The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 21, 1901, Page 6

THE SUNDAY CALL RS, most San Franciscans the visit of McKinley meant little more than an opportunity of seeing and wel- the chief executive of a great nation. It meant parades and d brass bands. Pilbert street are four bright o coming But out on F! en to whom the coming of the was a momentous to them a great op- rhaps, despite their ever claim their ter anxiety again Among themselves they had conceived t open the gates of their The of cell restoration m would bring happiness to 2 health and strength household ning mother and par} 1ift stal McKin- in They had looked for- ward to it ever since the first press dis- d the advantage resence here. patches announced that the coast would be For months hope alter- nated with fear in their hearts. To claim the attention of the President on matters pertinent to pardons they knew to be difficult even with the mighty. Men of fnfluence had tried and fafled. Politicians and friends had started the wheels of the machinery that eould un- Jock the Goors almost as soon as they had closed upon their father, but five years had now passed and the bars were stiil up, with lttle prospect of coming down untfl the court’s judgment should have been exacted to the letter. So the sons and daughters of the im- prisoned man resolved to try for them- honored. selves. The oldest child, a girl of 15 years, t ng defly in a factory, wrote a petition, Three more bables appended their signatures below hers and a boxy who contributes to the family support by selling newspapers was chosen 10 pre- sent it At this eritical point of time the pros- pective visit inspired the little ones with hope. Washington was a long distance off and communications were often lost in the bulk of officfal matter., They ar- gued t f the praver could be presented by one of them in person they could rest sssured that the President would receive it, but if it were trusted to the malls scme seeretary, ignorant of the sad urg- ge, might pigeonhole or dis- So when the news ency of the card it t notice witho ted with power ta cru ireams would soon might see hig face and great barrier seemed re- worked to consummate elevate their o r where they him t they vas presented te McKinley nde by the boy whose nse yearning. But now the little faces are again beginning ta withering expression of disap- and the old load is shifting thelr hearts. No acknowledg. has been re- eclous paper has not yet of reward. riage was discovered In the on City, Nev. As an inves pceeded under the direction of one of the shrewdest ex- the amount of the de. » America, on 1 sed until it had reached ¢ ation that a theft had ed in the institution produced con- tion little Nevada town sly the population awaited each bit f news that was from day to day given the press The finger of suspicion was pointed hither and thither and the names of well- known and respected employes became tangled in the meshes of scandal. *“What mre the detectives doing was the ques- tongue. It was generally secret service men were in town, b operated in the dark and thelr ways were Inscrutable to all save themselves. When their identity fina became known, they smiled at question- ers and gave the invariable answer, *“Weit and see.” The curious had not long to endure their tion on every at they & LeSend of RArctic Nights fl MEMBER of one of the former ex- [\ peditions to Greenland tells of a > curious tradition of the Eskimos to account for the long Arctic night and its inte: cold “There was a time,” they generations ago, when the sun never set on the regions of thes north and when the gtrands along the sea were forever hid- den with mantles of living green. “Hence it was that fell to the lot of this people and sorrow was unknown among them. But one day & strange thing came to pass. As the peo- ple were resting and feasting among the trees, =s their custom throughout their wakeful h white as ivory seen drifting silently toward the shore from the direction of the castle where dwelt the spirit of the winds. “Now, when the ivory white canoe had ite up 1o the shore a great awe re people, for there, fast asleep s of an ermine robe, lay & 1l maiden, whose skin was as fair flower and whose hair was le of sunshine. But when the borne the maiden to the shore ioned her whence she came. he ubled in his heart, for she had an- him say, “long swe I am Deifa, the daughter of the spirit of the winds, and I have drifted here from yonder snow white castle in the north. But 1 will return there no more. Hence- my home shall be with you and your immediately the spirit of the ded that his daughter be restored m immediately. But when the people of the tribe sought out their chief and counseled him to give the| to her father's hands the youth before them. Then, in obedi- sture, they entered his ruined d there on a couch lay the Lean- ncess, with her white hands— ow than the snow flowers—folded over her breast of the wi he Princes strand, gainst the kneeling commanded darkness to upon them. And the ice and the and the darkness continued for the space of many days before the offended spirit would relent and suffer the sun- shine to return for a brief season.”—Chi- cago Chrenicie. s looked cold in peace and plenty | & beautiful canoe, as | is anger | afternoon in placed suspense. On a Saturday April the Tinited States Marshal his hand on a man's shoulder and teok him to jail. The arrest did not come in the nature of a sens John T. Jes the assistant melter and refiner of the Mint, bon vivant fellow, was accused of theft and it was rumored that he was but the first of many to be taken into the toils. What led to the detection of Jones was his reckl of money. recetved a salary of but §200 a month, expenditure spent thousands in excess of that amount. He was a man of jovial dispostiion, benefi- cent and charitable, and when he told the story that he had acquired his wealth by lucrative investments in stocks none hesitated in accepting the statement as truth. Before the shortage was discov- ered there was no reason to dispute him. Nothing had transpired that would give rise to any suspicions and his golden dol- lars continued to flow into the channels of trade, increasing his popularity and bringing him into the foremost rank of prominent citizenship. Then came the news of the spurious 1t was quickly traced al- d was metal in the Mint. to the department of which he had most absolute supervision, the melter ref r belng a sickly who obliged to spend most of his time in San Francisco undér a physician’s treatment and who died during his term of oflice, t to succeed him. t on the story of the man leaving his Doubt was then cas’ wealth-producing stocks. The Getectives made an examination of the transactions in which Jones was al- leged to have made his money, but in stead of reaping a gain for the investor they were shown to have incurred a loss. Th istant was called to account for his sudden flight to fortune. He came to Carson a poor man and within four years had limitless funds. The amount ent could not be estimated and there was still a goodly sum to his credit in the banks. Jones promised to cxplain, but failed to nything of a satisfactory natur st followed. 1 employe 1n the Meisk offer a and hi James He b and refiner's department, was also caught in the meshes of the law and the men were brought to trial several monuth= later. Their methods in robbing the Gov ernment were systematic. Gold was ex tracted from bars of bulifon and siiver substituted in its stead. By operating in this manner they were abie to escape de. tection for a number of years, and it was not until assays were taken that the dise covery was made, Pure gold counts 000 points fine. Equal proportions of go'l and stiver are specified at 500 points each, Most of the melts that profited the loot- ers were about half gold and half siiver, (e the auriferous metal assaying 476% points, | % Some Segreks Lost Long RGe | 73\].’”10(‘@“ marvelous strides have been made in almost every branch | | A of knowledge in the last 100 years, | secrets known to scientlst§, me- | chanics and others long before the | beginning of that perfod have been lost. For instance, thousands of years ago | Egyptians used to embalm the bodles of | their dead Kings and nobility so perfect- Iy that the bodles are in wonderful pre- | servation to-dey. The valuable secret is lost, and modern science cannot recover the lost knowledge. We can, of course, 2nd we do embalm bodles, temporary preservation, and compara- tively speaking, In a most unsatls. tactory manner. Bodies which are em- balmed nowadays will not be preserved | for more than a few years at most; very many of the bodies the Egyptians em- balmed before the birth of Christ are still so well preserved that the lines of their faces are as clearly marked to-day as when they were first embalmed., Sheffleld turns out the finest and hard- est perfect steel the world produces, but even Sheffleld cannot produce a sword blade to compare with those the Sara- cens made and used hundgeds of years ago, and the Saracens never possessed the machinery we have, nor had the ad- vantage of knowing so much about metals as we are supposed to know, There are a dozen different methods of | making artificial diamonds, these methods | compare with these made of old French paste, the secret of which Is lost. It was difficult for even a person Wwith expert | knowledge of diamonds to tell that they were artificially produced, whereas most of the modern artificial diamonds can | easily be detected. 1 the north and in a terrible | but none of | the stones produced by People do not know how to put stones and bricks together as the ancients did, and conseguently the bulldings raised | nowadays are really mere temporary structures and will be in ruins when the anclent buildings of Greece and Italy, which were built thousands of years ago, | are in as good conditlon as they are now. The secret is not in the bricks or the stone, but In the cement and mortar. but only for | When the fllicit substitution was made but 17% points of gold was left in each melt, reducing them in value many thou- sands of dollars. At the annual inspection of the mints the melts are placed on scales and if they are of the correct weight they are passed without comment. No assays are taken. A bronzed color was given the spurious bars by painting them with acid and after ectors Lad a casual examination the i no hesitancy in accepting them for w! they purported to be in fineness. All this was done under the regime that ened in 1894. With a change of administration came a change in the heads of the departments in the Mint. Hirsch Harris, a Genoa mer- chant, was given a political plum, but while he might have been proficient in the disposition of his wares, his knowledge of Mint affairs was limited to what he had read of and heard about. He had had no practical experience, and when Jones offered to remain in the department his assistant he gladly accepted the prop- osition and set about to become acquaint- ed with his new duties. He cast the bulk of the responsibility upon Jones and so- as o reither of which essentials can the mod- erns make as the ancients snade them. In modern buildings the cement and mortar are the weakest points: in build- ings which the Romans and Greeks rais-a thousands of years ago the cement and mortar are the strongest points and hold gcod while the very stones.they bind to- gether crumble away with age. We can- not, with all our science, make such ce- ment and mortar. Modern chemists cannot compound such dyes as were commonly used when the great nations of to-day were still unborn. Now and again it happens that searchers after antiquities come across fragments of fabrics which were dyed thousands of years ago, and they are astonished by the wonderful richness of the colors of the cloths, which, despite their age, are brighter and purer than anything pro- duced nowadays. Modern artists buy their colors ready made and spend largs sums of money on pigments with which to color their can- vases. The pictures of modern artists will be colorless when many of the works of ancient mastgrs are as bright as they are to-day. Just as the secret of dyveing has been lost, so has the secret of preserving the colors of artists’ paints. Yet the secret was known to every ancient artist, for they all mixed their own colors. Look at any letter, five or ten years old, and you will probably notice that the writing has faded to a brown color and is “+ very indistinct. Go to any big museum and you will find ancient MSS. the writ- ing_of which is as black and distinct as if tha"MSS. were written the day before yes- terday. The secret of glassblowing and tinting is not yet entirely lost; there are still a few men who can produce glass work equal o the things of this kind which the ancients turned out hundreds of years ago. But the average glass manufacturer cannot produce anything that could at ail compare with some of the commoner ar- ticles the Egyptians and, later, the found- ers of Venice, manufactured; and those who still hold the ancient secret guard it so closely that it wili probably die with them. licited his advice In all matters, leaving the management of the entire department in his keeping and resting easy under the confidence he reposed in his subordi- nate. Shortly after Harrls' incumbency orders were received from Washington to com- solidate a number of melts that had been stored for years in the vaults. They all varied in fineness, and after the new metal had been molded into bars they were chipped for assay purposes. The defleiency in gold gave the officlal cause for alarm. He consulted his trusted serv- ant, but always received the assurance that everything would be all right. A general clean-up was made, the chvmneys were cleaned and the sweepings of . the floors preserved. It was soon evident that the loss had not been incurred by waste, and Harris made a report to his supe- rlors. Andrew Mason, chief of the New York assay office, was dispatched to the coast with instructions to probe the mat- ter to the bottom. During the progress of his trial Jones maintained a demeanor of indifference and reiterated to his friends his promise that when given an opportunity he would dispel the cloud of suspicion shading that particular era of his life. He sald he would walk from the courtroom a free man, exonerated and a hero because of the humiliation and mental anguish pressed upon him by bungling officials. His promises were unfulfilled. The prosecution conducted by General Robert M. Clark was built upon some sound grounds. Tt was established that a short- age existed in the Mint and that it was the result of theft. The methods of the robbers were exposed, and even the par- ticular melts from which the gold had been extracted were specified. Then the accuser pointed his finger at the defend- ant, John T. Jones, and offered to the jury evidences of his guilt. The first trial resulted in a disagree- ment. The people of the town sympa- thized with the man on trial, and every consideratton and assistance in the hour of his embarrassment were extended him. During the first trial the promised vin- dication did not come, but there was to be another induisition and, with it, an- other opportunity. The secogd trial only served to strengthen'the presumption of guilt. The defense attempted to show that inexperienced hands had allowed the precious metal to escape in solution. As- says were taken from the soil at the mouth of the drain pipe, but the report offered the defense differed vastly from that made by the Government assayers. Agaln it was offered as evidence that bul- llon had escaped with the smoke through the flues. This was so apparently ridieu- lous that Sam Davis, the humorist, in a burst of witticlsm, painted word plctures of “Golden Sunsets” and “Clouds with stlver linin as gracing the Nevada skies. The evidence pro and con. placed the case In a condition that Jones' pre- vious good character alone remained on his side of the balance. Had it been left to a popular vote, even at that stage, the unfortunate man would never have gone to prison, but the jury was instructed to judge according to the law and the evi- dence, and in doing so pronounced the words of doom. One week later Jones re- ceived his sentence. In a comfortable home on the west side of town lived the convict's family. Thith- er he went in company with Warden L. 0. Henderson of the Nevada penitentiary to tell his wife and babies that they must face the world alone for awhile and to bid them adieu. Those of the sorrowing household felt the parting keenly, for a man never treated his family with more consideration than did this husband and father. The luxuries that had been af- forded by his stealings were distributed at his fireside, and his spouse and children were now willing to suffer his disgrace, grant him forgiveness and give him an assurance that, although behind prison bars, he would always be in their hearts. Four weeping bables watched him from the doorway as he was led away: Ethel, aged 10; Rodney, three years younger: Enos, aged 4, and Baby Jack, who had seen but two summers. It was true that they must fight life’s battles alone. Onme revelation Jones made to his wife at parting was that he was penniless, the residue of his ill-gotten gains having teen spent in preparing a defense that proved faulty. Soon after the period of his Incarceration commenced the home was sold to pay attormey fees, and the belated family came to San Fran- cisco. Then the struggle really began For five years Mrs. Jones has lived in humble quarters and eked out an exist- ence for herself and little ones. Through her efforts the elder children are being educated, and when not at school they render assistance in supplying for them- selves the necessities of life. The strain has left telling marks on the health of the noble woman, and the children, more than any one else, knew what the result might be. The repeated efforts of their father's friends to secure his release were all for naught, and they had almost reconciled themselves to the Inevitable of eing him languish in prison until the law's will was done. The announced visit of McKin- ley gave the first ray of light to dispel the disheartening gloom. They had heard of the executive’s phil- anthropy, and reached for the tender spot in his heart. By reputation he was a good. kind man, and he certainly could not bs deaf to the pleadings of four little ones made fatherlesa by the arm of the law. Long before the Presidential party ar- rived the petition was prepared. It was read and re-read, altered and dressed in terms that would best express all that they wanted to tell of their miserabls lives and of the sunshine that awalted them If their prayer was heard. The doc- ument was the work of the eldest daugh- ter, Ethel, now 15 years of age. She told of the struggle that had continued in the home since the Warden took Its bread- earner away. In touching language she spoke of her mother’s health, and con- cluded with this sentence: “If you don't let father out we will soon have no mother.” At times they wondered if an opportu- nity of seeing the great President would ever present itself. The illness of Mrs. McKinley and the Infrequency with which her husband appeared on the streets al- most tempted them to intrust the paper to some one who had the President's ear. They knew it was impossible to secure an audience at the Scott home, and oppor- tunities seemed dwindling away. Chief of Police Sullivan, they thought, might bo asked for assistance, but when the dark angel receded from the sick woman's cot they concluded that little Rodney should at least make an attempt to present the petition himself. The lad, when he was not selling papers at Sutter and Kearny streets, watched for a chance. He lingered near the Scott home and followed the carriages wherever the President went. For a time he met with no success. He was not quick enousgh or he was held back at too great a dis- tance to accomplish his mission. On the afternoon of the Knights Tem- plar parade Rodney lingered near the Pal- ace Hotel. He saw the President's car- riage wait, and elbowed his way into the front rank of the crowd. When McKinley was about to step into the carriage he broke through the lines and rushed to- ward him. The big policeman had not an- ticipated the move. Looking up into the benevolent face the lad held the petition in his outstretched hand. The President took it, smiled and thrust it into his overcoat pocket. The big policeman, having recovered from his surprise, Jammed the youthful petitioner back into the crowd and the ecarriage rolled away. But the boy was happy. He thought he saw a reason to hope in Me- Kinley's smile. Weeks have passed and no answer In the nature of officlal action has been re- ceived. The mother and children tofl in the same old way and the father remains in prison. The children wonder if their supplication has ever been heard, or whether it remains unread in the Presi- dent’s overcoat pocket. .l._ Dugls n the Days cof Yore HE duel, which we assoclate espe- clally with France and Italy, was probably derived from the barbarous north. Nor did it at the outset touch the point of honor. It was rather an ap- peal from the judgment of a man to the judgment of an all-wise Providence. The ordeal by duel, in fact, was a rough-and- | ready kind of justice with divine sanc- tion. If a man had been wronged by his neighbor he challenged him to mortal combat, he accepted the result without question, and if death did not accompany defeat the gallows awaited the miscreant who was worsted in the fray. And, as be- came an affair of justice, the duel was solemnly arranged and solemnly attended. The King, who permitted it, commonly witnesseq it with all his court, so that it was often a stately pageant. Such a duel took place in 1549 between the Baron | @'Aguerre and the Lord of Fendilles. Henrl IT of France forbade it, but the Duc de Bouillon granted the lists in his own country and the battle took place at Sedan. The cavse of the quarrel is imma- terfal, and the duel is chiefly remarkable for the truculence which inspired the Lord of Fendilles to prepare a gibbet angd a fire for his adversary when he should have vanquished him. But pride had its fall, the Baron d'Aguerre was victorious, the gibbet was never used and we are left with a strange comment upon the man- | ners of the fifteenth century. More re- | markable still, because it lies outside the ‘rules of chiva was the fight between | two tallors. These persons, two common | Journeymen, were not permitted any oth- er weapons than wooden clubs and trian- | gular shields, and were compellea by | strict ordinance to fight to the death. As they entered the lists they cut an odd figure. They were shaved and barefooted. Their nails were pared and their leathern clothes were tightly sewed upon them. Be- fore they began to fight they demanded grease, wood ashes and sugar—grease for the besmearing of their garments, wood ashes that their hands might be better able to hold their clubs and sugar to allay { their thirst. The fight, of course, was a | piece of crude brutality; the victor tore out the eves of his victim and flung him aver the stockade for the hangman to fin- ish on his gibbet.—London Spectator. - - Beauty Hints H OW {s the time of year when peo- hands write to the papers and ask for beauty hints of various kinds. This makes it recessary for all well regu- to answer these frequently puzzling que- ries. For instance: “Edito- Beauty—Hints Department: Answer: “Easy. Hold your breath. Be sure to hold it long enough.” Editor B.—H. Departme: ple with much leisure on their lated journals to have an expert on hand How can I cure myself of hiccoughing ously troubled with sunburn. I am seri- Is there any simple way of removing it Answer: “Have you tried sandpaper?” “Editor B.—H. Department: I am a fresh young girl of nine—nine in the fam- ily. Can you send m: some simple yet p-rmanent recipe for dveing my hair a fawn color?” Answer: “All our recipes are permanent, hut we are afraid fawn color will come foo deer.” “Editor B.—H. Department: What do you recommend for chilblains?” Answer: “Our winter scrapbook of recipes is mis- laid. Write us again in December.” “Editor B.—H. Department: My teeth hurt me when I bite on solid food. Wha do you recommend for thi “Soup.” “Editor B.—H. Department: Do any of the leading authorities indorse the use of arseniec for the complexion?" Answer “Arsenic is highly recommended by all coroners who have to depend on fees for a living.” “Editor B.—H. Department: What i3 the best means for whitening the com- plexion?" Answer: “Authorities differ. Some recommend bathing; othe say soap. Try a combination of both. “Editor B.—H. Department: I am sub- ject to erying spells, and just as soon as I stop crying my nose gets violently red. What can you suggest for this mortifying habit?" Answer: “Don't stop crying.” “Editor B.—H. Department: Please send me the recipe entitled #low to be beauti- ful forever,” together with the best form- ula for making the elixir of life.” An- swer: “We 4> nof answer communica- tlons written on one side of the paper only—when unaccompanied by stamps. Besides, you neglect to state your name as a mark of good faith. In addition, your writing is =o illegible that we cannot make it out. If not too old, why don't you go to night school?"—Cleveland Plain Dealer.