Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 290, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1912 — Page 3

HADE TRAMP MINER’S HEIR

5

T is not often that a man feeds a stray fowl and has it magically turn into the goose that laid the golden oar. —hut —that —is Just what has happened to Joe Harris of Knoxville, former auctioneer and member of the Tennessee legislature and now in his old age a poor poultry dealer. Twentyfive years ago Harris fed, clothed and staked a tramp miner, William Robinson,

whom he picked up on the streets of Knoxville, and the other day through London solicitors he learned that he la the beneficiary of Robinson’s will. The one time tramp died recently in Melbourne leaving an estate said to exceded two million dollars. When he befriended Robinson Harris was a famous auctioneer and went from city to city through the south conducting sales. Ife was a picturesque figure: Tall and gaunt, a little stooped, always in frock coat and high silk hat. Harris attracted crowds wherever he went. He had a tremendous stock of funny stories and knew how to tell them so that when he mounted a stand to cry his goods men pushed as close as they could to listen because they were sure of entertainment. He was quick to see funny incidents and could always get back at any wag who tried to be facetious with him. Sales were often delayed until his services could be secured. He made from three to five hundred dollars every day he worked and sometimes by taking a commission would make as much as $10,500 a day. Generouß to a fault, he spent and gave away money as fast as he earned it. No one in distress was ever refused help by him. One day as he waited for a train in Virginia he saw a woman crying in the station. She held a baby in her arms while a little boy about five years old sat beside her, trying to console her. “What’s the trouole over there?’’ Harris asked a native of the place. “She’s been turned out and has to go home to her folks,” came the answer. “Why?” asked Harris, touched by the woman’s grief. "Did you see that rich Col. W— at the sale today? Well, he sold her husband a little house for SI,OOO. They were to pay for it on the installment plan. Her husband died last week owing the Colonel $271, so he turned the woman and the children out because, he said, he knew they could not finish the payments.” V '' “That amount don’t represent a day’s work for me,” said Harris. “Call some responsible man. I’ll leave the money to finish paying for the house.” Harris was already opening a wallet containing more than SI,OOO which he had Just made in that particular town. “Let the poor thing stay in her homely The train was whistling, and Harris handed over the amount, adding, Til be here again Monday hnd will settle any minor expenses incident to the deal.” The favor was forgotten by Harris until a day or two ago he had a letter from the little boy, now to manhood. He had read an account of Harris’ good fortune and wanted to congratulate him. He and his mother had never been able to write their thanks fori bis kindness to them because all they knew of their benefactor was that his name was Harris and that he was an auctioneer. They did not know where he lived. This was only one of many like incidents in his life. He once gave a beggar whom he found in a pitiable physical condition in the streets of Nashville $l5O with which to go to a hospital for treatment. It was in January, 1887, that Harris met the man who has Jußt left him more than $2,000,000. At that time Harris operated an auction house in Knoxville. As he went into town one morning he stopped by an old freight depot that he had Just bought and was having torn down. While he was looking about giving orders to the men at work, he noticed Robinson tip his shabby old hat .to him. Harris stopped and looked the man in the face. Robinson m evidently hungry. “Have you had breakfast, young man?” Robinson was 'then 28. “No,, sir, I haven't” “Take this quarter,” began Harris, “and go over to Ronner’s saloon and get you two drinks. They'll brace yon up. Then I’ll take you home for breakfast.” At the table Harris offered Robinson $2 a day to oversee the negroes a( work on the old depot Robinson accepted eagerly. When Harris passed the depot at noon he called to Robinson and took him. home to dinner. After the meal was over Robinson

SINGS PRAISES OF POVERTY

Writer Point* Out Why In Many Way* It Should Be Preferred to Affluence. Any man may brutally pay his way anywhere, but It is quite another thing to be accepted by your human kind not as a paid lodger, but as a friend. Alwiys, It seem* to me, I have wanted to submit myself, and Indeed submit fti* stranger, to that test. Moreover,

picked up a violin belonging to Harris. “Never in my life had I heard such fiddling,” declared Harris in an interview last night. “That’s the same old fiddle there under my bed. I turned to my wife when heUnished play= ing and I 'said, ‘You can expect this man home to supper tonight. Anybody that fiddles like Robinson here can find lodging an well as food in my house.’ ” So the medley played on the old fiddle changed the course of events for both men. Harris can still hear the old tune echoing down the years, but now to the accompaniment of clinking gold. “You needn’t go back to work those niggers this afternoon," Harris told Robinson as they left the house together. “You come to the auction house with me.” It was a new Robinson, freshly shaven and well dressed in new clothes frota his shoes to his hat who went home with Harris that night. When Harris went to to take his seat as representative from Knox county in the Tennessee legislature he took Robinson with him. Before starting he had his own tailor make Robinson a $45 suit of clothes. Harris had won eight silk hats on Harrison’s election and he handed one of them over to his new friend. * “If I wear a silk hat to Nashville you’ll wear one too,” he said. They stopped at the old Maxwell house and Harris furnished Robinson

with plenty of spending money. Rob-' Inson never mentioned his relatives if he had any living. He appeared to be a man of refinement and culture, well able to take care of himself in the company ot the legislators and state senators with whom he was constantly associated in the famous old hotel in Tennessee’s capital. He was grateful to Harris and warm in his praise of him. He frequently expressed his belief that he would strike it rich some day and be able to return Harris’ kindness. One night as they were having a drink together Robinson declared that he wanted to play the grain market at old Col. Bell’s place, and Harris gave him SSO for the purpose. Later Robinson went to the Maxwell house with $1,300 that he had made out of the SSO. “Now, Robinson, you put SI,OOO in my friend H —’s bank here in Nashville. It is safe, and you can operate on the remaining three hundreu,” ad. vised Harris, but a day or two afterward Robinson appeared to be much depressed knd finally confessed that he had lost his last dollar on May wheat and was in debt SSO to CoL Bell. < .

how can any man look" for true adventure In life If he always knows to a certainty where his next meal is coming from? In a world so completely dominated by goods, by things, by possessions, and smothered by security, what fine adventure ia left to a man of spirit save the adventure of poverty? I do not mean by this the adventure of involuntary poverty, for I maintain that involuntary poverty, like in-

Butte, Mont, was a msecs then tor all fortune hunters, mud Robinson was anxious to try his luck there. So Harris paid his debt to CoL Bell, bought him a ticket to Butte and gave him a'roll of money. Robinson left Nashville March 10, 1887. Six years later Harris heard from him. The expressman brought him a package containing SSOO from Robinson, who was then at Cape Nome, in the gold fields of Alaska. Since that time Harris has had many misfortunes. The great strain of auctioneering both indoors and out has almost ruined his voice. He suffers constantly with hia throat. —No longer able to conduct sales, he is connected with a small poultry business and is forced to live in a very modest way. His wife, still fond of the beautiful things to which she-was accustomed until late years, has made their two rooms over an old stdte bright with window boxes of blooming flow ers and green vines. Everything about the place is neat and clean, but very plain. There are six or eight large bird cages in the combination living and bedroom, for Mr. Harris is a great admirer of songbirds and loves to hear their music. He does not seem elated over the news of his good luck, but will continue to go about his work as usual until the fortune has actually been turned over to him. As he sat in the light of a little oil lamp on a table beside him, never lifting his eyes from the floor as he talked, he did not appear to be over 50, for his hair and long mustache are still red, with no touch of gray. He is modest about his generosity in the past, constantly declaring that he never did much for charlty. _ : “I never did anything more than I ought to have done,” he frequently asserts. “I have made ever SIOO,OOO auctioneering.”

JOE HARRIS.

He has no children except an adopted daughter, now married, who lives in Kentucky. Since the news of his fortune has gone out over the country Harris has received hundreds of letters, many of them from women who Want to marry him. If he is single, they write, please notify them and they will send their pictures. “The notoriety is the only unpleasant thing about it,” he laughed, holding the lamp over his head to light his visitors down the dark hallway of the old building, which he may soon leave for a luxurious home.

Egypt to Preserve Egret.

Mr. Dudgeon, director-general of the department of agriculture, states that the department is interesting itself in the propagation of the white egret, which is a great worm destroyer. Unfortunately, owing to the trad* that is carried on In Its feathers, the species had become rather rare in Egypt. A law has now been passed prohibiting the shooting of this bird, with the result that while in the beginning of the year there were only 800 white egrets at Simbellawen there are now about double that number.— i London Chronicle.

voluntary riches, is a credit to no man. It is only as we dominate life that we really live. What I mean here, if 1 may so express it, Is an adventure in achieved poverty. In the lives of such true men as Francis of Assisi and Tolstoy that which draws the world to them in secret sympathy is not that they lived lives of poverty, but rather, having riches at their hands, or for the very asking, that they chose poverty as the better waj of life. —David Grayson in the Amerl can Magazine.

THREE DISHES LONG POPULAR

Hot Cooked Tongue a Favorite With Many—Rabbits a la Creme — Roasted Bparerlbs. Hot Cooked Tongue.— Take a smoked tongue and soak it In cold water for, 12 hours, then place It in a pot to boil; cover it with water, adding one carrot, two onions, two cloves and a few peppercorns. Let this boil for three and a half hours, then remove the tongue from the liquor, skin it and trim the root of the tongue, and serve with hot cherry sauce, made as follows: One tablespoon of red currant Jelly (melted), one wins glass of port wine, one of claret, two large spoons of brown sauce, the juice of three oranges and one of lemon and a littl& cayenne pepper; boil all together for half an hour. When reduced to one-half the quantity strain through muslin and add sone stoned bottled cherries. Put it in a sauce boat and serve hot with the ; :ongue Rabbits a la Creme. —Truus a pair of young rabbits, soak ihem in milk and water to keep them white, drain and dredge them over with flour, pepper and salt. Baste well with butter. When nearly cooked add half a pint of cream to the butter you basted with. Dredge over with flour until it forms a crust. Dish and pour the hot cream round. Spareribs.—ln roasting spareribs or loins of fresh pork try sweet cider in the pan in place of the necessary bit of water to start with, beating frequently with the cider.. It will give it a delicious flavor.

ALLAROUND the HOUSE

To test nutmegs, pick them with a pin. Oil will instantly spread around the puncture if they are good. For an appetizing salad mince a couple of green peppers, mix them with three tablespoonfuls of chopped chives and serve on white lettuce leaves with French dressing. Shredded red cabbage and white celery cut fine make a very popular salad. Sprinkle the top of the salad with a tablespoonful of minced onion and dress with pil and vinegar. When cooking catchup, Jelly, etc., try putting a few marbles in the kettle to prevent burning. The heat will keep the marbles rolling and thus prevent the catchup, etc., from sticking to the kettle. When roasting a fowl in a gas stove put three tablespoonfuls of water, into the meat tin at the bottom of the stove. You will find the steam will make the bird tender, and obviate the necessity for continually bast ing it. To fill preserving Jars without splashing and spilling the preserves over them, uSe a gravy boat . It Is easily dipped into the hot kettle of fruit by means of the handle and the long mouth fits into jars of almost any size and thus prevents spilling.

French Layer Cake.

Take eight eggs, half a pound of sugar, half a pound of flour, a quarter pound of melted butter, a spoonful of vanilla extract. Beat the eggs with the sugar, heating near a mild fire until the mixture is a little warmer than blood heat. They may be heated. in a pan of warm water or on. the back of the range. When well warmed remove from heat, continuing to beat until they are quite cold. This makes the cake short and tender. Add the flour with a wooden spoon, then the butter. Put into a buttered mold and bake in moderate oven for 25 minutes. Cut into three layers with a sharp knife. Fill with mocha, chocolate. caramel, vanilla or any other cream.

Baked Apples.

Core and pare the apples. Put a little sugar, water and lemon juice into a baking dish with the apples and bake until tender, but not broken. Remove to a serving dish, fill the centers with Jelly or marmalade and pour the liquid from the baking dish over them. Make a meringue with the whites of two eggs and four tablespoons of sugar and flavor with lemon and vanilla. Press the meringues on the tops of the apples, using a pastry bag and star tube or drop from spoon. Bake in a moderate oven about eight minutes. Garnish with jelly.

To Cream Butter Quickly.

To cream butter in cold weather for making hard sauce or cake, pour on about two tablespoons of not water, and sugar Immediately, and beat It will be white and creamy in less than five minutes, and the boiling water is an improvement, it anything. The quantity of the other Ingredients is the same.

Deviled Kidneys.

One teaspoon mustard, one salt, spoon salt, pinch of pepper, three tablespoons of oil, one teaspoon of vinegar. Mix all together; dip sliced kidneys in it and broil. After broiled dust cayenne pepper over them.

Homely Hint.

Wax candles which have become dusty or soiled can be made perfectly white by rubbing them with a clean piece of flannel dipped in spirits of wine.

Appetizer Clareridge.

Heat thin slices of smoked sturgeon in butter. In skillet. Serve on small.slices of buttered toast

Culture Education in Philippines

THE TWELFTH annual report of the director of education for the Philippine islands, covering the school year ending April 1, 1912, has just been received by the bureau of insular affairs. It is a very comprehensive statement of the educational program in the Islands, shows that very encouraging results have been obtained during the past year in all lines of school activities and that “the achievement of a civilization and a high culture” is* well entered upon. Some of the specific things accomplished during the past year are enumerated by the director. Progress has been very marked in the improvement in the quality of English taught In all the schools whether of primary, intermediate or secondary grade. Industrial Instruction has been organized and developed to a greater extent than in any previous year. A large number of permanent school buildings have been completed. , The policy of acquiring adequate school sites has found general acceptance and much attention has been given to the improvement of temporary buildings. Through the vacation assembly at Baguio, the bureau has come into closer sympathy with the vast majority of its teachers than ever before. A decided improvement is reported in the personnel of the teaching force, both American and Filipino, Specialization in Elementary Bchools. In the Philippines specialization must begin much lower down in the course than is the usual practice in the United States, although many educators here are coming to recognize that the earlier this specialization can be Introduced the better. In the islands it begins with the first year of the Intermediate grades, five courses being provided—the general course, the course for teaching, the course in farming, the trade course, the course in housekeeping and household arts, and the course in business. This specialization is incorporated into the course of study in order that the child may secure such training as will directly prepare him for a useful life. A careful study and comparison of education in the Philippines with that carried on in other tropical countries enjoying practically the same conditions as obtain there, shows that it is the aim of nearly every one of these countries to make education general, but as a rule the percentage of population attendingschool is much lower than in the Philippines. In very few cases is special attention being given to industrial-, education. The elementary schools are seldom considered in the plan of industrial instruction, the attention being confined to advanced technical and agricultural subjects. Much more stress is laid upon athletics and physical training in the Philippines than is given in other countries generally. The interest that the Filipino people take in public instruction is much greater than is apparently the case elsewhere. Reports seem to Indicate that in a number of the Countries, at least, not only a lack of interest, but actual opposition U manifested. For a number of years the bureau has been committed to the policy of providing adequate permanent buildings for the housing of the public schools as rapidly as money might be made available. In the furtherance of this policy standard plans based upon the unit system of construction, which allows additions to be made as necessity may demand without detracting from the appearance or utility of the original structure, have been prepared. In the standard schoolhouse plans each unit is a class room of standard size, seven by nine meters'. Plans have been adopted for buildings of

from ones to twenty class rooms with assembly room, offices and storeroom. Concrete reinforced with steel is the construction material which meets conditions best. It Is specified for the standard schoolhouse. Already 135 Bchool buildings of this type have been completed and 173 others are in process of construction, of which 81 lacked very little of completion and were already occupied at thb time the director made his report. Methods Correct. The industrial program is being promoted constantly through the medium of provincial industrial supervisors ; inspectors and instructors fonh the traveling corps of the general office; various publications, bulletins, and correspondence; through industrial exhibits; through the appointment of pensionados to receive training along such lines, and by means of the special courses offered in the Philippine Normal school and thePhilippine School of Arts and Trades. Such satisfactory progress is to be reported as to convince the director .that the methods employed are substantially correct On entering the Nqchool, the pupil must immediatelytake wjjg, part of each day’s work certain manu&l exercises in the nature of play work at first but which gradually lead up to the regular industrial courses provided in the advanced primary and in the intermediate grades. Special courses in farming, housekeeping and household arts, trade work, and business are offered for those pupils who desire to do more industrial work than that prescribed j in the general intermediate course. These special industrial courses are replacing tbe general course in many intermediate schools. Already 41 schools are giving the farming course, 54 are giving the housekeeping course, 35 are giving the trade course, 43 the teaching course, and one the business course, as compared with a total of 199 conducting the general course. It is at once evident, with requirements so definitely fixed for industrialr work in the schools, the great majority of the pupils who are enrolled musti be engaged in some branch of thisf work. An examination of the figures included among the statistical tables of this report will show that of thef total enrollment of 233,740 boys andj 138,842 girls during the month of February, 1912 (an average month), 216,290 boys and 125,203 girls—3l per cent of the entire monthly enrollment —were doing some form of industrial work. More specifically, it will be found that 13,210 boys were taking manual training and trade work, 90,167 boys were engaged in school gardening and farming; 15,485 girls were also engaged in garden work, and 165,450 boys and 68,194 girls were taking up various lines which go under the general caption of minor industries. It will be noted that 79,382 girls were pursuing the subject cf housekeeping and household arts.; Further in that connection it will be' found that in the subject of lace making alone 16,439 girls were receiving instruction; in embroidery 12,339 and in cooking 4,768. There were 22,965 boys and 7,709 girls making hats in the industrial clashes, 40,264 pupils making mats, and . 104,424 studying the art of basketry. From another point of view, 63,067 pupils engaged in school gardening cultivated 3,046 school gardens and 24,682 home gardens during the year; ' 1,319 pupils were enrolled in the regular trade school classes; 1,263 in regular trade courses in other schools; and 7,360 in the shops operated in connection with provincial and other Intermediate schools. In addition to the above, 10,356 pupils were taking work in 236 primary wood working shops conducted in connection with municipal primary schools in all parts cf the Islands.