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THE MOBNI3STG TIMES, SITSTRAY, DECEMBER 27, 189fi.
11
OUR LATE WAR WITH SPAIN
,How Yankee Ingemii'y. Aided By-Electricity, Triumphed
Over the Squadron of the Allied Powers
and Save! the City.
It -was no surprise when the Spanish min-
ister demanded hfs passports. The crisis
had been regarded as inevitable for more ;
than a week previous, and it was only a
quest ion of the exact hour aL which the re
quest would be made.
The interview between the Secretary of
State and the minister's representative
from the legallou was short and business
like. Tin minister desired the assurances
of his personal esteem and consideration
conveyed to the Secretary, and regretted
that the stand recently taken by the I'metd
Suites touching Cuban affairs should make
it necessary to sever the friendly relatious
that had so long existed between the Uni
ted States and the government or his most
gracious majesty, the Quern Regent.
The Secretary's reply was equally courte
ous and businesslike. However much he
might regret the unpleasantness that might
follow the action or the United States,
especially in the loss of so esteemed a per
sonal friend as the minister, he could ex
press no sorrow for the determination of
the U nited Suites to follow the only course
that was left open to a free, powerful and
just- minded nation.
The minister's representative left -nith
the hope expressed that the United States
might not have cause to regret the course it
had chosen to adopt.
The news spread like fire through the
Department. The correspondents were
busy with the telephones before the minis
ter's secretary had cleared the building.
The messengers caught up the report, and
there was no more work in the great gran
Its building that day.
"Fo' Gawd, yo' gwiue't year smn'min
drap now." grinned the Secretary's gray
haired darky messenger, as he swung to
and fro in his revolving chair outside the
Secretary's door, andslapped his rheumatic
knee with a black, shriveled hand.
"Phwt! Wot's th' chance fer a scrap
wid a lot er murtherin'. opere-singin' da
gos Oi'dloike t'know?" commented Larry,
the riding messenger, contemptuously, as
he stopped to discuss the matter with ids
old enemy, Tor these two attaches of the
Secretary were always at swords' points.
Schrap," continued Larry, as he yield
ed up his bundle of dispatches to thednrky,
"sure, it's a bh'ssiu'it's come int' summer,
it is, ler by St Patherick, there won't be
work enough t tape an able-liodied man
warm!'
The Excitement.
The news spread on the streets. News
boys kept the air filled with "Extry,
extry papers," and swarms of department
clerks, turned out upon the broad streets
at 4 o'clock, bought the printed account
of what they knew already, to read on
the cars going home.
Everybody discussed the probable war,
but nobody took it very seriously. The
Secretary was a type of the jxipular mind
when he politely txjwed out the repre
sentative or the minister, gave the neces
sary orders Tor the preparation of the
minister's documents, and then turned to
his d'sk to finish up some other business
that had come over from the morning
nefore going across to personally confer
with the President.
A call had been quietly passed around
for a Cabinet meeting, and the Secretary
knew the gathering that he should rind
when he "walked across to the White
House from the State Department about
half-past D. But carefully 'as he had cn
deavured to gauge the future, he had
not been prepared for the news that he
had 11 carry to his waiting colleagues.
About half-past 4, when the big build
ing was almost deserted, two closed car
riages drove hurriedly up to the north
front of the State, War, and Navy build
ing. They had come ironi opposite di
rections, but their occupants bowed to
each "ther as they alighted and together
passed rapidly through the long, empty
corridors.
Tlie Conference.
There was another brier conference in
the Secretary's jnivate room. Two visit
ors lelt as quietly as they had come, and
the Secretary walked across to the White
House, chewing the end of a cigar he had
forgotten to light.
There was no need to count noes for
a quorum when he passed into the" Presi
dent's office. Every depnitineut except
bin own was i epresenieel aiound the long
table. But it was by no mean a soinl-cr
group. There w .is rather a hum of pl-vwd
expectancy m the air, and the first greet
ing he received was, ".'Have a cigar," a
very pacific request, coming from the
Secretary of War.
But villi the reply, "No, thanks, I'm
smoking," the Secretary of State passed
around to thoPiesident'schalr and hauded
liimtwolelters. The President ran through
them rapidly and tossed them on the table.
"Gentlemen," said he, "you all know
that tins nlternooii the Spanish minister
asked for his passport). These two papers
from the French and Italian ministers eon
tain the same request. Of course, we have
discussed the possibility of this combina
tion in the jiast week, and it was dis
missed as improbable. I must say that
the coup was cleverly contrived."
"It looks as though we were in for it,"
remarked the Secretary of Agricultuie,
pulling his mustache.
"I should say decidedly that they were
in for it." growled the Secretary of War,
sliding Ids clenched fist out on the table.
"We are not going abroad to look for
trouble, but if the other half or the world
wants to hunt It here we can furnish it."
"Yes, gentlemen," added the President,
quietly. "We can furnish it for everything
east of Liverpool and west of llong Kong!"
The First Attack.
As had been expected, the first attack
r tlie allied forces had been on in .New
York.
-"Plie ministers had taken leave of this
government on the 3d. On the l Oth war
had formally been declared, and the 25th
brought rumors of the allied squadron
massing off New York.
Within two days this was confirmed, when
the fleet cruiser Columbia ran to cover
inside the Hook, herding ahead of her no
less than three prizes, which she had
gathered in by a swift dash across the track
of the Southern Atlantic travel.
The Columbia brought real news. For a
day and a half she had led the enemy a
merry chase, to lure him off the track of
the prizes already sent ahead, and the
beautiful ocean racer had given her pur
suers thesllp in the darkness only the night
before, in time to sweep her prizes safely
intoport.under cover of her own guns.
New York went wild at this, the first
fruits of the war. Bonfires and fireworks
greeted the Columbia, while from one
end of the country to the other, quick as
the wires could flash the news, one song
sprang up on every Up,
"Columbia, the gem t)f the ocean."
And the people, war-mad for the first
time in more than thirty .years, took up
the refrain.
"And three cheers for the red, white
and blue."
Butthccoolerheads.upon whomdevolvcd
theduty of winning victories and not shout-,
lng over the results were far from either
happy or comfortable when the lookouts
at Sandy Hook flashed the news to the
city of hostile smoke on the horizon.
For weeks the work hail been pushed on
the dynamite battery in the lower bay. But
good as had beon the work of the Zallnski
guns In practice, there was no doubt of their
absolute inability to defend the channel
against a vigorous and concerted attack of
ironclads. To be sure, the channel was a
network of torpedo fields, and the little
dishing lay with steam up at Governor's
Island ready for a night dash down the bay
whenever the word should be given.
More than that, work had been pushed
day and night at the Brooklyn yard on an
Immense steel whaleback contrivance that
was more of a mystery than was the Moni
tor when Ericsson Tirst planned the little
fighting machlueth.it was to turn the tide
of war and of naval history in Virginia
waters.
Grim Old Warships).
The New York and the Massachusetts had
been ordered into the bay at the first ru
mor of the attack from the sea, and the
grim old Puritan, finished Just in time
after three decades of waiting, showed
her teeth to the crowds at the Battery, a
curious mixture of the old and new in
naval architecture, but ready to shoulder
her buily way into any sort of a fight
with anything afloat.
Tlie Indiana had been ordered to New
York, .but she had not arrived, and when
the dark hulls or the enemy's fleet began
to gather in the offing there were many
shakings or heads and grave fears expressed
tlmt she would run into the visitors ore
shore in an attempt to make the port.
Daylight on the 30th saw the first real
demonstration of the allies as a do.en
ironclads, in line of battle, with their hov-cring-out
runners ot torpedo catchers,
closed in on the waiting battery at the
Hook.
The enemy knew the dynamite guns were
there, but the masked w.trks were indis
tinguishable from the-seaward, and the
battleships crept on in a narrowing cres
cent, planting shells more or Jess at ran
dom from a five-mile range Feel as tley
would, they could not lmd their maik.
and emboldened by the silence, preyed
in, in hopes of drawing the masked fire.
Four miles, three and a half, three, and
they were within sweep or the deadly pneu
inatics. Still, there was no sign of lire
along the waste of sand beach.
The Projectile's Mark.
Then the Spanish flagship made a feint
ot steering at full speed for the entrance
of the hay. FrGin the "ciest of the hills
inland thousands of exes behind strong
field glasses watched the bold maneuvrc.
Then from the sand spit there rose a whiff
of vapor, and a black, fishlikc projectile
darted into the air. Rising high above the
water, it skimmed along swiftly, but not
too swiftly to be followed in its flight,
and, descending in a gentle curve, flashed
between the smoke stacks of the battle
ship and into the water on the other side.
The gunners had overshot their mark.
An Instant later a tower of foam arose
where the projectile had disappeared, and
springing in a huge waterspout, a hundred
feet in the air, Tell back with a crash, tons
upon tons of water thundering upon the
decks of the battleship and sweeping her
from stem to stem. She shivered at the
blow, and swiftly changed her course, at
tempting to make again for the open
sea, and leaving a trail of splinteied boats
and wreckage in her wake-
A moment afterward there was a second
puff from the sand spit, and this time the
gunners hud found their range. The great
black flying fish, with a thousand pounds
of explosive gelatine in Its head, darted
down on the deck of the battleship. The
hills around felt the jar as the explosion
came, and the dull roar drifted up to them
from the water.
Clouds of smoke, steam and spray over
hung the doomed ironclad for a minute or
two, but when they drifted away there
was no ship to be seen She had been lit
erally torn to pieces by the explosion and
had sunk before the smoke had time lodis
appear. An angry swirl on the glassy sur
face of the water, with bits of flotsam
here and there, was all that was left.
Hurricane of Shells.
But if the men in the battery had found
their range, the enemy had not been slow
to take advantage of it also. A hurricane
of shells burst from the great guns m the
turrets, tossing the earthworks into tlie
air like snow and disabling one of the
pneumatic guns at the first discharge.
Tnc enemy had been taught their lesson,
however, and, wheeling in obedience to a
signal without breaking their formation,
they steamed swiftly seaward out of range
of t'ic deadly battery, but with every stern
cluiser and midship turret that could bu
brougLt to Itear hurling its blast of steel
into the fated works.
Escajie was not so easy. The long black
projectiles of tlie air guns followed the re
treating fleet and staggered first one and
then another with avalanches of water
that rose close beside them and tumbled
witli the shock of a waterfall on their
decks.
The French torpedo chaser Ariele in the
rear of the retreating squadion was the
victim of the next center shot and was
fairly blown to pieces on the surface of
the water before she had a chance to sink.
Then the Italian Numancia was crippled
by a shot that grazed her stem and tore
out screw propeller and stearing gear.
Her water-tight compartments alone saved
her from foundering, and she drifted a
helpless wreck within the circle of fire
till towed out of reach by her sister ship,
the Vlttoria.
Flight of the Enemy.
The running fight did not last mote than
fifteen minutes all told before the enemy
were out of range of the pneumatic guns.
Once 6afe themselves, they wheeled and
lay at ease, dropping shells inland and
silencening the battery completely, though
from their position it was lmpossible-for
them to tell the exact amount of damage
they had done.
It was enough, however, for those on
shore to know it, and to know that with
this defense gone there was nothing but
the feeble fleet in the upper bay with odds
of three to one against it to stand between
tire enemy and the shelling of New York.
That a second attack would be made at
night no one doubted, and the night glasses
showed the hostile squadron as night fell
drawing together in the offing in answer
to rocket signals from the flagship of the
French admiral, who had assumed com
mand on the sinking of the Spaniard.
The torpedoes in the channel could be
counted on as some protection, but when
the little dishing winked gcodby with her
searchlight to tne thousands on the water
front and stole offt wrapped in darkness,
down toward the Jower bay, everyone felt
that though 6he might account for one or
two of the enemy during a night attack in
the channel, It was a desperate chance,
and she herself was aB good a6 doomed.
The city waited, hanging between hope
and fear, and the officers of the battle
ships in the harbor tramped their decks,
swearing in undertones at the inactive de
partment that tied them up at the city
wharves like ferryboats, when there might
be righting had, even at heavy odds, just
outside the Hook.
When the yellow rocket had flared up
from the French admiral's flagship a
strange hull that had been creeping In
out of the vacant blackness that filled the
horizon grew slowly into view of the
hostile squadron, and when the allied ves
sels hud answered their leader's signal
with blue lights the stranger flashed the
same answer from her forward turret.
The signal party on the dismantled bat
tery at the Hook had been watching her
with their best glasses, but could not
make her out In the darkness, but whenone
arter another or the .waiting fleet had
trained their search lights on her they
caught the olive-gray that marked the
Italian hull and the great stumpy military
mast with Its machine gun top thatchnrac
terized all the others of the hostile fleet.
And as the search lights of tlie enemy
scanned her up and down they rested for
a moment on the Italian colors that flut
tered at her main peak.
Boldly and without hesitation the new
arrival steered her course between the
farthest outlying ironclads that lay a
mile apart to seaward, and bore down
toward the flagship. She showed no light
and no signal save the-ensign at her
peak, but confidently laid her course tor
the great French battleship.
Stars and Stripes.
Sweeping, on through thu-durknesswiUiln
a hundred reel of the Hent Fiencbninn,
the stranger sheered slightly.." The Italian
colors nnislied in the darkness. Then the
dazzling rays of" a search light shot up
ward from her forward turret and full
upon the Stars and Stripes that were
broken out on the instant from the top
of the military mast.
The wild cheer of the Yankee bluejaeket-
rang out. but wnssijenceii in a deeper rear.
Instantly, from turret and barbette, a
hundred tons of steel 'crashed into the
vitals or tlie French flagship. The blaze
lit up the sea for a huudred yards, and
the thunder of it deafened every ear on
board the Frenchman that was left alive
to hear,
No armor ever floated on an iron hull
could withstand those bolts of steel at
point blank lange. backed by a full fight
ing charge of powder.
A whirlwind of ninehiiie-gun fire sw.'pt
the Frenchman's decks and searched every
porthole before the flash of the broadside
died away, and then this ocean guenilla.
having dealt her blow, dashed onwaidin
the darkness, planting a shot or two from
her other broadside as she fled aboard the
nearest one or the hostile squadron.
So swift was the dash, and so utterly
foolhardy, that Mie was well 'on her way
toward .shore before a gun was trained to
follow her, and then half swallowed up in
darkness, without a la uternshowing aboard,
she ran out of range, unscathed, while
the Frenchman drifted n wreck in themid-t
or its own fleet.
That night the Indiana diopped anehor
orr Stnten Island, and berore daylight the
bluejackets were tearing down the eanvas
screen that had swelled her own military
inat to ttnee times its natural size, while
others from the swinging ladders over the
sides were giving tier a fresh coat of white
paint, to replace the Italian's e.live green
that had been part of her disguise in her
midnight dash through the enemy's line.
The Day of Reckon lug.
But with thclndinuuin poit.everyonefelt
that tlie day of leckoniug with the allies
was only postponed. All the next morning
the warships lay In the offing, apparently
icpairing damages and waiting for night
fall, to attempt the passage of the bay. All
day the four American battleships lay in
the harbor, waiting in vain for order to
move, and the little Cushiug havered about
In the lower bay like an uneasy sea-nettle
waiting a chance to sting.
Toward evening the bigtug Tritonst earn
ed away from the Brooklynnavy yard, hav
ing in tow the steel-armored whaleback
that had been building at the yard. On
board the tug was a party of naval officers
a part of the fortification board, and a
silent, black-haiied man, pointed out by
some of the workmen at the yard as a Mr.
Tesln, who had been watching the building
or the big armored float.
Night closed in, andthe hostile fleet again
drew together for the. at ack Inadvanceof
the line hovered the torpedo catchers, on
the lookout for torpedo boats and sunken
mines. After them tlie battleships in sin
gle column, alert for a shot Irom the dyna
mite battery that they had silenced all too
effectually the day before.
That night every electric plant in New
York was running at its full capacity, but
the city was in darkness, save for the jel
low glare of gas and oil lamps.
Tied Up on Orders.
The trolley lines were tied up, on orders
from the military headquarters. From
one to another a score of gigantic electric
plants ran temporary cables, coupling the
great generators in series, and all ending
in a great insulated cable, that disap
peared under tlie water at the Battery
The other end of this electric line emerged
from the water ten miles down the bay,
and it was to ward this point that the Triton
and her strange tow made their way.
There on shore a lighter cable, but or
low resistance, waswoundonagreat drum,
and when the Triton arrived one end was
carried aboard the whaleback and made
fast amid a maze of complicated machinery
sunk far out of harm's way below the
water line, und doubly protected by the
curved steel deckabove. Thcstrangeciaft
carried no crew, no armament, no torpe
does, only machinery and her own im
mense expanse of steel hull.
Upon the platrorm where the little patty
landed in the darkness stood a great square
box, big as a small cottage. It was a
high frequency coil, one of those by means
of wheih the alternations of the electric
current are raised to a point where the
million becomes the unit of measure. It
was a coil beside which the mightiest
with which cven-Tesla himself had experi
mented in his laboratory were but toys.
Beside the coll was a switchboard. Within
the forward compartment of the whale
back were condensers, thousands upon thou
sands of feet in plate surface. That was
all. Butthose condensers were vaults where
in to store up thunder bolts.
A glance at the meter beside the coil
showed a voltage of six and a quarter mil
lions, such a current as no othr operator
had ever had at his command before.
The Great Steel Test.
"Tell them to crowd on more if they
can," said the electrician, quietly, and the
officer at the telephone repeated the order
back to the city. The pointer on tne dial
wavered, and then slowly rose seven,.,
eight, ten million volts.
"Tell them to hold it at that," was the
order. Then, one after another, the switches
were thrown In, and the great steel fish,
like a thing of life, darted out toward
the channel.
The operator cut in another switch, and
from a bullseye in the forward armor plate
a pencil of clear white light shot out a
mile ahead across the black water and
swept the horizon, as under the manipula
tion of the switches the whaleback veered
from side to side, retreated and went
ahead.
Tlie light had served its purpose, for not
a mile away the advance of the hostile
fleet loomed up into view, and tlie party on
shore, crouching in the darkness, saw the
searchlights of the battleships turned on
their new antagonist.
"Kind of them to tclLus where they arc,''
muttered the electrician. "We, won' t need
our light any longer, 1 fancy," and the
whaleback' s light died but under the move
ment of his hand.
The flagship opened on the whaleback
with its forward barbettes, but the shells
glanced from the curved armor like dried
peas.
"They can' t hurt it, said the operator
as the shot glanced and shivered from the
as the shot glanced and shivered
great steel cuirass, "but we'll
them something,'' anef;.ahu
other Bwitoli an aurora" W green
juhu snow
turned an-
grcen and violetv-
riatnc sprang from the-prow of the steel
craft.
The DijslfoSer.
The cracking and.slnging of thC liberated
current could be hearil'ifor a iriile, as the
hissing tongues of flame leaped and
dunce I in the darkneR?TJut what was
more, the next shcjls jf.rojjn, the battleship
never readied their, ,arjkp but exploded
in air a hundred yards ,yvny from the.
strange craft, Jets and.,fUshes of silvery
light springing across the intervening space
to meet them in their flight.
Then the destroyer darted forward,
and. under a hail of machine-gunfire, ran)
down upon the ironclad. The battleship
ported her helm, and swjjrvctl to avoid
ramming, but she had another force to deal
with. ' - "
The whaleback also swerved, and when
within a hundred yards;-of her victim a
jagged holt of lightning shot from her steel
beak, and with a crash flke thunder linked
her for an instant to 'the steel battleship.
Quicker than though, piercing the dark
ness, bolt, followed boft in blinding .se
quenee, like the wrath of heaven in bodily
form. But hardly had tho'erash of the third
blow rung out when masts, decks and tur
rets of t he ironclad rosein air on a billow
or scarlet flame that burst from her in
terior. Guns hurled from the barbettes exploded
in midair, and while tlje rour of the ex
plosion still echoed across the water the
blackened wreck collapsed and sank, leav
ing only a ghostly pillow of white smoke
wavering above tlie black water.
The great, eye of the whaleback,
which had sprung into life again, glared
through the spreading haze like an ocean
cyelops in search of a fresh victim. But
tlie remnant or the allied squadron, seeing
the fate or their leader, had swung In their
tracks and were crowding on all steam for
the open sea. , "
"Tell lhenito cut yfft'tlje. current," said
the electrician to the officer at the tele
phone; "we'll hue no more need of it' to
night." LONGEVITY' MAV HE FORETOLD.
Physical Indications That Betoken
n Person Futed to a Long Life.
A"ew York Sun.
At the meeting of the Academy of Sci
ence lasueveiiing F W. Warner spoke upon
the subject or "Biometry 4,' Mr. Warner be
gan his discussion by1 explaining liiat the
subject was a science-treating of the
measure of lire and the. laws and conditions
which govern its duration.
"Eery peison," said he, "carries about
wi'ii him the pnysictil indications t li
longevity. A long-lived person may be dis
tinguished rrom a short-lived person at
sight. In many iuUin;Jh a phy-sieiairinay
look at the hands or ,1 p.nient and lelt
whether he will live or die.
"In the vegetable a. s v ell as in thenniinnl
kingdom, each life takes its characteristics
from the life from which it sprang. Among
nieM inneriied rnamcie. i-us we find tnc
capacity Tor continuing its. lire Tor a given
length of time. This capacity for living we
call the inherent or potential longevity.
I'nder favorable conditions and envhon-
nieiit the individual should, Hvc out tlie po
tential longevity With unfavorable con
ditions this longevity may be gicatly de
1 leased, urn wiin ii liiMim le ei.viiiuiuclli
the longevity of the persoif, the family or
lie race mav he Inn eased"
The speaker then spokeof plnnthfe, stat
ing thattrees which have long, thick trunks
w th small limbs invariably have long lives.
Animals with large bodies and short Units
have a much greater longevity than those,,
wun me opposite, cnarnciensiics. in
speaking or ilie human race, he said:
"Each individual inherits a potential
longevity and shouldllve out this longevity
as unirormiy as lives ine.iower aiuiii.11. Al
lowing for nccldentsfthd accidental dh
cases, the family records-will show thatthes
family longevity is reached with a sur
prMng accuracy The primary conditions
or longevity are that the heart, lungs and
digestive organs, as well as she brain,
should be large If these organs are large
the tiunk will be long anil the limbs con:-"
paratively short. The person will ai.
pe.v tall in sitting and short in standing
The hand will have a long and somewhat
heavy palm and short fingers. The brain
villbedeeplysnted.asshjwnbytheoiifice
0:' the ear being low. The blue hazel or
blown hazel eye, as showing an intermis
sion of temperament, is a favorable indica
tion. The nostrils being large, open and
fiee, indicates- large lung's A pinched and
half-closed nostril indicates small or Weak
lungs.
in the case of persons who have short
lived parentage 011 one sale, and ioiig-llvid
on the other side, the question be comes more
involved Itisshownln.grnftingnnd hybrid
izing that nature makes a supreme clTort
to pass the period or-Mhe shurler longevity
and extend the lire to. the gri ater longevity.
Any one who understtmdsthe.se weak and
dangerous periods or lire is forewarned and
forearmed. It has been observe d that the
children of long-lived parents mature much
later, and are usually backward in their
studies."
Aniustauce was given of a gentleman who
had indications of great longevity. He was
taken rrom his hotel ill with yellow fever,
and reinoveel to the hospital, where he was
placed in a ward with six other patients. In
a few days the six weriburled anil he was
discharge. He ha 1 thr-sdme type ot tht
e.iseand the same treatment. His longevity
carried him through. In conclusion, he
said.
"If time is money, longevity is wealth. A
person wiui has .ie.li inherited longevity
will outlive diseae. an enjoy the most
valued inheritance which parents can tive
to the.r children."
JESSE JA5IKS' GOOD HOY.
Steady and Inelusjtrious and Has n
Good Position "With the Armours.
.Kansas City World.
Every morning except Sunday a tall,
well-built, sturdy-looking man, with a
smooth face and clear, sparkling eyes,
mounts a bicycle in front of a modest
little frame cottage at No. 3402 Tracy
avenue and rides away to his work.
As he spins Talong the thoroughfare, his
well-proportioned figure showing to
good advantage in a neat-fitting suit, many
admiring glances are Cast his way. Prob
ably one person in. a hundred recognize-s
him. He isthe son of thelate Jesse James.
His name is also JesseTy, but his friends
and acquaintances call,' (him "Tim," be
cause, probably, Timothy James, when
spoken Is not so l'labffe to excite the
curiosity of strangers ns'wfould the name of
his noted father. ' ,5
Jesse T. James is .now twenty years
old. He is regarded by his friends and
neighbors as a model ycjtilig man honest,
sober anil industrious. "He Is timekeeper
in the Armour Packing Company's plant,
where for five years he has been employed.
His employers regard him highly, and de
light in extolling his merits.
Jesse or Tim supports his mother and
sister. He has just finished paying for their
moderate little home, which is a story and
a half frame building, with a porch run
ning along one side. Miss Maria James,
his sister, Is now seventeen years old. She
is a sweet-faced young woman of a rather
retiring disposition. Thj..Js her thrd year
in high school, and next"year she expects
to graduate. Her brother" is very proud of
her, and Mrs. James, a .motherly-looking
woman, with rather sorrowful eyes, is very
proud of" her children.
"Do I know Tim James, son of Jesse?"
said an employe of Unpacking house, re
peating the question of a reporter, "Well,
I should say I do, and I don't know any
thing bad of him, either. He's one of the
best young men I cveijjknew: steady, hon
est, accommodating why, you never met a
nicer fellow in your life."
All of his fellow-employes have a kindly
word to say for Tim. '.Besides being an ex
pert bicyclist, Tim Is nne.aniareur basev
ball player, and. is an infieldcr on the
Schmelzer Blues, at one, time the strongest
baseball team' in this paf t of the State.
Trouble In the. Coop.
"Pa, pa, the Christmas turkey has got a
hickorynut in its throat an' It can't say a
word."
"Why, the unspeakable Turkl" Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
How Work Is Carried on at tlie
Great Corcoran School.
NO LAGGARDS FOUND THERE.
Teacher and rupil Too Much in
Earnest for Sensitiveness to Grit- j
ieism The Good Model Also an
Artist in Her Way Inspiration
From Painting and Song.
There Isnothingin the world to be com
pared to art. -
This was the exclamation of the young
artist, .Marie Basklrtsefft whose Journal
everyone read a few years ago. To the
many it was a fad of the moment; to the
few it became a perpetual inspiration, to
be drawn upon In gloomy hours for a re
vival of hope, ir you read the beiok and
were Impressionable and sensitie to the
divine "discontent which 'inflamed her; if
you were sensitive to the burning aspira
tions which poured rrom her heart, you
have still a strong ceniembrauce of what
she says or artists and their work.
In Washington there is a large colony
or artists, and the HMor art seems to wash
around the grounds of the White House.
The Corcoran Art Gallery is tlie Gibraltar;
across the patk Is the Cosmos Club, and
there are numerous private studios on
Seventeenth street. But the art school it
self is the hotbed of activity. Tor there the
sprouting geniuses are placed in soil Into
which they may send the roots or their
being and rind nourishment ami warmth
to stimulate and teed the cravings Tor tlie
beautiful, and may also attain the power
to become creators for themselves.
none for Genius in Need.
There is one glorious thing about th6
art school. It i6 absolutely free. There is
not another school in America that gives
this opportunity ro the talented poor. And,
strange to say, most or the uitist world is
poor. The very word art calls up pictures
er garrets, of hunger, or meagre lives fed
with ambition- Washington is written down
as the center of many great philanthropies,
mid thisjs one of tlie greatest of its hless-
-ings. The name of the founder or a tree
art school is worthy to endure.
In the rear or the Corcoran gallery,
whose great bronze lions blink at you
lazily rrom between their powerful, quiet
paws, you will rind the little brick build
ing erect eel for the school. The Moorish
entrance is flanked with porthole windows
which give light to the dressing-rooms
ror the student. Itls a quiet and retiring
little building which gives no hint of the
activity within, beneath sky-lights that
balk cuiloslty or worldlj elitraction. Yet
from 9 o'clock. In the morning until 10
o'clock at night, with a brier interval for
dinner, the rooms are filled with students
or tlie brush, working tirelessly liefore
easels', and resenting nothing but the gong
which tmlls upon them to lay aside their
work. They become so plunged in their
several subjects that the gong Is an irrita
tion, a ileal of fate that drives them back
to the world or stern reality where dreams
are dispelled.
Insiele the Shrine.
The interior or this building which will
serve to shelter the school for only a few
weeks longer, Is not Ideal for Its purpose
though It has served long and faithfully.
It Is nothing to what the new quarters
will be in the beautirul marble structure
so nearly completed tor the Corcoran
collection. There is here but one long
room divided by curtains into apartments
Tor the classes in antique drawing and still
Ure,andonesmallerroom In the rear where
the lire classes work. But to the ambitious
stuilent tills building lias had no elc-rects.
It gives a quiet studio with gooil light, an
excellent collection of casts, free models,
ami free criticism from excellent teucheis.
Give a student all this with a corner In
which to set up his easel, and he Is not
going to complain.
Mr. E. F. Andrews, the director of the
art school, holds the open sesame to the
front door of this building, and you can
not penetrate further than the vestibule
without his consent. If you are a student
seeking admission he is the man to be in
tcrvicweel. It is not difficult to get into
the night classes. There is no examina
tion. The only trouble at the present
time is that the classes are filled as far
as accommodations go and there are many
wailing in line for the coveted oppor
tunity. At night you will find seventy
five pupils at work, altogether. In the
day classes it is a different matter. To
be admitted to the day classes one must
have had some training and be able to
submit work that will show a required
excellence. The standard for admrsslon
is not extremely high, however, but it serves
to keep the day classes from overcrowding.
In the Night Classes.
The night 1 lasses are delightful to visit
You will find at work students far ad
vanced in excellence of execution, aiui
humble beginners trembling over the lines
or a block ha nil. There is a quiet, con
centrated ambition prevalent, and no
disciplinarian is necessary to hold these
students down to their work. They are
chained by something mightier than dis
cipline from an outside will. If a student
goes to pieces in excitement over what he
has -wrought and walks about and gives
vent to his feelings .in too much talkative
ness he is withered with sarcasm and
frowned down on all sides by disapproval.
When you enter the school at night the
first sight makes you think of a Greek
play. The casts are arranged along the
sides or the room and the light is so
thrown upon them that the remainder or
the room is in shadow. The long lines
or gas jets are placed high, and the light
is thrown with a strong effect by means
of metal reflectors. Ttmstudents grouped
in the" middle eir the rexmi at their easels
are silent and busy, and pay no heed to
'who comes ami goes. They work with
their long pencils or charcoal, and the
faces of anguish, courage, love, calm re
pose, grow on the paper. By this light
at night the shadows on the casts are
black, and not the elusive grey and blue
or the sort daylight. Athena looks her
lofty serenity, Venus smiles her wondrous
tenderness, Apollo thrills with his god
like youth and beauty, the Greek slave
writhes In torment. As one watches them
the ache 'to create grows in the mind and
muscles, and perfect form seems the only
good thing in the world.
No Mixed Life Classes.
There are three classes in the antique
at night and a class ot young men drawing
from life. The life class for women is
conducted during the morning. Asin New,
York, there is no mixed classes In Washing
ton drawing from the. life. It has been
said by some artists who argued in favor
of that custom that women's work was
stronger and men's more sympathetic
where they drew side by side. But, as
the director of the Washington Art School
says, there are. weak men and strong
women in 1 art, and all things considered
they get on better by themselves. At the
woman's life class the other morning an
excellent model was posing on the throne
and the women were working with a sort
of concentrated fury. They sat upon their
high stools, their dresses covered over
with paint daubed aprons, their hair
tousled and awry, their faces smirched,
and worked as though It was a joy mingled
y
with a fierce pain of dissatisfaction with
themselves.
"There arc calm moments in drawing
from the antique," said the instructor,
Miss Cook- "But there Is such an excite
ment in, drawing from life that one has to
have d 'good foundation knowledge before
attempting it. Then, too, the line wavers
constantly, as no model is able to stand
'perfectly quiet. Now, a good model is a
rare thing. You wouldn't think it was
hard to take a position aud keep it for
twenty-five minutes, but it is one of the
hardest thlngB In the world to do. A
model must have intelligence, also- There
is all the difference in the world. Some or
them can assume any expression you
wish, or take any pose you suggest. They
can keep it and return to it arter rest. But
those are the exceptions. This woman Is
one of the best models I ever saw."
Art anil Anatomy.
As she made a criticism that moment
she suggested to the student certain ana
tomical facts which started the question
as to whether art demandeel a thorough
knowledge of that branch of science. She
replied that it did not. "Some people
seem to think," she said, "that a medical
knowledge or anatomy is desirable. But
I think it Is a detriment rather than a
help. IT one knows where muscles and
bones are he Is bound to indicate them
unless he Is a master, and that is not
true to life as we see It. There is a re
finement of anatomy which is practical
and necessary to art students, but to go
into absolute dissection, no, no."
in Marie Bashkirtseff.s journal where
she speaks or her lire as a student, there
Is a paragraph which say: "I no longer
have need or wealth. Two black blouses
n year, a change or linen that I could wash
myself on Sunday, the simplest food, and
the means to work, these are nil I want."
ir you were to visit the Washington art
school and study the women who are al
most alone In possession during the day,
you would think tlmt all of them had
taken this for a standard. These women
students seem to have lost the feminine
vanity of dress. The rumpled condition
or their hair might be said to be artistic,
but it is ns blousy as their gowns. This
is not said with disrespect, but as an in
teresting mutter or detail. They run their
hands into their hair in desperation, then
they settle down to work and forget the
coif Aire. It gradually gets to look like
er, fur j is tlie word.
Disheveled "Young: Women.
I spent an afternoon with these young
women. At first I was startled at the
general dlshevclment of appearance among
them, but I grew to like it.It meant
so much. When a woman throws away
all thought of herself and gives up ty a
purpose.a goal ahead, she beuomes a more
interesting enigma than ever before; she
is bewitching but unsatisfying. I found
one young woman who was described to
me to have talent in so many directions
that she would settle upon nothing. She
engaged the fancy at once by her general
appearance, and after a round with the
instructor I went back to her and settleel
down to watch her work. The class was
drawing a portrait from a model. Mi
young woman stood before her work with
her thumb through her palette, a brush
in the other hand, her head em one side,
and attitudinized. She was for doing
desner'v things with her canvas at
times, and again was dreamy for long
minutes. She wore a quaint gown of
green wool with a baby waist and long
empire skirt- Her hair was a tousle. Her
hands were tiny and daubed with paint
anil on the first finger of her right hand
she wore a Roman gold ring with a larg
emcrald wink in the top. Above it was a
silver ring with a Napoleon and two fleur-de-lis
carveel upon It. I went near her
finally, and said:
"You are giving your lady the mouth
of the new woman."
What is that?" said she, turning with
animation. She had no idea who her
critic was.
"The mouth'Uf the new woman is tmuic,
it droops at the corners most pathetically.
Ir is tlie mouth of Duse and Sonya Kovelev
sky, and other women geniuses."
"And it" Is the mouth of the models.
Mon Dieu, but they all get that way. They
look as though God hail forsaken them.
Then I have to paint It as I see it.
When I take my pictures home my people
say tny iiortraits all have such mournful
eyes. They look as though they were
counting every five minutes like beads on
a rosary. Do you paint?"
"No."
"But you are clever someway, please
tell me how."
I decline to publish my answer. The
reader would scarcely believe I merely
laughed. It was too delicious a moment.
Many Are Ordinary.
But all the art students are not like- this
young creature, madly enthusiastic over
whatever subject is broached. Many or
them U ok extremely commonplace And
the more commonplace they look tin-more
delightful things they are doing. I saw a
young woman in a hideous plain gown of
ugly fit with her hair in an abominable
condition. She had before her a woman
with a sallow face in a black cape with an
edge of violet lining revealed- Upon the can
vas was growingnnieleal woman a woman
with some resemblance to the model, but
with a face illumined. The sallow cheeks
glowed, the lips were rosy and curved In a
delicious smile. One wonders as he watches
whatthe in use is doing to the eyes of the
artist that she idealizes thus.
In another room a young woman was
posed on a high stool in a dainty attitude
of careless grace. Her head was poised
to one side like a bird's. She wore a
Greek gown or light blue and had a back
ground or grey drapery. In her lap was
an open magazine. A number of young
women were painting her in water colors,
and she was very paintable. It was in
teresting to puss behind the easels and
note what the different artists were do
ing with her. One sketch was 'full of
the grace of dreams. The model's hair
was lightly blown about the face, the
lips laughed, the eyes sparkled. It would
have made a fine first page for a maga
zine In the rest period the model went
around and looked at the canvases, and
she paused Ioncest berore this one.
"Do you like to look nt yourself on
canvas?" I asked her.
Likes Herself on Canvas.
'Oh, yes, indeed; -and tills is exquisite,
isn't It? I really am not like that, you
know," she said deprecatingly, "not so
pretty by "far.''
"Oh, yes, you are," "said-the painter.
"She Is an nrtist herself," turning to me.
"though not with the brush," and she
mentioned the name of a well-known vocal
ist. "That is what makes her pose so
well; it takes an artist to pose.''
'They shall have real saints to draw
from Magdalene, Peier and Paul," I mur
mured under my breath as I turned away.
In the outer room I found Miss Cook vigor
ously tearing to pieces the work of some
students in still life. Do you imagine they
were in the sulks. Not a bit of it People
don't sulk when they really care. These
women listened and drank in the criticism
in a most humble and grateful way.
"Your basketot oranges has a funny ap
pearance. I shouldn't like to eat them.
Those shadows look as though the fruit
was spoiled. Bo be more careful, for
gradations of value. You, my dear, have
Jammed that orange on the outside right
up against the basket. There should be a
space of four inches. How are you going
to get-It? Deepen those shadows, whiten
it on this side; bring it away out. That is
your problem to master."
As I turned away from the art school the
POSTOFFICE NOTICE.
Should bt. read dally by all interested, as
changes may occur at any time.
Foreign mulls Tor the week eneimgJanuary
- wilt close promptly at this ornce ay
rollows:
Trans-Atlantic Mail
MONDAV-(b)At'J:SU p. m., Tor Europe
per s. b. llavel, rrom N'ew York, via
Southampton and Bremen. Letters for Ire
land must be directed -per Havel."
TUESDAX-(b)At9:'J0 p. m.,for Europe,
per s. s-New York, rrom New York, vta
Southampton. Letters for Ireland mast bo
directed "per New York." (c)At 10:55 p.
m., for Genoa, per s. s- Fuida. from .New - '
York. Letters mastbedirected-perFulda."
tc)At 10:55 p. m., Tor Europe, per s. s.
.teutonic. rromNew York, viaQueenstown.
c At lurns p. m., ror lieigium direct, per
s. s. Kensington, rrom New York, via Ant
werp. Letters muse be directed -per Ken
sington." WEDNESDAY (c)At 10.55 p. m for
.Nethcrlauilsllrecttper s-s. Zaaixlam, rrom -
New York, via Amsterdam. Letters must
bedirected"per Zaandam."
FKiDAY b)At B:00 p. in., ror France,
Switzerland. Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey,
r-gypt, and British India, per s. s. la.
Bretngne," from New York, via Havre.
Letters for other parts of Europe must be
directed "per La Bretagne." icAt 10:55
p. m., for Netherlands direct, per s. s.
Yeendaiii, rrom New YorJc. via Rotterdam.
Letters must be ehrecteel "per Veendam."
(e)At 10:55 p. in., for Scotland direct, per
s. s Ethiopia, from New York, via Glas
gow. Letters must be directed "per
Ethiopia." (c)At 10:55 p. m , for Europe,
per b. s. Campania," rrom New York, via.
siueenstown.
"Printed matter, etc. German steamers
saillngrrom ew York on Tuesdays, Thurs
days, and Saturdays, take printed matter,
etc., Tor Germany and specially addressed
printed matter, etc-, for other parts of
Europe.
White Star steamers sailing from New
York on Wednesdays, take suecially ad
dressed printed matter, etc., ror Europe.
The American, Cunard. and French line
steamers sailing rrom New York, take
printed matter, etc., Tor all countries for
which they are advertised to carry maiL
Mails for South anil Central Amer
ica, "West Indies, Etc.
SUNDAY (d)At 10:55 p- in , for St.
Thomps, St. Croix, Leewareh, and Winel
ward Islands, via St. Thomas, also Mara
callo, per s. s. Curacao, rrom New York.
Letters for Grenada. Trinidad, unel Tobago
must be directed "per Curacao."
MONDAY a)At3:20 p.m., for Jamaica,
per steamer rrom ttoston- ic)At 10:05
p. m., Tor Belize, Puerto Cortez, and Gua
temala, per steamer from y&w Orleans.
(CJAC 10:05 p. in., ror St. Thomas, St.
Croix, Leeward and Windward IslaniLs,
Martinique, and Barbados, per s- . Carrib
Dee, rrom New York. Letters for Gren
ada, Trinidad, and Tobago, must be directed
"ler t'aribbee."
TUESDAY d)At 6 25 a. m. for Port
Antonio, pecsteanierfrom Baltimore. ld)At
H:2." n. m. for Porto Ri ilirect. per s. s.
Arkadia, from New York CoAt 10:05 p.
m. for Costa Rica, per steamer from 2fevr
Orleans. fciAtl0:55p. in. for Bermuda, per
s.s.Trmldael. from New York loAt 10:53
p. m. for Central America t except Qosta
Rica) and South Pacific ports, per s. s.
Advance, from New York, via Colon. Let
ters for Guatemala must be directed "per
Advance." (c)At 10 35 p. m. for Santiago
de Cuba, Venezuela anel Colombia, per s. s.
Panama, rrom New York. Letters must be
directeel "per Panama. loAt 10-33 p.
in. Tor Grenada. Trinidad anil Tobago, pec
s. s. Grenada, rrom New York.
WEDNESDAY (c)At 10:35 p. m for
orth brazil. per s. y Dunstan. from New
York, via Para, Alaranliam anil Cearo.
(ciAt 1U.55 p. m..for Nassau. N. I . pers.
s. Antilia. from New York. Letters must
be directeel "per Antilia." (oAt 10:35
p. m.. for Nassau. N. 1 .anil Santfaze de
Cuba, per s. s. Niagara, from New York.
FRIDAY (OAt lU:55p.m . ror Jamaica,
Savautlla. and Carthagena per s. s.
Adirondack, from New York. (OAt 10:55
p. in., ror Jerernie and Ureytown. per s- .
Ardandliu. from .New York- Letter for
Losta Rica must bedirec-teiP'perArilandhu."
1 OAt 10:55 p. in., Tor Campec he. Chiapas,
tabasco, anel Yucatan, per s. s. Vigilan
cia. rrom New Ycrk. Letters for other
parts or Mexico must be directed "per
Vigilancia."
Mails ror Newfoundland, by rail to Hal
fax anel thence bv steamer, close-herer daily
at 12:i5 p. tiMd)
Malts lor Miquelon. bv rail to Boston
anel thence via steamer, close here daily
at :i:2ii p. m.(a)
Mails ror Cuba (except tliose for San
tiago de Cuba, which will be rorwnreled
to New Yorlc up to io;53 p. 111. Wednesday)
close here daily at :i p. in. ror dispatch
via steamer sailing Mone'ays and Thurs
days rrom Port Tampa, Fla.(e)
.Mans ror aiexico oventna i except inose
for Cumpeche. Chiapas. Tabasco and Yu
catan, winch are Torwarded to New York
for dispatch by steamer sailing Saturday
after the Wedntselay overlanel closing) close
here daily at 7:1 0 a. m.(d)
Trans-Paeif le Mails.
Mails Tor Clnna and Japan, spee-inllyad-rlressea
only, per s. s. Empress of India,
rrom Vancouver, close here daily up to
-3U p. m.. December 2s (d)
Mails ror China, Japan, anil Hawaii, per
s. s. I'eru. rrom. San Eruncisco. close nere
daily up to t.3U p. m . January 1 td
Mail ror Australia texeept West Aus
tralia!. Hawaii anel Eijl Islands, .specialty
addressed only, per s. s. aiiowera. rrom
Vancouver, close nere dailv up to t-.ao
p. m.. January 1 let)
Mans ror Australia (except thoe for
west Australia, which are forwarded via
Europe, New Zcalanel. Hawaii. Fiji and
Sainoau Islands, per s. s. Mariposa, from
san Francisco, close here daily up to 6:30
p. in . January a (d
.Mails- ror China and Japan, per s. 9.
I'acoma. rrom Taconia, close here daily up
to i;.3u p. m . January u.un
Man ror Hawaii, per . s. .u.siraiia.
rrom sau t- ranuco, close here daily up to
t ao p. m., January 20 (d)
Mans ror the Society Jsianeis. per ship
CUv or tMpeiti, rrom San Francisco. close
nere dailv up to U.30 p. m., Janaary
-3.(d
Trans-Pacific mails are forwarded to
jh rt of sailing doily, and the schedule of
dosing Is arrargeel on the presumption of
their uninterrupted overland transit.
(aiKegisterectmailcioesat 11 a ih.stiibc
day.
(nntegistiTcu maueicsesat j p m.same
da y.
e ) Registered mail closes at p n same
dav. ".
(d) Registered mail closes at l p. m.
previous elay.
(e)Registe-n-d mail closes at 1 p m.Tues
elnys and Saturdays.
JAMES P.WILLETT. Postmaster.
last stanza of Kipling's poem sang itself
in my brain.
And eniy the .Master shall raise us, ilnd
only the Master shall blame;
Ami ne one shall work for money, and no
one shall work for fame;
But each for the joy of workmg.and each
m his separate star
Shall draw tne thing ns he sees it fop
the Goet of things ns they are.
SIBYL WILBUR.
ON A SINGLE 'WIRE.
Messages Sent by Telegraph Great
DIstnuces Wlthont Interruption.
It was Sunday afternoon in April. Busi
ness was dead and the-Western Union boys
in the Little Rock ofrice had nothing to do
but to tell stories. Finally a discussion
arose as to how far a single wire- circuit
could be worked and one of the boys sug
gested they test the matter then and
there.
Berore Bnrfnlo respondeel somebody along
the great wire circuit broke in and stopped
further progress.
"Who's breaking?" akeel the Littl
Rock operator.
"A B," came back the answer.
"Who is 'A- B?' "
"Ashtabula, Ohio. Whols'L. R? '
'Little Rock, Ark. How are you?"
"Pretty well, thank you."
"Bow's the weather In Ohio?"
"Delightful. How is it In Arkansas?"
"Hotter than ."
Suddenly somebody broke in and opened
the circuit.
A moment later communication wasre
establisheMl and the Little Reck operator
repeated the sentence, "Hotter than ."
Sometody again "broke." As soon as
Little Rock "got the wire" the operator
angrily clicked "Keep out. who's break
ing us?"
"The answer came "A. B."
"Whatareyou breaking lor. Ashtabula?"
"Because I don't think you ought to use
such language in the presence cf a lady."
What the beyj in the Little-Hock orfice
said next didn't go over the wire at all.
But after that episode every Sunday
af ternt on, whenever business was dull, one
Little Rock operator fought his way by
wire to Ashtabula and had a chat often
cut short by intermeeliate interference
with "A B." Anel when the time for his
summer vacation came along he packed
his grip and tc ok a trip to the North. When
he came back htr told the roys m the of
fice that he had been "visiting friends i
Ohio."
He Saw the Ballet.
Uncle Ji: "Who's thet woman thet hops
arounel so ncsky lively?"
Cousin Filklns: "That's the premier dan
seuse." Uncle Ji- "She jumps so much like a
kangaroo thet I thought mehhy she had
something to do with this he're Australyun
ballot thet we've hearel so much about
down our way." Cleveland Plain Dealer,
.tmihsM
.rX-SwySigK a-jjjvi -