Evening Star Newspaper, December 18, 1897, Page 20

20 THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1897-26 PAGES. 2 ae POLAR EXPEDITIONS gee Nansen’s Ideas as to What May Yet Be Accomplished. HOW THE ARCTIC CAN BE EXPLORED Something About the Personal Side of the Hardy Norseman. AN EARNEST SCIENTIST Written for (Copyrizt McClure Company.» F ALL THE ME who ha raced for the _ pole ansen is probably the most earnest, the brilliant in his ption of the dif most con ficultics to be ov come, and the most technically scientific in his desire for in- formation concerning the Arctic zone. Th: spectacular element in this search for the northernmost spot on earth does not inter- m. His greatest desire is that his explorations may enable him to me sclentific theories and point out Concerning this point arctic prove some scientific facts. we are enabled to quote from a magazin article written by him and soon to be published, his ideas of the prac} al utility €f reaching the north pole. He say “There are a good many scientific re- searches which are muc needed in the polar regions. I may mention here mag- netic and meteorological observations. The Magnetism of the earth and its strange changes has been and i riddle, and we do not yet know much about this mys- terious force. The est lack in our knowledge about it however, that we have not sufficient magnetic observation from the polar regions. We need con- tinucus observations carsied on for there. On board the Fram we got tinuous series for three years: other . brought back s is not suffic t from every srth, and we ¢: too much. It is not neces cut the ortance of kind. It is not onl Gle points to the s te land agnetic nee- from land knowl f the terrestrial : has in many other ways been of great bene fit to mankind; it has been one of the ste for our evo The Arctic Situat “As to meteorology, it is now generally yod of what great importance t really is; but it is still in its in- none of us can teil what it will - future, when it has been fur- eloped, and we can more fully ex- plain the various climatic changes. In or- der to understand these, however, we need * physical con- all parts of the ve now ol» ledge in t and we have ping ste » atmosphe the earth. tained a tolerably good kno t of the known regio: rorological stations most everywhe In the inhabited part of the globe. But th ous still remain, and I cannot too much thc importance of further r rch there, as the conditions are so diverse fre vailing in better known regions. to know what influence those extended snow and ice-covered tracts with the long polar day and the long polar might have on the atmosphere, and we shall not be able to the atmospheric changes in our before we Know more about jal use bat because ambi this 1 h, th reach flag. F the pole low hoped th nis north we are a orget that it is scientific re- h ought to be sole olje of us apt search whi of all explor How the A “How can plored? It which it oug Will certainly rte this May Be Explored. anknown region be ex- k there are various ways in t to be done, as each of them bring important results. 1 think the drift of the Fram has clearly proved the etliciency of the mode of travel adopted. That a ship can be to withstand the pressure to it would necessarily be subjected on a drift through these regi Is estab- lished. It can scarcely be bted that the Fram was exposed to dilficulties of this kiud as great as can reasonably be expected. I believe, therefore, that the polar sea can at ail times be travesed with sufficient safety in this manner, if only proper provisions he made. Furthermore, this method of travel offers such great ad- vantages that it certainly ought to be adopted in the future, as the drift of a ship like the Fram through unknown re- gions affords the best means of making selentific investigations of ali kinds. It ts only by a sojourn of years that suffi- cient material can be collected to enab! a fully satisfactory conception of the p! ical conditions of ‘these regions he formed. A vessel hike fact, an ex- dition ov = strait oO no will certg known se Fram from far Into op merge along the The expediden wi information about t of pri clence. ho can t uur it for him- Mr. characte Heard ieus stic of € great explorer, Nearly Hecame a © not exe Professor. generally known,” says Mr. Heard, msen Once came near re- Hnquishing his north poie project through the agency cf a college in Indiana. While we were traveling through Indiana one day N said. “This .s the place where I nea college professor.’ I ask- ed meant. He sai ‘They offered me the professorship of zoology in the university nere, and I came very near accepting it. I was then con- templating ty first trip te Greenland, and ft was a question with me as to whether I should go to America and take this profes- sorship, or undertake my expedition to Greenland. It required a great deal of de- liberation, but finally I made up my mind and declined the professorship.’ “The inside facts of Nansen’s early life are not pubticly known, but he was us brilliant a boy as he ts a man. We siarted out the other day for a quiet trip to Niag- ara to s-e.the fails, and while in a trolley ¢ar Nansen was talking of mathematics. “When I was a boy,’ he said, ‘I solved some problems which had never before been solved. They thought they were go- ing to make a mathematician of me." “I said that was news to me, and asked what were the problems. Then he hem- med and hawed, for he didn't remember the Enslish word for expressing his mean- \pg; but finally I asked him if he could teil me in German. ‘Kegelschnitt,’ he sa.d—that iS, conic sections. It seems that Nansen a3 a boy, succeeded in solving several prob- Fridtjof | < lems in conic sections by means of geom- etry, and some of his solutions are stil used in the colleges of Norway. In his leisure moments he had a tr:al at squaring the cle. In his youth he also studied to be an artist and carried his studies pretty far. He did good deal of sketching and painting. This early practice is showing to good advantage in the charts whicn he ex- hibits at lectures, and has led to the pro- duction of pictures of arctic scene and col- or such as have never been equaled. “After these early studies, he went in for zoology and took up other scientifle pur- suits. While at a banquet, given Nansen some time ago Prof. Carl Lumholtz told me that before he had known Nansen as an explorer he had been studying a book on the nerve system of animais. In this book tke author printed a new theory of tne nervous system, different from any prev:ously held. Since that time leading anatomists have proved that this theory Was correct. The man who wrote that book was Nansen. His Theories of Zooloxzy. “A few days after the banquet I got hold of Nanser in the railroad car and ask- ed him for an explanation of his discov- ery. He said: ‘That when I was curator of the eum of Anatomy in Bergen. 1 made a cial study of the animal brain and ex- ined thousands of brains microscopicai- ly. That was the happ:est time of my hit und I should like to ge back to it now. Well, I discovered that the seat of the soui 2 animals, contrary to the human brain, he nerve center, where it had on supposed to be, but at another point of the brain.’ He then went into technical detail, ch, however, would hardly be ood by the layman. Then he said: i theory, although it was ab- solutely oppesed to everyth.ng suggested or heard of before that time. I wrote the criginal beck in Englls books in French, German and said: ‘I knew that if I te it in any of these three lan- Fridtjof Nansen. ntist of repute must read any one failing to read 1 be conside! rhind the in Norwe Hun- ther languages, scientific men would have the excuse of not being able to read the work; so I wrote it in English.” Nansen und Hix Wife. “One time I said something about skat- ing, and Nansen exclaimed, ‘I haven't skated for nieen years.’ [ remarked that it yout time he took it up again. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘I am proud of my skating, but never set time for it any more. When I was sixteen y old I devoted much time to the art. I defeated the champion of Norway long-distance contest. I fond of figure skating, ife e is one of the In the cld ionable sport. and the skating was not arpsno, as It is row, n Chris’ . opposite the hus F . he afternoon young fel the Nor- the w distan| ed te f he said, > kind Tt curve on t de. Th ed on the ground, bh enter, tazering When you ge i over wide point in and on “Nansen : lived at ‘Froen ce, in the outskirts of Chr: vas a little Pill there, where they made first attempt at ski running. Snow shoeing in those cays was almost entirely confined to the peasants. The two brother: took it up as a sport and began to get rather proficient, and tried hills. They found they could going down, as well as for maki and country istiania. There © brother were born their father's sions through the mountai They dis- covered, at the suggestion of an expert from the rural districts, that they could jump on them. The peasants generaily had never jumped with them, nor made much progress. The boys induced other fellows to take it up. In that way it became a sport in Christiania, and the Nansens did all they could to make it popular. Now the oe meeting in February is the great ski_ meeting of the world. “There is a very steep mountainside at Holemkollen, with a sheer descent of about 45 cegrees. Half way down there is a wall built up, and the snow cur’ out to the edge of the wall. The snow-shoers (ski- lobuer) come down the hill at full speed. and when they strike this curve they shvot 30 feet in the air. The long jump record is 140 feet. When they again regain the ground there is no sudden jolt, but they continue in nearly the same direction down the hillside. Both feet come down about flat, x e kne are bent in order to s orway, and he was very prominent in this club. The lebration of February 16 is a popular fete. The king always attends. Feats of the Ski-Hobner. “Not only are the snow shoes wonderful for jumping, but the skjlled riders go through the woods, among the trees, wind- ing paths, and even over the rocks. You would think they were going to dash out their brains as they go down a wild slope. In jumping down you imagine you are go- ing to sink a foot In snow, but the long ‘skiv hold the weight and you glide on. I remember once coming suddenly upon a precipice. For a moment I was frightened, but I managed to throw myself down, and I swept around to one side before I got to the edge. The beginner can seldom tell how he will land; he may land with his feet in the air, head first in the snow. These skiers become very expert. They ean climb fences with the ski on. The ski should be the length of the height of a man with his hands extended to full length, and are generally made of ash or pine. Napsen says he has walked on thin ice on his ski where dogs broke through the surface. Visit to Nansen’s Home. “Nansen is building a new house, near the one where he now lives, in the suburb of Christiania. It is a part of the large estate which belonged to his grandfather. It is on a hill near the Fjord and the place is only twenty minutes from Christiania. He lives very simply. His dwelling is a log house of the special Norwegian type, made of small logs carefully joined to- gether. These houses are not finished up inside with lining for two years after building. in order to allow the logs to set- tle permanently. It is surrounded by a Palisade of rough pine. There are always two or three dogs barking around. From the front door of the house you enter into 2 small hall, covered with rugs, leading directly into the drawing room.’ Here is a srand piano, used especially by Madame Nansen. In one corner is a bust of Nan- sen, by Lessing of Berlin. There are also Portraits of well-known people hanging on the walls. There are paintings by Nor- wegian artists, especially by Otto Sinding. There is a small raised platform at one side of the room, and on it an immense carved sofa, like a throne, decorated with Norwegian rugs. They resemble old orien- tal rugs. At one side is the entrance to Nansen’s studio, the most characteristic part of the house. It is built out from the main house itself. It has a roof of earth over the wood work, and greens and flowers grow thereon. It is a very large room; there is an enormous working table in the center, and books in cases are all around the sides. He has about every work ever written on arctic exploration, and many of them are remarkable works. There is one splendid set (a present made to him by his admirers in Great Britain) of all the English works on arctic explora- tion, made up in uniform binding. Then he has every kind of relic that you can imagine, in the way of Eskimo clothing, weapons and fire arms, snow shoes, har- poons, etc. There is also a large full- length oil painting of his wife. The fire- place is immense. It juts out into the room and extends right up to the roof of the studio and is built of stone; about six feet high and nine broad. There !s a door opening on to a little veranda and steps lead down to the grounds on the banks of the Fjord. His windows look out upon the Fjord, and his thirty-six-ton yacht lies opposite. It is named ‘Wesle- hich is the old Norwegian for ‘lit- med after his daughter. n is an accomplished linguist. He S$ speeches in Engiish, French, Ger- tan, Latin and all the Scandinavian .an- guages. H's degree of doctor of science is the highest degree conferred by Cam- bridge. There are but three or four be- side Nansen who have received this de- gree; Humboldt was one. The explorer is probably the only one living holding the degree.” ART AND >— ARTISTS. ‘The exhibition of the Water Color Club, which is now in progress at the new gal- lery of the S. W. A., 1020 Connecticut ave- nve, was well attended during the early part of this week by those who were anx- ious to have a first glimpse of this note- worthy collection. The pictures will be on view until January 8, and the attendance is expected to reach its high-water mark in the closing days or during the holidays, when many people will be more at leisure. In addition to the regular daily hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the gallery will be open on Monday and Thursday evenings from 8 to lo. * Les lay evening the Society of Wash- rgton Artists met together for the second time in its new home on Connecticut ave- nue. Twenty-one members were pres ard the annual election of efficers took up all the time allotted for the meeting. Ric Brooke was elected president; Gibbs, vice presiden We M. Tr, secreta’ and Charles Poor, trei The following members were chosen for the executive committce of the ensuing sdmund Clafence Messer, J. H. Mo- ser, Parker Mann, Robert Hinckley and Robert Coleman Child. eral names were proposed for membership before the ad- journment of the meeting. * * Mr. George E. Senseny a few days ago 1 on exhibition at Vee! soa very carefully studied figure composition. The artist is a young man who has never been represented in the local exhibitions and is little known here, but his picture referred has excited no little intere: In col- oring and in the handling his work shows to in a noticeable degree the influence of Mr. Helmick, under whom he has studied, but individual peculiariues of style are not ecking. * Lucien Powell expects to have an exhibi- tion of his work ai Veerhoff’s shortly after Christmas, the collection to include a great variety of subjects. He has already placed in the gallery a market s large water color ne in an Italian town. howing, At the last meeting of the Art Students’ Li it was decided to make a special feature of the Saturday morning class for children. While nts of almost any age have been admitted to the preparatory antique cl no special effort has pre- viously been made to accommodate the lit- tle ones. The services of two extra in- structors will be secured for this class, and Saturday morning will be younger students. In Detroit, where been in vogue for good m 8 proved of benefit to the ariy age, nee of cannot be too and in drawing it is Ss even the ng through a servation and in a cer- tain manual dexterit x * * For the holiday entertainment this year a couple of plays have been substituted in place of the Christmas tree, which was the source of so much enjoyment last year. Carroll Institute Hall has been secured for the evening of January 3, and the artists and their friends will take part in the two plays produced. Alma ‘Tadema’s called “The Silent Voice,” will occupy the first part of the evening, and the remainder of the time will be given up to a laughable farce called “My Lord and Livery.” Music Will also add to the enjoyment of the oc- casion. drama, * * * Miss Lillian Cook has commenced work on the three large tapestries that she is painting for a convent in Wilmington, Del. All of the pictu: are biblical in subject, the first of the series representing Carist blessing little children. It contains many figures, and is the most complex of all the canvases in its composition, the others containing only two or three figures. Mis: Ccok has not much more than laid in the colors or this tapestry, and will probably be occupied for many weeks before tne series is finished. * * * Among the new pictures at Fischer's there is an especially attractive canvas by Sir Thomas “Lawrence, showing three charming cherub héads. The heads are somewhat similar to Reynolds’ arrange- ment of five different views of the same little maid, but the painting lacks a little of the sweetn se of Sir Joshua's fa- mous work. The coloring is not the chief 'm of this group by Lawrence, and it nts the hcholder mainly by the expres- sion in the faces. Other pictures now at Fischer's are the portrait by Watson Gor- don and Hilton’s interesting imaginative canvas. * At Tyler's gallery, which has just been opened on Connecticut avenue, there are a number of interesting canvases, both in landscape and in figure painting. Tre collection differs materially from similar ones that have been shown here in that it is not compoxed of foreign pot boilers, but is largely made up of a good grade of American work. a ** There was placed on exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery a few days ago a paint- ing by Mr. Peter Baumgras, formerly of this city, now of Chicago, which ts at- tracting considerable attention, and es- pecially from scientists, both on account of its subject and the intelligent and care- ful manner in which it is treated. It is en- titled, ‘Beauties from the Ocean,” and represents a brilliant collection of sea shells, the iridescent colors of which are reproduced with rare fidelity and success, Mr. Baumgras’ old friends here will be pleased to learn that he expects to visit Washington next spring. * *-* Mr. F. P. Knott of New York is in the city, and will occupy Mr. Uhl’s studio, 614 17th street, for some time. BUYING AND SELLING (ears porns French Brokers and Their Way of Doing Business, SCENES ABOUT" THE PARIS BOURSE But Sixty: Members, and a Seat Costs Big Money. A GOVERNMENT MONOPOLY Bees EI Special Correspondence of The Evening Star. PARIS, December 9, 1897. IXTY-SIX COR- inthian columns graceiully support a broad portico al. around the great building, 230 feet square by 160 feet wide, and nearly 10: feet high, where the wiid animals of the Paris stock exchang: es are parked off in a cage of their own. It was begun by : the first Napoleon, at the time when the Rothschilds were mak- ing their great fortune. He was great enough to see that the exchange of money was bound to be a power in the world Which even enormous armies could not fight against. The place had before been occupied by nuns who bore the name of Daughters of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The revolution swept them clean from the face of the earth, and the money changers took their place and have held it ever since. Soon the Paris bourse took a definite rank among the nations. It became the at exchange between countries having hiefly gold and those which abounded in iver. This continued until the adoption of the gold standard became fairly gen- eral, under the leadership of Prince Bis- marck. It is still a reason why France looks favorably on the propositions of bi- metaitism. ut it is the curious anima- tion of the place, with its singular offic! customs, which ‘must most have stru our commissioners eral Payne and ex enator Woicott, G Vice President Si n their recent visits to Paris to ur 2 to do something for silve ho more shouting than in Lon- ion and 2} York, and no more horse- y, which bre out wherever grown n get excite ther and allow the old boyishn forth. But the look of the place + division of the broke the cutdoor part of it, like the cafe life of these exteriorized Frenchmen, is novel and, at first rfect riddie even to those most ve » menagerie ways of buils and be at home. ly Sixty Renl Brokers. First of all, as in almost everything in France, there is a government monopoly at the Paris. bou From the time of the first Napoleon only sixty men are ever licensed to buy and sell stocks on the floor. They stand insid@ a long space railed in to separate them from outside and unofficial brekers, clerks and spectators. In the cen- ter of their space there is a second circular railing, against which these authorized agents boister their backs and look calmly out on tl llows When they have some- thing to si The sixty men inside this “corbeilie,” or Lusket, are the “Agents de Change” of the Paris bourse, men holding an ctucial posi- tion to which they have attained with dif- ficulty, only on condition of paying $300, wv and more when a place becomes vacant, and having fortune and experience wiich both the .otuet members and ihe The French Agent de is, Wherefore, a different man from one who buys a se SLOCK tin the London or 3 He he lea him: from the of whom n far greater opera- exchange than ‘himself. nave a clerk a the bourse 2 halt of the urs ire strictly tween noen and 1 t the received, as the tS permits them to 3 on a time limit. The + price de up from the clerk: rannot do at this end of ntury what they were t its be nning, there $a great number of unofficial brokers to help them in handling the world’s stocks ah not to be confounded with bi on the contrary, they are sitfon, and in many cases of equal importance with members of our own stock exchanges. The Outside sien. They are divided int» thre one of which is allowed to operate on the floor of the bourse, outside and to the left of the sacred railing reserved to the official agents. This constitutes the side market of French rentes or public funds. ‘The remainder of these unofficial brokers are relegated to the outside porch, with a roof, indeed, above their heads, but only the Corinthian columns to protect them from winds and drifting rain. There they form the two other recognized markets: and it is their noise and antics, seen across the public place in front of the long steps of the bourse, which gives the first im- pression of the Paris money market. One group forms a stock market in the promiscuous sense—that is, foreign public funds and bonds, foreign bank stocks, and a quantity of other stocks and bonds and new issues, many of which cannot be rec- ognized by the official bourse. This mar- ket subdivides itself into two howling cir- cles to the left of the portico. On the right is the reraining market, noisier st!ll—that of cash operations. All these non-official uperators are called the “Coulisse” (slips), but not every one n sail in among them. They form dis- tinct corporations, according to the market in which they deal, and are duly registered to facilitate the settling of their accounts. They have to make a deposit of $5,000 to be re; ered in French funds, and $10,000 to the general stock market, which is noth- iug if taken as a guarantee for the vast operations many of them enter into. Where the Public Denis. These “couljssiers” have also their clerks, running about with the little books on which they mote'the operations, and by which disputts are settled. The clerks of- ten do all thé work, for the wealthy side broker may jhe far too afraid of colds and sore thrcat;:to tnust himself to the open porch, wheré/every one shouts together— o: seems to“ at Tast, to the puzzled on- looker. It isne-dless to say that the gen- eral public, when it desires to take a flyer at stocks, limits its dealings to these brok- ers of the perch. +. But there is yet.another important class of financial agents living by operations at the Paris bayrse who are still far removed from the discredit of the bucket shop. They are called ‘thankers,” and it is their business te pass @rders on to the brokers, whether amcng the sixty members or the coulissiers of the porch; and they see to the execution of the orde:s zor their vlients. They even require more ready capital than the side brokers, wose operations are more purely specul: e. Finally come the “remisiers,” a sort of general agents or drummers amoug the clients tha’ speculate in stocks. They are paid either by the troker on the latter's commission or by the client on his profits. Some of this latter class also are men of independent fortune, with an established custom. Ses It would take an experienced eye to sep- utate the crowd at the beurse into ail these Cifferent classes. T'he official agents, in their railing, ave obvious enough, and any man may go in iv look at them, La- dies must go up a stairease to an upper gal- lery, whence they can lock down; but the view has been obscured since the anarchist seares by a wire netting stretched across to prevent the throwing of bombs down on the heads of these rich “‘proprios.” A man may aiso circulate freely on the porch; also he May atiract the attention of these money sets, only bvyers and sellers, whose nerves are tense and only demand a moment of relief. Little Side Shows. A tall American, thin, clean shaven, as the fashion now is among his countrymen, but is not in France, suddenly sees with dismay his tall and polished hat roll down the steps. Which of these yelling men— “six and a half, six and five-eighths’—has done it? He looks round in wrath ill-con- tained and receives general applause. If he gracefully accepts the situation, picks up his hat and walks placidly on the group which has once saluted him will not honor him with a second attention, not even on the day after. unless he is quite forgotten. But if he curses French manners he is like- ly to have his warm reception repeated at the hands of other groups. and so on until his temper has improved and he has learned to be once more a boy among these speculators, who are boys also—in their odd moments. The usual French industries flourish along the porch. A woman has charge of the chairs, which the brokers draw up in squares and circles, according to the stocks they sell and bu When the market is lively clerks and agents mount to look over heads and gesticulate in unison with tneir frantic cries and offers. Along the side porches others retire to sit veside some convenient piliar and smoke or read their Paper, or snooze in the sunny weather. At the magic hour of 2 comes round the woman-—only representative of femininity, otherwise so preponderant in French life makes her way here and there and every- where to collect the two sous which are her own little benefice on the operations of the day. A su tial broker, who has sold heavily at a profit, shows his light- some spirits by searching in vain for the copper coins which she demands of him in the shrieking tones that even woman uses in this curious place. STERLING HEILIG. UNIVERSITY NOTES Georgetown University. The last lecture of the first term at the law school was delivered by Prof. Baker last evening. Beginning with yesterday, examinations will be held in the junior, senior and post-graduate classes on the werk gone over during the past three months. The Christmas recess will extend from Thursday next until the first Monday of "98. A special meeting of the Law School De- bating Society was held Thursday evening. The debate, on the question, “Resolved, That the Hawaiian Isiands ould be an- nexed to the United States,” was decided in favor of Messrs. Schade and Brown, the negative speakers, who had as their op- ponents Messrs. McCarthy and J. W. Bing- hom. he Dramatic Club intends to take a trip to Baltimore some time after the Christ- mas holidays. On Washington's birthday M ‘ick debate will be held. he hase ball team intends to commence incoor practice as soon as possible. Richard Sheridan's “The Critic” will be esented by the Dramatic Society in the r future. The Philonomosian Soc meeting, discussea the wi action of the Georgia legislature hibiting foot ball within that state. Henning and Dvffy and Murph’ the annuci pty, at its last lom of the recent in J. Wefers of at the indoor athletic meet to be held New York city. Wednesday will be the last day this year on which attendance will be required of the students in the various classes. Th: lower classes wili have their examinations immediately after the reopening on Jan- vary 3. ‘orgetown will compete in Colambian University. ‘The Call appeared yesterday for the sec- ond time this year. It is the intention of the editors, with the co-operation of the students, to enlarge the paper. The Law School Debating Society will hold a meeting on Saturd: January 8, for the purpose of electing officers. A special meeting was called for Thursday evening. The last meeting had as the speakers Mess W. T. Harris, W. U. Varney and B. aflirmative, and M E. . C, Wells and Granviile ne and the topic for the ev was pIved, Cuban _belligerenc: the United State: should be recogn should enact a selected he qu ard Messrs. J. P. Fontron, F. L. ‘Tarbo: and J. 8. Reader witi be heard on the firmat and M J. Pe D W. Patterson pul tudy of parliamet ‘y ‘The American Chemicz! Society will meet December 2) and 31 at the university. |, the ‘The Glee, Panjo, Mandolin and Guitar Club wi cid a mecting Tuesday next. The Society for Philesophical i held a mecting at the univer: Prof. Wiley did not lecture last, as was intended, but the a that day was pos' ed until next week Some of Columbian’s foot ball player probably participate in the game at Na- tional Park on Chrisimas. Catholic Universit The Christmas recess will extend frem noon Thursday to January 4. General Greely delivered the last public lecture of the year Thursday on the sub- ject, “The Gola Fields of Alaska." Com- missioner C. D. Wright will inaugurate a course of adéresses next year on “Political Economy.” The dogmatic sermon last Sunday was delivered by the Rev. B. Haberstrough. Rev. Dr. Garrigan, the vice rector, preached a charity sermon in St. Paul's, Baltimore, last Sunday. The Rev. Morris O'Connor, Rev. Edward O'Connor and Rev. Wm. Higgins, who are in deacon’s orders, have left the university to go into retreat, preparatory to their ordination into the priesthood. Mgr. Conaty opened the course of lec- es at Villanova College, Philadelphia, Wednesday night, the subject of his dis- course being “The Duty of the Catholic College Man in American Life.” Next Sun- day he will preach the consecration sermon at the dedication of the altars of St. Au- gustine’s Church, Brooklyn, N. Y., his sub- Shahan will deliver a lecture before the University Club. The Rt. Rev. the silver jubile ‘Mgr. Conaty will celebrate e of his consecration to ihe priesthood on Tuesday, and it is his inten- tion to retun to his home for the event. In honor of the occasion the students and faculty of the university tendered him a ption last evening. In res expressed his gratifica- ni pleasure at the regard manif by the university faculty and students Howard University. The rezerve foot ball eleven met an eleven from the Colored High School of this city last Saturday, and a game was scheduled for today with the strong Wayland team. This will probably be the last game of the season. Last Saturday evening the C. E. topic was: “One Thing I Have Learned From Paul's Life or Teachings,’ and J.B. Brown, the leader. Tonight the subject will be “Our Sins, and How to Get Rid of Them. ‘The December issue of the Journal will appear in a few days. ‘Last evening's program at the meeting of the Eureka was as follews: Recitation, Miss Scipio; declamation, H. W. Payne: poper, J. E. Smith; reading, Miss White- sell; debate, ‘‘Resolved, That Intemper- ance Has Been More Destructive Than War,” with R. 8S. Pugh and R. H. Merri- wether as affirmative and negative speak- ers, respectively. Next week there will be no meeting. = The Alpsa Phi Society, in order to.ac- custom its members to public speaking, pro- poses to give a series of public debates, the first to occur some time next month. “Magna Charta’’ was the subject of a pa- per read before that organization last night. The holidays begin Thursday, the 23d in- stant, and continue until the first Monday of the rew year. Positive. From Puck. Cholly—“Are you positive she ‘s not in?" The Maid—“l am; I'd lose my job if I wasn’t.” HUNTIN THE WREN. as eee ae a om ON THE ISLE OF MAN rat ye Curious Customs That Are Still Ob- : a gheecis mat Ss ae served at Christmas Time. -pipiek 1 and holiy Poe ei “ tags ag two upright siic gt ne er, so as to ren actual gallows. MANY ARE OF ANCIENT ORIGIN) $s oS". 'ensith "a Bes eee feast thelr eyes mith the uymbol of trae stgel but « f hors nguered enemy. The the tinkling toot- nd Meeting of the Choirsin a Musical piping vf tin whistles to com- Ere plete a re atland- Competition. ishuess, defies competition. This is ibe y surviving Ma) Itic ori- sin that bears about it any trace of cruel- ty. As in the case of a Wdiers, hy TE WUNTING PHE WREN | boys beg money at the rs, saying, THE HUNTING OF THE WREN | 27) oe aceahe "tiga Eee wri The boys and the money ti — have contributed lo keep alive this SWicliti Nec! Thin Romontiag Sims tom, which is responsible for the extinction of the wren in Man, w the In Manxland, or the Isle of Man, a few arming little bird xisted in count- practices of ancient origin still S numbers, 3 KERMODE. served at Chris ide, the iike of w = seem not to exist els The first reminder to Manxmen that The Effect of Ne Christmas is approaching comes from “the 3 fiddlers,” who commence to “call” every a es feat family of y con quence four or five Berlin Letter to the London mic weeks before the advent of the festive day. | It has been already sufficiently estab’ A party of two or three “fiddlers” set out | thet there was othing to about 3 o'clock every morning, excepting | Ufy the recer je peperts Sundays, playing all kinds of li airs, | Prince Bismack’s state of health it being the duty of one of the party to | chencellor now lives entirely in salute families so honored by them in | and has little or no influence a loud, distinct voice, after this fashion: | tion taken by current affairs Good morning, Mr. Quayle; good morning, | however, behind the four walls Mrs. Quayle; good morning, Master John | ple country chateau is always (the eldest son); good morning all the rest | especially whea his favored friends act as of the family; past 4 o'clock; a fine, frosty | 8 by telling us how he dips morning.” And so they continue from | into the inexhaustible treasures of his ca- se to house, varying the salutation ac- | paclous memor, nm ording io the members of the family and | tove, with the eloquence meat the weather, tl ae ot ree ee “ed uversation, Stories from rich exp o nights eros ee peers’ ence of his active official life. Prir times the former steal noi: out of | Bismarck still has an tron constitution, the house and aceampany the musicians | that enables him to enjoy the ures on their matutinal tour. ef life with a greater Competition of the Choirs. falis to the lot of an octoy One of the oldest customs in the Isle of | suffers, it is true, acutely at times from Man is the mecting on Christmas eve of | nervous facial and rheumatic pains, but, all the choirs of each parish in their re- | as with all men of sigantic energy. it is poe ik chokes > singin: yy When these attacks are unust vio- spective parish churches for the nging tae ae ee: of carols and Christmas anthems. For- | \Cument are nemepnibly atteceed thet ay merly these were rendered in the Manx There is a good measure of novelty th rently stuh, monotonous daily life The lord of the chu nt language; and even yet this practice pre- {| a vails in some of the country s, al- | ric though in the majority of cases English is now used. In addition to the church choir, those of the Methodist and Primitive chap- els ure usually present, these being the only denominations that exist among the genuine Manx besid, stablished Cha: The ting of c| s called the “Oeil Verry” (pronounced which has about it all the y excitement cha ntion in the U m™ th S not perm itors, friends of the or lunch with him, an¢ retary, often m Ty), elements of ie of From about 1) o'clock until midni ich to cond churches are crowded with the p: jthat the p “ nd during these hours the choi | the outer wor! their very be not all together, but by | thoroughly disdain turns and in a spirit of the warmest emu athing gle |lation. Sometimes, also, choirs from con- | from under tling brows he in- tiguous parishes meet in son riicular | dividual who cannot tike chureh for the same purpo nd then the | first brands of eh: competition and excite till more which are intense. Tumultuous a from thei of the capi | who declines to puff the } offer . fer th 1 with fin » endowed reward the effor Manx are a musical peop! Voices, and to an un: with the power of sons friend: mentary in in B pow che zenith of his decides which choir is the victor, this one, | discussing with me the qua however, receiving no prize. The honor of | Cetnt, Herbc had just giv n being declared the best choir is all that is j arked: “Ah, you are a lucky fellow to sought aft to smoke that cigar. 1 used to gar smoking, and smoke » Singing Carols, In the da gone by there was much drinking of jough, or Manx ale, both be- fore and after the Oeil Verry, and it was the affair did not of them in former day I am now only The prince which are cz but very the considered fortunate pictorial idea of the domestic end in a free fight between the partisans | richsruh is ve well given in Ehler’s well- of the competing choi But tea drink- | known sketches. The prince is fond of ing and social pleasures at home have | driving and walking, and is not always re- strained from outdcor kind by rain or otherw er, and lucky, ind who have exercise of this e inclement weath- , are those individuals lege of accompanying s them to an inc ant flow of conversation, didactic and narrative. No public man ever excelied him in the power of sarcasm, which 1s at times ex- ceedingly puagent and biting. Few people are more delighted than Prince Bismarck at the receipt of gifts, and certainly nobody was ever favored with more liberal donations of all kinds. Bar- rels of Bavarian beer, the choicest wines from the Rhine and the Moselle, the finest salmon that come out of the rivers of the fatherland, eatabies and drinkables of the very best, are continually finding their way to Friedrichsruh from ‘admirers at home ard abroad. The best gardens and con- servatories, also, are stripped of their chote: taken the place of convivial meetings and angry discussions at the After the Oeil Verry the choirs set out at once to sing Christmas hymns before the residences of their respective church mem- bers, accompanied by crowds of young peo- ple of both sexes, who are drawn by the charm of the beautiful Christmas music. But outside the church gates and before separating they unite in singing, Christians, awake, salute the happy morn Whereon the Savior of mankind was born, putting heart and soul as well as voice into the magnificent old melody, the strains of which are carried for miles around in the stillness of that “witching hour.” As previously arranged, the choirs are entertained at some house with a sub- stantial breakfast during their tour of singing. No alcoholic beverages appear on such occasions, their use being rigorously prohibited among church members through- | Ct friuts and flowers, for Bismarcic is, also out the island, where tea drinking in a | 22 ardent a Mets <epe ll ; joses he. is thousand ways is a universal custom at ee te fond of, a Lae n oppor both public and private functions. ‘The re- j tunity this summer of discovering “that sult is that Christmas morning, notwith- | Be preferred. above all. dare Kinds. | A standing that every one then keeps open | SMered for him from a Hamburg florist, who house, unmarked by noise or disorder; | ome ‘vhearict ate and at 5 or 6 o'clock all go home to bed | dispatched them to, Friedrichsruh under sober, happy, and clear-headed, to snatch | the care of 4 young female attendant trom a few hours’ sleep as prepartion for the | eee so coming pleasures of the day. after the The Game of Camag. On Christmas day the unaccountable practice prevails of indiscriminately shoot- cmeating are Sana a eae eek x ing birds and game. On that day every | janions; then, visibly ph turned to person who pos a gun seems anx- et of flowers and “How I love A called camag, Somewhat like the English fous to use it. and these are send me light-cojored ros: unique insular sport Most peo- but I much SS ts z “fer these, and the color suits a man hookey, |As also then indsiged in by Bother ey age somalaly, betker: With the ae4 and boys. It is played with great | capriciousness, however, of a much-courted skill. beauty, the prince soon forgets his count- less floral gifts, and the carefully devised attentions are not unfrequently left. un- acknowledged, a neglect for which, how- ever, he cannot be said to be personally responsible, as, doubtless, his instructions and wishes in this respect are not always carricd out. eae Great Wall of Chr Frem the Inverness Courier. This wall was recently measured by Mr. Unthank, an Americar engineer engaged on the survey for a Chinese railway. His measurement gave the height 18 feet. Every few hundred yards there is a tower 2 feet high. The foundation of the wall is of solid granite. For 1,300 miles the wall goes over plains and mountains, every foot of the foundation being of soltd granite, and the rest of the structure solid masonry. In some places the wall is built smooth up against the bank, or crosses a precipice where there is a sheer descent of 1,000 feet a * Christmas with the Manx terminates on St. Stephen's day, December 26, which is a national holiday. It is celebrated in a peculiar manner. Throughout the island large parties of men meet together to hunt the hare, which is pursued over hill and dale with well-trained greyhounds, amid the wildest excitement. Nearly the whole adult male population turns out to witness these annual hunts, which last until sundown, and during which many miles of the wild mountain lands are the only remnant of the four-footed game once found abundantly in the island. Con- nected with this day also is the strange, mysterious custom called “Hunt the wren,’ the origin and history of which tradition alone offers any account. Hunting the Wren. The Celtic legend, which offers the only explanation of :ts existence, is as follows: Once upcn a time there lived in Man a terrible witch, who was forever contriving evil to the inhabitants. Her necromancies at length grew to be 4 scourge to the whole island, cattle dying and people per- ishing as if by a plague. At this juncture St. Patrick, who was then in Man, was aprealed ‘o, and he at once laid a curse upon the witch, by virtue of which she was transformed into a wren. In this guise she was hunted and pursued by those whom she had so long persecuted, until she perished. And from that day to this the custom of hunting the wren has been annualiy observed. St. Stephen's day is “Hunt-the-Wren day.” But the tiny crea- “This looks like But it was only a an invitation © practical jok dinner.” Life,