Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 6, 1901, Page 15

January 6, 1901, THE Man Wins a Million ~ Dollars After Death Five years ago, says a New York letter in the Philadelphia Press, one of the ablest of our judges had handed down a decision in a case that had been pending for years and in which the rich city of New York was the defendant and the representatives of an humble mechanic were the plaintiffs, In fact it was not eagy at the time this decision was made to discover exactly who was to receive the payment which the court decided that New York City cught to make for the use for many years without payment of royalty of a certain patent. It has taken five years since the decision was handed down to figure out exactly what SCHOOL COSTUME FOR SEVEN-YEAR- OLD GIRL—NAVY BLUE SERGE, TRIMMED WITH WHITE BRAID AND SILVER BUTTONS. New York City owed. It is now announced that, with interest reckoned in, the sum that the city will have to pay is a little over $1,000.000. And yet it may be that, having determined what the city ought to pay and must pay, if the judgment be enforced, it may be difficult to discover who is authorized to receipt for this money. Dickens. could have made a story quite a8 interesting as that which centered about the case of Jarndyce against Jarndyce out of this litigation. Years ago a very humble mechanic, who seems never to have done anything else than to perfect one inven- tion, solved the problem that was perplex- ing all the makers and users of the steam fire engine. These steam machines came into general use about the time of the war of the rebellion and they were perfect, ex- cepting in cne respect, It was found to be impossible by any apparatus the inventors of the steam fire engine had constructed to regulate the pressure of water in the hose so that there would be no danger of bursting a hose wheu the engine was in operation. Accidents were constantly happening to the hose and the problem of how to prevent them was too difficult for even the most skillful in- ventors to solve, But there was a young mechanic to whom the idea came as a sudden inspiration, just, for instance, as the idea came to a mere boy of the proper kind of platform to place upon the elevated railroad cars, so that they could swing with perfect safety around the sharp curves which the building of the elevated structure in New York City involved. That boy got neither fame nor fortune for his invention, for his plan was freely given to the engineers. The Metro- politan railway people may know his name, but the community does not. The mechanic interested a few friends in his invention, was able to procure a patent, but the city of New York and certain other cities, having seen the apparatus, freely adopted it without even having thanked this young mechanic. They appropriated his idea and his apparatus and his relief valve has been used upon our steam fire engines for nearly forty years. The mechanic is probably dead and his chief representative, one of the most eccen- tric and striking of the personalities seen for many years in lower New York, died not long after the courts handed down the decision in favor of the city, What a fine character this representative of the poor mechanic would have been for a fiction writer to describe! He lived for years, not only in the hotel down town which was Daniel Webster's favorite stopping place when he was in the city, but also in the very chamber which is full of traditions of Webster, since he always occupied it when he was in New York. Webster was a man of such marvel- ous and fascinating personality that even those who did not know him turned a second time to look at him as he passed up and down the streets. But Webster himself never focused many interesting, inquiring glances as did this representative of the humble mechanic He must have weighed considerably ovel 300 pounds, but his stoutness was the le of his personal peculiarities His hair, which was long and curly, was so brushed and arranged behind his ears and over tho nape of his neck that it seemed almost as though he were wearing a wig. He wa peculiar in his clothes, being tond of ap- pearing in a dress suit at breakfast, al though he was often tempted to wear peculiarly long-tailed frock coat at his dinner in the evening. But if this man was eccentric in his per- sonal habits and appearance, he was highiy respected by the lawyers and they were persuaded that the persistency of his appearance as counsel for the mec- chanic and probably for himself (since there is no doubt that the mechanic had assigned to him a considerable interest in this patent in payment of his services) and his profound knowledge of our paten laws would ultimately make it possible for him to win the Iitigation in which he was almost entirely occupied. His name wa: H. B. Hadlock, and in the various prose cutions and retrials in which he constantly appeared as counsel for the plaintiff n« found himself opposed by some of the most brildant lawyers in this country. So thoroughly convinced were many per- sons that ultimately this case would be won for the plaintiff and that the city of New York would be compelled to pay that there were many advances to pay the ex- penses of the litigation, for which interest in the suit or the patent were given. These claims, and there were hundreds of them, were negotiated and nobody knows where the majority now are vested. In all probability nearly a quarter of a million has been expended in this litigation and yet even if the amount were consid- erably more than that the judgment awarded against New York City is great enough to pay a handsome dividend upoun these claims. Mr. Hadlock, however, 18 dead, and whether he had any heirs or not, or made any disposition of his property, s yet to be discovered. 80 a Saved by a Monocle There has just arrived in London from the gold coast Walter L. Bennett, a man who had an experience during the Ashantee rising which recalls Rider Haggard's story of “King Solomon's Mines"” and the magic eyeglass of Caplain Good. Mr. Bennett is a land surveyor by pro- lession, relates the London Mail, and in May of this year was at Biblantha, a place on the boundary between Sefwi and Ashan- tee, two and a half days to the west of Koomasi. The only white man young mining prospector mining camp. These two Englishmen, far apart and yet feeling themselves to be neighbors, learned of the Ashantee rising by the wholesale de- sertion of their black men. The mining prospector went to Eheahin for protection, It was promised him by the chief of the vil- lage, who gave him a bountiful meal of -chicken. When dinner was over the vil- lagers rushed in and battered the English- man into unconsciousness. Then they cut off his head. Mr. Bennett heard this terribie story as he was about to move. He powerless for reprisals and expectant a similar fate, On the advice of an educated native, he went to the head village of the chief of the Dunkoto and made a dash for the chief's hut. He was well received and fed and promised protection. But so was the other Englishman at Eheahin, While the situation was still critical, Mr. Bennett, who is inseparable from his eye- glass, even on the Gold cos put 1t in his eye to think matters over. The ‘'glass eye” highly amused a shiny little black boy, one of the chief's sons. He rcared whith laugh- near him was a at Akrokerri, a of COPYRIGHT 1900 BY PAN-AMEF EMPIRE CCAT MADE OF FRENCH LADIES' CLOTH—HIGH COLLAR AND STRAPS, FINISHED WITH IRIDESCENT PEARL BUTTONS. ter. Mr. Bennett grinned at him, and let the monocle drop. The effect was great. The Dunkotos made a circle around the Englishman, greatly mystified by and delighted with his extra eye, “l had to do some monkey tricks with that eyeglass,” says Mr. Bennett, rather shamefacedly, “‘and I completed the con- quest, by managing to screw it in the eye of one of the chief's wives, who strutted around proud of her distinction.” Mr. Bennett was saved by his eyeglass. IL became a sort of fetich. The chief en- tertained him as an honored guest, and helped in the search for the assassinated prospector. Mr. Bennett was given an es- cort, and after many days of privation ar- rived safely at the coast, where he gave information to the officials which led to a punit.ve «xpedition to Eheahin. v . Nature’s Clocks Writing to a contemporary, a correspond- ent gives an interesting list of flowers that tell the observant peasant the time of day in rural England. The scarlet pimpernel opens its petals at a few minutes past 7 in the morning and closes them again a little after 2 +n the afterncon. In bad weather, however, like many a clock, the scarlet pimpernel refuses ‘‘to go.” The star of Jerusalem, known aleo as '‘Jack-go-to- bed-at-noon,” never varies in the opening at 3 in the morning, and a believer in early closing goes to bed at midday. The dande- lion unfolds its glory to the sun at 4 in the morning; at 6 out comes the hawk's beard, and somcwhere near 6 o'clock (for nature is not particular to a minute or two) the vipor's grass blossoms. At 7 the let- tuce ‘‘spreads its petals;’ 8 is marked by the opening of Venus' looking glass, 9 by the bloom of the creeping hawk weed; at 10 the purple juniper bares its corolla to the sun; at 11 the star of Bethlehem “strikes,’”” and, as we have seen, Jack-go-to bed, by his sleeplessness, tells the hour of noon. At 1 the succory opens; at 2 the squill expands; at 3 the marigold betrays her beauty to the sun; 4 o'clock is told, of course, by the four o'clock flower, and b Le.ongs Lo the one of the hawk weed family (the flower of the wall), and 6, when the laborer turns again home, the exquisite evening primrose shakes off the day's long sleep and welcomes him on the road. Na- ture's clocks go on “‘striking’ after this—- at any rate until 9 o’clock, but as every good countryman turns in soon after that hour we need not pursue our subject further, XPOSITION €O. ILLUSTRATED BEE. ~Common Sense of Value in Exercising (Copyright, 1901, by E. Miles.) Probably no sane person wouid deny the value of exercise. lractically every one belleves that exercise 1s essenuial to heaton But few people get one-quarter of the exercise that (hey could. 1 wish here w suggest under whnat conditions exercise s least tiring, and, theretore, uudaer what conditions a great deal of exercise can be got through without exhausuon. Health 18, of course, all-umportant, aud iu my own case the state ol heaith depenus on the diet, 1 get my nourishaient entirery from fleshless touds, but o attempt any general rules of diet is futile. what suis one man may be quite uniit 1or another Sleep, again, is very lmportant. After sleepless night people soon get ured. U casional sleepless nights may W some extent inevitable, but they are less latal o endurance if the wr oL Loe slecping roow be fresh, Exercise 1 tne cold, dry air is far less exbausting than exercise in the warm air, but in America this ruth 18 sadly 1gnored, Gymnagia, indoor running iracks, ewe., are Kept at a stupudiy high temperature. Feo- ple should be cucouraged 0 warm them- selves, not by these aruncial means, but by movement, ‘the air snould be cool anu tresh, A most important point is the breathing Many peopie gel out o breatn chiefly be cause they breache wrongly. Special breatn ing exercises should be practiced, the nos. being the means of sucking in the air, L Lreathing shouid till the chest upwards au. outwards And the ciothing has a consiu erable eftect upon fatigue. 1t should be a. light as possivle, and sovuid not be tu. tight, especially around the waist, Th shoes shouid be of the rignt shape, settiu themselves (o the lines of the foot, ai. should not be too tight, nor too loose. How to Economize KForce, Of course, exercise done correctly is fa. less tiring than exercise done incorrectiy Notice how any one who learns to cycle wul use up three times the amount of force tha. the experienced cyclist uses. All the dii- ferent movements have to be done cor- rectly, and they have to be combined cor- recuy. It 18 this co-ordination, this divi slon of labor, this economical way of work- ing the muscles and nerves, that makces expeit exercise far less exhausting than in- expert., The more the correct wmovements become easy and automatic, the less unerve torce is needed. And, besides, Lucse auto- matic foundation movemeus, it the expres- slon may be used, reileve the mind trom drudgery. As souu as they become natural and free from wental eflort the mind can give itselt over to enjoying the exercise, whatever its form may be. Me who can bi- cycle without any thought about s bal- auce, etc.,, can enjoy the scenery. But the best athletic enjoyment comes through games, partly because of their rocial value. In games properly played there is always the elemcnt of enjoymeut, aud this seems almost 10 doubie the amount of work which the body can get through. Competition, which also enters in, is an- other potent antidote to fatigue. From the heart we may learn a great lesson. The work it does is almost incalcu- lable, and yet we do not feel fatigue in tho heart, in spite of all the ways 1n which we misuse it; tor example, when we pul poison into the blood. One reason why the heart works so well is that it is a practiced organ. It does its work in the shortest and best way. But another reason is that its action is rhythmical and regular. Rhythmical exercise is only half as tiring as irregular exercise. llence music and singing may be a great help, and may actu- ally keep away fatigue. Another secret of endurance I8 to use the large muscles of the body as much as possible. It is just as tiring to wiggle the little finger a thousand times as to do some huge movement, for instance, with the hips and shoulders, which may be a hundred times better exerclse. A golf swing, or a siroke at a game, may bring into play ever 80 many huge muscles, and yet be not in the least fatiguing. This is particularly so because the muscles are large and capable of enduring heavy work. This 1s why walking, which, it we consider the welght carried and the total of muscue lar exertion, must be accounted heavy work s not tiring. Aueiler reison why wal . dng is such geod exercise is that each grea movement is a preparation for the next An instance of this continuity of effort is the court tennis or racket stroke. An ordi nary stroke way be made with the body facing sideways; the hand moves from be hind and above, and makes a sweep with hoa racket, and then ends up with the ratke in the air and the body facing nearly for ward, This just the position which we wish to have between the strokes of the games. Thus the stroke itself leads to the walting position Another secret of good exercise I8 to stop before fatigue has reached a serlous stage Wae can cover fully three times the streteh of ground if we run a little and then walk is three times that distance and then run again, and #o0 on Of cour different ex ercises roquire different rules, but there BIGGEST STEEL INGOT EVER CAST. are many forms of exercise which are bet ter done in a number of short spells rather than In one long, persistent eflort, Worry and hard work use up much nerve force, and so leaves less nerve force for exercise. But, on the other uand, the ex- ercige will free the blood from some of Its impurities and thus counteract the effect of worry. It seems almost as if pure blood were as valuable.to exercise as strong blood is. The blood of the Indians, who can run fifty miles in the day, is not strong, al least it is not strong because of much food, but it is apparently very pure. In conclusion, then, if you would take much exerclse with case and enjoyment, here I8 a summing up of the main points Be careful and temperate in diet; go to bed early; breathe correctly; use light clothing and proper shoes; do the exercise correctly; especially practice the individual parts of it by themselves beforehand, till they be- come ecasy and half automatic; play games or use some other form of competition; move rhythmically; use (if possible) the large muscles of the body, and let each movement be a preparation for the rest; stop before serious fatigue has been reached, and (in some cases) do a little briskly at Intervals; last, but not least, dop't worry during exercise, throw your whole heart and soul into the pursuit. ZTaught Him a Lesson A well known admiral, who did notable service in the war with Spain, told a good story on himself when in town recently, reports the Philadelphia Record. He came to the city during the restoration of In- dependence hall for no other purpose than to secure one of the original bricks of the historic structure. One day he visited the hall and told the caretaker who he was and what he wanted. That official, willing to do a favor for such a distinguished per- son, wrapped up one of the bricks and handed it to the admiral, who was profuse in his thanks. Upon his arrival in Wash- ington the admiral gave further evidence of his gratitude by writing a letter to Di- rector Riter, expressing thanks to him. What was his surprise the next day to recelve a call from the caretaker who had glven him the brick, with the statement that if he did not bring it back to Phila delphia he would surely lose nis job. Re- luctantly the admiral returned the cher- ished brick, A short time after he re celved the identical brick, accompanied by a slip of paper, on which was written, “Silence Is Golden.” . 5 Big Steel Ingot The accompanying picture is the ingot for the new naval gun which will fire a 860-pound projectile more than twenty-two miles. The weight of the ingot, which I8 the largest piece of steel ever cast, is nearly 100 tons. It is 16 feet 7 inches long and has a maximum diameter of 6 feet 2 inches. The gun itself will be the most powerful and formidable ever made. It I8 expected to make a new world's record for artillery at the Buffalo exposition,