The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 9, 1897, Page 18

18 THE SAN FRANCISCO DE WOLF HO De Wolf Hopoer is better known to his intimates as an ardent book collector than as a comedian. But it does not comport with the gener- ally accepted igea of a funny man that he loves books—old, rare and curfons tomes, the older and rustier the better. Comicalities are Hooper's trad.; book collecting is his diversion. With him on his travels he carries his favorite books in a sort of portable bookcase built after the plan of Napoleon’s bookehest which he carried witn him upon his cam- paigns. When this trunk is well filled he ships his garnerings to his New York home and then commences a new raid upon the old-book stores. And there is not an old-book shop in the United States that he has not ransacked for rare volumes treating of the stage, sport and litersry curiosities. When I called upon the comedian be had just returned from a foray among the old-book stores of S8an Francisco. From +he size of the bundle I surmised that some of our worthy booksellers had enbanced their bank accounts and were correspondingly bappy. A child with a basket of toys at Christmas time could hardly have displayed greater pleasure and enjoyment than the comedian scanning the pages of his new-found treasures. Hopper bas in mind to organize what he proposes to call the ““Book- lifters’ Protective Association.” How natural that a comedian should turn even his hobby into a merry jest! “Having for many years,” said he to me the other day when scanning the varied delights of his bookchest “cultivated my leisure not alone in the perusal but in the seductive chase of books, it has often been suggested to me by my confederates to compile a quasi constitution of the principles underlying our pursuit so that the results of my experience might not be entirely lost to them and their successors. “:Ordinarily, a non-book-collector, as you no doubt have observed, it you show sufficient surprise and enthusiasm at the fact that he possesses « rare and valuable book will give it to you. If he does not give itto you be may suggest to you to take it home as a loan. If you are a conscien- cious ‘book-keeper’ the chances are that he will never see it again. If his phlegmatic bosom is not moved to present it to you outright—or to loan it—the next step laid down by the chivalry of book-collecting 1s to sug- gest a trade. This may give you the long-looked-for opportunity of dis- posing of that worthless book which you subscribed for out of charity for the woe-begone condition of a seliciting wicow, whose face was a woodcu- of sorrow and her perseverance abnormally developed. “There is a law of book-collecting which should always be and geny erally is observed— never to try any of these rules of the craft upon a fels low member. The truth that'in unity there is strength’ should not be lost sight of 1n this instance. Thera should always exist between books rarnerers that gracious courtesy and respect for each other's rights which never tempt the thief to employ his arts against a fellow. Another reason or this rule is one based upon expedience—it will generally be found utile to attempt it. *The occasion may come—and if you are an insidious practitioner it surely wili—when the owner of the loaned volume (a rare first or an ex- CALL, SUNDAY, MAY 9, 1897 *If you reside in a great city you should keeo a logbook of the effets offspring of distinguished bibliomaniacs, and then seek the occasion of either an acquaintance or a call. No doubt their parents have gathered valuable books, volumes which you have soueht after for years, heard of, dreamed of, but have never seen, or if seen hardly hoped to possess. He wha is so fortunately situated as to be near such a rich lead of true ore will find himself like those who had the hardihood to get to these shores in the fifteenth century or early sixteenth, trading glass beads for zold nuggets. The aforesaid effete descendants will generally care nothing for books, have little familiarity with the titles, and if you are dextrous in HESITATES ABO stitution, resulted 1n his gathering a whole library of presentation copies from too susceptible authors. This brother bad a veritable Promethean genius and no doubt will go through the ages holding in the Olympus of book-garnerers a place co-ordinate to that held in history by those em- balmed memories of the radical benefactors of the human race. *‘A sleek and oily deacon—a prop and pillar of the church—and not the leact ardent of our number, whose library was especially rich in fine old bindings, was exceeded by noone I have ever met with in the gratis acquisition of books. I believe that his talent lay mainly in being close upon the heels of the undertaker. At these times this worthy THE ONLYKIND OF B0OK MR HOPPER. UT BORROWING. PPER CAUGHT IN THE ROLE OF A BOOK FIEND known and for whom my shelves are the heftier. They were adepts at gathering for friends with specialiies books of which they themselves possessed copies or for which they bad no especial craving. They werl mostly modest in their own interests, but possessed a large boldness in behalf of others. I would advise, however, the would-be iuccessful ama- teur not to cultivate too much modesty, if this caution be at all necessary to those affected with our mania. 5 ¢ “There be questers after rare and dainty volumes who are so entirely bent upon their fond pursuit that it was never safe to leave them to them- selves in & room with an unchained valuable book out of which the open- ing would not be barred and bolted,” so says an English mm_hy, The fact is, though not generally known, that we have had even in remote times a very active fraternity. We must have had a spirited chapter of our guild at Oxford in the time of Henry IV, since the books bequeathed by good old Richard de Bury were first kept in locked chests and after- ward the ‘said volumes wers put into pews or studies and chained to them.’ “Henry V was a successiul booklifter. He got hold of St. Gregory's works belonging to the prior of Christ’s Church, Canterbury, and refused or failed (the same thing) to return them. And the prior of Shene aiter Henry’s death got the volumes and he, too, held on to them. The same Henry bad borrowed two volumes of Lady Westmoreland and of course she never got them back; her petition to his successor for their return 1s still preserved. It his successor were not a book-keeper she probably got the books. LewisXI of France seems to have been practicing the art of book- lifting somewhat overboldly, for when he applied to the Faculty of Medi- cine for certain books they were cautious enough to demand a forfeit of rich plate and a joint bond with one of his nobles for the due return of the books. A little more adroitness upon the part of our royal predecessors would have prevented their book-collecting from being beset by such heroic obstacies. “By this it appears very plainly that we of the nineteenth century are not the original Agamemnons, and should cultivate a humble spirit endeavoring to become more expert and crafty, not thinking we have brougtt our science to the uitimate perfection. Bound, as we seemingly are, by no rules of conscience or morals, the field of our development is very great. - “What an unjust condition 1t is that so many coveted tomes, musty with age, worn out, faded, bewitchingly antique and rare, should lie in the libraries of the illiterate rich, or in Bodleian or other collections beyond the reach of our ingenuity. I have often thought that it was only the disseminated state of our members, not a lack of individual zeal, that has prevented and does preventa sacking of these unyielding deposi- torles. *After an enumeration of these principles which underlie the art of book-keeping and book-getting, it would hardly seem necessary to write an apolegia pro rita nostra. Yet I cannot pass over unnoticed the severe chastisement which the book maniac has received in that charming book, hausted edition) will arise in his wrath and demand back the book. the demand is tco vehement to ignore, then you can supp!y its place— asserting, of course that it is lost—by some volume of pretentious or In fact, this modus operanai is the favorite one practiced The writhing victim is fortunate in- spurious merit. by the seeker of books out of print, deed if his demand, oft repeated—a first d nized —meets with this material but makeshift restitution. **Where it is not advisable to borrow owner will never permit him to be provoked into giving, study your vic- tim’s movements, call whea be is out and but never more than one book, and the chances are it will never be missed. It emand should never be recog- and the acquisitiveness of the flatter his wife. Then borrow, tion copies. striki ng the right rib you may expact to sail many times to these shores and depart thence without your bales of calico and gewgaws, bearing away rich argosies. your elbows are often the easy doors to cherished realizations. “The book-collector should ever be hot upon the scent for presents- I know of a distinguished member of our guild who consti- tuted himseif an imagined historical and literary society, of which he subscribed himself secretary and whose appeals (under his spurious let- ter-head of the society) sent broadcast to distinguished iiving writers, duly seasoned with hints of aid in books for this poor and struggling in- You have never thought, my fellows, how close to under this hospitable roof. a pledge and memorial of our friendship.’ book thrust upon him, however unwillingly he appeared to receive it. He wasnot one of your altruist book-lovers, a few of whom I have Christian was especially artful and full of gracious sympathy. tended him by chance upon one of these missions of charity. the most natural way imaginable to the shelf containing the coveted volume, he drew it forth, remarking in soft and melting tones: ‘How often, my dear madam, has your lamented husband read to me from this old book? Itisindelibly associated in my mind with my many visits I bave uften thought he intended it for me as He generally had the coveted Ionce at- Turning in the highest ethics of our guild, theft.” A seagull has recently been watched, under the most favorable conditions, while it performed a feat which caused mariners to wonder and landsmen to gos- sin. According to whatever knowledge has previously existed concerning the habits and powers ot gulls the exploit in question is unprecedented. The gull flew 250 miles, by night and by day, through clear weather and through fog, through wind and comparative calm, pursuing a seemingly purposeless adven- ture and absandoning it just at the time when reward might have been in view. W. H. Hammon, local forecast official of the United States Weather Bervice, telis the story. He was a passenger on the steamer Pomona, which left San Fran- cisco, bound for Eureka, on a recent after- noon. ‘When the steamer was off the bar there came sliding into view—literally shiding, or coasting — a seagull with one leg broken. The injured limb hung down, while the other was closely curled up under the gull’s body. The broken leg was sufficient to identify the bird. When the Pomona was headed up the coast on camre the bird with a character- istic shrill scream, sometimes flying and sometimes coasting. After circling around the steamer fora time it took up a posi- tion almost over the vessel, and there it hung, as if suspended by an invisible wire. Seagulis are so common that for some hours no one paid any especial attention to the bird. But after it had performed an extraordinary feat of ‘“‘coasting,” in which 1t maintained its position against a read wind for twenty minutes at s time, without once perceptibly moving or changing the position of its wings, Mr. Hammon, who is a keen observer, be- came fascinated by the easy manner in which the *‘gull was sliding up to Eu- reka,” as he expressesit. In fact, there seemed to be absolutely no difficulty for the gull to coast half an hour ata time, looking nonchalantly at the foaming bil- lows, and always preserving distance, as the military men might say, with the precision of a file-closer. Coasting on a smaller cale by gulls is commenly observed from the decks of the local ferry-boats, but these gulls never are seen {o coast more than two or three minutes without resuming the active use of their wings. What the ocean flyer did was considered most remarkable by Mr. Hammon, who declares that now the question is determined as to whether a z ), e o2 S N I '“""“"U"&"|l""1|~wu*"‘ 2 N (ot I [ 3 ‘\\‘ ‘l".i /;, i, X )l DLV by KR (G2 ) ¢ % ‘\?“.llnu\l“‘\ gull ever makes a flight of hundreds of miles without interruption. There could be no doubt of the identity of this bird any more than there could be doubt of Mr. Hammon's perception. Bui of Mr. Hammon’s correctness in the following we may be politely dubious. *:Of course, the movement of the steamer forward caused a displacement of a cer- tain volume of air. This displaced air flowed upward and seryed to buoy up the gull, which was about amidships of the steamer and not far overhead. Gravita- tion naturally would bave caused the bird to fall but for the support which was thus given it. With its outspread wings it had a supporting surface to resist the down- ward tendency almost like a parachute in effectiveness. In fact, placing its wings at the proper angle the bird floated on as easily as a parachute and then coasted. Of course it did not matter particularly whetber the wings struck the air or the airstruck the wings, speakiag in a general way. The air forced upward, the impetus given by gravitation and the use of wings like sails was sufficient to account for the long coasting of the bird.”” Such is Mr. Hammon's explanation. It was clear weather when the Pomona began its cruise nortaward, but soon afterward the fog came rolling in. Sometimes the gull could be seen flying overhead. When night closed in the bird was still there. Now, every mariner with whom the writer of this article has talked ex- pressed the opinion that, while gulls may fly all day, they are pretty sure to rest on the water by night, although it is well known that they bave nocturnal sight, and would have no difficulty in pursuing their way oa that score in the darkness. But it now seems that this im- pression may be generally mistaken. Heretofore, owing to the fact thatone gull looked like another, and no certain bird could be identified, this question has never been settied. When morning came the steamer was far up the coast, going along steadily if not very rapidly. When Mr. Hammon came on deck at an early hour there was the gull of the day before hanging still over the steamer, sometimes using its wings a little, but coasting more than flying. 1t was seemingly as fresh as ever. Occasionally it made its voice heard, very liely asking in bird language for its breakfast. Mr, Hammon called the atten- tion of other passengers to theirfaithful President Gilman of the Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore contributes to tne May Cosmopolitau a valuable paper on the inauguration of the new university of Paris, which is designea to be the su- preme effort of one of the most intelligent peoples in the world in higher education. When France began to recover from the stunvuing shock of Frenchmen realized that the triumphs of the German army were due not wholly to German prowess, butin alarge measure to defects in French education. They awoke to the truth that the foundation of na- tional strength and progress was wide- spread knowledge and a high standard of moral and mental culturs. The “colleges’ with which France wus studded neither turned out scholars nor manly men. Edu- cation was a failure, partly because the ccience of pedagogy was unknown. France was full of intellectuzl giants, en. dowed wifh great eifts, but they did not seem to have the knack of generating a race of virile Frenchmen. Attempts to cure the error followed swiftly on the heels of its discovery. Albert Dumont, director of higher education, established at the Sorbonne a new course on the science of education, and the teachers and students at the Lycees were encouraged to attend. His efforts, seconded by those of M. Berthelot, culminated in a plan for radical reforms, which, after discussion 1870-71 enlightened | ‘i;/" NS AARG; 1) m,,,//l D= B les and tireless feathered companion, which speedily became an object of the liveliest interest. 1f the bird was aware that it was doing anything out of the ordinary it gave no evidence of it. Steadily it held on its course and couid apparently have done so many hours longer without inconve- nience. At about 7 o’clock in the morning the gull having been seventeen hours on the wing without rest, the Pomona arrived off the bar at Eareks and turned to go in. The gull did not follow long. On the con- trary with a shrill scream it turned and flew straight out seaward. When last seen, its one dangling leg making it & marked object, it was still on the wing and may have continued so for hours, for all that is kdown. Several pilots who have in the course of their voyages watched sea gulls carefully said to an inquirer for THE CALL thatno seagull has ever been encountered farther from land than 200 miles, on eitber the Atlantic or Pacific coast, so far as there is any record; and the opinion of thess aobservers was that fifty miles was about as far as a gull would be liable to fiy at one time without resting. Gulls have been carefully observed and their habits noted all over the world, there being gulls of different varieties even in Iceland, Spitz- bergen and other lands where the temper- ature is often very low. Last week an account of a remarxable flight of a homing pizeon above the Sierra Nevada was published in this paper. The probability is that the authenticated flight of the seagull which wi observed so carefully by Mr. Hammon is entitled to be considered equally unique. At all events there is no other seagull record of equal interest authentically established Atvario us times the idea of employing seagulls for messenger service as homing pigeons are used has Leen discussed. The case in point demonstrates that they have sufficient wing power. That is prob- ably all the endowment they have, for their home is wherever they find them- selves at night except during the mating season. What prompted the gull to fly 250 miles? The bird gets its name from a Latin word gulo, which means glutton. Very likely that name explains it all. The chase was inspired by the hope of getting fine mor- sels from the steamer’s larder. When the vessel turned in toward Eureka the wise gull knew that the cruise was over. “The Story of My House.” It is evident, from what Mr. Ellwanger says in the chanter ‘Magiciansof the Shelves’ that he 1 and that he has somewhat suffered himself from those who are, else being a member, the esprit de corps which animates the fellowship would have saved him unscathed. A suggestion to the wise is sufficient. I need only add to the acme of perfect book-collectin, not a bibliodeemon, according to is to be the possessor of a library, every volume of which shall have been acquired only by gift, devise descent or With that Mr. Hopper smiled genially, gave a hitch to his armful of books, and preceeded on to his hotel. J. C ABOUT THE TRUEST FORM OF HIGHER EDUGATION, BY JOHN BONNER | and exberiment, was embodied in a law iin 1893, and this law was amended and imp-oved in an act which was passed in 1864, | in August of that year a congress of educators was held at Havre and was at- tended by the foremost men in France, including President Faure. The statistics [ of the educational departmeut at Wash- | ington were laid before the members and our system of common school instruction wns discussed. It was made apparent that where the French system failed was in the connecting link between the pri- mary school and the university, and pro- | jects were suggested which culminated | in the resurrection of the old University of Paris, which took place last November. At its inauguration M. Rambaud, Minis ter of Public Instruction, struck the key- note of the new rezime when he said that the design of the university was to con- | centrate therein all branches of education, so that students should have an oppor- tunity of acquiring the general knowleage which makes a truly cultivated man; that it did not propose to turn out graduat who knew everything, bat knew it badly, nor specialists who &new nothing but their own branch. Bpeakers emphasized the great truth that profitable edacation cannot be imparted by ex cathedra teach- ing. Professor Lavisse said: “We have left our chairs, or if we keep them we epeak in lower tones. We affirm less; we demonstrate; we show; we say to our students, hear, see, judge.” This is the truest form of higher educa- tion, which is simply self-education. President Gilman well observes that the end of education is not to choke the mind with a farrago of unrelated facts, but to develop character. This cannot bs done with any curriculum, however cunningly devised, for the minds of young men are 83 different as their faces. One set of boys will rebel against a course of study which will delight and nurture another set. And the evil is not altogether cured by the use of our elective programme, for few youths are competent, at the age when they enter the university, to decide what seed wiil germinate in their minds and what wiil be dead. Tue president of Johns Hop- kins thinks there should be in every ani- versity one or more persons specially ap- pointed to be the counselors and advisers of students. They should be men of lib- eral culture, with special gifts for reading character — ‘‘broad-shouldered men, of good digestion, lovers of exercise in the open air, capable of enlisting confidences and keeping them; above all, men of high moral and social character.” It should be the delight and duty of such men to “inspire, guide, control, encour- age and counsel those who come under their notice.” No' professor with daily lectures and recitations to attend to could find time to discharga the duty of mentor to a thousand or more students. The duty | should devolve on members of the staff* detailed especially to discharge it, and the more of them there are, if they are rightly chosen, the better qualified the graduates will be to take their proper piace in life, and to become ‘“‘captains of mel A bright boy who goes to a university because his father thinks he should have the best possible education is over- whelmed at the outset of his university career by the embarrassment of his riches. He may follow the regular curriculum, which will probably benumb his facuities, and begnile him into the fatal habit of allowing others to do his thinking; or he may, in Gilman’s words, fall back on elecuives, and lose himself in the thicket of ologies. If he has been o fortunate as to have passed some years ata good pre- paratory school, he will enter the uni- versity with a moderate stock of Latin and Greek, English; French and German, his- tory and geograpby. Which of these paths to knowledge shall he pursue? In Europe the “humanities” will command the preference of the student who looks forward to a professional or political career. In this country young men ex- pect to be merchants, or manufacturers, or, business or railroad men, or agricul. turists, or engineers, or eleciricians, and their natural impulse will be to study science and the modern languages. But here new embarrassments beset the young American, No man ever learned a modern language at school or college. French, German and Spanish can only be learned by association with those to whom these languages are a mother tongue. And as to the modern sciences, a life'is hardly long erough to master any of them, and it is hard to convince the student that the four years of his course can be usefully employed in acquiring the bare rudie ments. There is where Mr. Gilman’s men- tor may come usefally into play. He will well serve his country and his university if he convinces the ambitious student that four years will be well spent in mastering the fundamental principles of chemical and electrical science, if, when they come to an end, the student is outfitted with the knowledge requisite to undertake pro- founder strides which will lead to prac- tical results. The true end, however, of university educatiol not {o acqu proficiency in speoialties, but so to discipline the mind that on entering practical life the gradu- ate's character shall be formed; that he shall be prepared to do his duty asa man and citizen; that his mind shall be clari- fied so he can discern truth from false- bood; that his soul shall be resolute in an honest desire to distinguish the thing which is from the thing which is not; that his spirit shall be 80 self-reliant and virile that no amount of persuasion or ex- ample shall tempt him to wander into the fog of conventional falsehood. That is the only rational purpose, tke only excuse, for the existence of the umversity to-day. Ot course the fulfillment of such a lofty purpose requires a large and carefully selected staff, so that eash student shall be known through and through by some member of the faculty; and this requires a liberal endowment and an iccome which shall not be stinted.” Here is where the University of California is handicapped. It is the proud but the false boast of our people that no man in this happy State runs risk of starvation. In fact, we are starving the minds of our young men and ! women who are the hope of the State, and that kind of starvation is more terrible | and more lasting in its effects than the | attenuation of the stomach from the want of bodily food. It brings a flush of shame to the Cali- fornian cheek to compare the income of the Berkeley university witk that of cor- | responding institutions in other parts of the country. In this present year (1897) the income of some of our leading uni- versities is as follows: $1,084,000 729,681 770,832 015,418 1.860,000 0000 262,954 California. . 245,237 It is evident thatif the University of California is to fultill its duty its income must be enlarged, either by act of the Legislature or by the endowment of wealthy citizens. That something may bhe expeoted from both sources no one will doubt. The Legislature will probably per- severe in the policy of liberality it inaug. urated last winter, ana our rich people are awakening to their duty to education. In the list of Awmerican millionaires pub- lished & few years ago in the New York Tribune Cahfornians stood at the top of the list in proportion to !otal population. Our rich men have noble exsmples to guide them. Iu the last half-century it is said that no year nas passed withoutsome bequest or donation to Harvard from a conscientious son of the old alma mater at Cambriage. Jorx Bosxem. Seventeen daily and weekly newspapers are publisbed in the English language in Japan, and over 100 on the Asiatic conti- nent, whi in all these countries there is only one German paper, tha Ostasiat. ische Lloyd. A weekiy German paper is 200m to be issued in Japan, -«