The San Francisco call. [volume], April 29, 1911, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
jJUSWE
ISSUED EVERY SATURDAY FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF SAN FRANCISCO AND CALIFORNIA
ALONZO
THE MYSTERIOUS BIRD IS AROUND AGAIN
The Master of Spencerian Pen*
manship
A slanting, weatherbeaten slab in an
old ; graveyard ": at; Geneva, 0., is the
only inanimate thing that remains to
remind the world of the greatest pen
man that ever knew and taught the
fine art of writing. ~ „
. Only a little while ago Spencer's log
cabin "seminary? was torn' down. To
it, In the woods on Sturgeon point,
had -' come pupils in " penmanship from
all over the world. The cabin used to
be pointed out by tolerant country folk
as "the place were old Piatt Spencer
taught writln'." Their recollection of
Spencer' Is that of a,harmless, eccentric
individual with a hobby, and they do
not seem to have any Idea that the
phrase "Spencerlan penmanship" Is to
this day in nearly every school where
writing is taught the synonym of all
that is correct in handwriting.
In the meantime schools all over the
.•world are teaching Spencerian penman
ship. I Spencer had writing reduced to
a fine art. He believed ardently in
one style of handwriting for all the
English speaking world. lie main
tained that his style, the slanting style,
could be written more rapidly, more
legibly and with less; effort than the
vertical. Today educators generally
agree with him. --
In those days men wrote with goose
quills and home made blackberry ink.
The Spencers were known for their
disinclination to quarrel with their
neighbors. Though they were not
cowards, they. would suffer insults and
injury long before retaliating in kind.
There were three brothers, two of,them
wood choppers. Their favorite way, of
"getting even" was w.riting poetry. .
-. The story is told 'of one brother who
suffered, the loss of a number of hewn
boards which he had left piled on the
beach: 'They were Intended [ for a new
deck for his'boat. ;He knew the thief,
a' sanctimonious hypocrite, who on the
■ following Sunday had 1, the nerve to
pray publicly for* Brother Spencer.
' Lumber thieves \ were ; all too ""common
and "were, popularly known as .."arabs."
'; The next day * copies of ; a poem in
Brother ; * Spencer's handwriting ap
peared on many trees and fences along
the highways. This was the poem: ' -
The man who took my boards away, '
Of him I ask no better pay . :
Than—When he's through with tills
> word's cares.
Give* mean interest in his prayers.
Brother Arab, spare, oh. spare! .
I can't exchange them aT! for prayer. ;
My boat the covering -needs, you see;
So, brother Arab, let them be.
But if your prayers availing prove, ■'
Beneath the depths of Christian love, X
May double blessing* on you fall!— „.■.■
Hitch up your team and.take them all!
" The* neighbors read them, saw the
point and chuckled.— Plain
Dealer.
THE San Francisco CALL
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., APRIL 29, 1911,
Uses for Sawdust
. The processes for making use of saw
dust that have .been worked out In
France and Norway: in the last few,
years are .worth more to those * coun
tries than the entire list of economies
of natural resources talked about in
the United States.; _\ The making of
money out of sawdust not only pro
duces wealth from, the material, but
keeps . It out of the streams and thus
adds nearly 100 per cent to the chances
for fish; doing well .in the fresh waters
and furnishing more economical ,s food
for the people. > Regardless of the laws
made to prohibit the- practice, 'a great
deal of sawdust is still wasted In the
'streams of this : country, and they have
become almost worthless as breeding
places for fish, as have the lakes they
drain to the oceans. The French have
perfected a process; that extracts, 27
gallons of high grade alcohol from a
ton of I sawdust, 42 j pounds j of acetic
acid and lesser material of value and
leaves enough wood to make briquets
that are sold for about'slo a ton, be
cause they are extra fine for making
tires. I All -that pays a large profit for
handling;the sawdust, and, there;ls no
waste material to - throw into streams.
In Norway they make wood flour of the
sawdust and sell ,it for $13 a ton. to
be used in various j industries, but j not
for mixing up bread. .These are econ
omies that work both ways for the
benefit of: the . population, and they
mean something besides theories .to
talk about.
OPEN LETTER SECTION
Motion Pictures
GEORGINA LOUISA SCHLUETER
Aire 14 Years
To me, and, I am sure to others, too.
motion pictures are a wonderful crea
tion, it seems hardly real that this
generation could have produced so
many-marvelous and different things
within the space of a few years. Aero
planes are wonderful, too; In fact'they
are so great that I begin to think we
will never stop" Inventing things.
everything the world has ever made Is
wonderful, but I think the things this
generation has produced 'outshine
everything. With the invention of mo
tion pictures we not only have pleas
ures but,a great help besides. When
ever l see motion pictures I learn same
thing. In some'pictures I see scenery,
beautiful views of fields, rivers, falls,
etc. This scenery should be placed be
side "geography, for it is a great help
to that study. One does not need, to
travel In order to see the main: parts
of the world, for before us in the form
.of motion pictures we see, the white
clad mountains of Switzerland,*, the
peasant life of Russia, the gay scenes
of Paris and many other entertaining
things. Isn't this geography on a broad
scale? Doesn't this teach us a great
deal? c W. A-"- .. :• "-"■.." '"■' *, '-'" \»-<
. In'books we have many pretty. pic
tures,'but pictures not to be compared
with those produced In motion pictures.
Besides the landscapes we see before
us the ; dramas,of everyday -life. I do
not moan murders,* robberies or any
thing of. this kind. . This type of pic
JJUNIIOK.
ture should be barred from the public
view and Instead good, Wholesome pic
tures should be shown that one minute
bring tears to the people's eyes and
the next minute make them roar with
laughter.
The dramas of everyday life are pic
tures of the poor and rich, showing ua
that in some places . there„ are wealttt
and happiness; and in others poverty,
and in still others there is misery.
Motion pictures take the . place of
great, but sometimes .tiresome,, plays.
Many people tire of going to a theater
to Me a long, dreary play and would
much rather see motion pictures, which
are short and almost always interest
ing. 1 have heard people say that
motion pictures are harmful. Oh,
Juniors, I do 'not see how people can
say this. Why, there is nothing at all
harmful In* motion pictures. .There ;!s
a great deal of good in them, I'm sure,
and I- hope j (hut when the world's fair
comes here motion pictures will still tie
in existence, and I also hope that in
1915 people will appreciate them more,
than they do,now. ■
A WORDS OF THANKS 7
: 1 ♦
Dear Editor: I wish to thank you for
the nice paint box.;. 1 think it is lovely.
Yours truly, VIOLET 15. DUS-ft
Morgan Hill. •...-.'
Editor Junior Dear Sir: I appreciate
tills handsome * watch that was pre
sented to ,me yesterday.-#;I did not: ex
pect so pretty a watch as this. I can
not say how well I am pleased. From
a constant reader, PHILIP LEVIN.
San Francisco,- - '.
I Dear Sir: I received the box of paints
all right and I am very much pleased
with them. 1 remain, yours, truly, .-.
- Martinez. ' ROBERT GEMKTTI.
Editor Junior Call—Dear Sir: I wish
to thank you for the .watch. It Is a
little-dandy and keeps fine time. ; Sin
cerely. - "• MARGARET TOMSON..
Castle Rock. "]■.... '...*., „ . * : .
Ships That Kick
3 When sailors join a ship almost the
first question asked by each one *as he
takes the wheel for the first time Is,
"Does she kick?" - ,- ••..':.'- ' ;, '. "
/ J Kicking, as it is called by seamen. Is
due to the action of the water under the
lee of the "rudder, when the vessel's
stern, which has for the moment been
borne skyward on the crest of a wave,
falls back again' into the trough .with
such terrific force as to make her
tremble fore and aft, and perhaps
wrench the wheel from the grasp of the
steersman. * * 4'.:-Z-./"
- Sometimes it happens that he is taken
unawares, and being unable to let go
in time, he is flung right over the wheel
to the other side of the deck, often re
ceiving serious injuries. Some times a
man- will be pitched j right overboard
into the sea, and a recent case Is known
of'a man who-received a blow under
the chin -from one of the spokes, -and
died a few days later from the effects.
* In some of the worst types of kick
ers kicking straps are 'used regularly
In nearly all weathers, and many sail
ors refuse to go to sea' in f ships which
are known to be confirmed kickers.—i
Detroit News. ' ..* ■*.-