Evening star. [volume], November 03, 1912, Page 5, Image 57

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
MIS* MARY BREUI>'GTOM MAKES A PET OF A MARMOSET.
KITTENS Are No Longer
Selected as Pets?Claim
That They Are Too Old
Fashioned?Freak Pets From
All Over the World?Mon
keys Among the Favorites,
While Even Figs and Snakes
Find a Place?A Pet Fox
Resembles a Dog?An Owl
That Can Only See Its Owner
at Night?A Toucan From
South America?Pet Crow
Talks Like a Parrot, and a
Whole Family of Raccoons
Eat Candy.
AI.F a century aso
most of our grand
mothers boaster!
the possession of a
pet kitten. Occa
sionally there may
have been one with
a dop, but women
were timid back iu
the early fifties and
sixties. and the
dogs in those days
were usually big.
" t * hunting animals. The lap dog was
almost unknown. Hence in ryost cases
grandmother voted dogs too dangerous
and hugged her beribboned kitten the
? 'oser. yet not too close for fear that
even it might scratch.
But "the old order ehangetli." Kittens
av*> almost gone out of fashion. They
a-e regarded as too tame, and their
l !ace has betn tak?n by raccoons owls,
^t.ats, young eagles, monkeys and even
-nake*. All sorts and varieties of strange
in'.mals have become converted into pets
K Washington girls, and there are som#?
>? ;ng women who maintain miniature
r. nagerles. containing a number of ani
als any one of which mi^ht easily be
?-:z?-d with the blood lust of his jungle
"efathers and either kill its owner or
.l'm her f?>r life. Evidently, however,
i- uir's <>: the National ?'apitai are
lf-il trainers for there is not a singie
a * or rfi rd here when* the miner of
?i a pet i as been hurt serio sly by it.
m
* n
iany of Washington's freak pets come
? >ni the far-off Philippine Islands. Oth
rs come from Scuth America, and still
tl.ers from various European countries,
lost of t!;em. however, are from the
i..untairons sections of the I'nited
^'.it< ?and there ar?- men in Washington
*??0 make a regular business of supply
.ij; them Ti'e-e men stand ready to ac
? ept any sort of an order. They Will
isre. to deliver, alive an I in go< <1 condi
':<>n. anything from a baby fox to a
? i.silt: Near. Only last week one of them
? i !>e known that lie had news of the
apt ur? of a hear cub in Vnrth <"aro!ina
?anil already the bear has been sold to
.Miss Jane Callahan, 712 lHth street.
Probably the strangest of all the strange
pets of Washington girls, however, are
those of Miss Tina Sehmid of 712 12th
street. Miss Sehmid has had some un
usual pets. She has owned many mon
keys. and once trained a young coyote.
These, however seem almost insipid com
pared to her present pets, for Miss
Sehmid now lavishes her affections on
two full-grown snakes
She calls her snakes Pete and Jennie.
She says they know their names?and
they really seem to. Both are of the non
poisonous variety, and have had their
fangs drawn as an additional precaution
against their biting. For all that, though,
they are long, and so vicious looking
that the average person would think sev
eral times before touching them.
But not so Miss Schmld. She picks them
up, strokes them, lets them twine them
selves about her arms or her neck at will.
And they have become so used to being
handled by human beings that Miss
Sehmid says any one may pick them up
without ttyeir makinug a- single hostile
move.
*
* *
"Yes. they are rather unusual pets."
said Miss Sehmid. "But who wants a
pet just like that of everybody else? Be
sides, they're not a bit dangerous now.
and I think they are really fond of me.
They answer any number of serviceable
purposes, too. For one thing, the girl
who owns h pet snake needn't be afraid
of mice'?the mice will keep away. And
while 1 don't know, never having had
the experience, I imagine they'd be as
good protection as watchmen in case of
burglars.
"If a burglar should come in my room,
fur instance, and see my snakes lying
on the floor?of course they'd be awake,
they're rather light sleepers, you know?
1 fancy he'd get out just about as quickly
as if a revolver were pointed at him. I
have made a little grass bed for my
snakes at the foot of my own bed. They
.see.ni to find it quite comfortable. I feed
them on flies and insects, and then, of
course, they catch a great many more
themselves."
Another unusual pet is owned by the
Countess Helene O'Drovons. a young'
Polish noblewoman, who has made
Washington her adopted home for
many years. The countess has a pet
fox. which she has raised from a cub.
and despite the world-old reputation of
the tribe of Reynard for slyness, trick
ery and general unreliability, she de
clares her animal is more faithful and
loving than any dog cou!d possibly be.
There is quite a history attached to the
countess' fox. Six years ago, when she
was on a visit in. the south, she par
ticipated in a fox hurt. A female fox
was jumped shortly before noon, and
there followed a merry cha?e lasting sev
eral hours. The quarry doubled time
and again, striving in its efTorts to
rea.h a certain great rocky wall in
which it had its cave. But to reach this
cave it had to cross a large open space,
and the task was too much for it. Just
n? it reached the mouth of its cave, the
dogs were upon It. Another moment and
It was dead.
* *
The riders were not far behind the dogs
and they had dismounted and were dis
cussing the chase when a tiny red brown
fig' re crept out of the cave, and, seem
ingly unmindful of the hounds, trotted up
to the dead body of its mother and
sniffed at it. Then it made a darting
turn and started back to its cave?but
too late. ITie men ami women who luid
been in the hunt forme,1 a ctr -le about
It. The baby fox was pitifully young. It
was- captured and givf-n tn the countess
who took it home and raised it.
It is now a? large animal and follows
its mistress about for ail the world like
a dog. Indeed, but for a certain nar
rowness of the head, and a certain craft
iness in the expression of the eyes, which
all these years of taming have failed to
eradicate wholly, it looks very mucfi lik^
a small collie, ft has the full liberty oC
the countess' home, at It'08 Monroe
street, and frequently she takes it down
town with her, leading it by a chain, as
though it were a harmless poodle. In
deed. the c-ountess ard her fox are fa
miliar figures on Washington's main
boulevards.
Miss Millicent Coward of 1S11 3d street
northeast divides her affections between
two pets. One is a small snow-white billy
goat. For generations past humorists
have jester! of the penchant of goats in
genera! to eat anything and everything
under the sun, from tablecloths to empty
tin cans, but their jests do not apply to
Miss Cowan's pet. It lias been raised
with almost as much care as if it were a
baby, and as regards food it is a veritable
epicure. It is called Tony, and is prob
ably known to half the residents of Eek
Ington. for Tony follows Miss Cowan
about like a dog. And the District au
thorities force its owner to license it with
a collar and tag, just as if it really were
a dog.
The other pet of Miss Cowan is less
widely known by her neighbors, for ob
vious reasons?for it is a full-grown fe
male eagle. I.ike the goat. Miss Cowan
has raised the eagle from babyhood. She
brought it back to Washington following
a trip to the far west. It is not a par
ticularly affectionate looking pet, and
with strangers its disposition is far from
gentle. With its owner, however, it is as
gentle as a canary. It perches* on her
shoulder, on her finger, her head or her
lap, and arches Its neck to have Its head
scratched like a tame parrot. Its ugly,
viciously hooked bill is harmless to .Miss
Cowan, but let a stranger come near, and
the eyes grow vicious, the head darts back
and forth, and tlie bill is ready to strike
hard and deep.
".lane wouldn't hurt me for the world,
would you, Jane," said Mis-s Cowan as
she ruffled the big eagle's feathers. "She
did though one*?although she didn't
mean to. You see. she wanted to light on
my arm. and she didn't get a good hold,
and in trying to steady herself she dug
her talons into my flesh. It hurt pretty
badly, for her ta'.ons were pretty sharp
I had all that remedied, however, by hav
ing the talons clipped. I keep them cut
off short now."
And just as Tony the gout is particular
about his food, so, too is Jane the eagle.
Jane spurns any kind of food except tish.
She takes her food from her owner's
hands meekly enough, but once she fcets
it the latent cruelty in her becomes ap
parent. Then the wicked bill darts back
and forth and rips the fish into strips?
tearing, first of all, the In ad from the
body. To see the eagle eating makes one
wonder that Miss Cowan is not afraid
to hand'e it. and ruffle its feathers as
she does, but barring the onf instance re
ferred to. it has never hurt its owner, and
she is certain it never will.
at
? A
There are many Washington girls who
have monkeys for pets. Monkeys abound
in the Philippines, and many of them
have been sent or brought back to Wash
ington by army officers and others who
i.ave visited Pncle Sam's eastern posses
sions. These monkeys, however, are for
the most part rather common breeds.
Miss Mary Brewington of 1.141 Vermont
MISS M1LL1CCNT COW\\ WITH HHR PET <!OAT.
avenue has one that is of a breed more
unusual.
Miss Brewington's monkey is ratnen
Mike, and is of the type known as the
marmossette. In appearance it is most
ly tail. Its body is tiny, probably not.
quite as large as that of an ordinary
gray squirrel. But its tail is more than
two feet long. Mike is jet black in color,
but he boasts a pompadour tuft of hair
and an aggressive heard that are notn
snow white. This does not signify
however. Mike is only four years old,
and so far as coloring is concerned he
ha.i always been just as he Is now.
.According to Miss Brewington. Mike
has almost as much sense as lots or
human beings, and more than some, in
fact, he knows almost too rtiuch. sue
says?so much, that except when she is
petting him, she is forced to keep him
shut up in his cage. Otherwise he gets
into all sorts of mischief
"He tries to imitate everything he sees
me do." said Mips Brewington. cuddling
Mike in her arms as? a mother mi'-'ht hoin
a baby as she talked. "I remember
when I first got him. He was only a few
months old. I used to leave hi?, cage
open, so he could come out when ne
pleased. One afternoon I was powdering
my face and Mike was sitting on the
edKe of my dresser watching me. I no
ticed he seemed to be studying me rather
lntentlv. but then Mike nearly always
lookp as if he were wrestling with some
weiKhtv problem of the intellect, so i
didn't give the matter much thought.
After a while I went out of the room
and left Mike inside. A few moments
later I returned and there he was. big a^
life, powder puff in one hand and hand
mirror in the other, daubing powder on
his face as if his life depended on it
But when he saw me lie stopped and
made for his rage. You see. he knew he
had no business to be doing it. The>
never set Into mischief while >ou
them, but go out of the room and the> n
turn everything topsyturvy.
A
"They're dear pets, though. This is
the third monkey I've had. They don t
live long in this climate. They get con
sumption. But they are as affectionate
as a child with their owners, and they re
lots of protection, too. Id rather ha\e
Mike in' mv room than a dog. He s little,
but his teeth are sharp, and I believe
he'd attack anybody who attempted to
harm me in a minute."
To test the truth of the statement The
Star man raised his hand as though to
strike Miss Brewington. Instantly Mike
gave vent to a peculiar half hiss, half
whistle, and his little whlte teetli were
bared in an ugly row. JvUdentlj Mi. s
Brewington was correct.
Almost as strange as the eagle of Miss
Cowan is the pet of Miss Jean Menefee
of the senior class at Washington Col
lege who makes a p^t of a toucan, a
strange and altogether hideous bird of
the tropics. Miss Menefee had the bird,
then a baby not yet rid of its pin feath
ers. presented to her during a trip to
South America three years ago. Few
toucans are ever caught alive, and fewer
still are ever tamed, but Miss Menefee
brought hers back to Washington and
tamed it to that point where it w 11 eat
from her hand-although it fights vicious
lv whenever any one else comes near it.
Constant feeding and familiarity will not
make it more friendly.
To most people the mere appearance or
the bird wouli be ample and sufficient
reason for general undesirability. It has
a short, squatty body of black, with
wings touched with glaring red. Its legs
are stubby and almost scaly in appear
ance, and its feet are seml-wefcbed. Its
head Is freakish in its ugliness. Small
and covered with red and black feathers,
it is made to seem out of proportion by
an unusually large, unusually bright and
unusually wicked looking eye. The head
slopes downward to an enormous bill, al
most as long as the body; the upper half
is hooked something like that of a la-rge
male eagle. The bill is tinted literally
with all the colors of the rainbow, with
a yellowish green predominating.
*
?v ifc
v *
But Miss Menefee declares it is the
"dearest of pets." "It doesn't love any
body but me." she aa'd. "and I don't
want it to. I wouldn't have a pet that
would make friends with everybody. Oh,
yes; I have a cage for it, but I don't
keep it there much I let it fly around
my room. Once or twice, in the summer,
it has gotten outdoors, but it has always
come back. It was rather funny It
tried to make friends with other birds,
but they flew away in terror. They seem
ed deathly afraid of it."
Another bird, far more common, but al
most unheard of as a pet, is a huge owl
owned by Miss Evelyn Denmark of 1740
y street northwest. It Is a peculiar
breed of owl. It stands almost two feet
high and is pure white. And for all that
it can see only through a haze in the
daytime. It knows its mistress?proba
bly it recognizes her voice?for it allows
her to play with it as she will. She will
take its huge head in her two hands and
shake it from side to side, and the owl
will patiently endure. She will press it
to her and the owl will almost seem to
"cuddle up." At night time, of course. It
can see?hence, according to Miss Den
mark, its desirability as a pet increases
one hundred fold.
I'nlike the other unusual birds kept by
Washington Kills as pets. Miss Denmark's
owl is not at all dangerous. On the con
trary, it is easily frightened. Let a
stranger attempt to touch it at night,
and it will run, using a peculiar semi
waddling step not unlike that of a duck.
As it runs it tries to fly, but its owner
keeps Its wings clipped short and flying
is impossible. When a stranger ap
proaches it in daytime it does not try to
run?it cannot see well enough for that
MISS JEAN' MBIfBFBE AND HER TOl'CAX.
Then it merely stands perfectly still and
trembles. Evidently it knows the touch
of its owner's hand from all others.
*
* *
"I love my owl," said Miss Denmark,
"but I must admit that I can't pin much
faith in the old adage about an owl beint;
wise. Min" certainly looks wise enough,
but although I've tried hard I haven't
been able to teach it a single trick. It's
just sweet and gentle?and that's all."
Of all known animals, probably none
is more vicious, when cornered, than the
raccoon. Coon hunts are common enough
In various sections of the country, par
ticularly the .south. In such a hunt a
pack of dogs is taken along, and usually,
before the hunt terminates, several of
these dogs are killed by their quarry.
Nevertheless, .Mis. Elizabeth Parker of
1717 Pennsylvania avenue northwest, has
a family of pet raccoons, and they are all
as gentle as kittens. So thoroughly has
she tamed them. too. that they are gentle
not only with her, but with every one.
Airs. Parkej bought the mother coon
from a Virginia farmer, who had trapped
it and was preparing to kill it for its
skin. She brought it back to Washing
ton and fitted up a big cage for it. l-ong
before the wound in its foot, caused by
the trap which caught it. had healed, she
says, the coon was tame. She named it
Queen, and a few weeks later took the
door off the cage for all time and allowed
it the full run of the house. A few more
weeks passed and Queen became the
mother of a litter of four tiny balls of
gray and black fluff?baby rac,-oons.
The puppies are now almost fully
grown, and. having been born in capitivity.
they are naturally the quintessence of
gentleness. If approached correctly they
will make friends wltii any one instantly,
and the only secret of the correct ap
proach is to offer them a piece of candy.
Every one of them, the mother included,
has a "sweet tooth" as pronounced as
that of a young girl.
* ?
"Aren't these better pets than a do? 01
a tat?" asked Mrs. Parker, as she stroked
the head of the mother raccoon. "So dog
could possibly be more gentle and loving,
and not many could have nearly as much
sense. Then there's a pleasure, too, in
having a pet that was on< e wild and that
is capable of inflicting all sorts of dam
age. but which won't just because it loves
you." She looked down at the big iac
coon she was holding. ' Show your teeth,
Queen," she said, and as she spoke she
calmly pried open the animal's jaws. Two
glistening rows of long, pointed teeth
were disclosed?teeth that could tear a
dog or a man to ribbons.
"Rather wicked looking, aren't they?"
asked Mrs. Parker, smilingly. ? But Queen
isn't ever going to use them for anything
but eating candy and vegetables, are you.
Queen? Vou see, 1 never give any of
them any meat. 1 don't want to stir up
their wild strain."
It is a far cry from a coon to a pet
crow, but Miss l.eah Randolph of Ken
sington road has one of the latter for a
pet He!- crow has its tongue split and
can talk fully as well as a parrot. It is
much smarter than a parrot, too. and nat
urally. being less heavy and less awtwavd
is much more sprightly. As is" the case
with monkeys, however. Miss Randolph
sa^s. her crow is continually gettinp into
mischief?so much so that she invariably
keeps a !onp chain attached to one of its
legs. The chain gives the crow plenty of
space in which to move about, without
allowing him to reach anything with
which he can wreak mischief.
Sometime" freak pets arf turned to
commercial advantage. Such is the case
with tho wife >f a barber in the down
town section ol the city who owns a pet
goose. Tlit- troose is hh enormous bird,
standing at least three and one-half feet
high. and i' has been so trained tfi?t
all through the da> it parade?- solemnIv
bark and forth in front of hot husband s
i,liop. Passersby may, Hiid frequently <io.
> ffer it rood and if the fo'~?d please* It t
aecepted Hut. no matter how tempting lT"
morsel, tho goose cftnn >t bo persuaded t<?
walk away from that shop. afthough it
is not restrained iti any way. Many per
sons have tr!?mI ti> load it off. merely t'?
see if it could be done, but none 1ms
ever S'.ieceeded. On tho other hand. the
goose \\ i 1 follow its onnet or her hus
band an \ where. A-? a living advfrtlcf
ment tho husband of tho owner of the
ge>o*o declares it w -rth hundreds of dot
'ars.
.Miss May Phelps of the Navy Yard
has a pet which is common enough a?
an animal, but rarely soon in ti residence
ller pet is a pi* Tho pig. which boast^
the euphonlons name of Jake, is tho first
pet Miss Phelps ban evei owned, and sh?
lias had it for six years. She declares
it "loves hor devotedly." and certainly it
should, for she saved its life.
The pi? was never intended for a pet.
Just before Thanksgiving y.x years ago.
when it was the tiniest of shoats. It was
sent to Mi.-s Phelps" lather to grace the
dinner table. It came front a friend living
in North Carolina, who. in order to make
>uro that il would be fres'i when served
setit it alive. Mlsw Phelps" father fully
Intended to have the pig duly slaughtered,
according: to program, but his daughter
would not hear of It.
v %
?!; 0
e * t
"The poor little baby looked so pitiful
and c ute I just couldn't bear to think of
it? being killed," said Miss Phelps. "Mam
ma. tew. wouldn't iifar of having: it
killed, i couldn't have eaten a bit of It
lo save my life' So finally papa consent
ed to et me keep it. and I've had it over '
since."
Today M'ss Phelps pet. considerably ?
grown and rather stout, although not |
too much so i? :i very aristocratic pig.
indeed. It has never known the feel of
a friendly mud puddle. Instead, its hid"
is spotless'y clean as a result of thrice
weekly baths, and Its nc ck is usual v '
decorated with a gay-colored rlhbon. It
sleeps on a mattress made especially fori
it. and its meals are carefully looked ?
after by its owner. Naturally, beins oni
a pin aft' r all. it is always ready to ea .
but Miss Pheips rppv that its meal tim? s
ar.- carefa ly regu ate:', ar.l it is pov. r
allowed to est too much. ' You see." ex
plained Miss Phelps. 1 can't have Ja .e- .
ge ttir.g too fat He must keep lashlein- ,
aliie."
.snd so. throughout the city, in every .
section, there are gir.s whe? spurn the
pets of our grandmothers' days as be ny
'hoptlessly old-fashioned." It has bef.i
said that nothing can be truly enjoyable!
unless it is attended by a certain spice of '
danger. Perhaps that accounts for the }
seemingly ever-increasing desire of j
Washington ulrls for wild animals At j
any rate, the desire exists, and Is daily ;
becoming more and more prevalent.
MISS EVELV \ l)K\M VRK WITH IIKK WIIITK OWI?
MIES. PMLANDEIR PMESTLY CLAXTON, WIFE OF
THE COMMISSIONS! OF EDUCATION
SHE Is a Recent Arrival in
the Capital and a Bride of
Last Spring?Was Miss Mary
Hannah Johnson of Nash
ville?Comes of Illustrious
Lineage and Through Her
Mother Is a Direct Descend
ant of Josiah Payne. Father
of Dolly Payne Madison.
r.Y MAKCAKKT T*. IMWNIMi.
F the language list J
by the board of
director* of the
< "artiegic Library
of Xaslr. ilk*. Tenn.,
is suggestive of
the moinhers' in
di\ idua 1 sentiments
Washington N to
be congratulated
on securing such a
charming and ca
pable woman ass a
permanent lesi
?:?-?!t. Ai wife of the commissioner of
? ?iij'.ation Mrs. Claxton at once assumes
.? position of much importance in the
official and social world. Slit tomes to
her new home with a reputation for
deeds, and even in the center of prog
ress and culture. which the capital is
acknowledged to be. she will undoubt
edly find many subjects to study and per
haps to improve.
-Mrs ?'laxton is counted among the pub
lic-spirited women who have made the
new south. She i-? descended from two
of the oldest and most revered families
of the state. the Johnsons, who came
from Vermont after the ,\ar of the in
dependence. and the l'iiyn.-s, who went
still farther south a* the ?xld Dominion
became unduly crowded with settlers at
the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Always progressive. Mis. Claxton as Miss
Mary Hannah Johnson then became iin
:?resspd b\ the work which the progress
of tim?- unfolded for women, and after
completing the usual education given the
outhern gentlewoman she entered Van
?l? rbilt i'niversity, and later went to Chi
cago, where she completed a course of
iihrary science in a celebrated ^eat of
b-arning there. Having gained from the
university ail that was practical for her
work, she b? san a career of usefulness
. ii<! success in connection v/ith public
':braries unequaied. certainly, iri iier ow n
state and in tew others. She was prac
ti> jlly the originator of the state library
? 'ui mission, and devoted Iter time, en
rgy and resources to its advancement.
She secured the first appropriation from
the state, and this income is now part
of the regular outlay of the Tennessee
legislature.
$
* *
I .iter she became librarian in the tine
building erected at the Tennessee cap
ital by Mr. < arnefrie, and this position
she resigned last April to marry Dr.
Philander Priestly Claxton, also of Ten
nessee, for the past two years I'nited
states commissioner of education under
the Secretary of the Interior. The mar
riage was the result of a romance which
began a few years previous, when Dr.
< 'laxtoii was visiting his old home.
Shortly after the wedding Dr. Claxton
took his bride on a trip to i'orto Rico,
from which they returned in the early
summer. Mrs. Claxton, with the young
children of her husband by his former
marriage, spent the summer in Knoxvllle,
coming here in September. Says Mrs.
( laxton:
' When I resigned my position as libra
rian of the Carnegie Institute in Nash
ville, February last, the words of ap
proval and regret which came from my
fellow-citizens of Tennessee will shed a
sunshine on all my life. No matter how
much one is in love, as the term Roes,
there is a pang accompanying the laying
down of one's work and facin-: the con
ditions of a new home and duties. If a
woman is rea'ly absorbed by her work
and it is a vital thing to her, then to
marry arid leave it means that she is
very much in love indeed. My library
and its affiliated interests had a tremen
dous worth to me and they still possess
a significance which I believe they will
always. The directors pointed out that
1 had done my work well and the resolu
tioris which they passed when they ac
cepted my resignation will form my dear
est heritage. From that good man who
has done so much for libraries, Andrew
Carnegie, 1 received a sift of ?1.<><>(>, sent
me with a long letter written by himsell
and containing such praise as would
mjike any person proud. He hid casu
ally seen the announcement of mv en
gagement to f<r. Claxton in the papers
and he sent me tiiis gift in appreciation
of tny services |ri establishing on a prac
tical. useful basis his generous gift to Un
people nf Nashville.
* *
"Libte >ooks and the kindred themes
have Sfl? ?ys appealed to me, and it was
in pursuance of a deep conviction that I
resolved to work for free circulating
libraries in my own state and inciden
tally to aid others in their communities.
Tennessee cannot c aim to be the first
state in the Union to take hold of the free
and circulating library idea, but we do
claim that we grasped it very ear'.y and
evo.yed the Idea into huge dimensions
and absolute practicability. The Tennes
see Federation of Women's Clubs was the
Jirst organization to take hold of and
circulate t.aveling libraries. It got books
together by every legitimate means,
loaned, donated and purchased on the in
stallment plan, and we used the simple
rule that ever} volume admitted must
answer one of the three purposes?to in
struct. amuse or inspire. Subscription li
braries took immediate hold and became
flourishing in the most important rural
communities. The members of the socie
ties found a good central locution for
their treasures, and with these permanent
centers the tedious work associated with
libraries on wheels was lessened. But
we penetrated into the mountains and
brought treasures to the isolated whites
iri those regions, and. by the way. the
people in the mountains are much finer
than the world at times has been led to
think. They arc backward in current in
formation or book learning, but they are
a nob e and intelligent race, full of pa
triarchal dignity and imbued with the
o?d patriarchal ideals of hospitality, of
honesty and upright dealing. Their
standard of morality is very high. Our
traveling libraries still climb into the
heights and the most grateful and In
telligent of readers are these same people.
Though the Tennessee legislature gives
each year to sustain its traveling
libraries, the work has been placed under
the Federation of Women's Clubs. This
is only proper, since these feminine clubs
gave the firmest support to the entire
scheme of free state libraries and many
of their memberships rendered the most
efficient and unselfish assistance for years
b fore th*-' legislature took up the cause.
''From libraries naturally come study
clubs, a theme in which i take a deep in
terest. We have libraries loaned under
certain conditions to study clubs, and
MRS. I'llll. \P. CI,AXTOJI.
those who know what intellectual labor
means to those who have been d&prived of
the tools of their trade, as it were, will
sympathize with all that these bookB open
in isolated sections. W? have found out,
as many others have who study present
4
<.:unuiiiuii?, inai me nest part of a
man's or woman's education is not what
is obtained at schools and colleges, but
what they give to themselves through the
intelligent study of books. Our- methods
of providing books both in the circulating
form of sets of hooks for special study
is so simple that all can surpass the idea
and tile rules governing the state prop
erty, the books so broad that the wealth
is accessible t<< all.
"My most beloved work in recent years
since we got our free libraries running
smoothly has been with the children and
in that division which with us in Nash
ville became illustrious as the Story
Hour League. We received our inspira
tion from the visit of the raconteur Prof.
Wyche, president of the Story Tellers'
league. Being librarian at the Carnegie
Library, with the approval of my asso
ciates, I arranged a children's hour in the
library one Saturday afternoon and an
nounced the meeting in the local papers.
One of my colleagues said that one would
believe that trie Pied Piper had come to
Nashville, playing h'.s seductive tunes.
Every nook and corner were tilled with
tlie little folks. That first day was a bit
ter disappointment, for the principal
story teller did not come, and I feared to
take up the work with my inexperience.
Hut the next Saturday there was no hitch,
nor has there been since that first date
It is one of the sights of Nashville to see
tiie little ones crowding to the library to
listen to stories. Nothing will lure them
to miss a single meeting. We have
themes arranged and a recognized meth
od, and those who have joined the league
really study the methods with diligence
and with a keen desire toward success.
I shall not dwell on the need of know
ing how to tell a story well. It is uni
versally subscribed, and, as a sarcastic
friend X>t mine said. Just to attend a public
dinner and go through the martyrdom at
tending the recital of stories is sufficient
argument.
"What I should earnestly like to com
mend Is that children are so benefited by
the recital of stories that their imagina
tion is? fired by hearing the noble deeds
of departed heroes and the lessons of
patriotism contained in the livep of great
men. I believe in rewarding children by
telling them stories instead of giving
them money or unwholesome vticles of
food. I could All a book with the tales
relating to the children's hour just in
Nashville. I am sure that manw a boy
has been inspired to study Greek and Lat
in by hearing of those heroes of Home!-,
and he will be a better und more use
till man for this desire to become profi
cient in the classics. Then 1 like the de
mocracy of the idea. We get the raga
muffin as well as the curled darling-',
for childhood has the same menial crav
ing. whether the bod yis clothed In rags
or in line broadcloth. 1 heard of one sinati
boy literally garbed in fragments of dis
carded garments of his elders who had
often attended the children's hour and
who crept in to the banquet given the
directors, hoping that the story telling
would continue. He announced his inten
tion of studying Greek and Latin so that
he could hear Ifomer's tales himsf-if. We
have nature stories, dialect stories, his
torical tales, and gradually we get up the
line of ptories which have religious, phi
lanthropic or philosophical import. I re
cently joined the League of Pen Women
here in Washington, and at a meeting
soon to he held I have been asked to ex
plain our theory of story telling as dis
tinct literary attainment."
Mrs. Claxton is typical of the grace and
cordiality of the old south, corflhined with
the energy and commanding spirit of the
new woman who has made Dixie a power
in the hind. She is dark ^nd Slender,
with an innate knowledge of the ethics
of dress and of special accessories which
go so far toward social success. In Nash
ville, as in the other cities of the south,
a woman earning her livelihood does not
prevent her from being a sccial leader.
Mrs. Claxton. as ^ary HannaFi John
son, was a social favorite, and as a pub
lic official she was counted among the
powerful forces for moral and intellectu
al development. She has> been busy with
her pen as well as in other ways. Her
papers have been generally published in
study magazines. She is also well known
as a lecturer on literary and kindred
themes. Her visit to the "Passion Play"
at Oberammergau furnished a topic which
made her celebrated in her state. She
did not have recourse to illustrations to
make her point, but clearly made her
picture of well chosen words and well
rounded sentence*.
Mrs. Johnson of Nashville will spend
the winter witli her daughter, Mrs. ?'lax
toti. and there are in the household two at
tractive young girls, the daughters of the
rommis-ionrr of education. The elder.
Miss <'la ire Claxton. lias already been
presented to society, hut Miss Helen
t'laxton will (ontirue her studies at m
local school. Vhere are two hoys. Porter
and Robirt Edward. and a small g:rl.
Elizabeth. Being entirely a < u-toin* 1 to
training children. Mrs. t'laxton assumed
these duties in regard to her stepchildren
with the enthusiasm and joy which is
her dominant characteristic.
"I am glad that my life will he so
filled with obligations that 1 shall not
miss my beloved librai y." she said. "I
am .profoundly interested in my hus
band's work in the department of educa
ration. though I am only getting a
glimpse of all that it means. There seems
abundant opportunity to enjoy ore's self
On Election Day.
Till, proposal to strengthen the se
crecy of the ballot by voting by mail
reminded Senator Williams of an e'ec
tion day story.
"Voting by mail." he said, "is a radi
cal proposition that I'd hc.-itate to advo
cate without further study, but I do
most heartily favor inviolable secrecy
as regards the ballot.
"Even a harmless curiosity about the
ballot is contemptible. A Salina grocer
said to a little gir! one election day:
" 'Who is your father going to vote for
this morning, my dear?'
" '1 don't know,' the little girl answer
ed.
" 'Will he vote the republican ticket ."
" '1 don't know.'
" '1 wonder if he'll vote democrat?"
" 'I don't know.'
" 'He wouldn't vote prohibition, sure
ly?"
'? '1 don't know.'
"The grocer, as he tied up the little
gir's package, sneered:
" 'Well, you don't know much, and
that's a fact.'
" 'You know less," the little girl an
swered. 'or you wouldn't be askin' so
many question^' "
and to improve lie passing hour* cmr.
b.red in the various clubs of Washing
ton. There is such an embarrassment 0?
riohe-' that I am somewhat uncertain
which good thing to accept and whi-h to
reject. Then I am delighted to find such
a large element of Tennessee in the so
cial and official set here anil so many
sou thefts people 'roni every community. '
It makes me fee) that I shall not be a *
stranger, and aside from the intelleotua'
treats I see in store the social -ide of
Washington offers many alluring pleas
ures."
Dr. and Mrs. <**laxton reside just next'
door to the British embassy on Connec
ticut avenue. On the other side of them
is the Swedish legation and directlv op
posite Is the embassy of Austria-Hun
gary. Buf the environment, Mrs. (Hax
ton declares, will not affect her patriot
ism even incidentally.
Not the Rea1 Thina.
y^LAKKXCK Ahf'UTT. the Vale coa< fi.
comforted a s'ightly injured halfback
on the side lines at New Haven with a
foot ball story.
"Once uiK?n a time," said Mr. Alcott.
patting the brawny shoulder of the suf
ferer. "there was a wonderful Thanks
giving day gamp between two great var
sities.
"This game way played almost fault
lessly. The interest was maintained to
the very end. Star play succeeded star
plav \\?ith the precision of clockwork.
But? '
"Not a man was disabled.
"Not a single doctor was called out.
' Not a nose was broken, not a tooth
loosened, not a drop of blood dyed the
ground.
"The spectators, at the end of this phe
nomenal game, Bhook their heads and
sighed:
" 'It was magnificent,' they said, T>ut
it was not foot ball.' "