Evening Star Newspaper, May 16, 1891, Page 12

12 STATESW_N ON OLD AGE Chats With Octogenarians Upon the Proper Way to Live. HOW TO BE YOUNGAT70. Judge W. 5. Holman Talks of His Cold Water Baths and Believes in Horseback Exercise—Kepresentative Vaux Says a Man's Prime is From Sixty-Five to Seventy-Five. ‘Written for The Evening Star. (PSE oLpesr STATESMEN IN THE country are the jolliest. A man who is sev- enty can afford to be witty, and he who has lived to be eighty, and still feels well, ought to Jaugh and be merry all day long. Senator Justin Morrill is now eighty-one and he can laugh with all the vigor of a boy whose voice is changing. He was born in 1810; began life as a merchant, then turned farmerand finally grad- uated asa statesman. He hangs to his seat in the Senate like grim death. For thirty-five years he has been in public life and his con- gressional career is more than a generation. Still at eighty he is tall, well-formed and fine- looking, and though his shoulders are a little | bent with age, his eyes are brightand his brain still active. He is very much adverse to inter- viewing and the gist of my conversation with him was that he felt as young as he used to be ‘and that he by no means considered himself an SENATOR MORRILL. “Come around,” said he, “about six years from now and I will fee] myself fitted to give you an opinion on longevity. At present I am ‘one of the young men of the day and I do not feel that my appearance justifies me in giving advice to the other boys.” E¥ARTS JOKING ON OLD AGE. From Senator Morrill’s I went to the house of Senator Evarts and I found here another spry statesman of three-score years and ten who decidedly objected to being called old. Said Mr. Evarts, as he walked with dignified tread into the library: “I really do not feel fitted to express an opin- fon upon the secrets of longevity and you should call upon Mr. Morrill for such an ex- pression. He has lived a» number of years more than I and should be considered the sage of the Senate.” “But, Senator,” said I, “you have lived three-score years and ten, and I would like to get the advice of sucn hard-working. young old men as you are for the youth of today as to how they may lengthen their days.” “Well.” replied the senior Senator from New York, asasmile crept up over his lips and stretched itself down to his shirt collar and gradually traveled up to his twinkling eyes, “the only way I know for young men tolengthen their days is to steal some hours from the nig! The Senator went on to say that he considered his health due largely to @ good constitation and amoderate degree of prudence in his living, added to good luck. He thenturned the con- veraation to the doings of Congressand though he talked delightfully about the Senate and its ibilities, he would say nothing about Ragerity. spor W. 8 HOLMAN. Judge W. S. Holman ranks with Charley ‘O'Neill as the father of the House. He is about seventy years old, but his blood is full of iron, his hair is dark and his eyes sparkle with the fire of objection whenever an appropriation Dill comes before the House. He is in perfect physical and mental health, walks occasion ally from the White House to the Capitol, and has as much vigor as any statesman of thirty. In speaking of himself to me last night he said: “I feel as young as I have ever felt, and the only sign that I am old is in the fact that I find myself looking backward and comparing the Present with the past. Ikeep up with the times, enjoy the association of young men and work’ just as long and as hard nowas I have at any period of my life. I believe in hard work, snd I believe that more men are killed by sh ing than by overworking. I think with temper. ance ineating and drinking that theaverage man is bene‘ited by working a large number of hours out of the twenty-four. I make itarule to get about seven hours’ sleep every nightand I go to bed when I get sleepy. retiring time is usually 11, though Loften ait up as as 2or 3. {then sleep as long asIcan. My average is from six to seven hours. Iam a great believer in the efficacy of cold water and for twenty-five years of my life I took a cold bath every morning. At this time I found that whenever I was forced to omit m: bath through travel or other conditions f lost my mental and physical vigor during the day and felt uncomfortable. At present I bathe three or four times week. 48 TO EXERCISE AND VACATIONS. “Iam, you know,” continued Judge Holman, “s farmer, and when Iam home in Indiana I I believe that every man should get out into the country or away from his business at a certain time du: year, and I think I have been benefited by my summer vacations on my farm. The same is of ‘taken at the average watering ~ TOBACCO AND MARRIAGE. “What do you think of the use of tobacco as regards health?” I asked. the rest free as possible from worry. When I worried, Lgu to work, andl Sed thet thie sent ‘erally cures me.” REPRESENTATIVE VAUX'S COLD BATHS. One of the youngest old men in Washington is Representative Vaux of Pennsylvania. He dresses and acts like the old-time gentleman, and he wears the same style of pumps now as he had on when he danced before Queen Vic- turin nearly two generations ago. At seventy- | four he is one of the most industrious. men in | public life and he lool ks upon himeelf ss being mental and physical prime. aid he to man ought to begin to ripen at sixty- five and his prime of physical and mental con- | dition shoald between sixty-five and seventy- five. Iam seventy-four and I have never felt stronger in mind or body than I do n “Thats a new idea, Mr. Vaux,” said L “The prime of most men seems to be between fifty and sixty and I would like to know to what you ascribe your remarkable working powers and henith a¢ @ time of life whon many men are feeble?” “I suppose,” said he, “it is due ae constitution and in a minor degree to my habits. Tam regular as to my eating. and sleeping. I sleep eight hours every night, and Igo to bed at 9and get up at5. {have acold bath ready for me, and I jump into my tub as soon as I get out of bed. I then rub myself dry, dress and take s walk of from one to five miles and am bac! t the hotel in time for breakfast. Just now I start out for my walk before daylight and I find that this morn- ing walk is enough to keep my_ bod: in good condition. As to my eating, do not take a great deal of food and I eatevery- thing that I like. As to drinking, I believe that whisky is the basis of all good liquors and I confine myself to it. I take it straight and like it. Ihave always been a smoker and do not see that ithas hurt me, and I consume on the average about twenty cigarsaday. I spen seven months of the year in the country and five in the city. I don't worry to any great ex- tent. Iama Trinitarian Christian and I be- lieve every word that is between the lids of the Bible. I believe it to be the word of God Al- mighty and I don’t think it isn't true just be- cause I cannot understand it. TWo QUEER OLD BROTHERS. “Idon’t think you can lay out any rule of life which will produce longevity. What is one man’s drink is another's poison, and we inherit our bodies and souls from our ancestors. The best-looking man may have the seeds of disease lurking within the finest physique, and a sick- ness like thet of the grip, something which cannot be seen, will take him ea flash. Theard a most curious incident related con- cerning atrial in the superior court at Phila delphia about thirty years ago. Two old men were among the witnesses. The hair of both was as white as snow, but their skins were clear, their eyes were bright and their steps steady. ‘The judge on the bench, who was a student of longevity, asked the first of these how old he was. He replied that he was eighty-nine. He then asked him as to his habits, and the old man replied that he had been a smoker all his life and that he had never gone to bed sober when he had money enough to become intoxi- cated. He said he was in good physical condi- tion and that he knew no reaton for his long life. ‘The second witness then took the stand, and the judge, in the course of the examin tion, put the same questions to him. He r plied that he was just two years younger than the other witness, who was his ‘brother, but | that he had never used tobacco in any form and had never touched « drop of liquor in his life. Now, here were two men, the offspring of the same father and mother, ‘whé had both lived to this age under such totally different conditions. It might be that the drinking and smoking would have killed the younger man. ‘The coincidence proves nothing and it goes to show that, after all, old ago is more a matter of constitution than of habit.” NOTED EXPRESSIONS FROM NOTED MEN. During the past tew months I have received a number of letters from some of the bright old men away from Washington. My first is from Gen. Jubal A. Early. He is now seventy-four years old, but he says he sees no particular reasons for being in the excellent health that he is. My letter from him comes from Lynch- burg and in it he says: “aly life has been such a variegated one that I cannot say to what I owe the preservation of my health ‘unless it be to s naturally strong constitution. I have no fixed habits of work, exercise, sleep or dict. As to the effect that marriage may have on the length of life I am unable to give any opinion from experience, as ADIPOSE AMERICA. How Well-Known Actresses Reduce Their Weight. TO PREVENT CORPULENCY. How Fanny Davenport Has Scaled Down— Pedestrianism and Careful Diet—Adelina Patti's Rules—Lillian Russell’s Method to | ir Prevent Increasing Flesh. Be Written for The Evening Star. {(Copyrighted. OOD LOOKS ARE ALMOST THE STOCK in trade of the wearers of the sock and buskin. Therefore corpulence is fatal to that Perennial youth which they are supposed to possess. As long as the form retains its sien- derness the face can be made up to look young at the footlights, but as soon as thé player be- comes stout he, and more especially she, is obliged either to retire or to take to the imper- sonation of mature roles, witile those who, like Maggie Mitchell and Agnes Booth, still keep a girlish figure are accepted in “young parts” long after they have passed that romantic Period of life known as the “first youth.” Some actresses become obese even in their youth; witness Fanny Davenport and Lillian Russell. Their fight with fat is interesting even to those whose livelihood is not affected or interfered with by their avordupois. HOW FANNY DAVENPORT REDUCED HER WEIGHT. About seven years ago Miss Davenport had attained such proportions that she cast about for some means of reducing her weight, and first tried the Banting yetem. Being tall she could “carry off,” asit is termed, more flesh than a short woman. At the same time a fat La Tosca, Fedora or Camille was ludicrous and not to be tolerated. Before Banting Miss Davenport used to drink quantities of water and cat bon. bons toexcess. These two bad habits she abandoned, and at once noticed » decrease when scaling. This encouraged her to pursue her experiments further, and she turned her attention to the table, beginning by cutting off |, next vegetables and then fat meat. The American Cleopatra drinks noth- ing but cold iced tea, summer or winter, and eats nothing but beef, mutton, poultry, eggs and fish—no butter, soup or sauces or ‘WALKING. Very hard diet this, but it repaid her by re- turning some trimness of outline. In her case. however, not even all this dietetic abstemious- ness reduced her to the a desired minimum of we 1e gave up her carriage an to walking. When her time permits she starts out in the morning and walks all day long. At first she used to become so tired as hardly to be able to get through the performance at night, but now she is such a good walker that she could win ina walking match. There are few, however, who would have the verance and the will power to keep long at Miss Daven- port's rules for the reduction of adipose tis After many trials of the various “anti- modes in vogue Miss Davenport has etrack out three very simple rules, but hard to follow. She says: THREE RULES. “In my opinion, which is the result of some years of experimenting, the only way to be- come thin, and, what is more difficult still, to keep thin, is, first, no fluids; second, no food worth speaking of; third, constant walking. Probably the youngest looking woman of her years on the stage is the famous Adelina Patti. Born in 1843 she is now, when nearly fifty years of age, as slender’ and as well pro- ortioned as when she was but sixteen. If there such a thing as inheriting a tendency to cor- ulence she certainly had that disposition, for er mother was very stout. What occult cor- respondence there may be between a mother’s fat and a daughter's voice Iam not prepared to say, but famous cantatrices fleshy mothers seem to go in Adelina’s sister Carlotta was fat. So also, I have been told, was her father. HOW PATTI KEEPS THIN. Patti's light and willowy form is due to the trouble she has always taken to keep itso. To this, and to her marvelous voice, all her mature life the great diva has been a slave. In addition to understanding the importance of rest, sleep, bathing and exercise has reduced her system of eating to a dietary science. Although living principally in hotel she is never tempted to partake of the rich f provided by them, but year in and year out confines herself to'the simplest and most mo- notonous fare. She never cats fresh bread. It must be toasted dry and hard before she will touch it. In winter ehe lives mainly on oysters, Jean meat, bouillon earefully prepared for her by Niccolini every night after the performance. takes no dinner upon the days when she is tosing at night. She never drinks ice water, but occasionally a little watered claret or lem- onade. The great singer avoids all starchy, fattening foods, such as hominy, potatoes, peae, . corn, carrots, Leets, macaroni, pud- dings, pies and cakes, confining herrelf to lean meat, light soups, green vegetables, such as lettuce, celery, dry toasted bread and fruits. She rarely drinks tea or coffee, and beer never. | Thave never experimented in that line. You must therefore look to some other quarter for the information you are seeking.” HE NEVER FRETS. One of the brightest members of Congress fifty years ago was the Hon. Harvey’ Watterson, and one of the brightest old young men I have ever met is this same Mr. Harvey M. Watterson today. He is thoroughly up with the times and is as young in his thoughts and actions toda: as he was ‘when President Harrison's grand- father was in the White House, and upon my asking him one day as to what he attributed his wonderful good health and good spirits he replied: “W one thing that has conduced tomy long living is the fact that whenever I have stubbed my toe I have not hurt myself mourn- ing about it, but have gone on, thanking God that I did not fall down and break my head.” I wrote Mr. Watterson x short time ago and asked him to give me his advice as to longevity. In his reply from Lonisvilic he said: “Thanks to the Great Author of my being, He gave me a sound, robust constitution and a calm, philo- sophic temper. If any man ever saw me angry it was only fora moment. I have had my dis- appointments, but I uever cried or swore over spilt milk. To this happy faculty I attribute in no small degree my preservation. Men have been known to fret themselves to death. I shall never die from worry. Again, I have al- ways been a temperate eater. My opinion is that among the well born more men kill them- selves eating than drinking. Two of my dis- tinguished and intimate friends died in Washington within the past year, and I shall ever believe that their untimely deaths were produced by overloading their stomachs With indigestible food. | My advice to young men is to be temperate in all things, especially im eating and drinking. My observation and experience have impressed me with the belief that when a man reaches the age of sixty years and is still ina good state of preservation the length of hie remaining, days will depend very much upon himself. He should con- stantly in mind that he can't stand what he did thirty or forty years ago. I do not believe that liquor, tobacco, tea or Faaxx G. Canrenten. use of ‘When the door shall And behind us softly close, What to our expectant eyes ‘Will the future life disctose? Shall we see a morning break, Fair and fragrant and serene, Seeming like the blessed Of some unforgotten eve; Shall we walk in gladness on, Under smiling skies of rough an ever deepening dar Into wide fields, fresh and hews Meeting those who came before, ‘Knowing each familiar look to recall, Bi bea: “I believe that tobacco is injurious,” replied How we scarcely dared to hopes” Judge Holman. “I have chewed the weed ever since I was boy, and Iam an inveterave user Je any Reuven. 00 fair, so mest? of it today. I think it bas injured my health tpn aeareeaeneta: end I think I would be tit Llem ‘Whither our swift tena, — jartetsles sod Lom, not core tether the As they surely near the end! use jQors: tion ix good. —KaTeERINe Masox. Tused to, think that the Catawia wines were ws be good for healt at I doubt now.” The FP. Gaylor, of “Do you think marriage conducive to long the University of the South, at Suwanee, Ten « “I do,” replied Judge Holman. “I was mar- | yan,0® Tpursday. elected Protestant ried at hinetcen and my wife was seventean, Lge A - ae celebrate my golden a ‘sto Hat's Harm Rewewer gray, faded Zam ere, 1 wenid odvine Ra gemesen whe eetrel tak een ane Oe a ae ‘wishes long to marry would | and grows luxuriant and ‘strong, pleasing everye ‘urge him to be teiaperate and to himself | boay- She rides as little as possible, exercising on foot all that her time will permit, If “the profession” would generally follow Patti's simple and abstemious manner of living they would seldom become too fleshy to a pear in youthfulroles. Patti has from an early age followed this strict regimen, led into it primarily for the development of her voice and afterward adhering to it as a preventive of cor- pulence. LILLIAN RUSSELL’S METHOD. ‘The American queen of light opera, Lillian Russell, has at an earlier period of life than most others succumbed to that bane of her calling, obesity. But for her determined and strenuous efforts to reduce her flesh it would soon be said of her as it was of the enormous Parepa Rosa, that she “resembles an elephant with a nightingale in its throat.” It is well known that Miss Russell began her professional career on the variety stage. Here she attracted the notice of a manager of a light opera troupe and he offered to give her the leading role in a new opera he was about to produce, provided she would train down sufi- ciently to look the part. That manager waa John MeCaull, and the name of the opera (if I remember rightly) “Phe Serpent Charmer.” She had one summer in which to learn the role and to reduce her weight to the required num- ber of pounds. She succeeded, evolving a course of training which, as the years have gone on and her fiesh iso! te in increas ing, she has added to until she is able to keep down to 150 pounds. This she regulates by sealing every day. If she finds herself going up in weight she outs off some fat-forming food in which she may have been indulging. such as bread and butter, potatoes and: sugar. Like Patti, she eats only bread that has been dried hard in the oven. Of late years Miss Russell has given up beer, champagne, wine and late suppers, to which, however, she was never inordinately addicted. That snack after the performance is what lays the foundation of the obesity of the pro- fessiort. It is the meal for which they have most appetite, being fatigued after acting. ‘MISS RUSSELL'S Day. ‘Miss Russell's methods for keeping down her flesh are these: She takes a cup of coffee about 11 o'clock in bed. Then she rises and takes a bath in hot water, which is gradually cooled off until it is very cold, after which her maid rubs ber down with flannels. - This bri her to about 12:30, when she breakfasts on ‘fish, or lean meat with’ dry bread. Then, if she is not rehearsing, she starts out for her consti- tutional, covering daily about three miles of and.’ Formerly she did not walk so much, mut tried dumbbells and other gymnastic ex: ercises and horseback riding, but finding that nothing reduces corpulence #0 effectually as walking, she now confines herself solely to pedestrian exercise. She drinks beef tea during »_ performance; at other times glycerine and water, which excellent Tor cleari ‘3 i i fi gee * i i Hl ih ii the morning, before 8 preferred, and dress in heavy flannels underneath the ordinary gar- ments. This in order not to attract attention. ‘The more clothing they can carry the better. Let them walk as fast as ible for twenty, forty or sixty minutes antil thoroughly bathed in perspiration and ‘return home ata smart rate and jump into bed between blank- ets with all flannels on and ‘on a double allowance of bed clothes. (Caution—Keep all windows closed.) ‘Then let an assistant bring a half pint or pint of hot tea, without milk or sugar, and after drinking as much as required, Kie in bed still well covered for abont half an hour, then rise and sponge the body with tepid water, use a rough towel and put ona change of linen. You will then be in the very pink of health and feel as if you had suddenly lost your burden of fat. This system can be considera- bly moderated, of course. The “sweating” can be done in the evening almost as well, but the morning is preferred. The hat, gloves, shoes and wraps should be removed, but not the dress, ifof flannel. Itis better to woar an old dress and keep it on during the “sweat.” If Miss Russell would take about three New- market swedts a week, summer and winter—in fair weather, of cour e would soon “take off to stay” her superfluous fat, of which sho has several a too much, ry iap ae | her constant training. In height Miss Russe is about five feet three inches and weighs 150 pounds. This is exactly twenty pounds in ex- Coss of what she should according to the average weight table. For her profession Mise Russell should never allow herself to weigh more than 185 pounds. Every addi- tional year of her life will increase her tend- ency to obesity, and the more dificult will re- duction become, even to so determined a “Banter.” Crtta Locax. NOVELTIES IN FASHIONS. Some New Designs by Redfern for Summer Wear. HERE IS ONE THING FOR WHICH girls of moderate means or of economic tastes may be devoutly thankful in the sunny summer months which are coming, and that is that this will be pre- eminently a season of skirts, vests, mannish coats and blazers, and, above all, of the pretty gydlouse and of fancy waists of all descrip- tions; for, you see, with a dozen or #0 of these useful articles, com- bined withafew pretty supplemented with some smart hats and the daintiest gloves and shoos, our modern girl can, at a comparatively trifling cost, pre- sent herself through all the daylight hours in » charmingly varied set of costumes which will be neat, pretty and becoming. even though they do not represent a large cash expenditure. Of course, if he is going to. make « round of country visite or is to spend part of her timeata fashionable summer resort, sho must have » tailor-made traveling dress, a visiting toilet, a dinner gown and two or three gauzy confections for dances, but for regu- lar day wear she cur ef- fectively attire herself, as intimated, in skirt and blouse or shirt waist. Only, mark it well, these fancy arrangements must be of choice ma- terial and unique in de- sign, or they will stamped as cheap make- shifts. So avoid the commonplace shop gar- ments — machine made and turned out by the hundred—and take for your model something on the order of these Redfern dwsigns, which a princess might wear. ¢ first isa full waist of mignonette wash silk dotted with pale rose-colored spots. It is caught in front over the bust witha silver clasp and-the Cleopatra belt is of green velvet, with silver medallions. The sleeves and upper part of the waist, which simulates a guimpe, are of the palest rose-colored wool crepon, with collar and cuffs of the silk. In the second model a more dressy waist has been turned out, which might be worn in the tobi with silk or grenadine skirts. It is of old pink China silk, with black polka dots, and has a unique corselet of cut steel and jet, with deep cuffs and a collar to match. ‘Wren Melindy Tol’ Me Yes. Jest two weeks from my big fall-out with my first Dia Melindy, my Metdy, tel! me “Yes: jelindy, my Melindy, e “Yes; an the atmorpnere ‘wuz windy, ‘way from Pokum- ville to Indy, ‘Windy with the’ breezy music of eternal blessed- nese. An' she said it fair an’ squarely, an’ not “Call again” or “Maybe,” An’ a New Jerusalem glory lit the fle!’ an’ wilder- ness, An’ the sun burst out like laughter on the round face of a baby, ‘W'en Melindy, my'Melindy, tol’ me “Yes!” Like a twenty-million orchestra away beyond all countin’ ‘The bob'links bubbled over in a music waterfall, An’ I felt jest like a-mountin’ on the meetin’ house an’ snoutin’ ‘That Paradise was open, with admission free to . all. Each grass biade tn the medder was a string to Natur’s fiddle, ‘That wuz played on by the zephyrs with a vel- Wety areas, An’ ol’ Natur’s ints were lmbered, an’ she sashayed down the middie, ‘Wren Melindy, my Melindy, tol’ me“Yest” An’ the angels played so bully thet the music Teached the gateway An’ came spillin’ through the op’nin’ an’ a-singin’ down to earth— ‘Came a-singin’ such a great way thet the universe wus straightway joutin’ in the glad redemption of a holy secon’ birth; An’ I—I set a-straddle on the ridgepole of creation, ‘An’ only fit to holler in my hootin happiness, Wren jeune » My Melindy, filled my heart ‘ith jabilation, ‘en Melindy, ‘Melindy, tol’ me “Yea!” a ee ermine siebe ee acne rn eh THE RUSSIAN CROWN PRINCE. His Wound Not Serious—Regret at the Oc- curreuce Throughout Japan. Dispatches have been received at the Japan- ese legation announcing the continued favor- able progress of the Russian crown prince. His princes, sicians, left Tokio for Kioto immediately after learning of the attempt upon the life of the is an | crown prince. The minister of foreign affairs TREASURE OF A NATION Counting Out the Stores of Money in Uncle Sam's Big Coffers. VALUABLES BESIDE CASH. ‘Whole Rooms Chock-Full of Silver and ‘Money—Jewels and Other Valuables in the Treasury—The “Conscience Fund.” ‘Written for The Evening Star. "THE NEW TREASURER OF THE UNTTED States has nearly finished counting out his money. It has taken some time because it is no small job to reckon over four thousarfd five hundred tons of coins, and this apart from three hundred millions or so in bank and tress- ury notes. All this week the busy clerks have been engaged in clinking the gold and silver which fill Uncle Sam's huge cash boxes, tolling over the shining pieces, weighing them out and sealing them up in bags. One gets a notion of the magnitude of the task when it is considered that one of the vaults beneath the ground floor of the national treas- ure house, containing 85,000,000 silver dollars, is 100 feet long, 60 feet wide and 14 feet high— chock-fall of coined precious metal. As you walk around this huge lattice-work box of iron and view its dimensions you begin to realize the actnal magnitude of so vast asum. Toempty the receptacle with a coal shovel would re- quire many months of hard labor if you had to lo the work unaided. When the great French actress Rachel. who had always been very poor, was suddenly’ placed in asion of a large heap of gold coins, she put them into » basin an them over her bare arms delight- edly, with ecstatic onjoyment of » literal wi in gold and in wealth. You might fairly swi fers at the Cyd There is another which contains 25,000,000 silver in these immense gold and $60,000,000 of silver also. HOW THE COUNT I8 MADE. In counting these masses of silver and gold each bag containing $1,000 is removed from the vault and first examined tosee if the seal isintact. If so it is placed upon scales and weighed. On one side of the bigance are put one thousand unused dollars, and the sack must be found an equal counterpoise. Suj posing that it is light, it is opened and the money in it is reckoned piece by piece. Coin suffers more or less loss of weight by abrasion, even when not in circulation, and it might be that a bag would be less heavy on this account, though having in it the required $1,000. Also, when a seal has been disturbed the contents of the sack are poured cut, stacked up, counted and put back again. The sacks which are opened are resealed, but ordinarily the seals are found all right and the weight is correct, in which case the bags are computed as representing so many thousands and no further trouble is taken with them be- fore putting them back into the vaults. When the gold is gone over » particularly rigid. in- spection is exercised by the overseeing officials, because the value is so much greater. NOTES COUNTED BY LADIES. It isa very interesting sight to watch the millions in paper money—bank notes, treasury notes and gold and silver certificates—being counted by deft-fingered young women in a big room beneath the treasurer's office. Every dollar has to be numbered before the new guardian of the national cash box gives his re- prey in full to the outgoing incumbent. The stuff is all kept, save such small change as is needed to transact government business with, in the shape of packages, each about one foot cube, which are stored away on shelves in vaults. Cash in the shape of gold or silver takes up a great deal of room, but in bills enormous sums require very ‘little space to hold them. One of the vaults, which is nothing more than a big safe about as large as an extra-sized closet, alone contains $150,000.00. package holds four thousand notes, is done up in ordinary brown paper, and labeled on the outside in red figures designating theamount incloved. If itis aparece! of twenties, the bundle represents 680,000; if hundreds, 400,000. Just such x package was made up's few years ago that held 240,000,000 in gold certificates of $10,000 each. You could carry one like it under your arm very comfortably. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. The packages of notes are brought down on little trucks by the elevator from upstairs and wheeled into the room where the counting is done. They are fetched by the assistant cashier in person, and the committee in charge of the reckoning receipts for every bundle. Each arcel is opened in its turn and the contents Fandea over to one of the skilled young women, who is responsible for it and sign: uarantee of its correctness before it lea’ Ge mente cee rues over aus crisp, un- used bills with fingers marvelously rapid, taking note not only usto whether there are 4,000 of them inclosed, but also regarding the numbers on the notes themselves, which must run in regular order. If there is a number wrong her practiced eye detects it swiftly; or, if ® bill is defective in its printing, she removes it, and it is sent back to the bureau of engraving and _ printing to be replaced with another. “When the bundle has thus been found correct the notes are put under a hand press for a moment to reduce them to the least possible bulk, a new wrapper of brown paper ia put around them and a seal with red wax completes the operation, at the conclusion of which a memorandum is made of the sum the package contains and it is ready to be sent back to the vaults with its fellows. A DEFICIENCY OF THREE CENTS. At the close of the last count that was made of the money in the treasury the cash was found 19 short, but the amount was subse- quently swept out of the corners of one of the vaults in the shape of some stray silver coins. It is said that no deficiency of this sort hasever occurred save once, when the specie turned over to a new treasurer proved to be just 3 ceits short, and the outgoing official was obliged to make up the amount out of his own pocket. If it should ever happen that an unexpected hole in the assets was made by “an embezzlement or otherwise, the treasurer would be responsible, but Congress would undoubtedly make it up to him by a special appropriation, It is hardly likely that such s thing can occur, however, inasmuch as things at the treasury are so arranged that not even the treasurer himself can posubly steal dollar, nor yet the Secretary of the Treasury, nor the regisier, nor the cashier, nor any one élse, unless a con spiracy were organized. Furthermore, if any one succeeded in breaking in from the ‘outside he could not very well get away with moro than 200 pounds of gold, which only represents (000, A million dollars’ worth of that This would be dis VALUABLE TREASURES. Not long ago there were certain treasures of considerable value in the treasury in the shape of articles made of gold and silver and precious stones, which had to be looked over and re- ceipted for as wellas the money. Most of these things were presents which had been made to various Presidents of the United States and to other officers of the govern- ment by foreign powers and_potentat and wren See could not accept on account of \¢ oxi ww forbidding tion of such favors: Among them was a bottle of attar of roses, given to President Grant by the Imaun ‘of Muscat, which held a pint of valuable ftuid; also'a bottle of pearls, another bottle of diamonds, a gold sword scabbard, a diamond muff box, ten beautiful from Ali P of Egypt, and lots of other such tritles. ‘VALUABLES STOLEN BUT RECOVERED. ‘The patent office was a sort of museum of cusiosities, and these gifts and other valuables were stolen twice, and on the occasion of the second robbery ‘the thieves got away with nearly all of that were worth ‘secured the bottle of pearls and the bo as well as the 3 ? i i | # i br Hf if EE 5 i i i & 1 HL E i i rei Gold—Counting $300,000,000 in Paper| ‘0 the juestion, and so it was transferred the National Museum, together with the rest. ARTICLES CAPTURED DURING THR WAR. There were other valuables also given into the hands of the treasury which were captured ‘and confiscated during the war. Among them were 240 watches, eighty-five chains, eleven rings, six lockets, one bracelet and n of asouthern banker, with y had been deposited for safe keep- ing. He fled with them on his person and was 80 unfortunate as to be caught. For « long time there were large stories current of the wealth in the of the government got from the enemy during the rebellion. It was told how the ladies of Richmond, by noble and patriotic motives, turned their jew- els, watches and money into the confederate treasury, piling up a vast amountof value there, and how the “swag,” as vulgar burglars Bbraso it, was gobbled by the Union forces. ‘ut the fact was that the latter found no treas- ures of any sort to gobble in Richmond, and the heaps of riches in cash and collateral re- ferred to were all imaginary. * CONSCIENCE CONTRIBUTIONS. The United States treasury receives many mysterious contributions sent in by unknown Persons whose conscience accuses them of hav- ing swindled the government in one way or another. Most of the frauds thus rectified are committed the customs and inter- inst nal Tevenue faws, ‘The majority of people seem to regard the government as they do a sorporation, which having neither a soul saved or a body to be kicked, may be cheated to any extent justifiably; but now and then an individual turns up who gets worried about it afterward. Such penitents send the amounts they think they owe to Washington usually, where the sums pass through the hands of the bureau of public moneys into the treasury. Contribu- tions of this sort as low as a two-cent stamp are received, while sometimes they are as high as several thousand dollars. A while ago eight halves of as many $1,000 notes came in, acc: panied by *, notification that the remaining ves woul follow acknowledgment was made of the receipt of the first consignment. SOME SPECIMEN COMMUNICATIONS. Some of the communications are rather amusing. One correspondent writes from Erie, Pa.: “Inclosed find #40 which I return to the gov- ernment, having beaten her out of that amount in minor ways from time to time.” Anoth 200 xaying: oe is on account of amount I defrauded © government of and which I have paid back, thank God !” An old soldier, who is regarded as a regular customer, sends $5 from time to time on ac- count of £100, which. he writes, “I obtained by unfairness seventeen or eighteon years ago, a8 well as I can remember, and which I hope’ to liquidate. I gi ‘of the doubt, relying on His boundless mere Another penitent incloses #10 and says: “This money is to be placed in the United States treasury to the credit of an unknown debtor. Pay this money where it belongs and keep your record clear.” A person whose conscionce is in proportion to his means sends 24,995, accompanied simply by a scrap of paper with “‘conscicnce” scrawled upon it. Two postage stamps are inclosed in a wrapper on which is written: “Money that belongs to the government.” Similarly a woman sends from France $20, with the words ‘C'est pour le tresorie.” A case of smuggling repented, doubtless. An unintentional and very conscientious eae aos $1.26 in @ paper with the words, “Duty on five pairs of gioves, visible but not taxed.” Sapa The very small contributions sent in this way are probably ia most instances acknowl- edgments for having used government paper for private purposes, for having utilized can- celed stamps to cerry letter or some such pec- cadilloes. The treasury is often bothered for money by people in whoso iumily traditions exist to the effect that a great-grandfather or a granduncle deposited with the institution ever so long ago suis which have since mounted to fabulous proportions. It is desired by the heirs, very naturally, that their inheritance shall be dis- tribuied, and they sometimes go so far as to threaten legal proceedings. These money myths are preserved by generation after gener- ation, and those concerned never seem to lose faith in‘them altogether. Think of the imag- inary treasures that have been heaped up in the “Bank of England for centuries merely Waiting their long-sought owners to come and climb the golden bean stalk! The Highwayman and the Acrobat. From Munsey's Weekly. The acrobat turns a catches the revolver with his feet. back somersault and ON AND OFF THE STAGE An Amusing gnd Clever Pantomime With But Two Actors, ASHORT MAN AND HIS VALISE How He Secured a Sight of the Stage— Some of the Latest Novelties in Comic Opers—A Third Avenue Fakir Takes in a Bartender, Correapondence of}The Evening Star. New Yorx, May 14, 1891. (0 NOVELTIES IN THEATERS HAVE nary, average assemblage, because he would say that it would fail of comprehension and appreciation. So, as the reader will never wit- ness it, he may as well read a brief description. Only the front of the stage was exposed at first, and it was eet out with « somewhat realistic bar, with a bartender busy with bottles and glasses behind it. A young man in evening dress came in briskly, ordered a drink and while waiting for it began to whistle an air from “Massaniello.” It was as clear as though he had spoken it that he had come in Between the acts of that opera with the tune passing in his head and his lips not able to reproduce it . Then another chap, also in evening attire, enters whistling the same air and as faultily. He ordered a drink, too. Next the whisilers misconstrue each other's whistling as offensive mimicry of himself, and then become quarrelsome, throw "glasses, exchanged apd ar- ranged & time and place to fight a duel. In the second scene the antagonists arrive in the woods at daylight, still whistling the mutually offensive air, and there they fought until one fell dead, the other walking off triumphant. The whole performance did not ten minutes in length, but it embodied 8 much entertainment as an’ ordinary hour of farce or comedy. Whatits artistic success sug- gested was the question whether, with taste, tact and money enough, @ variety show could not be made of diverse material as worthy as that, and refined audiences be obtained to enjoy it. HE GOT HIS MOXEY's WORTH. The other odd thing, the one mentioned as having been seen in an audience, was that of @ deformed dwarf's device for getting the worth of his money. He iga rich young man anda frequenter of the theaters, where his head has been hitherto on a level with his neighbor's elbow. Of course he has not been able to sve the performance except in glimpses. But last Monday evening, at the first representation of a comic opera, he walked in with an ordinary looking valise in his hand. It was a big one, and those who saw him enter wondered why he had brought it in. An obsequious usher stepped forward to take it, supposing that the gentle- man would like to deposit it in the cloak room until after the show. But the owner of the satchel held on to it, carried it coolly down the center aisle, placed it flat in his chair and seated himself on it. He had calculated the size of the valise so as to make it fill the seat laterally, while its height was just sufficient to elevate him so that his eyes were alongside those of an average man. ‘The only undivulged point was the contents, but it was suspected that the bag was distended by springs not un- like those of a well-upholstered seat, for it be- haved very much like an ordinary cushion. After the opera the ingenious and self-possessed | dwarf departed with his cushion valise, Paipably pleased with the test he had made of it. NOT ABSORBED BY THE PLAY. ‘These warm nights in the theaters one’s eyes wander from the stage and see that other folks, too, are not quite absorbed by the play. Last evening my attention was attracted by the un- usual fact thata pretty girla few seats away from me had removed the glove from her leit hand, and a very pretty hand it was, too. Her male escort was much more interested in her than in the play, as soon became evident to me: but one part of this side performance was quite unintelligible to me, #2 this was the marked persistency with which the young girl kept dropping thiugs. “What a little butter fingers,” T exclaimed to myself when I saw her baid-headed friend duck Lis polished poll for the fourth time and fish up her lorgnette. ‘The next time it was her handkerchief and it is strange how handkerchiefs do get her sex into troubl>, Would you believe it, every time Baldy went down he took occasion to press that pretty hand to his lips, with a great deal of fervor, too, as if he meant it. The sly old dog! He kept it up during the three acts of the play, bobbing up serenely every time, although « bit blown and red in the face. People do strange things at the theaters. A few yearsagoa young lawyer kissed his sweetheart in the presence of @ full house. Everybody applauded and he bowed iis thanks for their, appreciation of his allantry. Alas! they are ‘divorced now. His love was too earnest for this frivolous world. MODERN COMIC OPERA TRICKS. Comic opera has fairly taken possession of the town this week. Eight musical pieces occupy that number of theaters. Just why it is that, on warm nights in New York, people will g0 to see light operas and stay from dramas is an unanswered question. Managers accept the fact and make their summer plans ac- cordingly. Three of the week's original productions are operatic, or that composite of singing, dancing and tomfoolery that makes up’ the modern comic opera In one of them the horeeplay is unprecedent- edly violent. The chief low comedian tumbles in a seemingly reckless fashion that outdoes the toughest knock-about clown in the circus. One of his feats is to fall over the balustrade of a castle, roll heels over head down a rocky slope and strike finally on the stage level. ‘The descent is fully twelve feet and there seems, at first sight, to be no reason why he should live to the end of his, gs second and critical view ¢ exploit, how- almost ever, reveals its careful and sate pre- nt im @ first man po made up for a fat ter, and the imitation of fleshiness consists of an India rubber inclosure filled with air and acting as a cushion to protect his bones Secondly, his ter 5 8 5 Fl i e . e : F abbey f | "| aud in Europe, and was saying, as be lifted s handful of the small animals out of a black leather bag that placed upon the bar, “these a os buman m nally the enter tainment came toan end and the young mam thered up his mice and shut them up in the . He went away, after orderi drink and asking the bartender to When he was gone from the piace t five minutes the bartender enddenly discovered that ‘dill had disappeared from his money drawer. Intense excitement ensued and all manner of conjecture was made as to where the money had gone It was not until a sleepy individual over be- hind the stove in the corner said that he had watched the clown drawer several ——_ — +00 THE KOCH LYMPH EXPERIMENTS. Latest Conclusions as to the Efficacy of the Supposed Cure for Consumption. Te the Fattor of The Evening Star “Observations on the treatment of pulmo nary tuberculosis with this lymph” was the subject before the stated meeting of the New York Academy of Medicine last week. Dr. P. - Kinnicutt told about the experiments at St. Hospital. ‘The result has led bim to decide that the benefits from the lymph are limited to the early stages of tuberculosis. He believed that it was capable of doing more good in primary phthisis than anything that has yet been tried. But ite use, he said, en- tailed the greatest anxiety on the part of the physician. At Mt. Sinai Hospital an secount of the experiments was given by Dr. H. N. Heineman. Some of the patients bad been cured, on some the lymph fad 1d in cases of others the treatment had to be abandoned. At the Adirondack Sanitarium Dr. ‘Trudean reported that out of eight patients one was cured, four improved, two were not affected and one was injured.’ Dr. Trugean thought that the lymph could not be used for aii kinds of phthisigjand in certain forms it hed an injurious effect. ‘On the other side of the water the ame con- clusions have been reached, as witness the fol- lowing cablegram: “Beaux, May 9.—The ted extecm in which the Koch method is held was plainly ex- pressed during the course of today’s debate in the lower house of the Prussian diet on the vote for the Koch Institute. ‘The supporters of tke vote spoke in an apologetic manner. “Herr Graff, a member of the center party, said that it had been widely acknowledge: that the lymph was of value as an aid in diagnosis, but the chicf interest of the public lay in ite curative power as a remedy for tuberculosis. In this respect there had arisen general disap- pointment following the high hopes at first en- tertained regarding the discovery—not only disappointment, but (ears also that the use of the lymph endangered li Ina brief communication to your valned paper a few weeks ago 1 pointed out why any manufactured lymph could be of no service in hereditary consumption, and marveled at the willingness of some distinguished physicians to experiment with it, in view of the simplest pathological and physiological principles. Tbe tollowing is a summary of the experiments de- | duced from clove observation of all obtain- able reports: It seems to be established that in | the primary stage of phthisis “de novo,” or | without heredity, the lymph may be of service | because the bacilli are localized, but, inferen- | gially, it is just as well establisied that at any tage of inherited consumption ite use would | be injurious, the danger lying in the dispersion of the bacilli into sound tissues or lung tissues | comparatively sound, but marked with the latent germs of hereditary discase, and that | this hastens the fetal ending. Isat | all this only shows the potency of Dr. Koch's | now celebrated lymph or ptomaine. If prop- |erly used it may prove « valuable adjuraut in checking all cases of incipient phthisis origi- nating “de novo,” but the physician, as Dr. Kinnicutt of 8t. Luke's Hospital, New York, re- marks; “must remain anxious as he watches re- “J But men like Dr. Koch are great boons to bumamity. Although their investigations may not turn out as successful as fondly anticipate yet their efforts continually stimulate an engage the attention of others who follow in the footsteps and at last wring from nature some of her secrets. ‘The germ theory of disease is now well es- tablished, thanks to ou distinguished micro- ecopists and bacteris in this country made true the mpo- sition only of past yeats—that there exists as much invisible life as the visible and in as many types, each family or species of this in- Visible creation having specific qualiues as the connection with the visille ani- mal world. But this invisible world of organic life is always subject to the natural laws of pro- duction and existence in a given environment. At the of all animal life, both visible and invisible, man stands pre-eminent as the possessor only of the attribute of mind, given | hum to control matter within certain limits for his benefit. And while he can conquer with given lines he cannot destroy any natural la’ governing matter. If he changes fora time being & natural law there arises a supplemental cou- dition that is in turn obedient to another law of nature. There can be no chaos in nature as relates to both health and disease. Changi: one natural law into another for good or cv to himself is man’s limited phere of dominion over matter. If the Spartan system of govern- ment were established, and only the sound | mind and bedy permitted to marry, a gener- ation of time would suffice to eliminate the scourge of consumption, scrofula, &c., and the would become a race of stalwarts in both mind and body. ¥ fi Ee HA iH UF i] f 4 t t i i : Hi | i i H Fea EF it | i | H i fit | F* F 3 i ef i i t i i i i ft : tie