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EVENING LEPaER-PHIIjAPEkP&IA, BAlMJBDn iEPT EMBER 26 11)14.
EVENING fggfga LEDGER
PUDLIC LEDGER COMPANY
. crnus it. k. ctnvris. rauit.
Oto. W, Och. Beerelarrt John C Mrtln.Trurjrt
Cliarlts It. Ludtngton, Philip S. Collins, John B. Wll
tltm, Directors. .
EDtTOntAL BOAnDl
Ctucs II. It Ccbth, Chairman
r. n. Wit A LET EwutlvEjtnf
JOHN C. MAHT1K ..Gene rMtnesMn Br
fubllnhM dally. except 8undy at Pestlo I.kmri
Hullrllnir. Independence Square Philadelphia
LtPOM Cifiriut, Broad and Chtnut Btreels
AtiAVitc Cm Pre-Vnlon Building
NtiT York 1T0-A. Metropolitan Tower
CntoAuo 817 Home Insurance nulldlnr
London . , 8 Waterloo Place, Pall Mall. S. W.
NEWS BUREAUS !
Tumtaiciia BrmfAD.... Th Patriot Bii Id n
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Kiw Tour BtJKAU .......The TlmM Building
hiitlji ncmtj , 60 Frledrlchtra;o
London Beauu 2 Tall Mall East, S W.
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stmscntrrioN teiims
Vt carrier, Diir.r Onit, six cent By mall, postpaid
enuide of Philadelphia, except where foreign postage
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BELL, 8000 TfALMrT KFASTOF. M UN .1000
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rNTEBKD at ins rntt.iDF.i ritu roiTorrics a srcovp
ct.Aa hah. MAiTBn
rillLADELrillA, SATURDAY, StriEMUEn as, 191.
No Grab This Time: The Light Is On
THE loan bill calls for $400,000 with which
to purchase ground for the proposed Mu
nicipal Court buildings. The land Involved
Is scarcely one-fourth of what will be neces
sary If the whole scheme for palaces at the
taxpayers' expense goes through. Some In
terested gentlemen aro looking for Invest
ments. There wilt be rich pickings later on
If tho city can be dedicated to this adven
ture In so dubious a manner.
There Is a smell of graft In the entire en
terprise. The drawing elsewhere In the
Evi:n:.vo Ledger tells the story. If there
were any necessity whatever for abandoning
the excellent detention house already avail
able, if there were every reason for housing
r tflq Municipal Court In the manner purposed,
ordinary business sense would require con
demnation of the whole plot of land, not a
part of It
There was hurrying and scurrying to and
fro to secure the one vote necessary to over
ride the Mayor's veto. The full strength of
Penroselsm was brought to bear In behalf
. of this enterprise. The gang Is still at work.
It Is making ready to take Its profits. The
plum is almost ripe.
It Is a pity, with things going along so
nicely for the gentlemen with Itching palms,
that publicity should suddenly throw Its
broad glare on the whole Infamous con
spiracy. There Is nothing for those soldiers
of profit to do now, of course, except give up
Jn disgust. A footpad cannot work In com
fort when a policeman's gun Is against his
cheek.
hammer to tho new artist with tho now
message. As tn English critic has written!
In in u fir, In literature, In tho conduct of
life, our fathers used to build the tombs of
the prophets whom their fathers had stoned.
Now, even If a stone Is picked up. It drops
from the half-hearted tinners of the critic,
who does not know whether In a few da) a
he will not have become a disciple.
Too hasty, too violent criticism has turned
aside many a sensitive artist from tho ac
complishment of great things. It has never
deterred tho "bounder." Tho creatlvo life
of society depends on never-ending experi
ment. It must not be stilled; it must not be
hampered. Accept or reject, but do cither
with consideration. That Is what the critics
havo learned.
Highest Expression of Pcnroscism
THE highest expression of Penroselsm In
Pennsylvania Is tho Organization, which
has been Impeding and hampering the devel
opment of the city for so long that It has
come to be accepted by citizens, who do not
reallzo what a pack of cards It Is, as a Phila
delphia Institution. There Is no apologist
for this machine except among Its beneficia
ries. Indeed, ordinary citizens clscwhero arc
so -atlsfled with simple Americanism that
they would rldiculo tho Idea of substituting
for it In Washington the trickery and loot
which so often In Philadelphia have gone by
the name of government After an experience
with a mild form of Penroselsm In Wash
ington the nation repudiated It utterly. It
will not now take any part in a conspiracy
to revive the political sstem Penroselsm
I connotes. Pennsylvania can recover her
prestige and political Influcnco or she can
cut herself off from her sister States by lash
ing herself once more to a sinking and rotten
craft.
Put a Feather in His Cap
SENATOR Bt'RTON can well afford to bo
abused for his superb work in defeating
tho extravagant Harbors and Ulvers bill.
Undoubtedly many meritorious items were
lost, but the country congiatulatcs Itself
that still more unworthy ones were stricken
from tho measure. It Is not a good time for
"pork." It Is a period when national econ
omy Is Imperative. Senator Burton pre
vented a raid on the Treasury. Put a
feather In his cap for It.
Quick Revolution in Mexico
VILLA'S capacity as a general is great.
There seems to be no commander in
Mexico who can contend successfully with
him, nor any body of soldiers which can be
relied on to check his wild troops. Carranza
Is left in a position where discretion will be
the better part of valor. His courageous
stand against the demands of Villa marked
him months ago as a strong man. one likely
to take the bit in his teeth and awe even the
former bandit Into compliance with civil
edicts. On the other hand, Carranza, once
in the capital, has failed to distinguish his
personal fortunes from those of his country.
He has not clung tenaciously to the program
of the Constitutionalists There is nothing '
left for him to do but accept a compromise.
If Villa can be persuaded to yield at all now
that the die has been cast. But this will not
be a long revolution The result will be de
termined one way or the other within a few
months at the most
Another Hostage to Health
NO CITY can be too well supplied with in
stitutions where the most expert medi
cal aid can be had at reasonable cost. Tho
hospital, especially when of modern construc
tion, pleasing to the eye. as well as sanitary
and complete in all its necessaries, is vastly
superior to the average home. It gives bet
ter service: it promotes medical progress,
and It Is cheaper in the end.
The proposed new hospital, for which funds
are already accumulating. Is particularly de
sirable because of its probable location. Situ
ated near tbo boundary line of West Phila
delphia and Delitwaro County, it will servo
a distinct district. The overcrowded Univer
sity Hospital, the nearest to the east, is fully
four miles away, while tho closest Institu
tions In other directions aro from five to a
dozen miles distant In tho cuse of many
accidents anil sudden Illnesses, speedy access
to a hospital means everything
Calm of Gurniany
AM ERICA does not take kindly to milltarlim,
. Prusslantsm or any of the relics of tho
Dark Ages which seem to have drawn what
Is otherwise the most progressive, finely
cultured nation of Europe into the black dls.
aster of war That : only natural. Our
whole inheritance In gainst it. We stand
with Schiller, Goethe, Beuhfuen, not with
Von Kluk and Prince Frederick William.
But have we given Germany the benefit of
the doubt'' Hate wo believed the heat of the
land of the great poets, philosophers and
musicians of the 13th centur u 9 ony
"now that sober second thought is beginning
to draw from our minds the animus that was
natural u the first news of war. We aro
beginning to contrast the differing spirits in
which the combatants have ur.derrakon tho
Btruggle. We are learning more and mora o?
the petty hysteria thut funded England and
France with confusion worse confounded We
are discovering from returned tourists that It
did not extend to Germany Jt does much to
bring back sanity when v learn hat Berlin
proceeds on almost itt normal course, with
theatres open, trams running, ready moniy
for all and no moratorium We must at least
respect such signs of civilisation In the face
of world-wide vituperation and hysteria.
Stifled National Ideals
INTERNATIONALISM Is not a denial of
nationalism. On the contrary, It presup
poses the free and unrctarded assertion of
national powers and qualities. The race
hatred fostered in Russia, in German Poland,
In the Dual Monarchy, is merely tho logical
result of the stifling of national Ideals and
aspirations by oppression and despotism.
Thero can never bo peace in Europe, there
can never be an end to race hatred, until
every people, from the weakest to the strong
est. Is given an opportunity to assert its man
hood and In the light of freedom lay its
contilbutlons upon the altar of mankind.
There can be no Parliament of Man until
every nation learns the lesson of democracy
and self-government In a parliament of Its
own. If out of the holocaust in Europe thero
shall arise a ledistributlon of national ana
racial boundaries compatible with the aspira
tions of the people's yearning for emancipa
tion, the price of the achievement will not
have been too dear.
Making Ready the Leaven
THE cause may be war or bad business,
but the colleges report record enrol
ments. The auditorium at the University
was crowded beond its capacity during the
opening exercises. The State College was
compelled to refuse admission to more than
200 applicants. No country need despair
when Its educational institutions are flourish
ing. They are tho true foundations of pos
terity and prosperity. They make ready the
leaven. Industrial depression Is alwajs .i
passing phnse in the nation's progress, but
the uplift from education is continuous and
without interruption.
Rip Van Winkles in Citizenship
PRELIMINARY to the November balloting,
the better element in politics must always
face that deadly enemy, popular apathy
Ironically enough, it is nut the ranks of boss
ism that are blind to public duty. Their
registration lists will be full on October 3
full to overflowing It is the weakly-good who
barter their privilege for ease.
In an effort to bring out a big ugistratlon
a table has been prepared of tho number of
assessed citizens in 1913, the number who reg
istered on the three allotted days and the
number a full third who failed to register
and who thereby cast a silent vote against
the public good. If Penroselsm does not go
down to final defeat this fall, the blame can
b( laid at the comfortably closed doors of
the somnolent third. Theirs Is the power,
and theirs may bo the guilt.
Rewards of the Commonplace
,T V YOU want to go anywhere you have
i. to start from where you are," said Burke.
First steps aro us important as last steps
Starting from where one is involves a right
understanding of the commonplace.
A great motive invests every deed with
significance. Murillo painted "Angels'
Kitchen." The convent porter, faithful to his
humble duties, finds the kitchen filled with
angels, each doing a simple service. The
monk's vision wah his reward for ordinary
work well done. Commonplace tasks become
great achievements when performed with all
our might. The soldier dying In the trench
Is he not enrjual to the king on his throne?
To do common things in a perfect manner is
a truer sign of religion than to do great
things in an imperfect manner. Tho de
spised ordinary relationships of life may be
the rounds In the ladder that reaches to
the shies.
Captious Critics of Capable Artists
ONLY in such small matters as wars and
the fate of races are the American peo
ple grven to snap Judgments Everywhere
else, even down to fashions and the "movies,"
they are chary of quick vituperation They
have learned their lesson A few Wagners.
Ibsens and Darwlns, misjudged jet tri
umphant, have been enough. Now it Is the
ra.V4 or the foolish man who takes tho sledga
The Organisation looks a long way ahead
for itk profits
The area of Astatic exclusion does not In
clude the theatre of war.
Probing Penroselsm may he a good thing
for the Democrats but knifing It would be a
better thing for the Republicans.
Director Hurte, of the Bureau of Health,
wants IT9.0Q0 for the protection of the health
of the children of Philadelphia. To the ordU
napy citisen this would seem to he a. more
important project than the building of
palaces for a Municipal Court that does not
nee4 them.
The decision of the United States District
Court upholding the right of the city to
maintain the Parkway route throughout the
entire distance without taking immediate
phjsh-al posscsfcion of all the property in
volved is a great triumph for the citj A
contrary decision would have required the
Immediate expenditure of a great amount or
a i astly larger Investment later on,
PASSED BY THE CENSOR
METAPHYSICALLY speaking, Britain's
mental viewpoint Is best reflected In tho
"agony" or personal column of tho London
Times. At present, when tho land Is dis
tracted by war, tho column Is a verltablo
mirror of human emotions, running tho
whole gamut, from pathos to bathos; from
love messages to the salo of an auto. Most
often, "Brown Eyes" nppenrs:
I LOVE you, Rpeak. Yours, Brown Hcs.
Tho next day she spoko thusly:
BROWN EYES probably off shortly. Don't
phone me 118 till I let you know. B. E.
But she wns misunderstood evidently, as
tho following notice Indicated:
BROWN EYES, for whom Is your mesngo
meant? Be as explicit ns you can B.
But "Brown Eyes" wns not the only one,
for thero wero messages from tho front,
uncensorcd, and from tho heart:
LIEUTENANT J. McD. My heart Is with
you. JEAN.
ADA V. M Am still well and unhurt, dear
est. Every one In best of spirits and very
confident. All my love ARCH.
But we are not through with women as
yet, though this one Is of a different typo
perchnnce a militant:
DOCTOR'S WIPE, middle-aged, will under
take to perform the work of any tramway
conductor, coachmnn, shop nsslstnnt or
other married worker with children, pro
vided that worker will undertake to enlist
and fight for his country In our hour of
need. All wages earned will bo paid over
to tho wife and fnmltv. Apply Mrs Lowry,
1 Priory terrace, Kow-grccn, S. W.
Then comes a plea:
BOY, 7 months, son of officer going to war,
wants somo one, good family, to adopt
hlnii R. C. preferred. Box H 110, Tho
Times.
Thero aro many others, some begging for
funds for hospitals; othel slashing help to
obtain military equipment. One, extra long,
denounces Englishmen for staying homo at
their work Instead of getting themselves
carefully killed. And at the bottom of the
column we find:
TO THE CLEHGY Sermons supplied each
week. New, fresh, simple and drawing
lessons from the present war. Send for
full list and specimen, sixpence. Ouston,
43 Pago street, Westminster, S. W.
ON THE Isle of Capri, beloved by the mur
dered Empress Elizabeth of Austria, Is
an inn somo 50 years old, conducted under
the will of its founder, an artist of tho school
of intemperance nnd ill fortune. The will
provides;
"The charge a day. two bottles of red
Capri wine Included, shall never bo more
than six francs ($1.1-1). If any nttlst Is too
poor to pay he shall paint n picture on some
wall space, receiving all the accommodation
accorded those who pay the highest price.
If any German artist shall come to the inn
he shall be accommodated and shall lecelve
the amount of his fare to Germany upon his
promising never to return to Italy."
What grudge tho proprietor had against
German artists is not known perhaps ho
was ono himself!
&gylm
AMACHINE politician and an independent
-Ti-were discussing the Penrose candidacy.
"Don't you liko the way I'm dealing with
tho question?" growled tho machine man.
"I don't mind tho way you deal," retorted
the independent, "It's the way you shuffle."
LORD KITCHENER'S press censorship Is
mild compared to that exercised In 1663
by Roger l'Estrunge in London. Being placed
in charge by the Government, he advocated
a reduction in the number of master printers
from 60 to .'O, ordered periodic inspection of
print shops; closed their back doors and
issued an order that all prlnteis guilty of
even the slightest Infraction of his law bo
compelled to wear insignia of their disgrace.
But his special aversion was tho newspapers,
because "reading of them makes the multi
tude too familiar with the actions and coun
sels of their superiors, too pragmatical and
censorious and gives them not only an Itch,
but a kind of light and license to Le meddling
with the Government." He was so success
ful in suppressing newspapers that he elicited
the admiration of the Government, according
to contemporaneous accounts.
SARAH BERNHARDT is raging at the
nefarious Germans, but never again will
she be as Infuriated as she was once upon a
time, many ytais ago, when she visited
Vienna. At that time the Austrian capital
boasted of a wit named Saphlr, who edited
a weekly and wrote all of its contents. Then
Mme. Sarah was as thin as the proverbial
tall fence. The day she arrived Saphir's
paper contained tho announcement:
"An empty carriage drew up to the hotel
entrance and out stepped Mme. Bernhardt."
Tho actress threatened all sorts of dlro
things, but the worst was yet to come, for
when she announced that she was learning
to play the flutu Saphlr came back with:
' Mme. Bernhutdt is learning to play tho
flute In order to distinguish tho instru
ment, she has decorated it with a blue
bow."
But it was as an Impromptu wjt that
Saphlr shone Once, when ho turned a street
corner he bumped into a stranger.
"Donkey"' thundered the stranger.
"And MY name is Saphir," replied the wit
politely bowing.
ONCE upon n time an ex-President of the
United States and tho Governor of a
Middle West Stato wero taking luncheon at
the old Astor House in Now York city. The
country was anxious to know how the ex
President, who was soon to be renominated,
stood on tho free silver Issue But the tx
President was as silent us the grave, so
far as public utterance was concerned.
Nuvv it so happened that a reporter on an
evening paper had Ju received his salary
and In it moment of mental distraction had
decided to cat at tho Astor House. Fate
willed it that ho sit at the table adjoining
the ex-President, to whom ho was unknown.
"Suppos Congress should pass a free sil
ver bill, Mr President " asked the Governor.
"I'd veto It.'' thundered the ex-President,
bringing his list down n the table.
An hour later the newspaper on which the
temporarily rich reporter worked had an
extra on the street, announcing the ex-PresI
dent's attitude on the silver question.
And to the day of his death, the px-Presl.
dent suspected the Governor of abusing hl3
confidence.
RRADFORP.
CURIOSITY SHOP
"Pot wallopers," the idiomatic name for
dishwashers, was originally applied toaclafea
forming tho constituency of certain English
boroughs, or housekeepers considered suf
ficiently well established to boll a pot within
the limits of the borough over a fireplace
erected In the open air.
The phrase, "who steals mj purse, sttals
trash, ' is not original with .Shakespeare,
after all It appears originally in the "Horn
lly Against Contention," set forth In the
time of Edward I, which sjjs,
"For the ono taketh away a man's good
name, the other talteth away his riches, which
in of much lcs& value and estimation than his
good name."
The superstition that certain persons have J
tho "evil eye" has its strongest hold In Italy.
In Carnlola or Naples, or In fact In any part
of Italy. It you tell a farmer that his crops
aro good or his cattle fine, he will expecto
rate tit your feet to avert tho evil. It Is said
that once, When driving through Rome,
Plus IX, ono of tho best beloved of modern
Popes, looked up and smiled nt a baby In a
window. A llttlo while later the nurse
dropped tho Infant to tho streot. Ever after
tho superstitious looked upon Plo Nono as
the possessor of tho evil eye.
IN A SPIRIT OF HUMOR
The Tolnt of View
The days are getting short and dark, nnd
winter .time Is near,
The optimist Is filled with glee and Joy and
goodly cheer;
Ho does not havo to swat tho fly nor mow
tho weedy lawn,
And ho may sleep In pcacefulncss, for
'skeeters now nro gone.
But, nh! the peevish pessimist Is quivering
with Ire,
He must arise nt G o'clock to fix the furnace
fire;
Ho has to shovel snow and flt the doors with
weather strip,
And live In deadly terror of tho llttlo bugs
of grippe.
He hates the work he has to do, the cold ho
docs despise,
That thrills tho optimist to whom It's merely
exercise.
On the Right Track
A seedy-looking man walked slowly up to
the farmhouse.
".Madam," he said to the farmer's wife,
"may 1 chop somo wood for you? I'll do It
for nothing."
The lady looked nt him suspiciously. "Do
you bo ncedln' exercise?" She Inquired.
"Not exactly, madam. The only thing I
require Is that you lot me sit by tho woodpilo
nnd paint for a few hours. I nm nn artist of
the old school, and I have been commissioned
to do a futuristic Impression of an aeroplane,
1 wish to uso the woodpile as a model."
Slaimhlcr Ahead
And then Turkey may be superstitious, In
which event thero will be no Mohammedan
participation In the war until after Thanks
giving Day.
The Horrors of Peace
This Is a neutral land of ours;
No foe Is nt our walls;
But splto of all our vaunted powers
Niagara Falls!
Lines to the Hen
O most serene, O calm, prosaic fowl;
O Hen, thy laziness makes millions growl.
O barnyard bird, O dawdling, dowdy hen,
When shall tho laying mood seize thee again?
O loudly cackling and complacent bird.
By What elixir may thy blood be stirred?
Source of great wealth, so plain, so simply
plumed.
Each day we see cold storage eggB exhumed.
Each day wo hear thy queer, discordant cluck,
But find no egg as motive no such luck!
And so a nation waits upon thy will,
Or with the grocer runneth up a bill,
For eggs "fresh laid" by thee and thine. O
Hen;
"Fresh laid." the grocer salth aye, but
when ?
A Kara Avis
A worthy man
Is Thomas Wollcr;
He never wore
A rubber collar.
Boston Transcript.
A sturdy youth
Is Guy Geblatz;
He never wore
A pair of spats.
In 19 Till in to Suit Belief
The woman presidential candidate had
Just concluded the kevnoto speech of her
campaign.
Honi.se cheers fiom the multitude shook
the rafters of the big auditorium, and as
to the poor old welkin, It could ring no more.
An enthusiastic man, standing on a chair in
tho tear, threw away his hat and coat and
slapped a glum looking neighbor on the back.
"Somo speech," he yelled. "What?"
"Fair." said tho glum man, "but not the
kind that mother used to make."
One to Carry
Teachei Who knows what triplets are?
Bright Pupil I know, miss; it's twins and
one left over Boiton Transcript.
Where Vc Come In
When Europe wants peaco and a meal
ticket she will seo America first. Chicago
News.
All the Same in the End
Hotel Walter Come, sir, you really must
go off to bed, sir. 'Yawns.) Why, the
dawn's a-breaklng, sir.
Late Reveler Let It break and put It down
In the bill, waiter. London Punch.
An Ideal Match
"Aro they well mated?"
"Perftctlj. Sho's afraid of automobiles
nnd he can't afford one." Detroit Free Press.
In the War Zone
"Venus de Mllo Is In the Louvre's vaults
for fear of airship bombs." Naturally, being
unarmed, Wull Street Journal.
Till: VILLAGE OHACLi:
Old Dani Hunks be a.vs this town
Is jet the best on earth;
Ho says there ain't one, up nor down,
That's sut one half her worth;
He s.i theie ain't no otln r State
That's good as our'n, nor near;
And all the folks that's good and great
Is settled rlsht 'round here.
Says I, "P'Jor ever travel, Dan?"
' you bot I ain't!" siiys ho;
"I tell you what! Tho place I've got
Is sood cnoush for me."
He sayg the other parts 'a fools,
'Cause they don't vote his way;
Ho says the "feeble-minded schools"
Is where they ought tcr stuy.
If he was law, their mouths he'd Shut,
Or blow 'cm nil ter smash;
He says their platform's liothln' but
A great big mens of trash,
Says I, "D'Jor ever read H, Pan?"
you bet I oint!" euys he;
"And when I do well. I tell you
I'll lot ou know, by see!"
He says that all religion's wrong,
'Cept Just what lie believes;
Ho says them ministers belong
Jn Jail, the sane as thieves:
!In sujs they take the bieed Word
And tear it alt to shreds;
lie says their preuehlti's Jest absurd;
They're simply leatherheads,
Snys I. "U'Jor ever hear 'em, Darj?"
"You bol I ain't!" says he;
"I'd never go to hear 'em, no:
They nuko me sick ter see."
Some fellows rrokon more or less
fleforo they speak their mind,
Aril sometimes calkerlate er guess
But them ain't Dani's kind.
The Lord know all things, great or small,
With doubt he's never vexed;
He in bi vvUdom knows It all
Hut Pn I Hanks comes next!
-.d 1 How cl'er know ou're right?"'
How uu I know ?" soys he.
tit now, I vum, I know, by guru!
X'ia rlsut because I be."
Joaepli C. UscoUu
DONE IN PHILADELPHIA
MISS MARY E. PHILLIPS, of Boston,
who has been here for a few days In
preliminary research for her biography of
Poe, told mo that her life of Fonlmoro
Cooper, which she published last year, had
required seven years of travel rind research,
and that when the book was ready for tho
press it had cost, on an average, more than
$21 a pago. As there wero 400 pages In that
very excellent biography of the author of tho
Leatherstocklng Tales, tho reader who Is
quick at figures will nolo that It Is not
always a profitable undertaking to write a
book.
In tho course of a conversation I had with
Mlss Phillips sho made several remarks
about IJpo that surprised me. Probably tho
most astonishing waa that tho- Poo family
had declared to her that of all tho biog
raphies of tho author of "The Raven" to be
found on library shelves, not ono really was
authentic. Evldontly, wo shall havo to study
tho subject alt over again.
TlriSS PHILLIPS has mado authenticity
JLVJL her standard In biographical writing,
nnd sho assured me that not only will sno
bo able to correct many errors and false
Impressions about Poo that havo becomo
familiar, but at least one-quarter of her
book will be absolutely new.
Already she has travolcd from Maine tp
Virginia for materials. Sho has corresponded
with I do not know how many porsons who
are hclloved to possess untouched manu
script material, or pictures that are un
known, hut when I asked her when sho ex
pected to Issue tho book she ropllcd that
sho would Bpcnd threo years more on It.
I found sho appreciated tho Immense Im
portance of those flvo years of Poo's llfo
which the poet spent in' Philadelphia, and
she assured me that her present visit was
a mere reconnolterlng of tho field; that Bho
expects to return and spend a considerable
porlod here studying such data as aro avail
able only In this city.
DURING the period In which Poe was a
resident of this city, from 1839 to 1814,
virtually nil the work that recalls his namo
to famo was written. Those wonderful talcs,
Biich ns "Tho Gold Bug," "Tho Murders In
the Ruo Morgue" and "Tho Purloined Let
ter," to namo only a few", and his greatest
poetical work, "The Raven," wero tho prod
uct of Poe's pen while ho was a poorly paid
editor of Philadelphia magazines.
For the last year of Burton's Gentlemen's
Magazine Poe really was Its sole editor, for
Burton wa3 busy with his theatrical enter
prises. Poe not only edited the magazine,
but he wrote tho book reviews and an artlclo
or story for each number. When the mag
azino was combined with Graham's, Poe was
taken over with tho property, and was an
assoclato editor, reviewing books, writing
literary criticisms of popular authors, add
ing a tale now and then and writing an
occasional poem. In addition to this labor,
he .was occasionally asked to revise tho
poetical contributions of talented ladies who
could pay for the revision, and the writings
of some of these ladies wore found to have
deteriorated after Poe's death.
Ono of the impressions about tho poet
which seems difficult to eradicate Is that Poo
was a drunkard. Miss Phillips assured mo
that this Impression was a very wrong ono
nnd was not borne out by tho evidence.
Neither, she informed me, was it true that he
had died in a flt of delirium from drink, as
has been so often stated.
POE made many friendships during his
residence here; and there undoubtedly Is
a great deal of Interesting material about
this period of his life that awaits the Indus
trious seeker.
Unfortunately, there does not appear to bo
more than one residence of tho poet's re
maining that may have nny claim to the
attention of the investigator. This is tho
small back building to the house nt Seventh
and Brandywlne streets. Some claims have
been made for a building at 25th street and
Fairmount avenue, but without much evi
dence. It seems.
But there still may lie seen at the corner
of Moravian and Dock streets tho building
where Burton published his magazine while
Poo was his associate editor. Then, too,
there were until a year or two ago tho former
homes of Burton himself. One of these was,
and may still be, on Ninth street below Vine,
and the other on Thirteenth street north of
Rnce.
John Sartaln, who died about ten years
ago, when he was nearlng the century mark,
mentions In his book of reminiscences that
Poe lived for a time at Sixteenth and Locust
streets. Thero Is now, however, nothing
left of that frame house, for the neighbor
hood has Improved both in value and archi
tecture since 1839.
POE was also a frequent visitor to tho
homo of Henry B. Hirst, who lived in a
house that stood on Sixth street below
Chestnut, but wus effaced'in 1S6G, when the
Punuc LEDoen Building was erected on the
site. The old Fairmount Reservoir, where,
Just a week before his end in Baltimore, Poe,
showing signs of nervous strain and cxclto
mciit and, accompanied by Sartaln, spent
part of a night, has been transformed. Sar
taln went with the poet to quiet his fears of
assassination and to protect him against his
fancied dangers.
There seems to be little of Poo's Philadel
phia remaining, but what there is has not
nttracted tho attention it probably deserves,
for the city has cause to bo tumid of having
had tho poet for a citizen, even If It wus fur
only five years of his brief life.
GRANVILLE.
TIIK IDEALIST
Recently I ovei heard an Intensely Inter
esting conversation between n joung man
who appeared to be In tho middle twenties
and uu older man, whom I later found to bo
an eminent )jusinesH man of a largo Eastern
city.
The younger man was plainly despondent
and was freely unloading litis spirit upon
his elder companion. His progress, he said,
had been far behind the hopes und anticipa
tions of early jouth.
It was with a bort of disgust at the young
irum'S ravings that the meichant In n fovv
trite words laid down a simple cumnalgn
for him to follow. $
You say you've made no progress In the
last three years. Well, what Is three years!
Do you know, joung ellow, that If ou had
gone on stepping upvvaid each month of
these three eara our progress would
havo developed into nothing but u, monot
onous process? For one thing you wouldn't
be as aggrieved, or us spirited, about your
future as ou are today. You've got the
advantage over a guud many others of jour
age In that you reallj ure excited about It,
"When you go ba'K to jour desk this
afternoon so with the expectation of finding
some thing to do that will mean the llrst step
J
In a higher future. If you don't And It this
afternoon, look for It tomorrow mornlnir
But nover go to your desk without fully ex
pecting 'that your opportunity Is going to be
right there before you. For tho very minute
you decide that It Is not going to bo there
you nro doomed,"
Tho motive of tho advice was plain. The
merchant Had clearly brought out tho vast
difference between sitting around and wait
ing for opportunity and actively looking for
It.
Waiting Is a passive process; looking
means action, And action Is creative.
VlfeWS OF READERS
ON TIMELY TOPICS
Contrihutions That Reflect Public Opin.
' ion on Subjects Important to City,
Stntc'and Nation.
To the Editor of the Evening l,edaerl
Sir Now that "Gormanophobla" has some
what subsided, I should like to call the atten
tion of your readers to two fields of humnn en
dcavor In whlcit Germanj' has set tho world's
pace. They are architecture and tho theatre.
In Germany alone has there been a distinct
contribution to the art of publlo building Id
the last quarter ccnturj. She has evolved a
rare and beautiful new technique for the hand
ling of mnssccl stone and tenuous steel work.
German theatres, court, Stato and municipal,
as well us private ventures, havo similarly
pushed the technlquo of scenic production years
ahead of the rest of tho world, That Is why
Max Relnhardt's namo Is a byword for the
beautiful and the unlquo In the theatre. Is a
nation that has perfected two such arts, among
dozens more, barbarian? Are these arts to be
still further hampered In their spread abroad
by tho victory of the Allies? Both are ques
tions worth the attention of all Americans.
CARL BREMNER.
Philadelphia, September 25, 19H.
SALESGIRL PLEADS FOR CONSIDERATION
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir I nm a saleslady In ono of the largest
department stores In this city, and, noticing
that you publish letters In your paper, would
like to draw ydur attention to a certain matter.
I think that most salesgirls wilt agree with
mo when I eay that the thoughtless attitude
of women purchasers Is making llfo very hard
for us. These women treat us as If wo were
Borne piece of machlncrj. ordorlng us to show
them nrtlclo after article, when It Is qulto
obvious that they have not the slightest inten
tion of purchasing nnythlng. Combined with
this thoughtless attitude Is a good deal of In
civility. Why cannot women be more polite
and kindly toward working girls? A kindly or
appreciative word would greatly lighten the
day's ask, nnd would surely cost the woman
buyer but little.
A DISHEARTENED SALESGIRL.
Philadelphia, September 25, 1914.
LET THEIR NAMES BE SEEN
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir May 1 suggest that for the enlightenment
of unthinking voters you placo In some con
spicuous position as standing matter until after
election a list of Councllmcn who bold countv
or Stato Jobs and namo tho yearly pay of each?
Over It all let the caption bo "Good Republi
cans are we."
If tho apace required is too great for Its dally
appearance, how about several times a week?
It makrn one wenrj- to seo every effort work
ing toward business methods frustrated, not to
saj- an thing about downright stealing.
JOHN S. EVANS.
1915 North Camac street.
WASH FRANKLIN'S FACE
To the Editor of the Eicntng Ledger:
Sli I am glad to see the Evening LnnGBit
calling Philadelphia's attention to the shock
ing state of Ben Franklin's face. As j-our re
porter truthfully saj's, the head Is streaked
with tho weather, the waistcoat with what
might pass for gruel. Surely Philadelphia is
neither so povcrtj'-stricken oven with a Muni
cipal Court to paj for nor so shameless, as to
begrudge the small courtesj1 of a bath to so
eminent n man. F. K. L.
Philadelphia, September 25, 19ll.
ENGLISH HAVE THE ADVANTAGE
To the Editor of the Public Ledger:
Sir The English have the advantage because
they uso our language and wo print their
poems. If some of the stirring verse which has
been written in Germany could be published In
the I'nlted States so that overjbody could read
It. theic would be a very great change In opin
ion. We onlj got hc London point of view in
this countrj', and the London Journalists never
let anything get by that Is not favorable to
their cause. S. T. LEINBERGIL
Atlantic City, September 22, 1914.
GARLIC OBJECTIONABLE
To the Editor of the Public Ledger:
Sir There should be same lnvv forbidding peo
ple who have eaten garlic to ride on the sub
way until tho effects have dissipated them
selves. Last Sunday the odor was eo objection
able that 1 wns compelled to leave my seat and
walk to the front cat, where fresh air came
through. Can't something bo done about this?
3. T. VERNON.
Overbrook, September 22, 1914.
Down With the Dreadnought
From the Now York World.
When one submarine can sink three 12,000-ton
ships In 20 minutes, the forethought of tho
Get mans In keeping their dreadnoughts In forti
fied harbors becomes nppnrcnt. If big navies
cannot go to sea we shall not need them, for
they aro altogether too expensive to maintain
as meru ornaments.
King Cotton vs. King Coal
From the Detroit Free Frets.
To a man who Is figuring where next winter's
ten tons of coal nre coming from, that "buy a
bale of cotton" slogan sounds like sarcasm.
NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW
Whutover the truth of the charges leveled
nt Southern national banks by Secretary
MoAdoo, wo cannot but feel that his method
of making them was seriously ill-udlscd.
Baltlniuro News.
Tho National American Woman Suffrage
Association lias appropriated from its slender
fund $700 to buy one bale of 10-cent cotton
ill each of tho 14 Southern States. Fine
womanly helpfulness, sound economy, ad
mirablo politics! Winning hearts beats
.smashing windows. St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Tlioso self-constituted advisers of tho
I'rcsldont of tho United States who urge the
Chief Executive lo drop diplomatic repre
sentations und take some steps to compel'
tho contesting nations of Europe t put an
end to tho war should reallzo that beyond
tho usual methods of diplomacy thero Is no
way to petsuado the lighters to stop lighting
save making war on them from these shores.
Boston Post.
Tho order of tho Secretaiy of the Nav to
close the Marconi wireless station ut Sius
(unset. Muss., for violation of neutrality will
bo contested after a fashion In the courts.
Enfoi cement of neutrality In war is hardly
a judlclul function. If a court disagreed
with the C'ommander-ln-Chlcf, who would
execute its deeiecs..' Neutrality subjei t to
litigation would be belligerency and untiring
else. The Marconi people may as well sur
render gracefully. They will have lo sur
render anyvvaj-. Now York Wot Id.
So long as it Is regarded as good national
morals foi a countiy to bar othe. countries
tiade bj means of taillfs, theie is going to re
main a posslblo cause of wai. Uuntas i-'"
Times,
President Wilson is dolus a great thing lf
the country hi lib effort to muke Conrfrea"i
believe that "Atactica is o'leutei than y
party" The I'rtkblcnt may succeed in maki'i-i
tome ConKrotmeu believe thin, but b 14'"
never lie able to muke Tammany Halt believe
it Albany 1'icm.
bound tense and sound puulousni are i '
iilujtd in equal paits bj Prtsde-t Wil" '
ha reluses his consent tt a second term ""
dorsement y the New Jersey Democrats. M
York World.
il hi iniliii ill ft 1 1 il . -