Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1901 — Page 6

AS THE WORLD REVOLVES

London Financier With VsCharles Rivers Wilson, piesldent of the Grand Trunk Railroad, has just some to the United States for a short visit. Sir Charles’ last transatlantic voyage was made a few years ago for the purpose of Investigating the affairs of the road of which he is the head. That was the second time he visited America. The occasion of his first trip a year previously was as representative of the European stockholders of the Central Pacific Road. The total foreign interest, >52,000,000, had

CHARLES R. WILSON.

been intrusted to his care. Until recently Sir Charles Rivera Wilson was comptroller general of the national debt of Great Britain. In this capacity he had charge of £240.000,000. The income of this sum was entirely in his control for investment, and his management of the important office of comptroller was in all-ways excellent. This London financier is not unknown to American men of affairs. Although somewhat unlike the financial leaders of New York and Chicago in personal methods, he is yet a very shrewd and accute manipulator of capital. It was he who straightened out the famous Egyptian financial t'/igle of 1876. His present visit is for the purpose of trying to prevent the floating of the Rus-sian-Chinese loan in tilts country.

An Ancient Village School.

Pocahontas, 111., the other day celebrated a semi-centennial celebration commemorative of the erection in 1851 of the village school house, still standing and in excellent condition for a frame building half a century old. The structure was built before the days of public schools in that section of the country, and was consequently a private enterprise at the

POCAHONTAS ACADEMY.

start Later the building was turned over to the public, and for many years retained its old name of Pocahontas Academy. The first name of the village for Amity, and by some of the “oldest inhabitants” the school was called Amity Academy. A few preferred the name Hickory Grove Academy, because of the fact that for several years the official name of the town was Hickory Grove, but majorities ruled in those days, and the majority, among whom were the founders of the school, gave h the name by which it was known most widely and longest—Pocahontas Academy. It will be observed that all insisted that the school should be called an academy. Pocahontas is now but a small place with a few hundred inhabitants, and it was much smaller in the early 50s. Pocahontas is in Bond, one of the original five counties of Illinois, and on the Vandalia railroad, about forty miles from St. Louis.

Panama Canal for Sale to Us.

It is reported from Washington that President Hutin of the Panama Canal company has made a formal tender of the canal, with all rights and concessions, to this government unincumbered by any provisions for joint ownership. Heretofore all propositions for the transfer of the Panama canal contemplated making this government a large stockholder in the enterprise without giving it actual sovereignty over the water way, which, of course, could not be seriously entertained by Congress. It is now reported. however, that the government of Colombia, through its* minister at Washington, has offered to permit the Panama company to transfer its rights to the United States, which leaves the way open for- a direct bona fide sale of aJ’ property and rights.

Foreign Bonds as Investments.

.The recent action of American capitalists in taking >50,000,000 of the new British war bonds gives timely interest to the article by Prof. Woolsey, in the May Forum, in which he discusses the risks in all kinds of foreign bonds. He points out the radical differences between government bonds and private loans. A government bond has no collateral behind it—no property on which the creditor may levy in case of default. The security of such a loan depends upon the credit and the good faith of the state that borrows. Nor can the bondholder proceed sin-gle-handed against his debtor by judicial methods. His only redress is through the diplomatic interference of his government. If he be a small and uninfluential holder he may have to wait long before he can set the governmental machinery to work. As a matter of fact, all government bonds of all countries are purchased out of pure patriotism—nothing else. The bonds sold in this country go to British residents here anxious to relieve the country to which they owe allegiance. In other words, the bonds were taken by branches of British banks doing business in the United States.

Liquid Air Fan Motor.

The novel motor for driving a ventilating fan shown below has recently been designed by Oscar Patrie Ostergren. The inventor states that the objects of the invention are the utilization of liquid air as a motive fluid for operating a rotary fan and the distri-

bution of the vaporize d liquid about the room for cooling purposes by means of the fan blades. The globe at the top of the apparatus is used as a storage reservoir for the liquid, and may be filled through a

filling plug, or, in cases where a number of fans are used in one building. the supply may be obtained from a central reservoir. To set the fan in motion the valve underneath the reservoir is opened when the liquid will pass down through the pipes, vaporizing by absorbing heat from the atmosphere. The products of the vaporization will rise through the return coil to the top of the reservoir, where the pressure is utilized to force the liquid continuously into the discharge pipe, in addition to driving the fan. This latter result is accomplished by allowing the compressed vapor to pass downward through the central tube to a small turbine just above the fan blades, where its force is expended against the wings. As the vapor is of a very low temperature it is desirable to utilize it after it leaves the turbine for cooling the room, and this is accomplished by extending the outlet pipes into the arms carrying the fan blades, where the air is discharged in advance of the blades, being driven about by the fan and mixed with the warmer air of the room.

Stunting the Brain.

In many countries the heaviest burdens the people have to carry are borne upon their heads. In Mexico boys are early taught to carry heavy loads in this manner, huge water jars being balanced with wonderful skill. In many Mexican localities months and sometimes years go by without a drop of rain, and all the water the people use has to be drawn from wells and often carried long distances. In the picture is shown a Mexican boy water

MEXICAN BOY WATER CARRIER.

carrier. You can see how easily he carries the great vessel, the only means for balancing the jar being a single rope.

Old Painter Still at Work.

Thomas Sidney Cooper is said to be the oldest painter actively engaged in the pursuit of his art. He is now 98 years old and as early as 1820 was making his living as a theatrical scene painter. Since then he has exhibited 230 pictures at the English Royal Academy.

SUCCESS IN SELF-POSSESSION.

So Say* Walter Damrozch, and Ho Surety Ought to Know. The man who makes public appearances must have self-possession, says Walter Damrosch. I have learned by great experience that this quality is all-important There have been times when the slightest perturbation on my pgft would have made my orchestrayay out of time and out of tune. The musicians in an orchestra place just as much faith in their conductor as do soldiers in their general. The best example of this quality I ever witnessed was aboard an Atlantic liner. The second day we ran into violent weather. The propeller shaft broke, and we were drifting helplessly. The waves ran high and a general scare ensued. Hysterical women ran hither and thither and the men were pale and nervous. The. officers, not knowing what had happened, at first, were obviously frightened. A pandemonium seemed imminent In the midst of it all a young man whom I remember by the name of Stone, who was making his first voyage, came out of his stateroom in an Immaculate yachting suit; he was cool and collected. A man who had been racing up and down, clad in one or two scanty garments, seized him by the shoulders, jammed him against the rail, and frantically said: “For heaven’s sake what is the matter? What is the matter?” “Go and ask the captain, please.” replied Stone. “Have you any idea what is going on?” Stone pulled out his watch, looked at it and said, as he puffed a cigar: "I suppose it is something that happens every Tuesday morning. This Is my first trip over, and I’m not running the ship this time.” In five minutes order was restored, because other excited passengers became calm at the self-possession of the young man.—Success.

An Extraordinary Tree.

In the Congo region there is a most remarkable tree, of which Europeans had often heard, but of which they had never seen a picture until a few days ago, when several photographs of it, which were taken by order of the Congo Government, arrived in Paris, Berlin and London. The tree is known as the baobab of Kinschassa, and, it is believed to oe the largest tree of its kind in all Africa. Kinschassa is on the Congo railroad, about an hour and a half’s ride from Leopoldville, and is a flourishing place, having several factories and an English mission. The banks of the Stanley Pool are low at this point and several huge baobabs grow ch them. The natives call tnese monsters “monkey’s bread trees,” and their scientific name is “Adansonia digitata.” The monarch of them all, which has just been photographed, is over thirty feet in circumference, yet, strange to say, it is hardly thirty feet in height. Its gigantic branches are leafless and withered, and the trunk itself has for many years shown signs of decay. Indeed, it is quite hollow on one side, and It is evident that it cannot survive much longer. At the foot its growth has been abundant, as can be seen from the great breadth and solidity, not only of the main trunk, but also of Its numerous offshoots.

The Czar's Little Joke.

The history of medaeval times is replete with instances of the merry pranks played by the Court jester on the day sacred to the rule of the cap and bells. It is said that Peter the Great was much struck by the manner in which AU Fools’ day was celebrated in France, Holland and England during his sojourn in those countries, and og his return to his own dominions he introduced the April fool custom quite forcibly among his people by erecting on the 31st day of March, 1719, in the open square in front of his palace in St Petersburg, a gigantic pile of wood, garnished with tar and other inflammable materials. To this he set fire during the early morning hours of AprU The flames shot high up in the air, and it looked from a distance as if the palace and the whole city were afire. People came from all sides, some traveling for miles to help put out the fire. When they finally arrived at the conflagration troops formed around the square cried out: “Fools and donkies, faU back! By order of the Czar faU back? The little father has fooled you. It is the Ist of April to-day.”

American Nervousness.

A man of good habits and regular life, taking a judicious amount of rest and recreation, need be none the worse mentally and physically for a rather intense concentration upon the work of his life, while that work is going on. Some of the world’s greatest thinkers, in lines where the most perfect concentration and specialization were required, have been men of perfect health and nerves and of long and vigorous life. But they have not indulged in fads and follies, their recreations have been simple, they have not undertaken to compass the whole field of human effort, and they huve kept their lives free from excesses In all directions. Dr. Wettier thinks that it is the continuity of work and worry that do harm, rather than the work and woi'ry in themselves. In a measure, this is true; but many persons work for that which does them no good and worry about that which Is of no account. If they are made nervous, we do not see why the fault should sc charged to civilization. In this respect they are distinctly uncivilized.-Nev/ Bedford Standard. Chinese regiments are recruited in the same manner as British regiments.

THE EASTMAN TRIAL.

MRS. EASTMAN CHEERING HER HUSBAND.

The Eastman murder trial at Cambridge, Mass., has been exciting widespread interest throughout the United States and even in Europe. Charles R. Eastman, accused of the murder of Richard Grogan, is a professor at Harvard University. The crime was committed in the latter part of 1899. A telegram from a correspondent who has been reporting the celebrated trial said: “Mrs. Grogan and Mrs. Eastman are living together, and there is every evidence of harmony among the accused, his wife and the widow of the man he killed. Mrs. Grogan is small, slender and dark. She goes to the courthouse every day with her sister, but is excluded from the proceedings, as she is a witness. Mrs. Eastman watches the scene all day. She sits far from her husband, who under one of the many peculiar provisions of the Bay State law, is isolated in a silvered steel cage, the front of which is open.

New Army Revolver That Carries 116 Shots

Capable of discharging 116 bullets a minute, at high initial velocity, the new automatic pistol adopted by the Board of Ordnance and Fortification for the United States army is in many respects a remarkable weapon. As a first step toward the equipment of tne army with the new arm, an order for one thousand of the pistols for the use of the cavalry has been placed with the manufacturers. Exhaustive tests by government experts have been made, which seem to indicate that the principle of the automatic field gun and the magazine rifle have been combined in practical form in a pistol no heavier than the revolvers with which the army is now equipped. Named for its inventor, George Luger, a former officer in the Austrian army, the Luger automatic pistol is made by the German Arms and Amunltion factories. This concern has manufactured about five million Mauser rifles for European nations, and has also brought out several types of automatic pistols. H. Tauscher, one of the representatives of the company who came to this country to submit the Luger pistol to the government, said recently, when seen at his hotel, that the new pistol was the result of ten years* experiment. Recent tests in Springfield armory covered accuracy of aim, penetration, velocity of projectile, speed of fire, endurance and the usual dust, rust and sand tests, and a speed of 116 shots per minute was attained, while the accuracy of alm with rapidity was shown by a score of twenty-four bull’s eyes out of thirty shots by one man, who could make only nine out of twenty-eight with the other styles of pistols in the competition.

South America Is Safe.

The European countries that are

England'Commercial Marriages.

The commercialism of the marriage contract in England was seldom more forcibly brought out than in the case of Georgiana, the Dowager Countess

of Dudley, in England, who a short time ago was sued for the non-pay-ment of her debts. For six years she owed a London contractor. Recently she placed an order for the redecoration at an expense of $55,800 of a house she leased in London. It was then that the contractor sued on the old debt, and it developed that a check given by the countess as a part payment was twice dishonored by the bank. The countess was a beauty in her day, and still retains much of her youthful attractiveness. But her husband, the late Earl of Dudley, would be a drawing card in a side show as the ugliest man in the world. To make matters worse, he was insane, and only his wealth an social position kept him out of a madhouse. One would think that one of the

DOWAGER COUNTESS OF DUDLEY AND DAUGHTER.

The cage floor is carpeted, the accused has an easy chair and sits back comfortably making notes in a book, writing suggestions to counsel or reading magazines passed to him by the reporters.’’

The South Carolina Exposition.

Following closely upon the PanAmerican Exposition, which opened inrormally last week at Buffalo, the gates of the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian exposition will be thrown open, and the North will be Invited not only to visit but to contribute to it. As it will open in December and not close until May, 1902, Charleston should be a pleasant place of winter resort for sightseers. Al-

grumonng iwcauat me uuueu States does not let them divide up Argentina and Brazil may take comfort in the reflection that Argentina has from twen-ty-five to thirty times and Brazil at least a hundred times the population of the two South African republics combined. Considering England’s experience in South Africa, a European al-

most beautiful and accomplished women in England would shrink from a union with such a creature. And besides being ugly

though congress failed to make an appropriation for this exposition, the Charleston people are far from discouraged. Ground is already broken for the buildings and the scheme has been placed upon a sound financial basis. Several Eastern cities have promised to participate, among them Philadelphia and Baltimore. Cuba, Porto Rico and adjoining islands will contribute exhibits. As the exposition is commercial in its character, and in-i tended to develop trade relations between North and South, the Charleston people are determind it shall be a success, and they will offer unusual inducements to attract exhibitors and visitors. One of these will be the jeotton palace, which is to be built by the city of Charleston, in which cotton will be on exhibition in all its stages, from its growing in the soil to its preparation for the spinner and its final appearance as a manufactured product. In one respect the Charleston exposition will be fortunate. As it opens almost directly after the close of the Pan-American undoubtedly many of the exhibits as well as popular entertainments of the latter will find their way there, and thus add to its attractiveness. But apart from this the spirit with which the people of that state have entered upon the work promises a decided success.

King May Abdicate.

The king of Denmark is reported to be once again seriously thinking of abdicating the Danish throne in favor of the crown prince, and has only been dissuaded from doing so by the joint pleading of the crown princess and her husband. The king, however, is wearied at the continuous opposition of his ministers to any suggestion he may put forward. The queen's death has considerably aged his majesty as well as shaken his constitution.

tempt to partition South America might not be such a very profitable undertaking, even if the United States were out of the way, says a French paper. » Philadelphia, with 1,500 miles of streets and 60,000 arrests in a year, has 2,780 policemen.

and insane, he was old and a But he had an Income of >3,000,000, and Georgiana was poor, while Georgiana’s mamma was ambitious. And so Georgiana accepted ths sacrifice and became the earl’s wife. It is an ironical commentary upon this commercial union that the Dowager Countess is either unable or unwilling to pay her debts. Her income is >60,000, but people can be poor with ten times this income.

Boom in Immigration.

A natural but almost unnoticed result of t|B present good times in the United States is found in the records of the great steamship lines which bring steerage passengers across the water. Without exception these transatlantic steamers are carrying more immigrants just now than they have had to carry before for years. Each of the big boats arriving at New York brings with it from one to two thousand Europeans who are coming to make their homes and, if possible, their fortunes in the United States. As has been the case for a number of years, a large proportion of these new citizens are natives of the south of Europe or of some one of the Slavonic countries. When business is depressed immigra-. tion falls off. Just now business is at the flood tide and the steamers from Europe are consequently crowded below decks.

Results the Same.

The Chicago fire was set by an overturned lamp in a barn; the Jacksonville fire by an electric wire in a factory. It marks an era of great progress, but the outcome seems to be about the same. —Springfield Republican.

PASS LAWS OUT OF DOORS.

Swiss Legislative Body Hold* Session la the Open Air. There are almost as many kinds of parliament as there are races which elect them. Some are amazingly antiquated in their methods of procedure, while others are as go-ahead as it is possible to be. On the continent, however, more or less of a family likeness exists between the parliaments of the various great powers, though in the lesser states there are many interesting and distinctive methods of government. One of the most remarkable instances of these existing today is the “landsgemetnde” of the canton of Glarus, In Switzerland. The government of no Swiss canton by the people is more absolute than in that of Glarus, where the burghers assembly annually to hold their outdoor parliament in a large square—usually on the first Sunday in May, weather permitting. The honored president occupies a platform in the middle of the square. There are places for boys around this platform, the young idea thus being taught early how to legislate wisely and well for his beloved country. Altogether the landsgemeinde is one of the most quaint and ideal little parliaments in existence.—Chicago Chronicle. •

A Miracle Explained.

Bryant, Mo.. May 13th.—The sensational cure of Mrs. M. A. Goss of this place has sent a ripple of excitement all over Douglas county, and Dodd’s Kidney Pills, the remedy in question, are receiving thereby the greatest advertisement any medicine has ever had in this state. To satisfy the many inquiries which she finds it impossible to answer by letter, Mrs. Goss has sent the following statement of her case to the St Louis Globe-Democrat: "I did not think I could live a day and suffer as I have lived and suffered for months, with Sciatica and Rheumatism. I used baths and liniments of all kinds. Two physicians treated me, one of them for two months. Nothing helped me in the least. I never slept more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. I was bedfast and had to He on one side all the time. I used to wish for death to deliver me from such torture. “A friend suggested Dodd's Kidney Pills, and after I had used them a week I began to improve, and in about four weeks I could sit up in bed. A few days later I walked a quarter of a mile and back. I now do all my own cooking and housework. The pain has entirely left me and I am a well woman. I have taken altogether sixteen boxes of Dodd’s Kidney Pilis. Dodd’s Kidney Pills saved my life. “Mrs M. A. Goss.” People come for miles to see Mrs. Goss and hear her wonderful story. Dodd’s Kidney Pills are working marvelous cures in Missouri.

Long Island Claims Gen. Meade.

Robert L. Meade, who has been promoted from colonel to brigadier general by brevet in the marine corps, “for distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy at the battle jof Tientsin, China,” is commandant of the marine corps at the Brooklyn navy yard. Long Islanders claim him as a native of Huntington. '

What Do the Children Drink?

Don’t give them tea or coffee. Have you tried the new food drink called GRAIN-Of It is delicious and nourishing, and takes the place of coffee. .The more Grain-O you give the children the more health you distribute through their systems. Grain-O is made of pure grajns, and when properly prepared tastes like the choice grades of coffee, but costs about X 4B much. All grocers sell it 15c and 25c.

Writer on Constitutional History.

Dr. William Stubbs, the late bishop of Oxford, whose death took place recently, was undoubtedly the most profound student and writer of English constitutional history that ever lived. His book on that subject is absolutely exhaustive for the period which is covers.

Private Mailing Card.

Private Mailing Card with colored views of scenery on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway sent on receipt of ten (10) cents in stamps. Address F. A. Miller, General Passenger Agent, Chicago, 111.

Agricultural Experiment Stations.

There are now fifty-four agricultural experiment stations in the United States, with 678 employes. During 1899 these stations published 445 annual reports and bulletins, containing 16,924 pages.

Lady Trader in Pits.

Miss Jennie Benedict, a confectioner, has been elected a member of the Louisville Board of Trade. She is the first woman in the city to join that body.

The transportation facilities would seem to be ample for all possible demands of the mammoth crowds which are expected at the Pan-American Exposition The entire street railway system of Buffalo, driven by the power of Niagara Falls, is so laid out as to secure direct communication from all parts of the city to the Exposition grounds.* At the northern boundary of the grounds there has been built a fine steam railway station. A twotrack steam belt line encircles the city of Buffalo, reaching this station, and all the steam railroads centering in Buffalo have access to these tracks. This means of transportation will be extensively used both for excursion trains from out the city and for conveying people from the various parts of the city to the grounds.

FACT AND OPINIONS

From Plural to Singular. The Hon. John W. Foster, in defending the use by him of the phrase “United States” as a noun in the singular. mentions three words which the constitution treats as plural nouns while they are always singular now. 1 hese are the house of representatives, which “shall choose their spanker”; the senate, which “shall choose their other officers,” and congress, which “shall assemble . . i unless they shall,” etc. Today the American who should say that the house, the senate, or congress “have” adjourned would be looked on as guilty of a grammatical slip by the majority. A few only would understand that he was simply old-fash-ioned. Aa regards the phrase "United States,” there is no question that to the men who framed the constitution and to their immediate successors it conveyed an idea not of unity but of plurality. The conception of states in union is distinguished from that of states blended to form a single nation was at first generally entertained. It grew weaker as men became gradually familiar with the idea of a national government with far greater powers than were possessed by the congress of the confederation. Finally, in the popular acceptation the phrase "Uni>ed States” ceased to mean a number of states federated for certain common purposes and came to signify cxxe grand national entity or unit. -Ftep Toward Fubtic Ownership There is matter for more than passing remark in the announcement that Cornelius Vanderbilt has been elected a director in the New York Realty corporation. This concern has a capital of 13,000,000 and is engaged tn the buying and improvement of real estate. Its command of almost unlimited capital and the presence of men like Vanderbilt, William F. Havemeyer, Henry Seligman. Oakleigh Thorny James Speyer, Charles Steele of J. Pierpont Morgan & Co. and Charles H Tweed in its directory mean that the same forces and economics of combination that have done so much for Industry in America are to be turned to the development and management of real estate in great cities. It also means that the best property la cities like New York and Chicago will gradually pass into the control of men of large wealth or corporations which can afford to improve it to the highest advantage to secure a moderate and certain return for the investment. If the scheme proves successful it win prove a step toward nationalisation of all land. Million a Wet( for Coff—. What Holland has done in the way of developing coffee culture in the island of Java will naturally attract the attention of capital in this country to the possibilities of this industry in our new Island possessions, says the Chicago Record-Herald. It also attracts public attention to the enormous consumption of the coffee berry in the United States. The fact that we are the largest consumer of coffee in the world and the heaviest Importer is certain to bring about an early ment of the coffee-raising possibilities of Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines. The coffee bill of the United States is over a million dollars a week. During the nine months ending last March the United States imported 617,344,000 pounds, valued at >45.218,000, a sum nearly >5,000,000 in excess of the value of the coffee imports of ths same months of the preceding fiscal year. Th* Cup 'Ractt. The Boston Herald, published in that section of New England where the yachting spirit is always at the highest pitch, says there is less interest shown this year in the coming conflict for the America cup than ever before, and that the same is true of the feeling abroad. This is not because of any doubt as to the sailing abilities of the contestants or because of any certainty that one or the other will win. Shamrock 11. is tn every way as good as Shamrock I. and probably the faster of the two. Of Herreshoff’s Constitution little is known, but It is believed it will be faster thee Columbia. Of Crowninshield’s Independent also little is known, but enough to indicate that the preliminary trials will be quite as interesting as the final races. That these will be close there ean be little doubt, and yet the interest in yachting circles is not so great as it used to be.

The Unanimous Banqueters.

Mr. Jefferson said in his first inaugural address: “We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all republicans; we are all federalists.’* According to President McKinley a somewhat similar state of things exists at New Orleans. He was at a banquet in that city at which were present the governor, the mayor and many other distinguished citizens of Louisiana, all of them democrats. The President, in the graceful and playful remarks made by him on this occasion, sought for, but could not find, the differences of opinion of the republican guests and the democratic hosts. So the President was able to discover a good deal of unanimity so far as he and his Louisiana friends were concerned. The discovery seemed to please them, for they laughed and applauded. There was an evening of “good feelings."—Chicago Tribune.