Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 140, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1904 — IN THE PUBLIC EYE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Peder Nlssen, who sacrificed his life in an attempt to roll across Lake Michigan in a strange craft of his own In*

vention, bad a record for deeds of daring. In 1900 hs twice shot the rapids of Niagara Falls in boats of his own make, and had he succeeded in the adventuro which cost his life hi* purpose was to make an attempt to reach the north pole. Nlssen was

bom In Denmark forty-three yean ago, but came to this country while ■ youth and was educated here. Hs was the Inventor of a number of novelties and labor-saving and once conducted a business college In Chicago. He was a graduate of the ludiana State Normal College at Valparaiso. The Rev. Wilson S. FritCh, lat* pastor of the Pilgrim church at Attleboro, Mass., will go on the stage. His first appearance will be in the character of Hamlet. The late Alexander Mayer-Kbhn, a Berlin banker, was the owner of on* of the largest autograph collections in the world. • • - General James H. Wilson, who has been appointed chairman of the inaugural committee} la a celebrated vet-

eran. For a long time he waa chief of the engineer corps, and previously had been in ebargeof river and harbor improvements on Lake Erie. From 1889 to 1893 he was superintendent of the West Point Military Academy, whence he was

graduated in 1860. General Wilson made a brilliant record during the civil war, being brevetted on several occasions for gallant conduct For a time he left the service and engaged In railway and engineering operations, but soon was reappointed. He was born In Southern Illinois in Setpember, 1837. Dr. Leo Vogel, appointed Swiss minister at Washington, will be the youngest diplomat of his rank at the national ca pita!. Verestehagin was at once the kindliest and the vainest of men. He loved newspaper notices.

Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis, Who has been appointed to serve on the Anglo-Ruasian North Sea commis-

sion at Paris, and who has accepted the position, won fame in the Spanish war as being the man to whom the town of Ponce, Porto Rico, surrendered. He was then in command of the gunboat Dixie. Rear Admiral Davis is a native of Masaa-

chusetts and was graduated from the naval academy In 1804. He has been connected with several expeditions to j determine differences in longitude. For a short time he served as superintendent of the naval observatory. Prof. Koch, at present in Paris, proposes to make Paris his permanent home. Ho will visit German South Africa on a government mission shortly. It Is stated that Drs. Ott and Hirsch, who attended the wife of Che Czar when the heir to the Russian throne waa born, | received $50,000 each. Miss Gertrude von Petzold, M. A., has accented a call to the Unitarian Church at Leicester, Eng. She la tha

flmt woman appointed to a pastorate in England, though woman ministers have been common in the United States for several years. Miss von Petzold Is said to be a very earnest speaker and extremely popular with her parishioners. This Indicates a rapid advance from the

theory of the daysuisa von petzold. of St. Paul, who said: “It is a shame for a woman to speak In church.” It also calls attention to the forward march of woman in every sphere of learning. The little band of English student* of the literature and history of Spain ha* lost one of its most brilliant member* in tbe death of Henry Butler Clarke. Ha was not 40 when he died. Sir Richard Sankel estimates that Ireland’s bogs contain the eqatval«*it of 6,000,000,000 tons of coal. Tbe story that Gen. Kurokl’a father was • Pole has been exploded. Koroki is an old Japanese name; it is derived from kuroi (black) and U (wood, or trw).

PEDER NISSEN.

GEN. J. H. WILSON

ADMIRAL DAVIS.