Evening Star Newspaper, December 16, 1893, Page 17

THE EVENING STAR — PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, corner 1ith St, by The Evening Star Newspaper Company, 8. H. KAUFFMANN, terest escritac* sanrtens ds Now York Ofice, 88 Potter Building, ‘Tre Evexrxa STAR fs served to eubserivers in the eity by carriers, on their own account, at 10 cents week. or 44e. per mo: Copies at the counter By mail—anywhers in the United Canads—postaze propaid—s0 cents per SATURDAY QUINTUPLE SHEET Star $1.00 per year: with joreizn postane added. S200 1 OOP (Entered at the Post 0: Wi W C.. asceconc-claas mall mare yet Washington, D. © (#411 mail subscriptions must be paid in advance, Rates of alvertising made known on application. Part 3. Che #y eng Star. Pages 17-24. WASHINGTON, D. C.. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1893-TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. TO ADVERTISERS, ‘AGvertisers are urgently re- Quested to hand in advertisements the day prior to publication, im order that insertion may be as- sured. Want advertisements will be received up to noon of the day of publication, precedence being given to those first received. "Sh )? fa >A, yy! vb Ib) THE MOUNTED o ) WSN) a CORPS. CADET STUDY AT THE POINT The Cadets Are Put Through a Hard Course. MATHEMATICS THEIR SPECIAL BANE, But the Worst is When They Come to Riding. ALL ARE TREATED ALIKE. —_—_-.—__ ‘Written for The Evening Star. HE REQUIRE- ments for admission to West Point are not as extended as is gen- erally supposed. The entrance examina- tions are thorough Hy and severe, but in- | clude only arithmetic, reading, writing and orthography, geogra- phy, United States history and English srammar. The pres- ent law has governed im the matter for many years. It has been Fepeatedly urged that in view of the great improvements mace tn the public schools of the country during the last half century the government could increase the require- ments for admission without imposing a hardship upon the bright boys who aspire to cadetships. This would, it is claimed, diminish the number of failures among those who are admitted, but who prove un- able to cope successfully with the ceurse. Arithmetic is the only prerequisite in math- ematics, yet so severe is the mathematical @ourse that very few cadets graduate who n Old Academie School. have not studied some of the higher branch- es, algebra, at least, before going to West Point. The only reply that has ever been made to these arguments is that it really doesn't matter very much, that West Point aims at a survival of the fittest: that enough can be graduated to officer the army, and that is the main object in view. The later and better opinion, however, is more in line with that of General Grant, who thought that the number of cadets should be increased to one thousand and the usefulness of West Point still further imcreased by sending back to civil life those &raduates not required for the army. It is not improbable that the future will bring about some such change. The high stand- ard will not be lowered. Cadets will still fail, but the proportion will be smaller if the requirements for admission are greater. More cadets will be admitted and more Sraduated. The surplus graduates return- ! ing to civil life will bring the Military Academy more thoroughly im touch with the people at large and instill a greater ap- Preciation of its spiendid system. They will disseminate their military knowledge and make the country better prepared for war. They wili help otficer our progressive National Guard and with it will be a great Fellance in case of war. Above all, the love of law and order which military training inculeates wili make them better citizens | and of great service in Figgtly to govern themsely ‘The course during the first year comprises mathematics, English and French. The mathematics, or “math,” as the cadets call 4, includes algebra, geometry, trigonometry, surveying and the beginning of analytical | geometry (conic sections), During the four months from September until New Year the plebe wrestles with algebra. The lessons are about eight or ten Pages long, and require from two and one- half to five hours for preparation, in addi. tion to the hour and a half of recitation. After taking from a dozen to twenty les. sons in advance the cadets go back and re- view the ground in half as many lessons; that is, two advance lessons make one re.| View lesson. Right here comes in another feature of the thoroughness of the West Point system. All of the ground ts gone ever thuroughly two or three times. During The Library. the first three years there is, in addition to the “partial review” just mentioned, a “gen- eral review, the month preced- ing the semi-annual examinations. The Ist of December or the Ist of May fees the completion of the second time over. No more new work is now attempted, but the next month is devoted to going over the old ground a third time, and, in spite of longer lessons than before, impressing the pri nind. After the anxious ; Jaauary examinations is over the plebe turns his attention to ge- emetry. This bock is then laid aside until at review,” the Ist of May. while the ter plane and spheri- and surveying. During latter part of April they study conte ough the equation of the right Ine in spac All this det has by no mea = into mathematical lore monopolized the time of been studying English The course In French the nsists in studying the grammar and 6 fables. Besides all this the plebe has attended lectures in ethics, has received daily instruction in tencing and gymnastics, has attended infantry and artillery drills, dress parade and guard mounting, and has done his share of tne guard duty. Looking back at this account of the enor- mous amount of work done in one year, the necessity for thorough preparation before entering is more apparent than ever. It may be remarked in passing that few insti- tutions in the country have as good a record as preparatory schools for West Point as our own Washington High School. Some fourteen of its boys have been admitted during the last eleven years, and not one has failed to graduate. Like their school- mates who have entered other walks of activity, they have usually, also, had a way of attracting attention by particular excel- lence in some line or other. The second year at West Point is even harder than the first. In fact, it is the hardest of the course. “Yearling math” comprises conic sections, descriptive geom- etry with shades, shadows and perspective, and differential and integral calculus. The cadets in the first section also take determi- Riding School, West Point. nants and a short course in least square: in “yearling French” the cadet “bone: that is, studies, the intricacies of the gra: mar, translates plays and takes such long reading lessons that by the end of the year he can read all ordinary French books at sight. Then, besides all of his military du- ties, he has to study drawing. The doses in this department also are allopathic. During half of the year the yearlings are marched to the drawing academy for two hours of work every afternoon. During the other half of the year they go only every other day, as drawing then alternates with riding. The morning recitations in mathematics and in French and the afternoon work in drawing would keep the yearling busy, even if he did not have all of his military duties besides. During plebe year the instruction in equi- tation is confined to the work with the Vaulting horse in the gymnasium, but in yearling year comes the riding lessons on real live horses. Many descriptions of the work in the riding hall have been written, but none are overdrawn. ‘The instruction is given by a cavalry officer of the “‘tac’’ de- partment. He wears gauntlets, but, figur- atively speaking, he handles the cadets without gleves. Fifteen or twenty yearlings are marched to the riding Rall at a time, and i ted the com- “prepare to “by trooper by the and “trot, march.” After a few times tight flank, Then the tun begins. around the big hall the gait increases and a luckless boy, whose life in a northern city has never included horseback riding, finds it difficult to maintain his seat without some artificial aid. The next moment the ever- watchful instructor gallops up and yells: “Let go that horse’s mane, sir! Sit up straight and get your balance! Turn in your toes, and grip with your knees! Come, do you intend to obey, sir?” Sadly the cadet realizes that the whole power of the govern- ment ts behind the officer, and with thoughts of a possible court martial, his discipline reasserts itself as he manfully tries to do as he is told. Perhaps a moment later, as his horse turns a corner, the rider loses his balance entirely and falis head tirst into the soft tan bark. There is an old saying, “You can’t kill a cadet,” and it is very seldom that one ts seriously injured. Often, as a cadet is thrown violently, perhaps ‘under the next horse, his comrades will hold their breath, thinking he must be gone this time, but he will come up smiling without Scratch. A sprained ankle is about worst injury ever sustained, although once Cadet Hospital. in every two or three years the surgeon has to set a broken leg. When a cadet goes off the instructor looks to see if he is hurt, and if not, encourages him by saying: “Hurry up and catch that horse,” or “Don't be all day about mounting, sir. At West Point there is, undoubtedly, sym- pathy between officer and cadet, but under the stern discipline {t presents the strange case of a quality being real rather than ap- parent. Until their flesh becomes hardened all the riders have several days of more or less lameness and soreness. Those who have never ridden before endure positive torture. In vain do they seek the hospital at sick call and ask the surgeon to excuse them from riding. He will give them lint and liniment, he will even excuse them from ether duty; but as for riding, he will tell them that his orders forbid him to excuse men as Jong as they can possibly ride, that | the more they ride the tougher they will become. Sorrowfully the yearling “goes home" to his quarters, and dons an extra pair of trousers reinforced with cotton. So wholesome is the heroic training that not infrequently these very sufferers will, at graduation three years later, be rated among the best riders in the class, and will be selected to give an exhibition ride be- fore the assembled dignitaries. Riding begins in yearling year, is kept up half of that year, half of the next, when the cadet attains ‘the dignity of saber and spurs, and all of first-class year. About half of the riding is bareback. It is inter- spersed with circus riding, Indian riding, symnastics, hurdle jumping, vaulting, mounting double, and a variety of exercises which fit the future officer to cope success- fully with the Indian on the plain, or the Greaser on the border. After his return from furlough, the cadet turns his attention to applied mathematics, and to natural sciences in place of pure mathematics and languages. In the de- partment of natural and experimental phi- losophy he studies analytical mechanics from a book containing just one thousand mathematical equations, astronomy, Wave motion relating to sound and’ light. This department is known as the “4 academy,” in spite of the claim of the missary of cadets that the mess hall more properly the “fill academy. “chem..” as it is abbreviated, the second classman studies chemistry, heat, electfict- ty, Physiology, mineralogy, and geology. In this year the practical instruction of pre- Nious years is supplemented by theoretical instruction in tactics, or drill regulations to use the latest term. The work in draw. ng in this year comprises free-hand and idscape drawing as well as mechanioa and architectural and ordnance constrae, com- During half of first class year the cadet applies his previous knowledge of mathe- matics and mechanics to civil engineering and stereotomy; while in the second half he devotes himself to military engineering, mining, fortifications and the art of war. About a month of each of these two courses, civil and military, is taken up with engin- eering drawing. The first half of this last year contains a course in general history, and the second half includes instruction in the rudiments of the Spanish language. Some knowledge of law is indispensable to an officer of the government, and this neces- j sity is supplied to the first classman by courses in international, constitutional and military law. Supplementary to the courses in mathematics and chemistry 1s that in the strictly professional subject of ordnance and gunnery, which engages the first classman during the entire year. All of these studies, with riding and military duties, keep the fourth year men pretty well occupied. T! mental discipline and training of the prev- lous years now ald them in observing the great amount of varied knowledge required in the last year. A new accademic building with all modern appliances is being erected. This caused the demolition in 1891 of the old building, in Riding School. which recitations had been held since 1838, when Sherman and Thomas were cadets, and Grant and Sheridan had not been ad- mitted. The absence of instruction in the German language Is often commented upon, and there is a growing demand for its introduc- tion. Some Spanish is taught with a view to its use in the service on the Mexican border. Early in the present century the authorities on mathematics and engineer- ing, as well as on the art and science of war, were found among the French. Ac- cordingly that language was introduced in- to the curriculum in order that officers might readily pursue their studies after graduation. Another consideration was that French being the court language of Europe it was a good thing for our officers to know when sent abroad on special missions. This last has been realized only in part, for the Teason that the cadet while learning to read French well does not become able to speak the language. It is not taught by the natural method, as few of the instructors can speak French. This fact has more than once been reported upon by the board of visitors. It is always easier to point out a fault than to suggest a practical remedy. In addition to its thoroughness another distinctive feature of the West Point course is the fact of its being absolutely non-elec- tive. All cadets are treated alike. Not one has a choice as to a single study or drill. Before going to West Point one cadet may have been a senior at Harvard, or the prin- cipal of a local school, but on the Ist day of September he takes exactly the same les- son in algebra as his classmate who opens that book for the first time. He may have been captain of the military company in his native town, but he goes to squad drill along with the cadet who never saw a form- Eventually one may land in the picked and the other in the awkward squad, but at first they are equal. As in every- thing else, however, a man soon finds that the more training he has had the better he is off. Before objecting to the rigidity of this system it must be remembered that to accomplish the broad results for which armies are necessarily maintained {t ts tun- damentally essential individ ual in his choice of : CHAREBES HINE, Getting a Bargain. From the New York Herald. A lady surrounded the bargain counter of one of the big retail stores on 6th avenue the other day and captured a fragment of China silk with which she wanted to make a screen. To accomplish this required a degree of strategy and physical exertion sufficient to equip a college eleven for ac- tive service on the gridiron. But she got there. “I spent the whole afternoon,” said she to a friend, “and when I got home I figured the whole thing up. I could have bought the same stuff upstairs at the regular counter for 39 cents @ yard, and I wanted only three yards and a half. Well, that mean little clerk sold me four yards for 35 cents—it was a remnant, you know—so I found I had been trodden upon for about two hours and squeezed black and blue and had lost just three cents by the operation. “But, law! that’s nothing. What do you s'pose! Why, when I examined that silk the next day I found a hole in every fold. “Mad? Well, I should think I was mad. My husband laughed at me. He says Women were born to be fooled, don’t you know—that most of us haven’t sense enough to spread an umbrella when it rains. “What would you do” I asked him. ‘Do,’ says he; ‘I'd throw that away and never go back to that store again.’ “ ‘Not much,’ says I. ‘I'm going to make them take that back if I die for it—now there! And if you should miss me when night comes you'll find my remains at the foot of the China silk counter!’ “I went back. After another two hours of shuifling and crowding I got a chance to confront the young man who sold me that silk. I was prepared to make him ashamed of himself, now I tell you! But he merely looked at it and said in a bored sort of way, ‘Oh, yes; that is the same piece of silk Mrs. Blank returned last week!’ “Yes; 1 was stricken dumb. If there had been room enough I'd have dropped. But was making out my rebate check another lady glanced at the silk I had ji laid down. “That's real pretty,’ said she. ‘How ” says he. “ ‘Forty cents s ys he, with the most unblushing face. the last piece of that shade in the house,’ says he. “I'll take it,’ says she, pulling out her purse just as he gave me my ticket for the return of that identical piece! Well, then I knew that young man deliberately cheated me and was going to cheat that lady right before my face! But I got my breath quick enough to tell her. And I did. I said, ‘Madam, I've just this minute brought that back. It's damaged. Look at these holes! He knows it’s damaged. Here's my ticket for the rebate for its return’ “Well, if you could have seen the look she gave him! Then she turned on her heel and went out. Yes, [ should say I'm about even with that house—one of the finest stores in town, too.” Charitable Bequests. The will of the late Mary Breen was filed Wednesday. She leaves $5,500 to hernephew, W. F. Quicksoll; to the Little Sisters of the Poor, $700; St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum, $700; St. Rose’s Industrial School, $250; St. Ann's Infant Asylum, $250; St. Augustine's Church, $700; St. Patrick's Church, $700; to the pastor of St. Patrick’s for masses, $700: her servant, Julia Quill, $200; certain real estate to her brothers, sister and nephew, as also the rest of the estate. T. A. Lam: bert and L. J. Davis are named as execu- tors. A ¢odicil is added by which $700 is given St. Joseph’s Church. —_—___ “Blowing in His Tin.” ‘It’ that’s nothing. Let me tell you.- While he} AT THE MUSEUM. Some Amusing Cases of Popular Misconception. THEY DID NOT KNOW A CHIPMUNK. Visitors Who Think the Speci- mens Are for Sale. NEED FOR LARGER QUARTERS. Written for The Evening Star. Popular ignorance of professional scien- tific matters exhibits some of its most amusing beauties among the visitors on the floor of the National Museum. One familiar with the wealth of material behind the glass of the display cases may spend many entertaining hours by keeping within hear- ing distance of an average group of strang- ers and noting the remarkable comments, queries and displays of supposed erudition. A mammalogist’s assistant was recently arranging a series of the little squirrel-like animal known to the naturalist by the generic name of Tamias, and which is pop- ularly referred to as a chipmunk or ground squirrel. It is one of the most common of mammals in the northern states, and a farmer’s boy would think quite familiar to everyone. So the naturalist’s assistant, once himself a farmer’s boy, concealed a smile beneath the dry goods covering his arm on hearing a young lady, standing near, in- quire of a companion: ; “What are these things, spiders?” “No,” replied the companion, “they are bats.” One of the speakers was recognized as a teacher in the Washington public schools. On another occasion a bevy of school girls, wide-eyed with curiosity, startled the assistant with the query: “Mister, are these dead?” Incredible as was the thoughtlessness in- dicated, the same inquiry has repeatedly been uttered. But most passers seemed free from eny doubt upon that point, attributing the odor of the bi-sulphide of carbon used in the cases to the decay of rodent flesh. This Seemed to account for another odd ques- tion, coming from more than a few: “‘Mis- ter, are you going to stuff these rats? All visitors, it appeared, were not suffi- ciently familiar with the taxidermists’ art to understand that, as indicated by the name, it consisted in a removal of the skin. Some doubtless regarded the big rhinoceros standing at the south end of the mammal court as a huge, and perhaps unseasoned mummy, to judge from ejaculatory remarks made by ladies passing with closed nostrils. They were innocent of the fact that the odor came not from the supposed corrupt mass of rhinoceros steak, which is really just a big shell of very tough hide, but from some recently opened case, emitting a volume of the “bi-sulphide” ga: This chemical, oh, the way: is probably one of the most villainqys of stenches pro- duced, It will mogt effectually dispel a Guaintsnce in charge of a small apartment uu unavoidably subject to the intrusion of the visiting public desired to be left alone with his work without a resort to a suggestion of its desirability he would quietly turn a few spoonfuls of the offensive fluid into shallow vessel. The fact that the depart- ing sightseers were unconscious of signs upon their comfort made the even more laughable. Of Use in Protecting Skins, Its fumes being poisonous as well as of- fensive this stuff is valuable in protecting skins from destructive insects. It is also highly volatile,thoroughly filling every crev- ice of a large apartment or case. For these reasons it js selected for use in ridding th ; Museum collections of vermin. Antrena jand dermestes are the most dreaded of these. The former is a hairy larva, whose Paradise is the suggestion of meat left upon old bones. Once well intrenched in a but- terfly collection the beauties are doomed. Dermestes is a small beetle coming in skins and bones gathered in Mexico, compared with which the antrena is of small conse- quence. As determined by experiments |made at the Department of Agriculture | few drops of bi-sulphide of carbon poured 'y_de- effect jinto a closed jar will kill a rat confined therein inside of three minutes. It therefore been recommended as an exter- minator of those rodent pests which are domiciled in subterranean res. A Government Side Show. The killing of rats and services of like grade constitute In the eyes of a certain class of citizens the main warrant for pub- lic support to professional naturalists. Some of these appear at least to have representa- tives in Congress. To them the National Museum is simply a big government side show and store house of “curiosities” for | the entertainment of the sightseeing pub- lic. They are daily to be met within its doors, giving evidence of lack of a con- ception of the educational function and value of the institution by their character- istically superticial manner of inspection. With the entertainment theory in mind these citizens seldom question the occasion for the accommodation of the objects of interest in the display collection. This material contains enough to divert the at- tention of any normal human being, how- ever devoid of the instincts of the student. But every theory becomes fatally defective when the visitor attempts to extend its ex- Planatory service to the really larger part, numerically, of the nation’s scientific store house. This more important part {is not exposed to the public view, being stored in the closely arranged drawers of the dark- ened cases to be noticed beneath those with glass walls. When a visitor obtains a sug- gestion of the existence of this undisplayed collection in passing some curator at work before an exposed case his first impulse is often to give expression to a feeling of public outrage that everything in the na- tional institution should not be laid before his gaze. Astonishment is most frequently express- ed when the study series of mammal speci- mens happen to be in part exposed to view. These animals being to some extent familiar to the popular eye the duplication of like forms is more apparent than in some other collections. Then, again, the series of a given kind are probably larger in this de- partment than in others. Back of the Wooden doors of these study cases between 20,000 and 25,000 mammal skins are con- cealed—considerably more than are on ex- hibition. The skins are not artfully molded into lffe-like forms, as are the mounted specimens under the glass covers, but are merely stuffed and dried into straight fig- ures, devoid even of glass eyes. The skulls are preserved and cleaned, and, after being labeled with numbers corresponding to those given the skins from which they came, are carefully laid away in vials or small boxes. To the mammalogist of re- cent years the skull ts of as much import- ance as the skin—often it is more important. Not to Be Parc! rd. These study skins are laid side by side in close rank, often to the number of a hun- dred or more of a given species from a sin- gle locality. It is the sight of such a series of “pocket mice,” “wood rats,” gophers or squirrels that strains the understanding of the “curiosity” seer. “What do you want with so many rats?" is a frequent exclamation from passing strangers. Commercial value is naturally the first explanation that occurs to these comprehensions, and so surprise is aroused when a request to purchase some object of interest is met with a statement that the museum does not place {ts material on sale. Then, it must be that the stuff is be- ing gathered by the government for distri- bution to the educational institutions of the country, in the view of those who are unable to conceive why “more than one of a kind”—at least many more—should be desired. They have, of course, never learn- ed that the gathering of all obtainable specimens from innumerable localities is more and more dissolving the partition: supposed to exist between types, and that in a sense it may be said that no such thing as a species really exists, except to those former students, who contented themselves with possessing but “one of a kind” or so. Necessity for a Large Series, Should the conceivable highly civilized constructors of the canals of Mars shoot a Tepresentative to this planet in some space navigating vessel and capture a single man the species in the report of the martial rep- resentatives would be described in accord- ance with the characteristics exhibited by the specimen captured. But should another man then be obtained the description in some respects would probably need altera- tion, for while most characters would be ex- hibited in common, others would be “in- dividual variations.” The student from the ruby planet would then perceive the desira- bility of an examination of a large series of the recently discovered creature, and sev- eral thousand skins from regions of the earth might be brought together. The re- sult would be a discovery of the interesting gradations and differentiations which are familiar to the residents of this world. Two considerations actuate the conceal- ment of this study collection. One is desira- bility, the otner is necessity. in the draw- ers and trays of the lower cases are num- bers of specimens which will probably prove to be different from any forms yet named—that is, when the collection shall have been “worked up" it may be possible to describe them as “new species.” That this work shall be reserved for the institu- tion itself, through its appointed function- aries, the possession of new material is not proclaimed to the world until a “provision- al description” shall have delineated the characters with which the naturalist en- joys the honor of first associating a dis- tnctive name. Were this sufficient consideration not operative even then the public display of the specimens would be impracticable, be- cause of the inadequacy of the appropria- tions for the museum. Much more space is required for display than for preservation in drawers, but the room in the great butld- ing 1s now no more than enough for the lxt- ter. Though to be thoroughly appreciated only by the specialist a display of all the material gathered by the different depart- ments of the National Museum would be possible only by the provision of another building as large as that now in use. —_—.—_ THEY WILL HAVE THEL JOKE. at the College Boys Have to Pay for Flowers Just the Same. From the New York Sun. A young man wearing a bunch of orange and black ribbon walked into an uptown florist’s yesterday and said: “I want a grumwadgy.” “I beg your pardon,” said the manager‘of the store, to whom the youth had addresved himself. “You needn’t. I want a grumwadgy; a large yellow grumwadsy.” Yes. Ub, yes. Sorry, but we're all out of those. Fact is, I don’t believe we ever kept any in stock. Better try the Natural History Museum in Central Park.” “Oh, come off. You've got ‘em in your how window. These big yellow ones,” in- sisted the young man. The manager walked over to the window. The only big yellow things there were the chrysanthemums. He picked out one and handed it to the young man, asking if that was what he wanted. “Certainly,” said the youth, and he took jt paid the price “and walked out. The manager turned with a weary air to a Sun reporter who was standing near and said: “Those college boys will drive me crazy before I'm done with ‘em. For the past two days they’ve been flocking in here at a great rate. Of course they make trade brisk, but they take it out in the wear and tear young fellow came in here yesterday and demarded a big hunk of double blue mod- esty. It took me two minutes of hard think- ing to find out that he wanted English vio- lets, He got 'em, but he paid 50 cents more than he would have if he’d asked for ‘em Straight out. The time I spent in thinking was worth that. “A little later,” he continued, “a sales- man came over to me and told me that there was a lunatic at the counter who in- sisted on buying a bunch of pink smell, one dozen strong. I told the salesman to try him with a dozen Mermet roses, and that proved to be what the boy was after. He was easy compared to the chap who drifted in and remarked: I'd like twenty-four wives, please.’ “Twenty-four wives!’ I said. ‘You are & the wrong place. This isn’t Salt Lake ty.’ “ “That's all right,” he said. ‘I want twen- ty-four wives, all in white, and young.’ Melee do you suppose he meant by that, now?" The reporter for the New York Sun con- fessed that it was too hard for him. “So it was for me for awhile,” said the florist. “Finally I had an inspiration and sent my customer away rejoicing with two dozen bride rosebuds. Another chap came in here with a quotation about ‘They toil not, neither do they spin,’ by which he meant lilies of the valley, although | don’t suppose that the original writer had that particular kind of flower in mind when he wrote the line. “But the very worst case of all was a curly-headed youngster who sprung himself upon the establishment with a request for a sprig of grinning hatchet. Nothing else would do him. He must have grinning hatchet. It took the combined brains of the establishment to get that riddle, but we got it. It was smilax. See? Pretty bad, | isn’t it. That youth paid $1.50 for his smilax and joke combined—for the smilax 25 cents and the rest for the joke. But he didn’t mind, and went off apparently well satis- fied with himself.” Easter Sundays in the Fature. From the Brooklyn Engle. The rule for ascertaining when Easter Sunday occurs may be gathered from this statement: Easter is the Sunday which fol- |aows that fourteenth day of the calendar | moon which falls upon or next after March ; 21. We give a number of dates of Easter | Sunday, which will be useful for preserva- tion to such readers as are desirous to watch these recurring days: SOME LOCAL ARTISTS. A Coterie That Reflects Credit Upon the City. SEVERAL MEN OF REAL GENIOS They Give Their Views Upon the Impressionist School. NOTES AMONG THE STUDIOS. ———+- Writtes for The Evening Star. members of Washington's coterie of artists is Mr. Par- ker Mann, whose beautiful home and studio on Washing- ton Heights is of such interest to those interested in things artistic. The house was built after the —_—_ Mr. Paris works in careful, conscientious manner, making his studies directly from nature and working most of the time out of doors. He paints in e style peculiar to bim- self, paying the greatest attention to the de- velopment in detail, yet wholly lacking quality known in artistic a8 ickiness.” In speaking of his work Paris says: “My feeling of art is that it ka conscientious interpretation of nature, an should convey the truth with all character- istics of atmosphere and surroundings. Im- pressionism is doubtless very clever, but it depends upon the ability and genius of the artist whether or not it be interesting.” Mr. Paris, in common with many other minent artists, feels keenly upon the ubject of the apparent indifference of the American public to artists, studios, ete. In England, France and Italy artists are al- most regarded as the property of the and the ateliers are as popular as the In America it is entirely different; compara- tively few making any effort to pass the barriers erected by so-called “lack of com- mon interests.” Mr. Paris will make an ef- fort to remedy this during the winter, by. holding Saturday receptions and exhibitions, when he hopes to meet the Washington public upon a more familiar footing than he has hitherto been able to do. Another artist whose work has attracted much favorable criticism is Mr. Viele. He is an impressionist of the most @aring kind, painting with a reckless abandon which few would be brave enorgh to imitate. His subjects are generally mail and brilliant in color. He rather affec + the French man- nerisms, which, combined with his own artistic originality, makes nis canvases the subjects of much admiring attention. His water color studies are also unusually clever and a number of them will be exhibited in the spring during the annual exhibition hel design of a famous Spanish convent, of which Mr. Marin has aumerous sketches and photographs. The | Interior, consisting of spacious, low-studded rooms and hallways, brightly lighted by latticed windows, is the incarnation of lux- urious comfort. Mr. Mann is a graduate of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and, while re- taining certain French mannerisms, has is impossible to assign his work to any par- ticular school. on the brain of the salesman. Now, a} When questioned upon that f: ject of artistic contention, “Impressionism,” Mr. Mann sai do not know what the word means. It is a startling innovation, which takes so many different forms that there is no definition to it. Impressionism, if it means anything, means painting the impression of a subject rather than what one knows it to be. All painters today ac- cept this theory, an@dtjg in no way pecu- liar to the self-styled impressionists. I en- Geavor to find the most beautiful phases of |nature, and then render them with as much truth as possible, without reference to any ism or theory whatever.” His sub- jects are generally landscapes and marine views, with bright though not vivid color- ing, his choice of sketching mediums being pastel, on account of the rapidity with | which it can be handled. Mr. Mann expects to hold an exhibition of his work early in \the spring, the subjects of his sketches being taken from almost every corner of the globe. Mr. Mann has a most valuable collection of paintings by world-wide f mous artists. It includes canvases by Pog- genbeck, Murphy, Harry Chase, C. H. Da- vis, Corot and Dore. Among these promi- |ment places are given to those executed by |our Washington artists, whose work ranks with the foremost of the foreign painters in technique and artistic valuations. Mr. KR. Le Grand Johnston. Another well-known artist is Mr. R. Le Grand Johnston, whose sheep pictures are so familiar to Washingtonians. Mr. John- ston spent his summer in collecting notes and sketches at “Arundel on the Bay,” to | be utilized for exhibition purposes this win- ter. Among these are a number of his favorite “sheep” studies, which promise to be more than usually interesting. Speaking or impressionism he tersely remarked: “Im- pressionism is slurring over conscientious work. A man whose work runs too strong- ly to realism is apt to be mechanical, and, on the other hand, as we understand the impressionist, I feel that he is leaving out a great deal that goes to make the beautiful. |The individual .shows to best advantage when confining himself to tl happy me- |dium.” Mr. Johnston’s best known paint- ings are, “Sheep at Twilight” and “Going Into the Fold,” owned, respectively, by Mrs. Cc. J. Hillyer and Senator Edmun ‘A Cold Evening, ‘Break of Day” and “Be- fore the Storm.” Mr. Johnston is a great admirer of Corot and Daubigny, and his | work rather follows the characteristics of those artists, his best effects being taken such a delicate breadth of handling that it}, by the Society of Washington Artists, of Bishop Bowman, Miss Solomons, Miss Winnie Davis and Amelie Rives, besides one of Mrs. Ed. Hay, which is nearing comple- tion. In each of these the likeness an@ coloring are most artistically reproduced. Mr. Heaton’s work is distinctly French in its general style—great attention being en to the reproduction of fine detail, however, is kept subservient to the mass and effect. Amongst Mr. Heaton’s treasures is an original painting by which “its weight in gold would not buy” from the present owner. Perhaps no one of the local artists is bet- ter known or more highly respected, Personally and artistically, than Mr. Messer, who has so identified himself with the Art Students’ League, where he has been the leading factor for so many years. This artist's work is extremely ideslic conception and treatment, and without ing impressionistic is broad and handling. He has of late adopted a fantastic class of subject matters. the most picturesque, showing in the fore- grovnd the figure of a beautiful woman clasping a child in her arms, while toward her from the ocean is a sea The woman's attitude and expression mortal terror is admirably portrayed, the whole picture fs a fascinating study the decorative phase of art. Mr. W. H. Holmes, while not confining himself to the artistic profession, has an enviable position for himself as a water colorist. His style is unusually brilliant and effective, particularly when his Venetian sketches. One of his most successful productions—a Venetian water archeological expeditions of the bureau of ethnology, and in that connection has greatly himself, It is to be Some of the Ideas Which Ram Throug® Her Precious Mind. From the Chicago Tribune. She is four years old and her name Marie. For some weeks she has been tending @ parochial school. A few days she came home and undertook to tell papa about her experiences at school. rambled along at & great rate for some and then startled her papa by saying: “An’ when people die they put masks them.” The papa had not paid much attention to Marie up to this time, but the masks csught him. “What's that, Marie?” he said. wh die it maske on them.’ Pape igoked et inane. ae said wo! presen| asleep. “What on earth en ee when people die they put masks on them’ pa} p Geese. Papa reached the conclusion mother, after all, knows how the mysterious little thoughts that run in her child's brain. i playmate, was walking with her same time. The two papas had « talk. Marte’ that the two little girls did as “chummy” as of yore, papa said: “Marie.what is the matter wi Fe: i E i jl : i : i : A at early morning or twilight. Mr. John- | Ston’s wife is also an artist—her clever por- traiture attracting much attention during a number of exhibitions held by the Society of Washington Artists, Mr. Walter Paria. The work of Mr. Walter Paris always at- tracts much attention when exhibited, on | account of its purely decorative character. | This artist is a graduate of the Royal Acad- emy in London, and his studies are regard- ed as standards of decorative art in the South Kensington Museum. They ere also used in all the English government schools. you? Why did you not speak Marie's little shoulders were her little ips took on « curl of disdain as she scorn: replied: “Oh,she thinks she is awful smart just Bes baby died.” i i é | ——-- e002 — YOU CANT FOOL A BoY. At Least This Particular One Was Re® to Be Caught With Chag. From the Detroit Free Press. Women can’t read « boy's natdre as men can, and they might as well own up. The Fort street mother who yesterday sent boy to @ Grug store with a bottle and sealed note imagined that she than the serpent’s tooth when the Gruggist: “Send ine half a pint wine, and write on the label P. W.-—-Poison. The druggist followed orders, and when boy got outside he tore off the wrapper and read the label. “P. W.—poison,” he mused as he along. “Wonder what that is? P, doesn’t stand for a I and it doesn’t mean rat ther. F. WwW. can’t be hair dye, nor scalp = and 7'm going to touch my tongue ad He touched. It tasted so goof that he took a sip, and meeting three or four Boys just then, the crowd entered « lumber yard, and P. W.'d the contents of that bottle til only a gill was left. one of lads ran home after a dipper of water, up the bottle, and the Fort street boy ted homeward, whispering: “P. W. means pretty week, and {f she finds it so he) musn’t blame nobody but the druggist.” w. igs