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THE PITTSBURG DISPATCH, SUNDAY, JUNE 12, . 1892.
7
fa
TALES OFfflLOMBUS
Historical Dispute Oyer tlio
Lead Box in TOch. His
Dust Is Stored-
TIEST CHBISTM CITY.
Kew Versions of the Stories Told in
the School Histories.
SIGHTING LAND FROM THE SHIPS.
reproducing tie Caravel Which Carried the
Discoverer Here.
GOSSIP AFKOPOS OF THE WORLD'S PAIR
The birthplace of Columbus is, by general
consent, the city of Genoa, and the date in
the 12 months between March 15, 1446, and
March 20, 1447. Columbus died May 20,
150G, 386 years ago. In 1513 a marble tomb
was tardily built above his remains by Fer
dinand, who placed on it the inscription:
A Castiixa t a Leott
XtTEVO SlUHDO BIO COLOX.
Columbus remains were fated to cross the
Atlantic to the islands of tbe "Western
tropics, among which tbe most illustrious
years of his life were passed. Buried at
first in the convent of St Francis, Vallado
lld, they were taken to Seville, and in 1536
tbey were carried across the ocean to Santo
Domingo and placed in the crypt of that
capital's great cathedral. And now comes
a strange story concerning their history
with the last century.
Facing the central plaza is what is per
haps the most interesting building now
standing in -America the cathedral. It is
substantially built of stone and brick in the
form of a crocs, about 200 feet in length and
halt that in width. In its side chapels are
statues and memorials of worthies no one
ever heard of, and in one is the cross of
Santo Cerro. In a small, dark chapel, just
to the right of the chancel, at the feet of
the ghostlike recumbent effigy of an old
bishop, under a burning taper, is a low,
barred door leading into a dimly lighted
vault which contains all that is mortal of
Christopher Columbus.
Took the Wrong Bones to Havana.
There has never been any authentio rec
ord of where the remains were first placed,
and the same is true oi the asbes of his son
and grandson. If any ever existed it has
been destroyed or not yet found. Tradition
has always said that the coffin of Columbus
was deposited in a vanlt on the right of the
big nigh altar. In 1795, when, bv the
treat v of Basle, Spain ceded Santo Domingo
to France, the former reserved the right to
remove the national property, and nnder
this provision it was determined tn take the
dust of Columbus to Havana. On Decem
ber 11, 1795. a Spanish fleet appeared at San
Domingo citv to bear away the remains.
The A rchbishop indicated a vault on the
richt of the altar as that enntai' ing the
secred ashes. It was unmarked, and from
It was taken some slabs of lead, composing
what had once been a leaden box and some
human bones. There was neither inscrip
tion nor mart to show whose thev were
and the fleet sailed awav on December 20,
and placed in the Cathedral in Havana the
remains it had borne. These are facts easy
of substantiation savs the Boston Herald.
In Aueust, 1877, while some repairs were
being made in the Santo Domingo Cathe
dral, quite unexpectedly a vault was un
covered which was found tocontain a leaden
box, which proved, by its marks and in
scriptions, to be the coffiu of Luis Colum
bus. The tradition that the remains of the
Admiral had not in reality been removed in
1795 was remembereii, and a further search
was made. Two vaults were discovered,
with a thin partition wall between them.
One was empty, and the other contained a
small leaden cox which, on inspection,
seemed, by its inscriptions, to be the true
coffin of Columbus. Sea.s were immediately
placed upon the vault
Opening tlio It -a! Casket.
On September 10, in the presence of the
Governmental and ecclesiastical authorities
of Santo Domingo and ol the foreign Minis
ters and Consuls, the seals were removed,
and from the s.ault was taken a box made
of sheet lead, dull and tarnished with age.
Measurement showed it to be 1G' Inches
louir, 8Jg inches wide and 8U inches deep.
The top was secured by two hinges, one of
which was brocen. It" was in a fair state of
preservation. On beii g opened it was
found to contain 28 large and 13 small
pieces ot human bones. In the dust at the
bottom was discovered a small silver plate,
two screws and a bullet. Later the dust
was gathered into a small casket
On the lront was the letter C, on the end
on the left was the same letter, and on the
other end an A These initials are believed
to be those of the words: "Cristoval Colon,
Almirante" "Christopher Columbus, Ad
miral." There were many other abbreviations on
various parts of the precious box, leaving
no doubt as to its authenticity.
The presence of the bullet has always
been a mystery, but the theory has recently
been advanced" (and the argument has great
force) that this leaden ball is an additional
evidence ot the genuineness of the remains;
that it was received by Columbus during
the early part of his career, and was buried
in his body.
The Evidence or n Ballet
In one of his letters in the last yearof his
life he speaks of his old wound having
reopened. The small size oi the box
would seem to indicate that Columbus'
remains had been transferred to it when
they were removed from Spain to Santo
Domingo, 34 years after his death.
This curious and interesting box has been
thoroughly examined twice, and has stood
the criticism of 15 years, and no evidence
has been adduced to cast doubt upon its
genuineness.
It has been said that the final initial A.
In the inscription on the cover cannot
stand for America because the term was
unknown in 1506, when Columbus died.
Tnis i true, but it was used for the first
time only one year later, and appeared in a
number of maps between then and 1540.
It has been stated that tbe inscriptions
were fabricated. Assertion unsupported is
not proof, and the statement is its own
refutation. The inhabitants ot Santo Do
mingo are a purely agricultural people and
there is not skill enough in all the island
to create such a box as this.
The Academy ot History in Madrid has
pronounced tbe casket a fraud and affirmed
the genuineness of the Havana remains, but
It has produced no evidence, and its argu
ments will not stand a minute against the
bare facts of Santo Domingo.
THE POETEAIT OF COLUMBUi
It Was Engraved Ten Years After Bis Death
bat Is Probably Accurate.
There are numerous paintings of Colum
bus, but the one that is entitled to respect,
although not to be considered authentic, is
Jovius' Columbus. A wealthy Romanist
named Jovius built a villa on Lake Coma,
and adorned 't with a gallerv of portraits ot
those who had made the age famous. He
included one ot Columbus.
The Admiral had been dead ten years,
however, befoie the picture was engraved.
and, therefore, it is a matter ot speculation I
wnetner the artist, whose name is
not I
Known, was or
was not nersonallr me-
qaainted with
,,
traits in Jovius'
is probable that the
of equal merit.
one of Columbus was
FIRST CHRISTIAN CITY.
Founding of Isabella and the Monument to
He liaised There A I'atriotlo Boston
ian Enterprise Colnmbnt Was a Poor
Governor The Cathedral.
Columbus' first colony LaNavidad was
destroyed and on December 7, 1493, he
sailed from its desolate port to reach a new
site. Adverse weather forced him into the
harbor of Monte Cristo, about SO miles
away, and, considering this place advant
ageous, he immediately selected a site for
another settlement. This was the founda
tion ot the first Christian city in the New
"World. To it Columbus gave the name of
Isabella, in honor of his royal patron.
Streets and squares were immediately pro
jected, a church and public storehouse and a
residence for the admiral were arranged.
These were built of stone, private houses
were constructed of wood, and preparations
at one begun for a well ordered city.
As a discoverer Columbus stands without
an equal As a governor he was, perhaps,
one of the greatest failures that history has
yet produced, and it was little wonder that
the colony of Isabella was in a state of
riotous discord from the time of its founda
tion. It is strange that during the 400 years
that have passed since Columbus established
his colony at Isabella it hat occurred to
none to commemorate the fact that here our
Christian civilization had its origin. The
walls of the rude sanctuary have been suf
fered by generation after generation to
crumbleinto almost indistinguishable ruins,
and while almost everything else connected
with the great explorer and the fruits of his
exploration bas been made sacred, no atten
tion has been paid to this, in some respects,
most worthy footprint in his entire path
way. But now, as the round of celebration in
his honor is about to begin, an effort is being
made to fittingly mark the spot A colossal
bronze statue will shortly be planted in the
ruins of the little church at Isabella the
first building erected by Columbus in .the
New "World. The discoverer is represented
in an attitude of sublime exaltation and de
votion, his face upturned to tbe Deity, tbe
right hand pointing to the point on the
globe occupied by Isabella, and the left
hand extended heavenward as if imploring
a blessing upon the event in the world's
history which ranks second in importance
only to the coming ot our Savior. This
statue is to be erected within several
months, thus taking the precedence in point
of time of all the great and showy com
memorations planned for the anniversary
year.
It was hoped that the dedicatory oere
monies might occur at Isabella on the 17th
ot June, the anniversary of the delivery to
Columbus by Ferdinand and Isabella of his
letters patent to the "Western continent,
which bear the date of April 17, 1492. The
time, however, necessary for modeling,
casting and finishing the statue will now
delay the departure of the expedition some
weeks. The enterprise is Bostonian, and
Bostonians take no little pride in being
thus able to lead in theNew World celebra
tion. This statue, tbe cost of which is to
be $10,000, is now about ready for casting.
Tbe designs of both statue and pedestal
were made by Mr. B. Andrew, under the
direction of Prof. George Jepson, at the
Massachusetts Normal Art School. The
sculptor, Alois Buyens, of Ghent, is now
putting the finishing touches to his model.
MESSAGES 8EHT ADKIFL
Columbus' Action to Preserve His Fame
Daring the Retarn Trip Storm.
School histories are correct in the story
of the sealed messages to tbe world sent
adrift by Columbus during his voyage home
after his great discovery. Happy in the
thought that they would soon sight land tbe
mariners saw the sky suddenly overclouded.
A storm soon burst with fearful violence.
Their small vessels were tossed like corks
on the angry seas, and two days later an
other tempest broke upon them that exceed
ed in fury anything that Columbus had ever
seen before. It was a frightful waste of
antrry, wild waters lashed by the fury ol a
tremendous gale.
Tbe helpless ships were driven before this
mighty tempest until even the stout heart
of Columbus began to fail. The supersti
tious sailors thought their last day had
come, and with the custom of their times,
tbey immediately made vows of penitence.
They promised, in the event of their safe
deliverance on land, they would make pil
grimages to the shrines of their favorite
saints. Lots were drawn for a representa
tive of tbe crew to make those pilgrimages,
and it is a singular fact that Columbus in
ariablydrew the marked number. Super
stitious as he was beiore as to his own" di
vine preferment, these omens only con
firmed his belief.
As the storm grew more violent he re
signed himself to his fate, but his greatest
anguish was the thought that, should his
vessel perish, his discoveries would be un
known to the world. Under these difficult
and trying circumstances he wrote a briet
account ot all that had occurred, and en
closing the manuscript in wax, he sent it
adrilt in a cask. A second account was
placed in a cask on the poop of his vessel,
so as to be washed away in case the vessel
sank. These precautions in some measure
mitigated his anxiety, and he was still fur
ther lelieved when, on the morning of the
15tb, the wind had moderated and the mar
iner in the top gave the glad cry ot land.
It proved to be the island of St Mary's,
and after doing penance at the church on
shore, he again set sail.
FIEST SIGHT OF LAND.
History Clouded to Whose Eye First
Bested on the New World.
"Who first saw land is a question that will
never be known, although the reward was
claimed by Columbus and given to him,
says the New York Herald. It was arranged
that when land was discovered on any of
the ships a gun was to be fired to notify the
others. The crews were beginning to be
mutinous, and demanded that Columbus
alter his course and return to Spain. He
feared an open revolt, and agreed to do as
they desired if land was not sighted during
the next three days. The eager, discon
tented sailors frequently mistook clouds for
land, and guns were booming several times
a day, to the great disappointment of the
commanders. A penalty was therefore im
posed upon a false alarm. On the night of
October 11 the situation was becoming
desperate, owing to the dissatisfaction
of the crew. As darkness advanced
Columbus mounted tbe poop of his vessel
and peered into the darkness. It was 10
o'clock. His eager eye detected a glimmer
ing light in the distance. Fearing that he
deceived himself, he called Pedro Gutier
rez, a gentleman of the King's bed cham
ber, and inquired whether he saw the light;
the latter replied that he did. Rodngo
Sanchez was next called, but he could not
see it, lor by that time it was invisible, ex
cept at irregular intervals, to tbe others.
Columbus, however, felt certain that land
had been seen, and that it was inhabited,
because of tbe presence of the light, tnough
the gun was not fired, owing to"the uncer
tainty of the others.
At 2 o'clock in the morning a gun from
the Pinta proclaimed the discovery of land.
It had first been seen by Rodrigo de Triano,
a mariner. A coast was clearly visible six
miles distant, and all sail was shortened.
Subsequently Columbus obtained the re
ward, although Triano claimed it with bit
terness until the end ot his life.
THE STORY OF THE EQ9.
Historians Clin; to It bat There Is No
Confirmation to Be Had.
It was during the festivities at Barcelona
in honor of Columbus that the -story of the
i;oiumDus. xne otner por- possible to verity it. It is said mat uo i urn
s' gallery were good, and it bus was invited to a banquet. A jealous
' pfi Is inserted in history, although it is im-
...
guest abruptly asked him whether in case
he bad not discovered the Indies there was
not a man in Spain who would have been
capable of the enterprise. ' Columbus took
an egg and invited the company to make It
stand on end. After all had attempted it in
vain he struck it upon tbe table so as to
break the end and left it standing.
"Thus," he cried, "you can all do It after
you have been shown the way."
HE CLTOO TO HIS CHAIS5.
The
Exp'orer Kept Them aa Mementos
and Had Them When He Died.
It was Bobadilla who first put Columbus
in chains. Power intoxicated him, and he
soon set up a tyranny in the New "World.
As a fitting conclusion to his shamefnl
abuse of power, he ordered the arrest of
Columbus and his incarceration in irons.
The severity of this order caused a revolu
tion in the minds of tbe people, but, with
great shrewdness, Columbus submitted with
apparent meekness, yet it must have been
appaient to him that this last act would
hasten Bobadilla'a downfall, as it subse
quently did.
During the period of his imprisonment
Columbus greatly feared for his life, and it
was a welcome day when he was condncted
on board of a caravel to be returned to
Spain. The master of the ship treated him
with every mark of respect and veneration,
even suggesting the removal of the irons to
give him greater ease.
"No," replied Columbus, "their majesties
commanded me by letter to submit to what
ever Bobadilla should order in their name;
by their authority he has -put npon me
these chains. I shall wear them until! they
shall order them to be taken off, and I will
preserve them afterward as relics and
mementos of the reward of my services."
He kept his determination, and the
chains were always by his side. "When he
died he requested that they might be buried
with him. In the famous picture of tbe
deathbed of Columbus these chains are
painted as hanging on the wall near his
couch.
THE BOAT IN WHICH HE SAILED.
Reproduction of (he Santa Maria for Ex
hibition at Ihi Fair.
An officer of the United States Navy is
now in Spain superintending the construc
tion of a caravsl whicn is to be a fac-simile
of the ship in which Columbus made his
first voyage of discovery, says the Youth' i
Companion.
It is to be equipped after the style of the
original, and manned by Spanish sailors
dressed in the costume of the fifteenth cen
tury. It will be completed and brought to
the "United States in time to participate in
the naval review at New York in April,
1893.
On the termination of the review this ves
sel will continue her way through the lakes
to Chicago, where she will be moored off the
Franciscan Monastery ot La Babida; or
rather offa reproduction of that hallowed
shrine, where, 400 years ago, the good father
Juan Perez, confessed Don Cristobal Colon
and his fellow adventurers. After the ex
hibition which is to close October 1, 1893,
the vessel will be sent to Washington, to
be permanently moored in the Potomac
south of the Executive Mansion.
The Santa Maria for such was the name
of the flagship of Columbus will be as
faithfully reproduced as the most careful
studies in naval archeology can secure.
From her tall masts will fly the great Ad
miral's flsg, as well as the yellow royal
standard ot Castile, whose sovereign, Isa
bella, contributed so largely to tbe success
of the first voyage.
T0SCAHELLO HELPED COLUMBUS.
A Florentine Doctor's Belief That tbe
Earth Whs Bnond Was an Inspiration.
It was during Columbus' residence at
Portugal tbat the revival of learning In
Europe, caused by the discovery of the
printing press, began. Toscanello, a Flor
entine doctor, advanced the theory that the
earth was round, and that there was a west
eilr route to India. In 1474 Columbus
I- wrote to this Florentine scientist, and an
extended corresnondence took place
between them. Toscanello was at this
time nearly 77 and a firm be
liever in the sphericity of the earth,
says the St Louis Globe-Democrat
The story of Atlantis was a favorite one
with Columbus. It was supposed to be an
isiana situate i in ine western ocean,
directly across from the straits of Gibraltar,
and, according to Plato, there was an easy
passage from it to other islands, which lay
adjacent to a large continent exceeding in
size all Europe and Asia. The works of
Marco Polo, the Venetian voyager, who
bad successfully reached China overland,
also caused excitement among the Medi
terranean navigators. China was then
known as Cathay, and it was the common
belief that there lay near this great country
a large island known as Cigango. It was
said to aboundin riches, and it was this
island of Cigango that Columbus desired to
reach.
It is probable that the letters of Tos
canello made a greater impression on the
mind of Columbus than any other informa
tion he possessed.
SI0SY OF THE ECLIPSE
How Colombo! Worked the Savages for a
Good Supply of Food.
In the spring of 1503 Columbus met with
great misfortune on the coast of Veraugua.
He was charmed by the beauty of the
scenery and the luxuriance of the foliage,
andto this date his descendants bear the
title of Dukes of Veraugua. But he was
unfortunate there both on account of famine
and storm. It was here that his great tact
and knowledge of astronomy saved bis little
baud of laithlul followers. When his stock
ot provisions was exhausted he was in de
spair. Suddenly he hit upon the plan
of turning to practical advantage the
eclipse that would occur within a few
nights. The Indians were summoned
onboard the caravel to a council. Columbus
addressed them briefly and explained that
God was displeased because of their refusal
to supply the ship's crew with food, and
that he would manifest his displeasure by
obscuring the tsce of the moon.
At first they laughed at him, but sudden
ly the shadow of the earth b?gan to creep
over the face ot the moon. Instantly there
were dismal howls from the terrified sav
ages, and they besought the intercession of
Columbus. Alter remaining in his cabin
until it was time for the passing of the
eclipse, Columbus informed them that thoir
supplications had been answered and that
they were restored to heavenly favor. After
tbat there was no scarcity of food.
A EELIOIOUS FANATIC.
Colombo Hoped to Send an Army to Bes
cne the Tomb of Christ.
From the earliest known of Columbus it
was evident that he was deeply religiSuB
in fact, what would be called in these times
-a fanatic. He believed that he was des
tined to open a new route to the gold-laden
Indies.
Prompted by a religious zeal that became
a mania before his death, this extraordinary
man imagined he was predestined to rescue
from the infidel the sacred tomb of Christ,
and it was his avowed purpose to devote the
greater part ot his gains by discovery to the
equipment of an ariny of crusaders. He even
made vows to send a large body of loot and
mounted soldiers into the Holy Land as
soon as his means would permit
The White Man's God.
Although imbued with lofty aspirations,
Columbus' main object was to obtain enough
gold to reimburse the royal exchequer for
the money spent in equipping the expe
dition. So zealous in his search did he be
come that a month after his landing an
Indian ran to the Spaniards one day, hold
ing up a small piece ot gold and exclaimed
excitedly, "See, the white man's god." And
the poor savage spoke the troth.
WITH PLANEAM) SAW.
How Forbes Street Pupils Have Spent
a Year in a Workshop.
PEETTT ARTICLES THEY PASHIOK.
The Girls Are Not a Sit Behind the Boji in
the Use of Tools.
IMPROVED EYESIGHT IS 0KB RESULT
rwsrrrxK fob the dispatch.i
P to a few years
ago there was
nothing in the
publio school
system of Amer
ica but book
study, pure and
simple. Calis
thenics was
afterward intro
duced as a sim
ple form of phys
i c a 1 culture.
This was a step in the right direction, but
was found to be inadequate. y
If there were more bodily training in the
schools, there would be fewer orders for
physicians to "take your child out of
school, be, or she, has too much studying to
do;" fewer puny systems and cases of
curvature of the spine. Colleges and
many private schools are now provided
with gymnasia, but to provide physical
training for the several millions of public
school children is no easy task. The home
duties and outdoor life of the country boy
or girl bring the muscles into play, but city
children haven't such advantages. Educa
tors of long ago wished that bodily work
could go hand in hand with intellectual
culture.
The Model Cane From Sweden.
Industrial institutions have been estab
lished in connection with the schools of
other cities, but at enormous costs. Usually
tbey have been the gift of some benevolent
person, but as every city has not a philan-
aKj
Ml&
ft?
Itxir Hands Making the Shavings Flu.
tbropist, the prospect of having manual
training in our public schools was meager.
Now that the economio industrial system of
the Swedish nation is known, educators
look to it as the manual training ot the
future in the schools of America. This
system is known as the Sloyd system. Its
object is not to make artisans of the pupils,
but to discipline them. It aims at the train
ing of the hand and eye, tbe inculcation of
habits of order and industry, and the bring
ing out of certain mental faculties, but
above all the increxse of physical strength
and endurance, for the exercises bring every
muscle of a child into action.
Pittsburg educators saw tbe need of man
ual training schools, but were in the dark
as to how they could be secured until Su
perintendent Luckoy heaid ot the Sloyd
system and recognized its value. At his
solicitation an experimental Sloyd school
was started at the Forbes building last Sep
tember. Its success has been most flatter
ing. Already the Fortieth street school
directors, Seventeenth ward, have asked to
have a Sloyd room fitted up at their build
ing, and others wish to follow. The full
Sloyd course runs two years.
A Peep Into the Workshop.
So with saw or plane in hand, surrounded
by piles ot shavings and bits of wood, 13
pupils, who represent the number in each
class, are busy everv day in a large room of
the basement of the Forbes school, where
the initial Sloyd school of Pittsburg is sit
uated. To a visitor it is a veritable work
shop in appearance, for it always has its
concomitants of noises of hammers,grating of
sandpaper and clash of chisels. Arranged
near the windows in a row are 13 cabinet
benches. Suspended from the frame of each
are the plane, chisel, saws and tools most
frequently used, while those not so fre
quently used hang from pegs at either end
Miss Essllius, the Teacher.
of the room. A grindstone and a long row
of tall cases, receptacles for the finished ar
ticles, constitute the outfit of the room. The
cost of furnishing is about $250.
Here 156 pupils are weekly taught the
use of tools, 104 ot them divided into eight
classes, passing from the Forbes school,
rooms to the workshop for one hour and a
quarter twice a week. Then on Friday 26
boys of the High School and 26 girls of the
Normal department receive instruction. On
the 24th ot June these pupils will conclude
the first year's course. This means the
making ot 18 models, which range from a
simple flower stick to the intricate con
struction oi a small wheelbarrow. In this
range are hatchet handles, paper knives,
knife boxes, brackets, keyboards, f ootrests,
towel rollers, hammer handles, pen trays
and butter spades.
Fopalar With the Pnp!!.
The pupils are constantly asking per
mission to carry the finished articles home
for they are proud of their work. At the
end ot each term tbe pupils are given all
the articles they fashioned and each article
is labeled with tbe maker's name.' Pine,
cherry and poplar are used. So interested
are the pupils in their work that they are
unconscious of a visitor's presenoe, and
MifeUi q
iVWMELlJ
all
mil
' - -
there have been nearly 500 of. them this
year. Tardiness and absence are unknown
at the Forbes street workshop. On gloomy
days when carving is the programme the
papils will be found with the articles on
the window sills instead of the benches and
each has a tiny tool, the "veiner," with
which he traces the delicate founda
tion lines for the ornamentation of
the model he has in hand. One
wonders at seeing them at work, but the
thoughtful Swedish nation has solved
the problem of preserving the eyesight, a
problem growing more important each year
in the estimation of American educators.
The constant poring over books in
American Bohoolhouses is, they say, weak
ening the eyes.
The carving of the Sloyd course, and, in
fact, the work all through, is especially
I l?v
ftftfthllnntf J
""M"ii 1
A Sketch in Uie Worlalirp.
strengthening to the eye. Miss Elm
Esselius, who has charge of the Sloyd
school at the Forbes building, states that
eyeglasses are almost unknown in Sweden,
and quaintly remarked that perhaps it is
because the Swedish people do not have
them. "When the classes at the Forbes
school were first formed, one of the boys who
wore glasses was noted for his poor work.
Now all is changed and he produces articles
equal to those of the best in the class.
Devising Exercises for (he Eyes.
"We have so far progressed with physical
exercise that nearly every organ of the body
is benefited, with the exception of the eve.
So the savior of his country will be he who
will reveal to us exercise to help this
organ. A city educator suggests that such
a training seems feasible. He thinks that
looking alternately at objects at long and
short distances and similar exercises would
strengthen tbe eye. Glasses seem to be
gaining ground as a part of the American
make-up.
The girls of the Normal School last Sep
tember were as awkward with tools as the
boys would be with needles, but now the
jrjrls produce articles remarkable for their
hnish. These are usually models calculated
to awaken interest in the household. The
original Swedish models have been changed
to accord with those in use in American
homes. The Pittsburg boys are now manu
facturing stilts the only large piece of
work in the course. From'long, rough pieces
of board the boys shape an octagon with the
plane. Then the toot rests are made and at
tached. The girls have a choice of articles.
They usually prefer to make a bracket
rather than a'batchet handle.
The home of the sloyd system is Sweden.
but now there are such, schools in a number
of American cities. The Swedish name is
"slojd," but it has been anglicized to
Sloyd. There is difficulty in getting an
exact definition for the term "slojd" the
nearest approach probably being "skill in
handicraft"
Its Introduction In Amerloa.
The introduction of the system in
America dates from the visit of an Amer
ican jauy iu Dwenen iu 000. Cane, tone a
course of sloyd, and recognized its import
ance as an educational factor in the mental
VjOfttKX. fcARRGv
Some of the Ar'icles Produced.
development of children. In 1887 a class
was established in the normal college of
New York. Since then there has been
great demand lor a more thorough knowl
edge of the system, and now every summer
students wend their way to this Scandi
navian country for instruction. There are
many sucn schools, but the onethat has at
tracted the most attention is at
Naas,. where students do not seem
wholly in a foreign country, for
over each bench floats the flag of tfie coun
try from which the occupant hails. There
the Stars and Stripes, the Union Jack and
the pennants of South American countries
can be seen side by side.
Miss Esselius, on her visit home last sum
mer, counted the flags of 13 different nations
at the Noaas school. The institution was es
tablished and dedicated by a wealthy He
brew, August Abrahamson, whose benevo
lence is bearing good fruit in nearly every
part of the globe. So keen is his interest
in the Echool that every day he is there to
watch the progress of the students who
profit by his public spirit
We Bad Swedish Teachxrs First.
At first native teachers of Sweden were
at the head of the sloyd schools ot Ameri
ca, but for the last two years manual exer
cises have been introduced into a number of
normal schools, and at Chautauqua last
summer this course was introduced, so that
soon there will be sufficient American
teachers to fill all the places.
I find from correspondence with superin
tendents ot large cities, such as New York
and Boston, that Pittsburg is the only city
where the Lloyd system is to be a definite
part of publio school instruction. When
the system is thoroughly established, as it
has every prospect ot being, each pupil will
receive training at the bench just as he re
ceives his lessons in arithmetic. Pittsburg
beiug such a great industrial center, it is
very appropriate that manual training
should form a feature of this city's educa
tional work.
Miss Elin Esselius is a native of Sweden
and has taught near Boston and at the Cali
fornia State Normal School. Her sister is
an instructor of the same line of work at
Gothenburg, Sweden. Miss Esselius is now
busy carving a piece of maple, 20 inches
square, lor the "Woman's Department ot the
"World's Fair. It will be used either as a
panel or have a place in the wainscoting.
The design is ot dragons in relief. Miss
Esselius will pay another visit to Sweden
this summer and will learn tbe latest devel
opments in the system which budded and
bloomed in her fatherland.
Katie Evans.
The Speech Had No Effect.
rblUdelphia Ledger.
The adherents of Governor Hogg, at
Breniond, Tex., arranged a political meet
ing to be attended by Poles. A Pole was
gotten to speak in his native tongue, and
the effect was not what was expected. At
the close of his speech he said that he had
been paid to make a speech, and his hearers
"needn't believe a word ot it"
Q jW
"VoYitU HACVC
THE LITERARY DRIFT.
Washington Is Drawing Heayily on
the Glory of Proud Boston.
HOW GATH LIVES AND W0EKS.
Distinguished Women Who Got Their In
spiration at the Capital.
HELLO BELL AND 0THEE NOTABLES
rcoBBxsroxDixcB or thi disp.a.tch.1
Washington, June 14. Boston's nose
is Irretrievably broken. Minerva and her
troupe of blue stockings will continue for a
while, in spite of the nasal fracture, to re
side there and thereabouts, as cats haunt
saored fanes, but the center of literary pro
duction threatens to be permanently trans
ferred to Washington. The capital is al
ready more prolific of hooks, even books of
a miscellaneous and general character than
any other American city, and here reside
many of the best-known authors, and here,
about to be sheltered in a magnificent tem
ple of gray sandstone, is the largest library
in this country, of 700,000 titles.
Great poets and historians have always
been attracted hither. The beat-known
poet of America's first quarter of a century,
Joel Barlow, lived here at "Kalorama" and
here he finished and published America's
first and longest, if not most brilliant epic,
the "Columhiad." Here, during the first
decade, wrote Philip Freneau and William
Wirt, the most successful poet and historian
of their times. Here, a generation later,
sojourned N. P. Willis, and here at his
little table at the window of the Washing
ton Club, later the Seward mansion and
now the property and residence of James G.
Blaine, he made those dashes at life with a
free pencil by which he won his greatest
popularity. His son, Bailey Willis, is now
one of the expert specialists of the United
States Geological Survey, and is an enthu
siastic investigator and a writer of force.
He has much of the affable and attractive
manners of his father.
tSoms of the Notable Poets.
The war for the Union caused an effer
vescence of literary elements. I remember
going down to the lunch table in the
Treasury Department in 1864, and meeting
there, assembled by accident, Walt Whit
man, W. D. O'Connor, the novelist. Ed
Stedman, now the banker-poet, John Fier
pont, the reform poet, and John J. Piatt,
now our Consul at Cork, who has turned off
several volumes of good verse since then.
In that 6ame Treasury Department. Maturin
M. Ballon was a clerk for five years, and
went thence to the editor's sanctum.
Ten years before the war the most popular
and widely-read American novel was given
to the light here, "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Ana JJr. uauev, ot the national Era, in
which it appeared, seems to have made his
home a kind of hotbed of feminine genius.
At least four of the best-known and most
productive literary women of this last gen
eration began their work here Mrs. Stowe,
Gail Hamilton, Mrs. E. D. E. N. South
worth and Mrs. Sara J. Llppincott, "Grace
Greenwood." Let me tell you a word about
it: Mrs. Stowe lived ud in Maine,
where her husband was a professor in
Bowdoin. Dr. Bailey had read some
of her fugitive sketches, and know
ing she was poor, he one day
sent her $100 and said, "Come, write me a
short anti-slavery story for the Era." She
began the "short story," which so extended
tbe circulation ot the Era that she lengthen
ed and lengthened it until it became"Uncle
Tom's Cabin." "Grace Greenwood" was at
that time a governess in Dr. Bailey's fam
ily, and there she, too, began to write for
the Era, showing something of that sympa
thy with childhood and high and wholesome
sentiment which afterward blossomed out
into a score of books.
The Gall Hamilton of To-Day.
I believe Mary Abigail Dodge, better
known as "Gail Hamilton" (because born
in Hamilton, Mass.), succeeded "Grace
Greenwood," for she was governess in Bai
ley's family for several years, and there also
first learned the graceful magic of the pen.
She has produced, I believe, 30 books in
all, and besides her output ot ironical
pleasantry, has been charged with some
sharp and satirical writing of which she was
notguilty. She lives here now in the fam
ily of Mr. Blaine, writing occasionally, but
giving most of her time to pleasantsocial
uties. She is no longer the slip of a girl
who taught the young idea how to shoot
among Gamaliel iiauey s children, but a
very matronly person, indeed.
The other of Dr. Bailey's protegees,
somewhat known among the irreverent girls
as "Alphabet Southworth," had already
suffered from an unfortunate marriage when
she began to write "Retribution" for the
Era. The man in the case was Fred South
worth, of New York; he ran away a year or
two alter his marriage, and has never been
seen since. Mrs. Southworth could not get
a divorce for desertion under the laws of
the District, and a special act of Congress
was passed to enable her to free herself from
the cruel rover's name. But she never took
advantage of it She was teaching in a
public school in Washington when she first
attracted Bailey's attention, and her first
earnings with her pen were very small, in
deed. Sirs. Soafhworth'a Eagle's Nest.
Mrs. Southworth was born in this city,
and her present borne is a kind of eagle's
nest on the banks of the Potomac high
above Georgetown, in a lifty, quiet villa,
many-sided and many-gabled, and much
balconied, commanding an extensive view
along the valley and over the town. For
15 years Bonner paid her 8.000 a year be
sides giving her the copyright ot all her
books, some of which passed through in
numerable editions and were presented on
tbe stage. The old lady is in prime health,
her sight and hearing are good, and she
walks about and calls upon her friends with
out effort She ceased hard work about ten
years ago when she' was 64, and that year,
in counting up her productions, found that
she had written exactly 64 novels. She has
two children, and enough grandchildren to
fill a couple of carta
Mrs. Lippincott, "Grace Greenwood,"
lives here on Capitol Hill, and is walking
down the declivity of life with considerable
comfort She still retains something of the
remarkable beauty for which her youth was
celebrated, and her firm mouth and
Websterian brow and eyes give an impres
sion of great intellectual strength. She is
in good health and enjoyment of life, and
will probably see a fair slice of the next
century. Her husband and son arc clerks
here. Of her work nothing need be said
a million children know all about it She
is not writing much just now, being ab
sorbed with the care ot her house, and, as
she expresses it, too much of housekeeper
to make a good author, and too much ot an
author td make a good housekeeper.
Yt ashlneton Has Inspired Great Men.
It may not be generally known that Lord
Lytton, "Owen Meredith," wrote several of
his first poems and began his delightful
roinace of "Lucille" while in this city serv
ing as attache to his uncle, Sir Henry, then
Minister here, and living on Lafayette
Square, opposite the White House. Edwin
Arnold, too, has written some poetry here,
and here daring a sojourn be married a
daughter of Key. William H. Channiug, a
Unitarian minister, whose old church is now
the police station and central lockup of
Washington.
Among the best-known of our authors are
Colonel Nicolay and Colonel Hay, whsse
titles were won in the service of President
Lincoln as private secretaries during the
war. They are both resting alter the hard
work ot 20 years in writing the life ot their
great chief. Colonel Nicolay owns and oc
cupies one of 'the old-fashioned homes
ot Capitol Hill, opposite the library. He
Is alone in the world with the exception of
a bright, interesting daughter, who has at
tained a high training in art, and whose
studio on the second floor contains many
fine examples of marine views, in which
she excels, and other natural scenery. She
had also painted her father in various lights
and attitudes with much success. Her pic
tures have found place in the art exhibi
tions of New York and elsewhere. The
Colonel is a tall, spare man, with the man
ners of the old school, a gentle, deferential
habit, but an opinion of his own, mild eyes
and voice, and a white beard that has quits
ontgrown the proportions of the Yanayck
model.
Doles Far Mente.
The finest house in Washington is not too
good for Colonel John Hay. He can look
from his front window across the park di
rectly into the rooms in the White House
where Lincoln used to sit in a rocking-chair
and wait tor news. His residence has a vast
stretch of parlor and drawing room, and his
library is rich in trophies and souvenirs of
travel and research, and hung with numer
ous pen-and-ink drawings by artists whose
names are familiar. Hay is also fond of
fine, very fine, etchings. On one of his
library shelves is an original mask of Lin
coln in clay, made in 1864, altogether differ
ent in expression from that of tbe death
mask of which so many pictures have been
printed; and in another room a bronze copy
of it, the only; one in existence. The face
conveys the impression of peaceful, cheer
ful strength quite different from that of
many of the pictures seen of him.
Hay is an enthusiastlo collector of rare
autographs. Bound in morocco he has Mr.
Lincoln's manuscript in ink of the remark
able Gettysburg speech, and in another
dainty book one of the President's historic
proclamations, also in his own hand, bat in
pencil, perfectly preserved. In the Gettys
burg speech there are only three subsequent
touches of the pen, one word being added
and two erased.
A Bit From Tennyson's Fen.
In a similar luxurious volume Hay has
Tennyson's original autograph of the dedi
cation of his volume to the Queen, begin
ning: Severed, beloved O, you that hold
A nobler office upon earth
Than arms, or power of brain, or birth,
Could Kive the warrior kings of old.
This first verse is completely transformed
by subsequent interlineations and erasures,
being erected by magic touches from a
quatrain of commonplace prose, such as you
or I or anybody might write, into the radi
ant jewel of poetry that it is. The first two
words in the original version are "Eevered
Victoria" a weak salutation, indeed. In
another verse we have a touch of sycho
phancy as well as of commonplace, both of
which disappear under revision, the first
reading
And Ifyour greatness and the care
That yokes with splendour, yield yon time
To seek In this, your Laureate's rhyme.
For aught or good that can De there,
and the amended copy reading, very much
improved,
And should your greatness, and the care
Tha' yokes with empire, yield yon time '
To make demand of modern rhyme.
If aught of ancient worth be there;
Next door to Hay lives Henry Adams,
son of Charles Francis and grandson of
John Quincy; he is one of our most produc
tive authors, and the quality ot his wore is
even better than the quantity. He may be
said to be the successor among historians of
Bancroft Adams is a man ot independent
fortune and an extensive traveler.
Occupying a unique position in a world
ot brain-workers is Charles Lanman, equally
author and artist He has published 25
books and produced some thousands of
paintings, having put upon his canvas land
scapes In every one of the States east of the
Mississippi and in Canada. He was Daniel
Webster's private secretary during the last
years ot that statesman and wrote his "Pri
vate History."
Gath'n MaHltndlnons Home.
George Alfred Townsend, "Gath," who
does much of his work in Washington,
never writes anything with his own hand
except his poetry, for writing is to him an
intolerable drudgery. He always dictates
to a good stenographer. His vocabulary is
very large. He does not hesitate for pic
turesque terms, synonyms or metaphors,
never refers to a book or dictionary, bat
paces the floor and talks straight on, care
fully avoiding all hackneyed phrases, in
venting combinations of words that no man
ever heard before, and indulging during his
dictation in a good deal of head wagging and
vigorous gesture, which are completely lost
upon the reader. And as he walks the room
and gives utterance to his emotion in inflec
tion and gesture he fills up with Apol
linaris water.
"Gath" takes half a dozen papers, keeps
abreast of the news, and reads everybody's
letters but his own. He has written 17
books, three of which are novels, two vol
umes of poems and a play. His best pro
ductions are his poetry, and he is capable of
better work than he has ever done. He
lives in New York City in winter in his
own house uptown, and at Crampton Gap,
Md., in summer, where he has built for him
self a hot weather retreat in the shape of a
little straggling, rustic village of wood and
stone. His kitchen and dining room are in
one house, his library 100 leet away in an
other, his parlors and studio 300 feet away
in another, his billiard room in still an
other, delightful bedrooms for his family
and guests over them alL This summer
home is in a notch of the Blue Ridge, be
tween precipitous mountains, and commands
a view ot 25 miles across the valley of tbe
Monocacy below.
Tlio Inventor of the lelephone.
Dr. Alexander Graham Bell is best known
as the inventor of the telephone, which,
under the direction of his father-in-law,
Dr. Gardiner Hubbard, has made them
both famous and both millionaires. But he
Is also a distinguished physicist and an
extensive author, especially" on electricity
and vocal physiology. He is an enthusi
astic student of anthropology, and having
married a deaf mute, while a teacher in a
Bjstoa college, has maintained a growing
interest in methods of mute speech and tbe
laws of heredity. He is an eloquent
speaker probably the most effective orator
in the scientific world. Like most students
he knows nothing about business methods,
and never transacts business himself. Dr.
Hubbard is the business man of the firm,
attending to every detail, while Bell de
votes his time to research. He would
probably never have got&cent out of the
telephone it it had not Deen lor his saga
cious and practical father-in-law. Bell is a
swarthy Scotchman, of medium size and
sturdy build,' assiduous, incredulous to the
point of proof, and thoroughly sociable,
affable and companionable, when he has
time to be. He is constantly investigating
and discovering, and is still perfecting his.
method of communication by photograph
ing a jet of water exposed to the wares of
sound caused by human speech.
One ot the most remarkable of these men
and one whose personal history is a fine ex
ample to the boys of this land is Lester F.
Ward. He was a poor boy trom the West,
and wrote one or two books when he was a
clerk, including his great two-volume work
on "Dynamic Sociology" the greatest con
tribution ever made in this country to scien
tific philosophy. His habits as a student
are peculiar. He never reads a book unless
first assured that he needs it in his work,
and if that book happens to be in any for
eign language, Latin, French, German, Ital
ian, Spanish, Greek or what not, he goes
and learns the language in order to read the
book, '.this has hanpened several times.
His "Dynamic Sociology" has had the dis
tinguished honor of being denounced and
forbidden by the Czar of Kussia and ot be
ing publicly burned in a Russian transla
tion at St -Petersburg.
W. A. CBOFFOTV
HAD MET AT LADY JEUNE'8.
Amasln? Skit of ilr.llurnand on the Return
of Stanley Trom His Lat Expedition.
Lady Jenne, says a London paper, is a
great entertainer, and all sorts of celebrities
and oddities are to be met at her receptions.
Of this advantage was taken by Mr. Burn
and in an amusing skit he had on the re
turn of Stanley trom his fast expedition,
where he met the dwarfs. One of tbe dwarfs
was represented as meeting Stanley, when
the following conversation took place:
Dwarf Mr. Stanley, I believe.
Stanley Yes, how did you know me?
Dwarf I think we have met at Lady
Jeune's.
100 MILES AN HOUR.
Electricians Interested in the Boaft
From St. Louis to Chicago.
THE CURRENT OK THE L. LINES.
Protecting Property and Art Treasures hj
Wire Connections.
STORAGE BATTER! TOE A TEICTCLE
iWKrrror ros rax disfatch.1
One of the latest systems of fast travel is
that proposed by Dr. Wellington Adams,
who has been telling th'e New York Electrio
Club how he is going to build an electrio
line between Chicaso and St Lonis, over
which passengers will be carried at a speed
of 100 miles an hour. There is no theoreti
cal reason why people should not travel on
electric lines at this speed, and the prob
ability is that before this century closes we
shall fly over the face of the country at a
much greater velocity and with no more cop-. ,
cern than we now experience inasixty-mlle-an-hour
steam express; but the New York
electricians were somewhat puzzled how to
receive Dr. Adams' scheme. It was not
that they donbted the possibility of attain
ing the speed proposed, hut that the leo
turer's explanations of the way in which
his enterprise was to be carried out were
not so explicit as to secure the unqualified
acceptance of his critical and conservative
audience. The construction of Dr. Adami'
road will be watched with great interest
As an evidence that the subject is no
longer confined to electricians, but is being
seriously considered by railway companies,
it may be mentioned that a paper written
from the standpoint of the railway man on
the substitution of electricity for steam on
long railroads will be read "at the coming
convention of railway superintendents at
Denver. The fact that Berlin is to have its
elevated electric road may possibly, in con
junction with the eloquent and encouraging
snggestiveness of the statistics of electrio
line operations, have had some influence in
the decision of the New York Manhattan
Elevated Railway Company to receive from
a firm of electrical engineers a full estimate
of the cost of substituting electricity tor
steam power on the elevated roads of the
city.
The saving of such a change to the rail
way company will be seen by a comparison
of the relative consumption of fuel in the
two systems. Assuming that the present
locomotive consumes 435 pounds of coal per
hour, the same power can be furnished
electrically by 250 pounds of coaL Based
on this estimate, the difference between the
figures 1700,000 per annum, the present fuel
expenditure, and the figures 5300,000 per
annum, the cost of generating the power at
the central station, and distributing it elec
trically, represents the saving in fuel alone,
to say nothing ot the elimination of the
smoke and dirt nuisance, the more even dis
tribution of the load, and the possibility of
running lighter trains at shorter intervals.
Guarding; Treasures by Electricity.
Not long agoastory was told of aprofessor
in one of our large universities who brought
the raider of his pocketbook to a realizing
sense of Iniquity by arranging wires that
carried a generous current inside the pocket
of the coat tbat was bung up dnring lecture
hoars. The thief inserted his hand, as he
had often done before, but this time the
electrical detective gave him socb a twinge
that, yelling vigorously, he became his
own burglar alarm, and was caught literally
red handed. Equally good detective work
wa3 done in tbe saloon of a New Jersey
barkeeper, where a special stock of crime
whisky developed an inexplicable leak. An
alarm bell which rang in the proprietor's
room was connected to the whisky bottles,
and it speedily made known the tact that
the depredator was one of the regular
patrons of the establishment
This effective system of protection has
been applied to many departments in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
In tbe room containing the Moses Lazarus
collection of miniatures, painted porcelain
and other rich and valuable objects of art,
there are wires running underneath the lid
of each case. If the cover of the case be
lifted or disturbed in any way an alarm is
transmitted to the office of the janitor and
a warning is sounded on a big gong on the
ground floor.
Electrio Hat Polisher.
'The electric hat polisher has established
itself as an indispensable complement to
the outfit of the fashionable hatter, and has
destroyed much of tbe deluding and exasper
ating significance of the trade motto,
"While you wait" The hatter now has
his little electric motor, to the armature
shaft of which is attached a clutch. The
hat is slipped over the clutch, which grips
it firmly inside, and which is whisked
around on the starting of the motor at the
rate of 2,000 revolutions a minute. All the
hatter then has to do is to adjnst the press
ure of his polisher. The polishing is dona
with strips of plush, silk or suede leather,
according to the condition of tbe hat when
the operation begins. Ironing is rendered
unnecessary because the heat developed by
the friction against the rapidly moving sur
face of the hat answers every purpose that
the heated iron is used "to accomplish.
There is not only no time lost in the heating
of irons, but hats of any style or shape are
given a gloss and finish superior, it is
claimed, to any ever seen, even upon a new
article.
A Curions Telephone Iilne.
A curious telephone line has been work
ing for the last three years between two
private houses in the snburbs of London.
The singular point about the line consists
in the nse of an electric light circuit for tel
ephonic communications and electric light
ing purposes, either independently'or sim
ultaneously. The interference when the
two lines are working is so slight as to be
barely noticeable, and a novice would never
guess from the slight rustling heard when
the engine is running tbat a 10 or 12 ampere
current was passing along the line, and that
the vocal sounds were being produced by a
slight variation caused by the respective
telephone transmitters at either end of the
line. The length of the line is compara
tively short, as the houses between which
it runs are only a quarter of a mile a part
The wires at either end are tapped for the
telephone in the particular room required
by simply connecting a short length ot wire
from the lead to the terminal ot the tele
phone. A Now ElectrlcTrlcjcIe,
Another inventor has patented a tricycle
which relies tor motive power on the stor
age battery. The singular point in its con
struction, however, is that the storage bat
teries are carried around the circumference
of the wheel, preferably close to the tire,
and there can be any number of cells, ac
cording to the power required. It is
claimed that in this way the weight of the
storage batteries is more equally distrib
uted,and in such a manner as to cause the
minimum interference with the efficient
running of the machine, while at the same
time affording a simple and easy method of
construction. The cells are connected by
wires to insulated sleeves tbat carry the cur
rent to a motor in the axle of the wheel,
which gives the motive power to the ma
chine. Dress of the Czar's Children.
The Czar's children are dressed in the
least conspicuous and tbe plainest manner,
tbe two younger boys almost invariably in
sailor garb, and the girls in dresses that
would be disdained by the daughters ot
many shopkeepers.
Locararvxx Awxnros at Mamanx A Bon's
533 Penn avenue. let 1971 ws
1 i1
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