The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 14, 1904, Page 8

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1904 es Warning to Germany. | | & | RLIN. nderce 6.—Wilhelm pecial ¢ B 3 Ka the veteran member of the| German Reichstag, who has startled his countrymen by declaring that the| tish navy is becoming a menace to | von ermany, has achieved political fame ®nd honor despite the fact that he has | for more than fifty years been without | & nose. Kardorff fought a bloody ra-| pier duel with a fellow student \\‘mlsi‘ e R e e oy S uspecs | VON DORFF. GERMANY'S | STATESMA SAYS | BRITISH NAVY IS A N E. | &t Heidelberg University in the ’40's, the combat ending in the lopping off, close to the forehead, of his proboscis &s the result of a deadly slash directed | by his antagonist. It might have been | veplaced, it is said, had not the sur- geon been forestalled by one of the big | miastiffs that generally attend their masters at these encounters. In conse- quence a wax _nose had to be subs tuted for the severed member and has done service all these years. So clever is the imitation that persons who are | not in the secret have no reason what- ever to suspect that it is artificial. | Kardorff is 76 years old and has been a dominant figure in the Reichstag for the past thirty years. He crossed swords upon many occasions with Bis- mar(‘k and even to-day, at his ad-| vanced age, is one of the most forceful and feared debaters in the House. His epeciaities are protection and bimetal- lism—a combination that will strike American politicians as unique. Of an old Prussian family, Von Kardorft springs from typical “Junker” or land- baron stock, and is accordingly one of the pillars of German agrarianism, that powerful political sect which refuses to recognize that modern Germany has lost its status as an agricultural state and must arrange its fiscal policy to meet the demands of industry, which is now the nation's support. It was Kar- dorff and the influence of his imme- Ajate following that saddled the present high tariff upon Germany, with its co- lossal grain and cereal duties, and con- sequent hardships upon the working classes. To the policy which he has helped to fasten upon the country is due in large measure the rise and pros- perity of Social Democracy, which ex- ploited “bread usury” (high tariff on grain) to the full at last year's Reich- stag election and captured dozens of new strongholds. Kardorff is an emphatic and some- | times erratic talker. Some of his out- bursts, like his recent reference to the menace of the British fleet, have pro- voked critics to call him a “welsser hLitzkopf”—a white-headed alarmist. Yet he is‘one of Germany's most pic- turesque political figures and will be widely missed when he passes off the stage of active political life. Dominion Day. It is thirty-seven ,years since the sca‘tered provinces of Canada were consolidated into one Dominion wnich gave birth to the impulse of nation- hood. The start was r-ade by men of great faith—men who believed in the ability of the people to make the Do- minion strong and great. That faith has been more than justified. The pulse of the nation beats with full and quickening life. The most sanguine an- ticipations of those who laid the foun- dations of the m are being real- lowed Dby fuller and clearer un- derstandings, differences which | istration, and in the work of economic | after entering the business, | records of deaths, are by no means in- religious hav: led to broader toler-|living it.—Lahore (Indla) Tribune, ation, but, looking around us and above us, there is hardly a cloud visi- ble on the sky. The sun of Canada’s prosperity shines clear and high.—Ot- tawa Free Press, B. Com., the New Degree. There is to be a facuity of commerce at the University of Manchester, and, according to the first prospectus which has been issued, two commercial de- grees are provided for—"B. Com.” and “M. Com.” To obtain these degrees students must master the study of economics, | an analysis of industries from the in-i ternational standpoint, accounts, mod- | ern history, trade geography, lan- guages and general commercial law. | “Bachelors of Commerce” must pass in from eight to ten subjects, and the| “Master of Commerce” degree is con- | ferred on B. Coms. who offer “a dis sertation on some subject approved by | the faculty.” The fees for each sub- jx‘(l are from 6s 6d to 5. The faculty has.been founded with | the object of affording a systematic training in higher commercial subjects, in the study of government and admin- | | and social investigation The facuity is designed for all classes | of students who desire to train them- | selves in the “business sclences,” for | those who can give the wlole of their time for three years after leaving | school, those who cannot give their full’ time, but will carry on their stud- | ies in the evening or at other times and «those who can devote on’y evenings or other portipns of their time to study. Classes are to be held in the day and the evening, and the course for the de- gree may be taken in small portions, so that there is rothing to debar any of these classes of students from offering themselves for the degree.—St. James Gazette. | | Suicide Impuisc at Sea. 1 — | Births, marriages and deaths are| cases of suicide, | swelling the very common at sea; although not materially frequent. It often happens that mental | depression is accentuated by the vast- | ness and solitude of the ocean. The sense of loneliness, helplessness and in- significance has been known to develop into suicidal tendencies. Strangely enough, during an actual tempest the sense of self-preservation seems to overpower the desire for self-destruc- tion. Some months ago a young lady | on board a steamer bound for a Cana- | dian port evinced much apprehension | as to her safety during a violent storm Less than two days later, when the sea was calm and sailing conditions pleas- ant, she climbed over the bulwarks and threw herself into the ocean. The fascination of watching tha swift flow of water from th> propellers at the stern of a vessel is a well-known cause of suicide. Even sailors who have gazed down at the surging stream have been overcome with the morbid impulse to leap into it. In the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, Lascars, mad with heat, have leaped out of the en- gine-room and at a bound have dived overboard, never to be :een again. Lack of success in America or Aus-| tralia has driven many an emigrant to | seek oblivion in suicide. Two cases oc- curred last year of unsuccessful men who drowned themselves when in sight of the old country.—London Mail. i Cost of Edward’s Coronation. | The cost of the coronation of King | Edward V1I, details of which were re- cently published, establishes a record | for modern times.: It was considered, until recently, a lordly and magnifi- cent thing for the subjects of George IV to spend £238,238 in putting a crown on his head, but we have eclipsed their lavishness by £121,000. William IV and Queen Adelaide were content with a modest £50,000. It is not easy, says the London Chronicle, to understand in what King Edward’s £259,000 was sunk, | not so easy, at least, as in the case of | George IV—a sumptuous record of| whose coronation proved teo costly to | finish. The part which did appear con- | tained seventy- three colored drawings, | “finished like enamels, on velvet and! white satin.” Each portrait cost fifty | guineas. A different spirit animated | Earl Grey, when defending the Ministry from a charge of unseemly mutilations | in regard to King William’s coronation. | “Jt was the hope of the King and the | Ministers,” he said, “to prevent a heavy burden from falling on the peo- ple.” The First Burmese Novel. A new departure in Burmese litera- ture, in the form ¢f a publication of a Burmese novel, has been welcomed in Burma, says a correspondent. To every one familiar with the lfterature of the | Burmese—and, unhappily, they = are | not many—there is no doubt that thl:, departure will be welcomed as a re- | lief from the tedious tales printed In ponderous volumes and written in con- ventional style. An educated Burman well known in Rangoon has had the happy idea of writing the novel somewhat on the lines of those issued daily by the publishers in other countries. The task was one be- set with many difficulties, the first and greatest of these being the lan- guage itself, for its flexibility in ex- pressing new ideas makes it, we are told, a very unwieldy instrument in the hands of even the most accomplish- ed scholar. The cause of this stiffness is to be found in the evolution of Bur- mese literature. The first Burmese novel which introduces this new de- parture from conventional literature, and surprised and even astonished Burmese readers, has appeared in ser- ial form in the Friend of Burma and will be shortly published in book form with illustrations. The Story is enti- tled “Maung Gin Manng Ma Maydo Vatthu.” It is interesting, we are assured, not only as to its pilot, but as giving much valuable insight into Bur- mese family life and mto the customs and practices of the Burmese people. Burmese life is painted, not 'as seen through European glasses, but from within by one who had lived and is ! enriches the importers. THE. SAN FRANCISCO: CALL JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor « < « 4 « + . . . Address All Communications to JOHN McNAUGHT, Manager Publication Office ......ceceesseeenennn. seeetetenaiisiiaiiseassesneanse sansaenaesos . Third and Market Streets, S. F. JULY 14, 1904 cssrere THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. THURSDAY HE speeches at the Democratic National Conven- T tion, which were addressed to any subject out- side the internal feuds of the party, were elabo- rate denials of any relation between Republican policy and the progress and prosperity of the country. If that be true, then no public political policy or method of ad- ministration can affect in any way the economic condi- tion and material progress of the people. This is the logic of the Democratic statement, and it makes idle the promises of the platform, which run to the subjects of taxation and prices, and promise “the rescue of she ad- ministration of the Government from the headstrong, arbitrary and spasmodic methods which" distract busi- ness by uncertainty and pervade the public mind with | dread, distrust and perturbation.” This platform expression is lifted bodily out of the trust organs. They used it in every impressive form when President Roosevelt ordered the seven cases brought against the trusts, and were frantically dupli- cated when each of the suits was won. No legitimate business interest of the country has felt any dread of | Republican policy or adntinistration, nor any uncer- tainty. What those business interests require is the gold standard of value, assuring financial stability and adherence to our economic and revenue policy of pro- tection. The gold standard plank of the platform, as first agreed upon and then struck out to please and placate Bryan, was a lying evasion, which every gold standard Democrat knows to be false. A party that proposed to be false about a policy of such importance, -and finally made a cowardly surrender, is not fit to be trusted with its maintenance, no matter what may be the pres- ent position of its candidate, who twice voted to destroy the gold standard. The plank, as framed and then killed, “The discoveries of gold the past few said: within | years and the great increase in the production thereof adding two thousand million dollars to the world’s sup- ply, of which seven hundred millions fall to the share of the United States, have contributed to the maintenance of a money standard of value no longer open to question, removing that issue from the field of political conten- tion.” No political utterance by any party in this country was ever as seamed and scarred, embossed and em- broidered with contemptible cowardice and purulent dishonesty as that. The Republicans and Democrats who stood for the gold standard in 1806 made it possible and finally secured it by legislation enacted independently of any increase in the supply of gold. That increase had nothing to do with the adoption of the standard and has no influence whatever upon its maintenance. The plank boasted that seven millions of the increased supply have come to the United States. That is true. It is also true that if Bryan, John Sharp, Williams, Champ Clark, Judge Parker and the big and little deities of the party could have had their way and adopted free silver, not a single dollar of the increased supply of gold would have come to us, nor would there be left with us a single dol- lar of the stock that was on hand when these men were oozing enthusiasm at Chicago over Bryan's eross-of-gald speech, or supporting his pretenses. It is a poor com- pliment to the common sense of men like Ben Cable, Charles S. Hamlin, Thomas Taggart and Robert Patti- son, gold Democrats -and delegates at St. Louis, that they should agree to submit to such an untrue state- ment of a scientific situation. The platform is intolerably verbose and repetitious, and presents only three issues—tariff, taxation and the Philippines. As for the tariff, there is no half way tinker’s shop nor cobbler’s stall between protection and free trade. Each represents an economic principle that may be defended. There can be no hybrid between them. If protection enrich manufacturers, free trade If promoting the private busi- ness, the employing and consuming capacity of men, is bad, then we must stop doing anything, and protection and free trade are open to the same impeachment. The Democratic platform proposes a mule tariff, something that is meither horse nor ass, but has long ears and can bray. If it had boldly declared for free trade the party would have been entitled to respect. But its tariff ex- pression is worthy to sit in the stocks with the gold standard hypocrisy to be egged by the people. The people are informed that they are taxed within an inch of their lives to ‘support the Federal Govern- ment. As the indisputable official figures show that Federal taxation, interest on the public debt and all amounts to just two cents per day per capita, the bur- den will be a light one to lift, and won’t be missed when it is lifted. . The Philippine issue will be discussed separately. The significant feature of the convention was its domi- nation by Southern men. Jones of Arkansas, chairman hundred | of the National Committee, called it to order and intro- duced Williams of Mississippi as temporary chairman, and he was succeeded by Champ Clark of Missouri as permanent chairman, and Daniel of Virginia was chair- man of the platform committee. Every one of these was a free silver man and cursed Cleveland in 1896. Their lack of principle is the smallpox which infects the party | they control. e — Annaklahaash, chief of the Juneau Indians, in token of peace and friendliness has sent a splendid totem to President Roosevelt. admires the gift and appreciates the spirit of the simple giver, it is likely that even the Presidential contempt for difficulties will be awed at an attempt to pronounce that name. l proud of the pre-eminence of their State and of its citizens who are gifted in such ways as to attract at- tention wider and longer than the commonwealth itself, that the oratorical fame of Mr. Delmas does not have to rest upon his speech at St. Louis nominating Hearst. He put his goods on a falling market, and though flat- tery, sugared and scented, plays through the speech like lightning through a summer cloud, it is known that it was insufficient to sate Hearst’s appetite. He indulged in a variety of comparisons to bring out in higher relief the ascriptions to his candidate, and among them compared him to the pole star. That is not original. The pole star has been an oratorical property ever since it was used to fix the points of the compass. With the task he had in hand Mr. Delmas should not have borrowed a figure from Bossuet, Burke, Shakespeare and a large lot of geniuses and gentlemen who while alive used the pole star as a horse to draw the THE SPEECH OF DELMAS. T is gratifying to intellectual Californians, who are While the President undoubtedly | plow of their oratory through the intellectual glebe of their time. Why was he not original? Why did he not take the pole star in hand in a new way? This he could have done by comparing the pole star to Hearst and not Hearst to the star. If he had pictured the solitary star, hanging in the north heavens just at the edge of the Big Dipper, twinkling green with envy because Hearst excels it in standing hitched, he would have struck out a new idea in oratory. He also presented Hearst as “true as the needle to the pole.” That also is old. It was first used by a Chinese coolie 3200 B. C. What an opportunity Mr. Delmas lost by imitation instead of originality! He should have had the needle divorcing itself from its long devotion to the pole and turning upon its pivot point to Hearst as the new pole and incarnation of constancy. When he had a client who can gorge that sort of thing and upon whom it acts neither as a cathartic nor emetic, but who can always gorge more, he should have lived up to his opportunity. As it is the fame of Delmas is neither advanced nor set back by a speech that was all plain and no pinnacles. Announcement comes from St. Petersburg that here- after political prisoners will not be condemned to the dread tortures of Siberia without a trial before a regu- larly organized court. While the reform may not be more than a formality, it indicates that the leaven of civilization is working in Russia and that after all the Czar is amenable to criticism from his neighbors. And the Russian Government needs sorely now the friend- ship of the vast and diverse interests that form the em- pire. T expression against consolidation with Oakland. They exhibit much feeling in the matter and some alarm. It was concluded by the meeting that safety should be sought in the adoption of a freeholders’ char- ter. The Call has no desire to advocate or oppose the ALAMEDA WON'T TRAIN. HE people of Alameda have made a representative proposition to unite the great population on the east side | of the bay in one government, but the plan is before the | public and there is no room for doubt that it will be in issue until a definite settlement is made. Such a settlement can only be secured by going ahead to a finality. The Alamedans fear a change in the stat- utes of the State which will compel them to submit to be “gobbled,” as they call the proposed process. They are of the opinion that they can make a new charter, to be ratified by the Legislature, making permanent. their | individual government. Thereafter a consolidation -t would find a charter in the way which could be amended by consolidation, but the people would vote on the amendment. But after such new charter is adopted the argument for consolidation and its economies will be strengthened. A new charter will increase the cost of the individual government, as it has in Oakland and as it will in Berkeley if that city adopt the same expedi- ent. If the thin popllations were consolidated they would make the second municipality in the State. We do not say that there is anything in mere size, but it is claimed that a common government for them all will be a better government and more economical. It is easily foreseen that the discussion of the issues is destined to cause much heat and friction between the | There is bad blood over it now, | people of the east side. and it will get no better until some sort of settlement is reached. It will enter into district afld State and county politics, and will cause a constant turmoil gnd confusion. It seems that a little wisdom and good feeling will save all of this and bring the issue to a test that will be ac- cepted as final. Instead of the people of Berkeley and Alameda rush- | ing into a new charter campaign, why not get together with Oakland and agree to constitute a representative | commission from each town, empowered to get together and see what kind of a general charter can be framed for a common government of them all, each retaining its present name and place on the political map of the | State, after the borough plan which put New York and | Brooklyn under one government, leaving them still known as New York and Brooklyn? It is better to defer a fight over the matter until a compromise like that has been tried. Such a common charter would have to go to the Legislature. It is pos- sible, too, that it would require an amendment to the State constitution, so that the finality in either event would not be imminent, and the people would have time for ample consideration of the whole matter in coolness and not in heat of temper. The underlying facts of taxation and expense could all be developed and com- pared with what can be fairly predicted of the new gov- ernment, and as a result many men might change their minds. Perhaps those who now favor consolidation would get light leading them to abandon it. On the other hand those now in opposition might be led by facts and comparisons to go to the other side. The legal phase of the subject is very interesting in- deed. The whole State is interested in the questions it will raise. There are other town$ that will wanf to economize or satisfy their ambitions by consolidating. At present it is an untried field, as proposed on the east side. The city and county consolidation of San Fran- cisco was a different matter entirely. It dealt with a duality of government over the same population. The merger was easy. No heartburnings about going off the map were caused by it. No pride of municipal in- dividuality had to be wounded. The only issue was the substitution by the same population of one government for two. It is already obvious that the east side cannot be sim- ilarly consolidated. Individuality must be respected.and how can this be done except by borrowing from the ex- perience of New York and adopting the borough system? A saloon-keeper was brought before the bar of an Oakland ]ud(e the other day on a charge of selling liquor to girls in his groggery. In Oakland this is a serious offense, and the defendant forfeited $1250 and his license in penalty. What a curious and sensational situation would develop in San Francisco if we could find a Judge with the same opinions and the courage to enforce them as this Oakland protector of youth and morals. —_—— A South American ant, that preys upon and destroys that pest of the cotton fields, the boll weevil, has been discovered and ingroduced with instant success into the plantations of Texas and other Southern States. It now remains to be seen if the ant, after annihilating the boll weevil, is not more dangerous than has been his victim to the cotton crop Chasing “Business” Principles. John J. Fitzgerald is the well known a fad—business principle. Mrs. Fitz does not possess all the acumen of gains—small bargains—any kind of bargains, so John J. thinks, and he enjoys trying to break her to the very useful habit. Look out for the nickels and the $5 pieces will roll themselves along, is a pet axiom with him. Fitz not mean in hisfrugality, but, onthe contrary, is the soul of generosity. His econcmy is not a mania, only a prin- ciple. While in this city observing the Fourth festivities they boarded a Haight street car, seating themselves ‘on the outside. The conductor gave Fitz a nickel short in the change and when the passenger promptly protest- | ed the rallroad man corrected his error with due apologies. Fitz pointed a moral from the incident for Mrs. F.'s benefit. “Now, you see how I made my case | good. I upheld a principle and saved imy money as well. You, doubtless, | would have let it go. That's just like |a woman.” | In his oratorical exultation he flour- | ished the hand that held the coin and — o+ | | e B { FOUND HIS NICKEL BUT LOST HIS RIDE > HAD TO PAY i FARE TWICE, 1 - accidentally dropped it in the street. {On the spur of the moment and in pursuit of his pet ‘“principle,” he | sprang after the nickel. He sprawled | | into a puddle of water and as the con- | ductor did not see him get off, the car ‘\wnt on going rapidiy and left him. Fitz found the five-cent piece but had | to take the next car and hand it over to the railrcad company for his fare. Now when Fitz gets to holding forth on business principle Mrs. F. speaks | of the expensiveness of riding on street | cars and Fitz changes the topic of con- | versation to chickens. . o | Pn‘mutmn. When you're going to the races or out to view the fair; ‘When you pine for relaxation from the daily round of care; | ‘When you're starting to the neashore or the mountains cool and hig Don’t forget that you'll be wlnlln‘ to start homeward by and by. Though the distance seems alluring with a prospect all sublime, Get a round- trip ticket Every time. |'If you're longing for an office well above i ~ _your present lot, Just keep a string tied to the situation that you've got. If you feel the thrill of genius rising chicken farmer of Santa Rosa. He has | John J. in the matter of driving bar-. | | | the Pacific April 21, eleven days being | | quently with alum water, B S ———— dollars one day and not as many cents the next, yes; luck was with him and no matter what the fluctuations were John C added to his bank gccount until he did not know how much ! money stood to his credit. Swelled up with his good fortune he saw fit to of- | fend one of the “Big Four” and it was | decided to take John C down a peg or two In his pomposity and planned well to attack his stock dea's. The result has been cited above. In |less than twelve months he did not |own a single share. His home, his | horses and all he had on earth was gone and what was still worse his wife left him in a few more years, going to Europe, where she died. And now John C- is a pauper with his eity address not mentioned in the direc- tory. Such is the history of one; thers are, or were, many others whose history fits this of poor John C——. A Famous Clipper. The achievements of the flve-masted steel bark Preussen, 5081 tons, built in 1902, for the Laelsz shipping agency of Hamburg, the largest square-rigged bark in the world, has excited much interest of late. The most remarkable performance of the Preussen thus far has been the completion of the voy- age from the channel to Iquique, Chile, a distance of 12,000 miles, In 57 days—about the time made by the steam freighters engaged in the South American trade. On this voyage the | vessel took her departure from Oues- | sant March 5, 1903, and crossed the line March 18, thirteen days out, | establishing a record never before equaled by a sailing ship. The parallel of 50 degrees south in the At- lantic was attained April 10, and in thus spent in weathering that most tempestuous of regions, Cape Horn. From noon of April 23 to noon of April 24 the vesel laid down 363 miles to her credit, this being the best day's run throughout the voyage. The an- chor was dropped in the harbor of Iquique May 1, fifty-seven days from point of departure to destination.— Geeographic Magazine. Answers to Queries. CHICKENS—J. C. §., Santa Rosa, Cal. Chickens to the value of $25 are exempt from execution. DEER SEASON—Subseriber. City. The deer season in Sonoma County opens July 15 and closes September 1. In other counties the season remains open until October 1. THE FERRY CLOCK—A. M. D, Vi- salia, Cal. The dlameter of the face of the clock in the tower of the ferry building at the foot of Market street, San Francisco, is twenty-two feet. TO TOUGHEN SKIN—H. C. J., City. The skin on the back of the hands may be toughened by washing fre but such will not improve the appearance of the hands. . SOVEREIGN GRAND LODGE - Constant Reader, City. The Sovereign Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows will be in session in San Francisco from September 19 to 24, inclusive, 1904. DARLING—A. S, City. “Darling” is the Anglo-Saxon “deorling,” the dimin- utive of “deor”—dear. Darling is there- fore “little dear,” and should not be ap- plied by children or young persons to flerce within your soul, Don’t forget about the dollar that secures your meat and coal. | Be brave and face the future with its starry heights to climb, But take a round- rip ticket Every time. —Exchange. Now and Then. Now and then. yes. This is just what presented itself in July, 1904, as compared with July, 1874, when, sit- | ting on a dirt box in the City Hall | courtyard with his two hands resting | on the head of a hooky cane and all supporting his head, the forehead of which he gently rested on the back of his hands, patiently waiting for the Almshouse ambulance to arrive and convey him to what will be his last resting place this side of the potters’ field. The man for the present is John C , well, the blank will do much better than to give his right name, as to mention it would only Infllct addi- tional terture to his mind. “Mr."—yes—for to call hlm plain John C- , when in his palmy days he was worth a cool million of dol- lars with a residence then second to none in San Francisco, a stable of half a dozen or the very best Hambleton- ians, the stalls of which were fitted out in cedar, rosewood, mahogany and other choice timbers—would be re- sented with words not to be forgotten by the offending persons. John C—— lived not very far from Hyde and California streets, where strangers visiting our city were invariably in- vited to take a look at the most mag- nificent residence then in the city. It was during the stock boom of the early "70's that John C—— was one of the richest stock brokers dabbling in Hale & Norcross, Crown Point, Best & Belcher and a few other stocks that were known to be worth hundreds of people older than themselves, DAGO—N,, City. Dago is said to be a corruption by American and English saflors of the Spanish name Diego (James), applied from its frequency to the whole Spanish people. It was orig- inally applied to one born of Spanish blood and used as a proper name. Now the corruption of the name is extended to Spaniards, Portuguese and Italians. BONFIRES—C. A. B, San Leandro, Cal. The igniting of bonfires on mid- summer eve, June 23, the eve of St John's day, was part of one of the most joyous festivals of Christendom during the Middle Ages. From the account of Jakob Grimm in Deutsche Mytholo- gle the festival seems to have been ob- served with similar rites in all coun- tries of Europe. Fires were kindled in the streets and market places chiefly, were blessed by the parish priest and prayer and praise offered until they burned out, but usually they were sec- ular in character and conducted by the laity. The young people leaped over the flames or threw flowers and gar- lands into them. Jumping through the | fiames was not a display of agtlity, buc in obedience of an ancient custom, which, it is asserted, prevailed before ‘was the belief that the souls of all peo- ple who slept on St. Joha's eve would leave the body wander to the place