, as near as possible, proportionate to the offense committed. With regard to capital punishment, I think that this should be abolished, because it glvee a man ne space for true repentance; and I do not believe In flogging. Nine-tenths of the cases brought before the bench are traceable to drink. Destroy the traffic add poor rates would be comparatively small. Jails comparatively empty, cost of maintenance saved and the present excessive com mo datlon for lunatics greatly reduped.” Asked bow he came to invent Port-

GROWING FLOWERS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE

land cement. Mr. Johnson said: “That is much too long a story to tell you now. I was manager on the estate of Messrs. White & Sons at Swanscombe at the time and it was not until after a long series of experiments—with many failures—that at length I was able to turn out a cement the strength and hydrolicity of which secured Messrs. White a large demand for it from the French government and the English market, as well as from Germany and other countries. My company supplied the cement for the Tower bridge foundations and for that great work, the Assouan dam.”

TIGER TAKES AN AUTO RIDE

His Interest in the Engine Made the Chauffeur Get Out and Thjnk— Animal Finally Bold. New York.—Russell Hopkins, a New Yorker who spends his winters in Cuba and Palm Beach, left the St. Regis for the south with a pet pink and white Formosa rabbit in his pocket. He said it was all that remained of a private zoo he had collected at his summer home at Irving-ton-on-Hudson.

“I had specimens of every animal from a Sudanese three-humped camel to a wonga,” said Mr. Hopkins, “but I have sold them all on account of a tiger. The collection was started one day when I went on bdard a ship from the East Indies to dine with the skip-

Brown Outlines His Plan

President of New York Central Urges Government to Spend More Money In Conservation. Galesburg, 11l. —President W. C. Brown of the New York Central was the orator at the concluding exercises of Founders’ at Knox college. He had a large audience, among whom were many farmers from this part of the state. His address was on the subject of the conservation of the soil and of the necessity of Increasing its fertility to meet the 'needs of home consumption. He urged Knox county to instruct its members in the legislature to support generous appropriations for the state agricultural college. As indicating the importance of soil study and Improvement he said: "The United States is building two or three great battleships almost every year, which cost, fully equipped, perhaps an average of $9,000,000 each, and it costs close to $1,000,000 a year each to man, supply and maintain them. “With what one of these fighting machines cost, the government could establish and fully equip two splendid experimental farms of 640 acres each in every state in the Union, to be operated by the general government. The establishment of such farms by the government would soon be followed by 160-acre farms owned and operated by the state In Avery county in our great agricultural'states. “Buch farms, once established, would not only be self-sustaining, but, in my opinion, would show a handsome profit. The effect of such a system of practical education upon the products and profit of the nation’s farms would be almost beyond comprehension. "Every thriftless and uniformed farmer would quickly note the difference between the result of his loose

per, whom I had met abroad. After dinner he said he had a present for me by way of a real Bengal tiger. His name is Ackbar and a child can handle him, he added. - “The captain said it was young and only weighed 120 pounds. He also suggested that I should take his Indian jungle wallah, called Lazzim, with me to look after the tiger until it got used to having it eat out of my hand. “The next day,” said Mr. Hopkins, “I drove down to the pier in my car where I met the skipper and Lazzim with the tame tiger Ackbar. The Hindoo got into the car with me, and Ackbar followed like a poodle dog. When he stood up on the cushions and looked over at the engine my chauffeur suddenly got down from his seat. He said he wanted room to think. “Eventually we arrived safely at Irvington and put Ackbar in the zoo, but he made trouble by fighting with every animal there. He damaged all my furniture so that I was glad to sell him and the entire menagerie to a circus, with Lazzim to go as keeper.”

Finds Bee Hive In Barrel.

Middletown, N. Y. —When John R. Hayes of Monroe discovered bees crawling about the floor of his furnace room he investigated and saw they were coming from the bunghole of a supposed empty cider barrel. Hayes poked a stick into the barrel, which was covered with honey when withdrawn. Hayes plugged the hole, rolled the barrel out to the yard, left it there and chilled the bees. Then he knocked in the barrel and found 250 pounds of honey. There was a decided flavor of cider to the honey.

methods and those of the experimental farm and benefit by the comparison. “Men who have no books on this important subject and who could find no time to study them if they had, would learn by that most apt and thorough teacher, observation, the value of improved methods and would adopt them. "Let the government invest the price of one battleship in this important work, follow the Investment up intelligently and perseveringly for ten years, and the value that will have been added to each year’s crops of the Nation’s farms will buy and pay for every battleship in all the navies of the world today."

EXCAVATE OLD ROMAN RUINS

Remains of Town of Tiburnla, In CorIhthia, Are Uncovered—Many Graves Are Found. Carinthia.—On a, thickly wooded hill crowned by the Church of St. Peter im Holz, there formerly stood the Roman town of Tlburnia. In the early Christian era from the fourth to the sixth century this waa the seat of a bishopric. The present minister of the little church, in making some excavations, came upon the remains of the old Roman basilica, cruciform in plan. A splendidly carved catafalque and many graves were found among the ruins. In the graves were numerous bones, which will prove interesting to anthropologists from the fact that they date from the days of the Teutons, who Inhabited the oountry prior to the incursions of the Slavs. Some beautiful frescoes and mosaics were alee unearthed.

TEACHING BOYS TO . COOK

Wealthy and Progressive New York Woman Training Her Bons in Housewifery. One of the most progressive of the many energetic New York women has announced that she intends her sons to he as helpful in household duties as her daughters, and that this summer Bhe will start them with a camp in a corner of her country place. There will be two tents, one for sleeping purposes and the other for cooking and eating, and there they are to learn to do plain cooking, “such as every young man should know who hopes some day to marry,” says the fond mamma, adding plaintively,, “especially in these days when even the best of boys is in danger of getting married to a comic picture suffragette." The training in housewifery, however, is considered valuable even if the lads are spared this fate, for their steps may turn to the paths of the explorer or the engineer, which will carry them far from such luxuries as housekeepers and valets. If at all times they know they can turn to and cook for themselves they are expected to feel a mastery over even the most ill behaved circumstances, 'fhe husband of the suffragette even will go about his business with unruffled serenity, confident that so long as feminine politics spares him his trusty chafing dish all will be well; if that is ever needed to be used for ammunition in a militant uprising there will still be tin pans and the gas stove. But cooking is not the only accomplishment booked for these youngsters. The care of their two tents will teach them neatness, for each day the camp will be inspected by their mother, at no regular hour, either, so it will behoove the boys to have their abode always in order. Guidance in the crafts of mending and sewing on buttons will be included in the day’s routine, lest the lads, ignorant of this, should grow up into useless and helpless creatures. The woman who plans this practical training for her sons is hoping that similar camps will be established on neighboring estates, so that a little friendly rivalry may add zest to the Joys of putting one’s house in order. The healthful out-of-door life and the independence bora of tent living will do the city lads more good than any other known scheme for the summer months, she thinks.

Gathered Some Trophies.

Assemblyman Jimmie Foley is making a record up at Albany as a story teller, according to the New York correspondent of the Cincinnati TimesStar. He advised an associate in the legislature to keep out of a situation which to Mr. Foley’s trained political senses promises danger. “It makes me think of an incident down in my district,” said he. “You know, there are some parts of It that are pretty tough, and when a couple of friends of mine, on their way home one night, heard an awful racket in a tenementhouse one insisted on going in .to find out the trouble. “ ‘Don’t you do It,’ said the other. ‘I know every one who lives in the house —know ’em in the dark—could tell ’em with my eyes shut —and I want to let you know that they’re mighty tough.’ “ ‘l’m going In, anyhow,’ said Harrigan. ‘lf you don’t want to tackle it you wait for me outside.’ “In a minute there was a’ frightful jolting sound inside, and out come Harrigan, bringing the panels of the door with him. ‘I told you so,’ said Morgan. ‘I told you they’re bad people in there. I know ’em.’ “ ‘You know ’em, do you?’ sneered Harrigan. ‘You know ’em well, I guess?* “Morgan said he did. “ ‘Then,’ said Harrigan, opening his hand, ‘tell me who owns these ears.’ ”

Old Wines.

Some time ago a bottle of ancient wine was found during the demolition of an old house at Finsbury, England. It appears that this ancient bottle is eclipsed by the treasure of France. Some of the cellars in Paris, we learn, contain bottles of Sauterne at least two centuries old. This is a very respectable age, but it is nothing compared with a certain Ribeauvllliers of 1662, or a Steinwein of 1640, or a Jewish Passover wine of five centuries and a half. Still in the museuip at Reims there is a far older wine, or rather a bottle containing something which was once wine. It is said to date four centuries before our era. This, tradition says, was found in a tomb of the Gallo-Roman period. Berthelot, the celebrated chemist, has left on record that he once analyzed a bottle of wine made in the neighborhood of Rome about Nero's time. In tbls case the analyst had only a dry residuum to work upon.

Varying Weight of Brain.

The average weight of the male brain is from 40 to 60 ounces; that of the average female brain about five ounces less. The ratio of the brain weight to that of the body Is the same in both sexes; consequently the differ ence of weight in the brain of males and females is due to the lesser body weight In woman and not to Inferior cerebral development. Thackeray and Cuvier had brains weighing 64 and .58 ounces, respectively, while the brain of Gambetta weighed but 41 ounces, or less than that of the average boy of seven. The brain of Byron weighed 60 ounces and that of Dante but 60. Simms found an Idiot boy whose brain weighed 69 ounoes and an Ignorant man who had a brain weighing 78 ounces.

QUEEN VICTORIA TO DICKENS

What a Humble Writer Said to One of the World’s Greatest Novelists. - Alfred Dickens’ record of Queen Victoria’s modest remark on the difference in literary rank between her authorship and bis father's differs a little (at any rate as reported) from what Foster tells In “Life.” According to the biographer, the queen said, but did not write, that she was giving the book of the humblest of writers to one of the greatest. Dickens had been famous for 35 years before the queen sent for ®m, and she was just in time, for he went to Buckingham palace in the year he died. “Describing the brief audience to my-fa-ther,” writes a correspondent, “Dickens said he could describe the queen’s manner only as that of a little-girl—‘a very difficult little girl,’ he added.” Perhaps the royal command was so long deferred because of Dickens' refusal, in 1857, to show himself to royal eyes in a stage dress. The queen attended an amateur play, and at the end sent for the principal actor, who was Dickens, to come to her box and receive her thanks. “I replied,” he wrote to a friend, “that I was in my farce dress and must be excused. Whereupon she sent again. I . . . again hoped her majesty would have the kindness to excuse my presenting myself in a costume and appearance that were not my own.” Previously Dickens declined to take his company to the palace. It did not seem to occur to the author that he was doing anything unusual.

The Place of Sentiment.

Broadly speaking, while every man must be regarded as a unit, there are generally said to be three distinct subdivisions of his nature. These- are the intellect, the sensibility and the will. By means of the intellect he apprehends knowledge and comprehends its nature, its bearings and relations, and by it he reasons. By sensibility he feels, loves fcnd hates, is excited, jubilant or depressed, enjoys or suffers, aside from physical sensation. Sometimes the line is very close between intellect and sensibility. An appreciation of anything which is purely intellectual easily becomes admiration, running into a degree of pleasure which' seems to be pure sentiment. By the will the other two are controlled and directed. It chooses objects upon which the Intellect is to exercise itself, and dlrectß the general course of its activities, and it has the capacity less seldom exercised to control the range and manifestation of the sensibility. For some reason there has always been a disposition not only to regard the intellect and the will as much more important than the sensibility, ranking it as the lowest of the three subdivisions, but to disparage and belittle it and cast reflections upon its activities and results. How often does one hear: “Oh! that is mere sentiment, that doesn’t count,” or “he is nothing but a sentimentalist!” As a matter of fact, it is sentiment that not only makes life worth while, but that moves the world.

The Salvation Army In England. There are some Interesting figures in the annual report of the Salvation Army in Great Britain, which was recently issued. It was prepared by Rider Haggard, the novelist and social worker, who says that nothing impressed him more than the women engaged in the work! He says that a study of the female officers of the Salvation Army is calculated to convert. the observer not only to a belief in the right of woman to exercise the suffrage, but also to that of their fitness to rule among, or even over men. The figures of the Darkest England scheme work show that from the beginning 70,448 have been received into factories; temporary or permanent employment has been found for 269,663; 9,256 ex-criminals have been received into homes, of whom 9,052 were assisted, restored to friends, sent to situations, etc.; 14,103 lost person were found; 48,096 women and girls were received into rescue homes, of whom 40,514 were sent to situations or restored to friends; and 116,145 sick people were visited and nursed.

In a Twin Divorce sult.

With their little daughter as the guerdon, the twin divorce suits of Love vs. Love, the one filed in Baker City, Ore., and the other In New York City, now promise to prove bitter contests. Almost immediately after filing a bill for divorce in Baker City, Ore., late on the afternoon of St. Valentine’s day, Sidney C. Love left for New York city to fight the suit brought against him by bis wife. Mrs. Marjorie Burnes Love, the filling of which he surmised was pending. According to dispatches from Baker City several months since a detective came there and has since “shadowed” Love. Mrs. Love already has retained counsel to represent her in the process brought in Oregon. Little Is known of Love’s personal affairs in the mining town of Baker City, and his personal friends refuse to talk. Mrs. Love is equally reticent, but the positive and bitter estrangement of the once popular clubman and his wife now appears to be absolute.

Deflies Passing of Years.

Dr. D. D. Martin of Tulsa, Okla.. la the oldest practicing surgeon In the United States. Hffis 89 years old. At the clinical convention of North American surgeons In Chicago, recently. Dr. Martin performed an operation which ahowed his colleagues that his skill and Judgment had been In no way paired by aga t

FUNNY TALE FREES SOLDIER

Civit War Veteran Relates Unique Experience During War—Captors Laugh and He Runs. Amateur public speakers or persons who h‘ave difficulty in remembering “impromptu” remarks would do well to consult Capt. A. R. Palmer of Chicago, commander of Meade post, G. A. R., for an infallible cure for such forgetfulness. This would be his recipe: “Get yourself captured in war and entertain your captors with funny stories until you have them off their guard, so you can escape. Everything you say will be stamped indelibly on your mind.” The rule has held good for fifty years for Captain Palmer. Every word of a senseless jumble he repeated to amuse a couple of Confederates in 1861 while he racked his

“Ladies and Gentlemen.”

brains for a plan of escape from them is with him still. Palmer, who was a born comedian, was also fleet of foot. One day on scout duty he was captured by two Confederate soldiers. When his captors started, one on each side of him, he recited every joke and comic verse he knew. The previous spring, when “secesh” talk was on every tongue, he had spoken at the usual school “exhibition,” giving a prepared lecture on the paramount topic In toe characteristic humor of that period. It was nothing but idiotic dribble that came to him as he trudged merrily toward the Confederate camp at Centerville, Va., bound for Libby or Andersonville, but it is still fresh in his mind. This is the speech he delivered: Ladies and Gentlemen: I have rlz to give you warnin’ and make somewhat of a speech. I say that a crisis has ariz and the wheels of government has stopped. . The machinery needs greasin’ and |he biler is busted, and we are like bob-tailed ganders floating down the stream of time. We have had our harmony disturbed and have been driven on the quicksands of the Potomac. We have threatened to dash everything into splinters, but we will eventually pick ourselves up before we are gone goslins. The attrapian knocks the adjacent joyous regions of violent voice and whispers in our ear for peace, but you give us no peace. The peace has gone flickering through the gloom of the other climate to aid the miser in his dungeon and the great Alexander, who fitted the battle of Hunker Bill, and who, with agony, despair and frantic shrieks, cried. ‘Oh. gravy!’ Peace is for the southern confederacy and I don’t care a darn, for she’s a whole horse and a time, sure.”

Palmer’s harangue, accompanied by sweeping gestures and heroic poses threw biq hearers into spasms of laughter. They didn’t know Just what he meant, but it was funny. The orator resumed: "Already I see you traveling In solid phalanx, with shouts that make the .earth ring while you come down upon your opponents like a thousand of brick on a rotten pumpkin. Blood baa got to be poured out of your opponents like soap suds out of a washtub. and every one of them that has a soul as big as the white of a nigger’s eye has got to fight, bleed and die for you. The north may don their rusty regimentals, grease the locks of their guns, put in new flint* grind their old scythes Into swords, mount iheir little airy horses, twelve abreast blast the little rocks and blow up all God’s creation, but still Jefferson Davis will remain.” This Is as far as young Palmer got In the muddle of nonsense. His auditors were frequently doubled up with laughter came to a fence on the edge of a wood, and the two southerners climbed over, confidently expecting their prisoner to follow. He. however, bung back and Instead of mounting the fence broke off his speech, jumped back suddenly and darted into the woods like a deer. A few Ineffectual bullets followed, but before night he was back in his owu camp.