Evening Star Newspaper, March 6, 1897, Page 16

16 THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1897-24 PAGES. DELICATE MECHANISM Instruments for Making Inconceiva- ble Measurements. THE VELOCITY OF A BULLET The One Ten-Thousandth Part of an Inch Measured Accurately. TEMPERATURE THE SUN | a OF Written for The Evening Star. (Copsricht, 1807, the SS. McClure Co.) Refinements of measwrement have, with- | fm recent years, ri h incredible | limits to tax the jon, not to | speak of the credulity, of the layman who has not kept elf in touch with the marvelous that has been made in this direc Professer Vernon Boys, for exan ble work in this line, ¢ with the simplest po: a quarts fiber, tortional balance and mir- ror, to detect the attructive force of the one twenty-thousand millionth of a grain. The figure Mterally so vast that they no illumination whatever. at least, can- erception of a tion. »le, who has done some remarka- ms to be able, » arrangement of even a nm parts. Our natural se to detect | the diffe between a couple of Tespect- fvely three and five ounce Again, iL is conceivable that a small num- | the aid of a powerful slass. | means of the micrometer screw. 1-500,000ths of an inc’, and there would be interval enough between the graduations to make an accurate guess of 1,000,000th of an inch. One Ten-Thousandth ef an In iper, on which accurate measurements may be made to 1-10,000ch of an inch. It is easy to see that the slightest Imaccuracy in any one of its parts would throw sil the others out of adjustment and destroy the value of the -nstrament. Expensive special machinery of almost perfect pre- cision is necessarily required fcr this class of work, and the final testing of a caliper of the Kind mentioned must be made with a standard scale. The latest development of this type of appliances is to be seen in the shops of a manufacturiag company in Providence, R. I. On massive bed, eighteen tnches high, are two movable heads, fitted to the broad flat surface and gibbed at the sides. The larger head car- ries a bar having a fincly gras with markings down to a fortie inch on the upper side and another on the lower side, so fine as to be invisible without Over this lat- ter scale is a microscope, fitted with a micrometer eye-piece, tor reading these fine graduations. The Jatter are read by means of a vernier scale, an their valua- tion is .00001 of ar inch. The cone at the back of the machine is for the purpose of concentrating light upon the gradua- tion of the scale. The chief adjustment of the machine is by the manipulation of the hair lines of the microscepe so that the latter are co- incident with the lines of the scale. Thus, in taking a measurement the machine is first adjusted to a point on the graduating scale corresponding to the nearest fortieth of an inch te the size to be measured. In- tervals of less than this are obtained by likewise, for fine readings, care must be taken to provide a constant temperature, | since it seems impossible to construct an instrument of perfect compensation for the different rates of expansion of the various metals composing It. TIMING THE FLIGHT CF PROJECTILES AT FORTRESS MONROE. ber of viru! microbes lodged in the hu- man body will cause a man’s death. And yet, according to a recent computation, a contain cubic centimeter of waier may not millions, but billions of - a rasites. Recently the milk supply of Boston, on examination, yielded as high as 136,000,000 germs per ounce. It is as- tonishing to be told that these calcula- tions are made rapidiy, and that a com- putation reaching even into the billions | may consume only a minute or so. This! is done by means of extremely fine rulings | or lines in the } of the microscopic | vision, and the simple process of counting | { i the number of microbes in one of these squares and multiplying out this sum yields the desired knowledge. Then, again. in making high power mi- croscopes the lenses are, to all intents and purposes, flat; that {s, no ordinary eye could detect their curvature, which is often no more than 1-150,000th of an inch. In orter to iiquefy air Professor Dewar of London desired to attain the nearest ap- proximation to a perfect vacuum. Air has a pressure of fifteen pounds to the square inch, and this Is called an atmos- phere, in technical language. We do not feel this pressure ordinarily, but Professor Dewar succeeded tn gaining a vacuum of 1-25,000,000th of an atmosphere by filling a vessel with mercurial vapor and ex- posing it to a very low temperature. A human being would die in an atmosphere rarifled two-thirds, but Professor Dewar | goes a little farther. ‘To be exact. to where his air is rarified to 1-2,500,000,000th of its original density. Next as regards angies. It would be ible to detect with the eye a mite imp! Benny at 2 distance of 1,000 feet. Suppos- ing it were 1,00) miles away, the angle ormed by its d?ameter at this distance Sonn be so incredibly small that we have no means of picturing it to ourselves. But the Darwin pendulum will indicate a move- ment of 1.300th of a second, which is just about the angular measurement of a penny at this distanc Pref. Li of 1,000 miles. yolometer measures the . though that orb A galvanometer vised so sensitive that it wiil tric current set up by the dif- erence i mperature between two con- ounce fingers of your hand, even if a very good thermometer shows no differ- ence of warmth whatever. One per cent of arsenic in copper does not seem a great deal, but if there be but three one-thou- sandths of one per ce nm a copper ware, | it Is unfit for use electrically. Chemical in every day use detects this dif- and even very small fractions of It is not at all an unusual | n marked as contai fa gram, and an ordinary works down to one one-hun- 2 miligram. A diamond weighing is not a wrdinary affair, but me bal 1 weigh down to one h of this. A Delicate Instrument. One of the most exquisitely sensitive in- struments ever devised has just been set up by Gus Henning, a mechanical engi- neer of New York, who has constructed some of the finest instruments of measure- ment in the we This is known as the | mirror-testing a atus, and is designed to test and register the expansion or stretching of metals under heat or strain. Seen in the compact little box in which it is carried one would never dream that this marvelous affair ts capable of accurately this one-thousan: Incasuring the strain caused by the foot- | fall of a pedestrian crossing Brooklyn bridge. And yet such is its power. | This instrument is exceedingly simple. Its chief parts consists of a couple of Ittls mir- ters carried on spindles, which, in turn, are of knife edges, so that se in the position of the a deflection of the mir- rest there {s an ordinary ope, to which is attached a duated scale, —@Ping down to knife edge causes For 1-100,000th of an in rot, of course, be | throug: | the knife are | ainst the of steel, object and to the be latter say a bar be stretched or expanded, the knife edge will change position, the mirror flected and as the latter ts looked at through the telscope trom a distance of five or ten feet. the graduated scale which the mirror reflects seems to move up and down. And by watching these movements the stress on the bar is easily caleulated. It goes almost without the @u instrument so sensitive as thls, and dealing with graduations Part of an inch, will re, minute changes of temperature. will be de- ston due to the heat radiated therefrom, | intreduce errors, and in fact the utmost Precaution must be taken tn this regard to see that the temperature of the room in which the observations. are to be made does rot vary while they are in progress. Moreover, nervous or excitable persons cantot use such delicate micrometers at aH, and even for others considerable ex- Dertence Is necessary before one can be- come expert in their use and their delicate readings be of practical value. This instrument is very much more ac- curate than another remarkable microm- eter devised by Mr. Henning for the same purpose, known as ine duplex measuring instrument. In the latter device the ex- pansion or compression of the plece to be tested was made to affect the closure of an electrical circuit which rang a il when the contact was made. Manipulation of screws gave the -lesiced: reading, which were down to 1-10,000ths part of an inch. was wonderful enough in its way, j Ughtiy mark the falling bar. | a mile. | The | made. telling that | The mere | preximity of the body will, by the expan- | ing fork being known, Intervals of space have been measured for a long while, but minute intervals of time offered a more complex problem. From a physical point of view, the time unit, unlike the units of length or mass, is In a sense a derived unit. Unlike the standard meter or gram, which can be di- rectly examined, compared and copied, we have no direct model of a second, but must | derive the unit by observations upon the motion of some standard body, such as a pendulum or the earth. This process of ob- serving the motion of the standari body in- volves the recording of the cxact instant between two or more points of the motion of the body which successively repeat themselves. Ultimately, then, the reliabil- ity of such measurement depends upon ability tu produce a record practically si- multaneously with the occurrence of the phenomena {cself. The two practically In- | stantaneous modes of motion we have are hght and electricity. The old chronograph, used for the measurement of the speed of projectiles, was an electrical device, in which & series of wire screens were placed in the path of the projectile at intervals, so that the latter would cut the screens and thus break the circuit. The firing of the gun likewise caused the release of a bar, which, aa it fell, 2 series of knives. As the projectile in its flight cut the successive wires, the breaks in the circuits caused these knives to fly out and Thus, by knowing the interval between the succes- s‘'ve wire screens and the time interval cf the falling bar, {t was possible to compute the speed of the bullet or shell. The Velocity of a Bullet. But this was a crude affair. The new Kraag-Jorgensen rifle adopted for the United States army gives a bullet an in- itilal velocity of about 2,000 feet per sec- end, and the high-power gun which shoots distance of twelve or fifteen miles devel- Gps a muazle velocity often of 3,000 feet per second. Incidentally, it was a desirable thing to know whether the veloctty of a projectile was greatest at the muzzle or some distance therefrom, and the exact point of this maximum. To effect such a measurement required dealing with a unit of time so minute as to bear about the same relation to a second as a second does to the time required for walking, leisurly, Extraordinary as it may seem, a rew instrument has been devised at the United States artillery school at Fortress | Monroe, in Virginia, for measuring such velocities at intervals of five feet for any desired distance. It is known as a polariz- ing photo-chronograph, and compared with its mechanism its name {s simplicity Itself. It would require on the part of the reader a very clear knowledge of physics and the principles of the polarization of iight for an understanding of any technical descrip- tion of the apparatus. Rougkly, however, it may be said that a series of screens are set up in the path of the projectile at the proving grounds and that these form a circult running back to the chronograph in the laboratory. The chronograph itself consists of a he- wildering combination of electric lights, prisms, coils, analyzers, lenses, cameras, tuning forks and electrical motors. The machine depends for its action upon the use of polarized Mght. A sensitive pho- tegraphic plate is made to rotate at a known speed in a light-tight box and light is admitted to the plate through a narrow slit by means of a “massless” shutter. latter consists of a pair of Nicol prisms, between which is a unique device for the rotation of the plane of polariza- tion This rotation ts accompl:shed electri- cally, with the result that the light ts admitted and cut off without the move- ment of any material, or at least pondera- ble, thing. With this wonderful apparatus it is pos- sible to project upon an exceedingly senst- tive camera plate a series of impressions, from which accurate measurements can be These are little more than a series of minute dots in a circle, caused by the breakage of the circuit, due to the cutting of the different wire screens in the path of the projectile. The breakage of the circuit ts communicated directly to the transmitter placed between the polarizer and analyzer of the chronograph, with the result that the rotation of the plane of polarization 1s momentarily but instantly stopped. From this it further results that the beam of light passing through the transmitter is interrupted in its progress toward the camera plate, and so its record on the plate is a seriés of broken circles, Now, if a tuning fork be likewise placed in the path of the ray of light, so that its vibrations will make a record upon the | camera plate, it will be possible with a scale closely to compare the two -ecords. And the rate of the vibration of the tun- the intervals of time between the breakage of the succes- sive circuits by the projectile can be quick- ly computed. The distance between the screens being also known, it Is a mere mat- ter of calculation to discover the rate cf the projectile’s flight. Complicated as this instrument seems in the description, it 1s comparatively simple in operation, and, of course, instantane- ous. It is manipulated with a pressure of the thumb on an electrical key, and its work is literally done in a flash. Other Instruments. It ts in electrical work proper, however, that by far the most astonishing degree of minuteness of measurement has been obtained. At the electrical exposition held in New York a year ago a meter was shown which would measure a current of 80,000 amperes. Lord Kelvin -devised an instrument which, as now perfected, will register a current of one fifty-four-mil- but the new avparatus is so much more delicate that with a snfiltieutly etrong about twenty-five feet possible telescope placed awey it would be to read down to Nonths of an ampere; and such a current as is formed by dipping the tip of a brass | pin ‘and of a steel connected with the galvonometer, into a drop of salt In the manufac:ure of such instruments as these, other instruments, hardly less delicate and accurute, are in turn required. Take what is known as a micrometer cal- water will causé the needle to swing clear across the scale. The radio-micrometer constructed by Prof. Vernon Boys is so delicate that it will detect and register the rise of tem- perature through one-millionth of a de- gree. If the reader does not understand this let him compute that this extraor- dinary device will measure the radiant heat given off by a candle flame two miles away! And it is nothing more than a loop of wire suspended by a delicate quarts fiber between the poles of a magnet, the circuit being closed by a piece of antimony ard a piece of bismuth soldered to a mi- nute disk of copper foil. Similar instruments have been construct- ed to measure a microvolt (1-1009 of a volt) and the resistance of one-millionth of an ohm. A mile of No. 10 copper wire has a resistance of about an ohm, and Mr. Tesla = taken several million volts through his y. The figures and comparisons given are well enough in their way, but, after all, they convey no very vivid idea of the micro-cosmic world into which they pene- trate. One or two further illustrations may help to bring this out. By means of de- fraction gradings, that is, fine lines ruled upon glass—and it is possible to rule these as high as 120,000 lines to the inch—frac- Uonal wave lengths so infinitesimal that 2,500,000,000 of them laid alongside of each other would only make an inch can be de- tected. Supposing that it were possible to draw out the little gold dollar of our cur- rency into a wire one twenty-five-hundred- millionth of an inch in diameter (one two- and-a-half-billionths), that wire would be long enough to stretch to the sun and back again 10,009 times. Reaching to such an extreme degree of tenuity it would seem as if the groping physicist might be somewhere near the fundamental mystery of the constitution of atoms and molecules; and yet that mys- tery would be still locked in every infini- tesimal portion of this minute wire. A few months ago a great.German chemist made a computation to the effect that a cubic centimeter of air must contain not less than 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules. Then, by way of illustration of this unthinkable number, it was further calculated that if an airtight vessel, containing about a quart of air, were perforated by an electric spark so as to release 100,000,000 molecules per second (this would be a vent-hole finer than could be made with the finest steel needle), it would then require 400,000,000 years for such a vessel to be emptied into a perfect vacuum. This would mean a period about four times as long as life has been possible on this earth (by latest calculations) to empty a quart! ‘Thus, almost incredible as are the powers of present day instruments, they are still far away from anything which can deal with the unthinkably minute particles which we believe to make up matter. And, while we are about it, it will not be amiss to reffect further that even with the infinite atom as visible to us as the microbe or the lines of the diatom, we might still find that these atoms were to each other as stars and planets floating in that mysterious ether whose existence we suspect, but of which we know nothing at all. CARL SNYDER. a EXERCISE FOR WOMEN. Indulgence in Outdoor Sports Re- garded a Boon. From Harper's Bazar. It is strange that any one who is abreast of the times should censure outdoor exer- cise for a girl, as one must see in the gen- eration of young women growing up the benefits resulting from physical activity. There is nothing more conducive to a girl’s health than being in the air and sun- shine, wkere she may develop her muscles, expand her lungs, and lay up a store of vitality as a lifelong blessing. Surely this is preferable to staying indoors, propped up by cushions, reading novels and eating can- dy or sipping tea. The former Js certain to develop into strong, vigorous woman- hood, physically and mentally, while the other is sure to injure her health and dis- position by dawdling indoors. And yet there are men and women s0 narrow-minded as to declare the girl whose life is one of action likely to become mas- culine in her manners and ideas, although they cannot explain why playing tennis, sailing or riding should make her nature coarser and her morals more lax than these of a girl whose life ia one of indolence. Nevertheless, such a theory seems firmly implanted in the minds of some illogical and prejudiced people, who fail to recog- nize any medium between the girl who takes no exercise and the few who carry it to an extreme. It is ignorance pure and simple that pro- claims the lackadatsical girl the only type of refinement. If illiberal women would in- ferm themselves before so unjustly eor- demning, they might realize the harm they do where they could accomplish so much good. ‘Taey seem not to think it wrong to play tennis’ or to ride a little, for they permit their own children to do thes>; it is more frequently when some one elee’s daughter excels in these or similar sports that they are shocked. They shudder at the public- ity, forgetting that it is attendant upon success in anything, and that it is hardly fair to accept mediocrity as unobjectionable while those who excel gre held up for cen- sure. It is well known that the physical state powerfully influences the mental and moral tone, and no one can deny that judicious exercise assists the organs in the perform- ance of their functions. Therefore not only is the health promoted, but it follows that the mind, too, 1s invigorated, strengthened and improved. A young girl usually has a fund of en- ergy and enthusiasm that will find an out- let in some way. How much wiser to teach her to use it in laying up a supply of health that Will keep her well and cheerful than tg allow her exuberance of spirits to lead her into mischievous escapades. If guarded too closely for this, her vivacity given no vent, and the expansion of body and brain hin- dered, her existence will be unnatural and unprofitable. She may indeed acquire much book knowledge, but so can th2 girl who is resting after her outdoor exertions, with perceptions sharpened, mind refreshed, and a keener appreciation of what she reads. Sports serve to strengthen the character by developing qualities in which women are often deficient. Self-rellance is one of the valuable lessons thus taught, the quick decisions and immediate action required be- coming a habit which uaconsciously affects the conduct outside of the sport that has developed it. Patience, perseverance and judgment are also among the qualitizs en- couraged, and a cool head, a quick eye ard pacaclees under control are some of the re- sults. it is generally acknowledged that the srewth of interest in athletics at colleges has done much to improve the moral tone of undergraduates. A great part of the time which a dozen years ago was spent in drinking and brawling is now devoted to training for rowing, base ball, foot ball or track evenis. If it is conceded that regular exercise im- proves the morals as well as the physique of men, the sume should apply to women. At least it will furnish them with interes: other than gossip, clothes and flirtation: while, contrary to the assertions of some, it need not interfere with the cultivation of whatever taste they may have for music, literature or art. Even her appearance may be improved by exercise. A sunken chest and narrow shoulders can be reme- died, a small arm enlarged, weak muscles srescthened and flesh that is flabby made ae To produce the best effects, the work done should not be distasteful. For instance, it is a mistake to force riding upon any ene who fears a horse, or to insist upon mak- ing a practical sailor of one who dislikes the water. There are so many sports from which to choose that all should be able to find one that for them combines health and pleasure. I have endeavored to point out a few of the many benefits to be derived from out-door sports, but it should be remem- bered that in all exercise regularity, rather than great effort, yields the best results. Work should be begun gradually, and slow- ly increased as it needs less exertion. ee Neo Hope for Him. From the Chicago Post. The lover was disconsolate. “Cheer up,” advised his best friend. “All may yet be well.” No,” answered the lover. “Knowing the disposition of the sex, as I do, I can see that there is positively no hope.” “What seems to be the trouble?” “Her parents insfst upon favoring my suit instead of violently opposing it,’ ———+ee_____ Im Modern Athens, From the Philadelphia Press. New York Uncle (to Boston boy)—“Jim- my, can you tell me who George Washing- ton was?’ g Jimmy (aged seven)—"Tut, tut, my dear sir! Is it possible that New York and its environments have become so Hiberni-. cized that the illustrious general has been relegated to oblivion?” EEE Semen? ae al ee ee ee OUR DIPLOMATS Where They Live, How They Live. and What They Spend. ——=s THE REASON: FOR LARGE EXPERSES Gossip About Some of Our Repre- sentatives Abroad. DANGEROUS LETTERS Written for The Evening Star. (Copyrighted, 1897, by Frank G. Carpenter.) ECRETARY SHER- man tells me that the apolications for consulships will prob- ably number 5,000. ‘There are more than ten applicants for every foreign mis- pion, and the poll- ticlans seem to look ‘upon the diplomatic appointments as the best offices in the gift of the adminis- tration. This is a great mistake. I have at different times visited every legation in Europe and Asia, and have come into contact with more than 100 American consuls in all parts of the world. The most of them were dis- satisfied with their positions, and all com- plained of big expenses and small salaries. There is scarcely an office in the gift of the State Department which pays enough to allow its occupant to live up to his’ sta- tion and entertain as he should. One of the cbief reasons for sending rich men to the courts of London, Paris, Berlin and St. Petersburg is because by means of their private fortunes they can keep up the style which the American’ minister should main- tain in order to be of value at these courts, These ministers get the highest salaries paid to any of our diplomats. They re- ceive $17,500 a year each. Their expenses, however, are often twice or thrice, this amount. Whitelaw Reld paid, it ise sald, $27,000 a year house rent. while he was minister to Paris, and his entertainments must have cost him.as much more. Our present minister to France, Mr. Bustis, pays $12,000 a year for his house, and his necessery expenses, as given in an itemized statement not long ago, were $27,000 a year. I visited Paris when Levi P. Morton was our minister there. He paid more thar twice his salary to keep up his es- tablishment. Gov. Noyes of Ohio when he was minister to France was too poor to maintain the dignity of the place out of his own pocket. He was helped by having a rich secretary of legation. This was Rep- resentative Hitt of Illinois, who spent, I have been told, as much as $30,000 a year in entertaining. The Berlin Minsfon. Another costly foreign place is Berlin. Our minister there ought to keep up an equal style with the ministers from other countries. He‘leannoe do so on much less than $40,000 a yéar. ‘the British minister at Berlin gets $37,400 a year, and has a palace furnished by his government and a big al- lowance for egtertaining. The British le- gation building at Paris is five times as big as that of the igritisklegation at Washing- ton, and Englend’s.German minister gets $45,000 a year;and:-€100,000. additional for entertaining. Our jast minister to Ber- lin is, 1 am told, worth $20,000 less today than he was when Cleveland appointed him American ambassador to Germany. It is sald that he failed in some of his diplo- matic negotiations from a lack of money for entertaining, afid that his necessities at one time’ were stich that he seriously thought ‘of sending: in“his resignation. I visited William; Walter Phelps a few years ago, when he was. opp minister to Germany. He was, you know, a man of large fortune, and he’spent money freely. When he got to Berlin he could find no house suitable for the American legation. ‘An independent establishment costs a great deal in that city. Many of the fashionable people live in flats, and only the richest can afford houses. There were few houses for rent in the diplomatic locality. Mr. Phelps pick- ed out the building he wanted and then sent his agents to buy out the tenants. He ousted the storekeepers from the ground floor. He bought up the leases of the fash- jonable people who were living above, and then having released the whole building, he turned an army of carpenters and ma- sons into it and had it remodeled to sult himself. His home was perhaps the finest any American foreign minister has ever had. It contained among other rooms eight large parlors, which could be thrown into one, and it was so large that Minister Phelps could have entertained the whole of the German court had he wished to do so. Still his services to the United States were such that our government could have well afforded to have allowed him enough money for several such houses. His entertain- ments brought him into the closest rela- tions with the Germans. He was popular with both Bismarck and the young em- peror, and when he tried to get anything done for America he succeeded. How Our Ministers Live. Few people have any idea of the expenses of our ministers. Those who are sent to the orient require a large number of serv- ants. The minister to Japan has coachmen who are dressed in Japanese Mvery and who wear hats like butter bowls turned upside down. The minister to Peking has two men who do nothing else but watch at the gates of the legation grounds to let the visitors in and out. His coachman is a swell Chinaman, who wears bright-colored silk dresses. When the minister goes out to ride on korseback a gorgeous groom fol- lows behind. While I was in Calcutta I met the American consul general. He was a piain Oregon man, who, I venture, had never had more than two servants at home. In India he had to keep twenty. When he went out to drive there were two coach- men with turbans and gowns on the front of his carriage, and two other turbaned Hindoos standing on the footboard behind. In oriental countries our ministers usually have servants go ahead of them as they walk through the city to clear the streets. In Constantinople and Cairo the man who precedes the minister is known as the ka- vass. The kavass has a sword, enormous pistols ard sometimes also a staff with a silver head. . He is dressed with much gold brafd and wears a fez cap. During my stay in Egypt I had an interview with the khedive. At this time a kavass went with the consul general and myself to the palace. When I accompaniel the .American consul to call upon the patrigtch of Jerusalem we had two kav: s In, front of us. Each man carried a chib @g'tall as himself upon the tcp of which was a ball of silver as bg as your fist, AS ‘we walked through the narrow sti of Jprusalem these swells dropped their HPavy,Sticks on the stone puyement as t Walked in front, and cleared the way for°us. Our minister to Corea has a contpany’of soldiers from the king who act &s hig special body guard. They are dressed in plum-colored zouave pantaloons, shot blouses, belted in at the waist, and hatssof black horse hair, which are tied on by ribboms fastened under the chin. During my stay in Seoul I had an interview with theoking. At this time the soldiers went in front and cleared the way for me. The present American minis- ter to Corea wasifirst presented to the king on that day, and we: went together, the kirg sendirg déwn a number of his own servants to accompany us to the palace. Our consuls in China have each a man called the Ting-chi to go in front of them when they go out to make visits of state. Such a man went in front of me when I calied upon Li Hung Chang. He was dress- ed in bright-colored silk and had on a pair of black cloth boots with soles an inch thick. Upon his head there was a hat which looked like an inverted spittoon, and there was a big buttun on its crown to show that he was a man of rank. Court Dress Troubles. Style means a great deal in foreign courts, and our ministers would be much better off. if they could wear a uniform instead of being required to appear, as is the rule of the State Department, in the ordinary dress of an American citizen. Our usual evening dress is, you know, just the same as that of the waiters, and our min- }and you will see that isters have, in fact, been taken for the waiters at some great diplomatic recep- tions. When Lambert Tree was minister to Belgium he attended such a reception. He was standing holding a cup of coffee in his hand, waiting for it to cool, when an attache of one of the other lega- -tions wearing a bushel of gold lace and a peck of brass buttons seized the cup out of his hand and carried it away before Mr. ‘Tree knew what he was about. The man took him for a waiter. The other diplomats upon such occasions are clad in uniforms embroidered with gold laee. They wear swords and medals, and many of them have silk belts and sashes. If an American minister has been an officer of the army he usually wears a military uniform, and if not he tries to get over the regulation in some other way. James Buchanan compro- mised on a black suit, a white vest and a black-handled sword. Our first minister to China, John Ward, adopted the costume of a captain of the Georgia militia. He had been elected captain of a little company known as the Chatham Artillery, and the uniform which he had made for himself as captain had brass buttons marked C. A. When he was at the Chinese court one of the almond-eyed silk-gowned noblemen asked him what the letters C. A. stood for. Mr. Ward replied that they were made in honor of the friendship of China and America, and that in order to give the greater honor to China its initial, C, had been placed in front of that of Amer- ica. This seemer to delight the Chinaman. Gen. Lew Wallace wore his military uni- form while he was minisier to Turkey. It was his uniform that first attracted the attention of the sultan. The first Friday after Gen. Wallace arrived in Constanti- nople he went to the building opposite the mosque to see his majesty as he went to prayers. As the sultan came out of the mosque he looked over ut the party of foreigners about Gen. Wallace, and asked who the fine-looking man in uniform might be. He was told it was the new American minister, and he thereupon raised his sal- low hand to his red fez cap and saluted the general. Shortly after tnis when Gen. Wallace was presented the sultan referred to having seen him, and the two became strong friends. Gen. Wallace spent much time at the sultan’s palace, and among the cther mementos which he brought back from Turkey Is a very fine pencil sketch of his majesty, which the general drew while his majesty posed. Knee Breeches for Ministers. Why should Secretary Sherman rot in- augvrate a new costume for our ministers? Mr. Sherman once appeared before Napo- lecn III in knee breeches. He wore an evening suit, knce pants, black silk stock- ings and pumps, and he says in his book that it seemed very awkward at first until he saw that all the other parties at the reception were dressed as hc was. Clifton R. Breckinridge, our present minister to St. Petersburg, aj ‘ed at the court of the czar with his shapely shins clad in silk stockings. Now in these days of bicycle sults there is no reason why some such -dress might not be adopted “as the ordi- nary dress of the American citizen.” It was so in the past. When John Adams was pre- sented to King George III he wore a coat embroidered with lace, his fat calves were clad in silk stockings and his shoes were orvamented with silver buckles. Benjamin Franklin at his presentation to the King of France wore a plain suit of black vel- vet, with black velvet knee breeches, white silk stockings and black shoes. He had intended to wear a wig, but when it ar- rived the hairdresser could not squeeze it upon Franklin's big head. The man worked and stretched and Franklin finally told him that the wig was not iarge enough, whereupon the French hairdresser angrily threw ft upon the floor, saying: “Monsieur, that is impossible. It is not the wig which is too small; it is the nead which is too large.” Some Queer Diplomatic Stories. Most of our American ministers @o good service. They labor under the greatest dis- advantages, and have to compete with men who have spent their lives in the school of diplomacy. They have no money, and are under the shadow of probable removal at the end of four years. The method of their appointment is such that it is not strange that many inefficient men find their way to the head of our foreign legations, so-that every now and then one of them does something which 1s a disgrace to the United States. I have heard of a number of such instances, and the stories of the adventures and mistakes of American min- isters abroad, could they be collected, would make a book more ridiculous than Artemus Ward's travels. One of the diplomats whom Cleveland sent to Italy lived, it is said, over a dairy stable, and appeared at court in a frayed collar and a soiled short. I was told in Cairo how one of our former consuls general used to go to Ismail Pasha and whine about the poor salary his government gave him. He reminded the khedive that his majesty was rich, and asked him for aid out of the Egyptian treasury. The khedive gave this consul general money again and again, our government never knowing how much it was being disgraced. It is no ex- cuse for this man to add that he was usually drunk at the times he made such requests. I have heard stories of the queer acts of some of our South American ministers of the past. One of them lived in Buenos Ayres for years in a small room over the shop which he had rented as our legation. Ho gave no functions whatever, until at last the outcry against his parsimony be- came so great that he rented a skating rink and sent out printed circulars asking the distinguished people -f the Argentine Republic to come to an American entertain- ment. When ihe president, the diplomatic corps and the rest of Buenos Ayres swell- dom arrived they found the American min- ister sitting on a platform with the stars and stripes festooned above him and a tiger's skin at his feet. ‘About him were thirty-eight women, dressed in all colors of the rainbow, to represent the thirty-eight states which our country then had. The minister did not rise to greet his guests. They wandered about the room to the music of a brass band, and waited in vain for the dancing to begin. There was nothing to eat and nothing to drink, and the occasion passed off as the social curiosity of the year. An- other South American minister took rooms in an humble part of the capital at which he was stationed. He got an Indian wo- man to do his cooking for him and did his marketing Limself. Shortly after he ar- rived he applied for a position for his daughter as a teacher ir one of the schools, but the superintendent of educa- tion told him that public sentiment would not approve of the employment of the daughter of a man of so high a rank for that purpose, Some Other Shining Diplomats. I could tell a lot of queer stories about some of our ministers to the far east. How, for instance, one of Cleveland's ministers to Japan «sed to come in person to the front door of his legation to answer the bell. At such times he might possibly be in his shirt sleeves and without a collar. This man was the laughing stock of the far east for a time, and his popularity at the court of the mikado was not increased by his letters, which were published in the American papers. In one of these he wrote that he was having a high old time among the Japanese, and informed the people of his town that it was the custom of the la- dies of the empire to bathe in the streams’ without bathing suits, and that the sight of them was worth the journey to Japan. This man was one of Cleveland’s worst mistakes. Speaking of him makes me think of another. I refer to Bayliss W. Hanna, who was appointed minister to the Argentine Republic. Shortly after arriving at Buenos Ayres he sent home a letter, which was published in the local news- papers, of which the following are ex- tracts: “This is a wonderful city of 300,000 souls, a revelation to me. There is more moncy here than in any place I ever saw, but just now they are having our back days over again, gold being worth 51%. It is the most extravagant government on earth. _I will send you a paper contain- ing a full account of my reception. Tell General Manson and A. F. Ramsey if I had them here I could make them very rich. My — eowee the language. understand nobody no- ‘body understands me, so I simply make signs. It is a capital country—looks like Iowa. When I get settled I will write a letter giving a full account of everything. Give my kind regards to all inquiring friends. Yours truly, B. W. HANNA.” A letter of this kind would certainly be republished in Buenos Ayres. The Japan- ese by the next mail from America received the effusions of the minister about the ladies of their court, and you can imagine how much weight such expressions would give him among People to whom he was sent as the representative of our friendly relations with them. Stories of this kind might be multiplied. They show, however, the necessity great care in the selection of our diplomats. The ques- tion of consulships is quite = important, rel erman has no slight matter before hime in the square pol Pegs fit into the round diplomatic holes. . FRANK G. CARPENTER. IN THE CHURCHES Lent began on Wednesday, and will last until Easter Sunday, the 18th of April. The season is observed by both the Catho- lic and Episcopal churches, while many of the churcifes of -the Protestant denomina- tions are making preparations for special serviccs on Easter Sunday. The Lutheran churches have always observed Easter and the other denominations are gradually in- clining in that direction. Services were held in the Episcopal churches on Ash Wednesday, and ashes distributed in the Catholic churches, The first of the lec- tures on Tuesdays in Lent, under the aus- pices of the Churchman's League of the diocese of Washington, is to take place next Tuesday evening at Epiphany Church, when Dr. Satterlee, the bishop of Wash- ington, will deliver an address on “The Bible and the Church.” An enthusiastic revival was held in the auditorium of the Central Union Mission last Wednesday. The mission had as vis- itors “The Shenandoah Patriotic Legion,” and the members of this organtzation, to- gether with the regular attendants, made up a large audience. Mr. George H. Ha- vell had charge of the music, and was sup- ported by the mission singers and the mission orchestra. J. H. Ironside, super- intendent of the Rescue Mission of Mor- ristcwn, N. J., and other successful evan- gelists were present and addressed the meeting. Rev. Father C. 0. Rosensteel, pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church, Forest Glen, has recovered from a serious illness, and is In charge of his parish again. Next Friday is the date of the anniver- sary of the canonization of Saints Igna‘ius Loyola and Francis Xavier. They are the patrons of the Society of Jesus, und the Jesuits in this city, both at St. Aloysius Church and at Georgetown College, are to have services in honor of the event. Both Loyola and Xavier were Spaniards, and the former, who was a grandee of the palmy days of the Spanish empire, found- ed the order after his recovery from a wound sustained during a siege. A no- vena of grace to St. Francis Xavier began at St. Aloysius Church on Thursday, and will continue until next Friday, the 12th. At a recent meeting of the Baptist Min- isters’ Association (colored) the pastor of Zion Baptist Church, located on F street near 41-2 southwest, reported that the church, which was commenced about five years ago is now fully completed, inside and out. During the five years the congre- gation has raised about $40,000 with which to pay for the building, leaving only about $15,000 remaining. Thi est sums of money ever raised by a col- ored Baptist church in Washington, and Rev. Mr. Howard was congratulated by his brother ministers on his success. The Maryland classis of the Reformed Church in the United States is to hold its annual meeting in May at Westminster, Carroll county, Md., and delegates will be present representing the two churches of the denomination in this city,Grace Church, Rev. A. Thomas G. Apple, pastor, and First Trinity Church, Rev. Gustav Facius, pastor. The pastor of Mt. Vernon M. B. Church South, Rev. Isaac W. Canter, D.D., is completing his preparations for removal from the church and possibly from the city. He is compelled to leave by reason of a rule of the Southern Methodist Church, which does nut permit a minister to re- main more than four years in any cne charge. During his pastorate he has built one church, that at Del Ray, and estab- lished a flourishing mission in West Wash- ington. The interior of the present church, with the exception of the main auditorium, has been papered, painted and carpeted, and the roof of the structure has also been repaired. Bishop Galloway, who is to preside at the annual meeting of the Bal- timore conference the latter part of this month, held at Staunton, Va., has sent word that he expects to visit Washington next week or the week after, and will preach at Mt. Vernon Church. Rev. Francis J. Grimke of the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church bas entirely recovered from his recent bicycle accident. The Methodist Union is to hold tts an. nual meeting and election of officers the latter part of this month. A meeting was held several evenings ago, at which a com- mittee on nominations was appointed end who will present names for the various offices at the annual meeting. The union is discussing the advisability of holding a large bazaar some time this spring. A poftion of the debt on North Capitol M. EB. Church was assumed by the Methodist Union, and it is now engaged in efforts to secure the money. The union was formed for purposes of church extension. The present president is Mr. G. W. F. Swart- zell. The following officers have been elected by the congregation of the United Breth- ren Memorial Church: General steward, Edward Kern; general treasurer, William J. Holtman; ‘and class leader, Edward Spies. The meeting at which these offi- cers were elected has been continued and other officers are to be selected later. The membership of the church is 154, and that of the Sabbath school, 235. L. P. Athschu has been selected as presi- dent of the Sunday School Missionary So- clety of Foundry M. E. Church. Rev. Herbert Scott Smith, minister in charge of the Protestant Episcopal Mission of the Good Shepherd, on H street north- east, is preparing his first class for confir- mation. Bishop Satterlee is to confirm the class March 18. For three months past an experiment re- sembling an industrial savings bank has beea in operation among the members of the Sewing School of Epiphany Chapel. The savings bank idea was started with the intention of encouraging small savings among the poorer members of the parish and it has proved quite successful, there being now nearly a hundred depositors. A small interest is paid on deposits and the in- stitution in turn deposits its funds with one of the local banks. The treasurer of the bank is Mrs. John Selden. A Susannah Wesley Band has been or- ganized from among the younger members of Ryland M. E. Church. It is in charg2 of the wife of the pastor of the church, Mrs. 8. M. Hartsock, and meets every Sunday afternoon. The officers of the band ure: President, Harry Riley; secretary and treasurer, Miss Mary McCauley; organist, soeepls Carter, and pianist, St. John Hart- soc! ‘The annual anniversary of the Foreign Missionary Society of the Baltimore confer- ence is to take place to morrow evening in the Eutaw Street Church, Baltimore. The attendance of representatives from Wash- Ington is expected to be better at the meet- ing tomorrow evening than it was at the gathering of the home branch, which took Place last Thursday evening at the same Place. The latter society was addressed by Rev. Dr. Miller and by Rev. J. Lewis Hart- sock of New York. The Luther League of St. Mark’s Church is to have a musical and literary enter- tainment the 26th of March at Si. Paul's English Dutheran|< Church. cers have been elected by the Sun- day school of Trinity Methodist Sunday school as follows: Superintendent, George R. Cook; assistant superintendent, Thos. B. Stahl; secretary, R. E. Cook; assistant secretary, F. T. Trezzare; treasurer, Josiah Moffitt; chorister, R. V. Belt; pianist, Miss Clara Belt; assistants, Miss’Grace Hobbs and William J. Palmer; librarian, John pores and assistaat librarian, Ethan Al- len, jr. ‘The recently organized Women’s Chris- ttan Temperance Union of Capitol Hill held a meeting last Sunday afternoon at Trinity M. E. Church. Mrs. Margaret Platt presided, but the gathering was in charge of Mrs. Ellis, national superintend- ent of legislation. Among the features on the program was an address by Mrs. Mar- tin, and music from Prof. William J. Pal- mer. The third of the society sessions of the American Society of Religious Education is scheduled to take place next Wednesday evening at Columbian University. The pro- am for the session mid follows: Devo- 3: paper on “The lege Department ef the Society,” by Rev. J. E. Rankin, D.D.; conversation, fifteen minutes on the same subject; pay on “The Bible and Liberal Education,” Rev. B. L. Whitman, D.D.; discussion on same subject; and closing with a social. These meetings are open to all members of the A. 8. R. E.7 and each member is authorized to bring two visitors. ee sermons Lent at St. Patrick’s Church. F i 3 ‘The Charch Extension Union of the Meth- dist Protestant churches of Washington met at Central Church last Monday evening to consider the report of the c titution, The report of ¢ was adopted practically in its entt after that several new offc Rey. H. Fielas Saumeni¢ porary work finishe monister in ch P. E. Church, Southwest Wash last Sunday. Rev. Mr. Saumeag ha pointed temporary ass at Church. The rerior of « T. O. Tongue, is still where he went for the Bishop Satterlee contlemed a een persons last Sarday at . North in ndu * for members of the Bry St. Andrew at the Pro-Cathedral Church of t. Mark. The quiet day comm o'clock tn the afterneen and tasted in the evening, with a snort During this intermission the lac Pro-Cathedral served lunch to the hood members present. Absoly was enjo: uring the progr exercises ch consisted of prayers, sand short talks bishop. “There about one aundre. twenty-five of the organt present. . the t is to co: " for the clergy of the se, and Thursday, April 1, a “quiet day” for women At the fourth quarterly conference of Fif- teenth Street M. E. Church resolutions ‘ere adopted asking she presiding bishop of the Baltimore conferen to reappoint Rev. L. B. Wilson, D. presiding elder of Washington district #nd Rev. W. W. Van Arsdale as pastor of the church. The conference then elecied the following offi- cers: Trustees, A. B. Brown, Dr. P. H. Eaton, G. L. Wolfarth, J. B. Daish, B. W. Funk, G. Rowzee, Thomas H. Morris, M. Sells and Harry Farmer; d stewards, re- cording, M. G. Robertson, :ai zee, Dr. N. B. Shade, liarry Farmer, Miss R. V. Reeder, John R. Croggon, J. A. Win- ner and W. H. Ho!ton. The new rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Rev. Richard P. Willlams, and Mrs. Willlams are to meet the congrega. tion of the parish next esiay evening at a reception to be given in the parish hail. Rev. Dr. Pickles, pastor of the Tremont Street Church, one of the largest Metho- dist churches in that city, talked to the Methodist Ministers’ Association on Mon- day morning at Foundry Church. At the funeral on Wednesday of Rev. Dr. Miller, pastor of Cherry Street Baptist Church of Philadelphia, and one of the best-known colored ministers in the United States, the Baptist Ministerial Union of Washington was represented by Rev. Dr. W. Bishop Johnson of the Second Church, Rev. Walter H. Brooks, pastor of Nine- teerth Street Church, and a life-long friend of the dec was also pr Rev. Harry M. Canter, who has just completed his theological studies at Van- derbilt_ University, is now home visiting his father, Rev. I. W. Canter, D.D., pastor of Mt. Vernon Church. Kev. Mr. ¢ is to assist his father in preaching parochial duties until the annual m of the Baltimore conference, when he will come up for adinission. The presbytery of Washington will meet in spring meeting the carly part of April, and at this meeting will elect delegates to the annual gathering of the gene as- sembly, held in May at Saratoga, y A new soprano for the choir of the East- ern Presbyterian Church has been engaged in the person of Miss Louella May Smith of Richford, Vt. The choir of the church is a mixed one, and is in charge of Mrs. Shedd. The 2ist of this month the Scotch evan- gelists, Rev. 8. G. Neil and wife, are to be- gin special services at the Maryland Ave- nue Baptist Church, and on April 4 com- mence similar services at @race Baptist Church. A Japanese tea was recently given by the missionary committee of the Christian Endeavor Society of the United Brethren Memorial Church. The program consisted of Japarese recitations and songs, and of a history of the United Brethren missionary work in Japan. The committee of young ladies in charge of the tea was com! “d of the following: Chairman, M Ella F. Morrison; Mrs. U. D. Seltzer, and Misses Nellie Ford and Gussie Hammer. Several evenings axo Rev. D. W. Skellen- ger delivered an illustrated lecture on “Syria” at the North Presbyterian Church. ‘A rally of all the Epworth Leaguers of the Baltimore conference {s to take place next Monday evcning at Mutaw Street Church, Baltimore. Wednesday evening of this week the board of control of the Wash- ington District Epworth League met at Foundry Church and arranged for the at- tendance of a number of delegates from this city. In place of the regular sermon on Sun- day nights, the pastor of Central M. P. Church, Rev, 8. J. Smith, ts etving to his congregation an original story, chapter by chapter, entitled “A Struggle for Light.” The story Gas a moral to it. The social committee of the Christian Endeavor Society of the church gave a social recently. Tuesday of this week being Shrove Tues- day, the teachers of the Sunday schoo! of St. Andrew's P. E. Church gave their schol- ars a musical and literary entertainment. The evening was rounded off very pleasant- ly by a treat to the children of ice cream and cake. The committee of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew having in charge the matter of holding noonday services for men during Lent has about concluded that it is tnex- pedient to have these services extend over a@ period of more than one week. Accori- ingly they are to take place during the latter part of Lent, at Epiphany Church, and will be in the middle of the day for a ha!f hour and conducted by the various clergymen of the diocese. Rev. Luther T. Townsend, who is asso- ciated with Rev. Dr. Hugh Johnston at Metropolitan, has been stopping in this city for a month past, though he has not as yet permanently removed to Washington. The annual meeting of the Unton M. E. Church, 20th street and Pennsylvania ave- nue, took place on Saturday evening last and was presided over by Dr. L. B. Wilson. Officers were elected as follows: Stewaris, Alexander Ashly, A. M. Gangewer, Anson S. Taylor, A. L. Brooke, Dr. C. J. Ladson, John Meany, Mrs. E. 8. Wescott, Miss Emma Hunter, Alexander Ashly being re- cording steward and A. 8. Taylor district steward; and trustees, E. 5. Wescott, Alex- ander Ashly, A. 8. Taylor, A. W. Fairfax, F. C. Linger, B. F. Moffett, P. L. Brooke John Daniel and E. Hodge. The congrez tion has asked for the return of Dr. Wil- son as presiding elder, and of Rey. A} ander Bielask! as pastor of the churci Rev. Father Tower of St. Jerome's Catho- lic Church is visiting relatives at Spring- field, Mass. During his absence Rev. Lu- clan Johnston of the Catholic University has charge of.the parish. E. S. Duvall has resigned as superin- tendent of the Central Union Mission din- ing room and dormitories, and Peter B. Sweeny, the first convert of the mission, has taken his place. Monday and Tuesday evenings of this week Prof. Richings of Ohio lectured at Berean Baptist Church on “The Progress of the Colored Race Since the Emancipa- tion Proclamation.” Prof. Richings is just home from England. The members of Miles Memorial A. M. E. Zion Church tendered a reception last even‘ng to the pastors of the local colored churches of all denominations and also to visiting ministers. The reception marked the commencement of the celebration of the third anniversary of the renovation of the church, which is to extend over a period of five days. At the meeting of the Baptist ministers of the city on Monday at Calvary Sunday School House, Rev. E. Hez Bwem preached a sermon with “ APrayer for Preachers” as his topic. Rev. Father Foley of St. Paul's Church spent this week in Baltimore, resting from the arduous labors he has been under dur- ing the absence of the pastor of the church, Rev. J. F. Mackin. On Septuagesima Sunday Rev. Alfred Harding, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, celebrated the tenth anniversary of his rectorate. During the ten years Dr. Harding and his congregation have raised $100,015, and the rector has baptized 913 persons, the present number of com- municants in the parish being between six and seven hundred. The organization of the Boys’ Brother- hood of the Western erian Church cliffe; first vice president, Harry Lackey; vice president, Clarence Barclay: second