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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1907)
8 THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, OCTOBER 20, 1907. IBS LPEST WW&Qh America's Newest Fad is a Good Luck Sign Used Thousands of Years Before the Christian Era 0 90 -2 mo wao tm no .v i j se BY JOHN ELFRE-ia W ATKINS. THE "swastika" fad, which lately started in France, is now sweep ing over America from the At lantic to the Pacific. Everywhere we .re seeing this oldest of known symbols on scarfplns, hatpins, belt buckles, pocketbooks, embroideries, pottery and what not. In the revival of this mys terious design history Is oddly repeat ing Itself. It was the fad of the primi tive decorators of the bronse and iron ages In Europe, Asia, Africa and America long before history dawned, anu now, after a hiatus of countless millenniums. It agalns takes the the lead In human prefercence. Although this prehlstorlo symbol is now teen everywhere in the land and is being worn by hundreds of thousands of people, only a small percentage of Its beholders or of Its wearers, even, can so much as name It. As to its origin, no one knows that not even the archaeologists who have spent lifetimes in endeavoring to fathom its mysteries. It was Invented long before history dawned, and had reached the new world long before Colum bus, or even Lief Ericsson, had put foot upon American soil. , Universal Good Luck. Sign. The swastika Is a cross whose four arms ,of equal length, are bent at right angles' and in the same direction, right or left. Although the symbol has been called by many names In many lands, nearly all countries have now accepted for it the ancient Sanskrit name "swastika," a word which illustrated the sounds of the letter A In Sanskrit grammar. In the esti mation of various writers It has been re spectively the emblem of the sun, rain, Bky and fire gods of various primitive peo ples; of Zeus, the ruling god of the Greeks, and, in some primitive religions, of the great God. the Maker and Ruler of the universe. It has also been variously held to symbolize light, the forked lightning and water. It Is believed by some to be the oldest symbol of the Aryan peoples, while in the estimation of others it rep resents Brahma. It appears In the foot prints of Buddha, engraved upon the solid rock on the mountains of India. It was also used in connection with Jupiter, the ruling god of the Romans, and with the Scandinavian deity, Thor. But at all times the swastika appears to have been a charm or amulet, a sign of benediction, blessing, long life, good fortune or good luck. For what is known about the swastika today the world Is chiefly Indebted to Dr. Thomas Wilson, or Washington, who, until his recent death was curator of pre-hla-torlc anthropology in the United States National Museum. He made an exhaus tive study of Its migrations, and before he announced his results, not even the word "Swastika" appeared in either Web ster's or Worcester's dictionaries, while but one of our popular encyclopedias had a reference to It, and that was erroneous. Dr. Wilson found the lnslgna in the an tiquities of Persia and Egypt, of the pre historic bronze age in Europe, and of all the countries of the extreme Orient. From these most ancient habitations of man' he traced it into Africa and America. . AVas on the Breast of Buddha. In Japan it was found on statues of Buddha, one of which had eight such em " blems upon Its bronze pedestal. He also found that the Japanese employed it on their porcelains and bronzes. He discov ered it on articles from Korea, China, (Thibet and India. During a visit to the Chinese legation in Washington he found It on the stte robes of one of the at taches and was told that in the Chinese language it indicated "many," "a great Dumber" figuratively,- "long life" or "many years-." Through the. Chinese Min ister he received abstracts from historical Chinese works on the origin of the em blem in China. Among these was the work of an ancient BuddhlBt priest de Secret Marks on United State's It Took Collectors Nearly a, Quarier of a Century to Lay Bare SECRET marks long undiscovered and other peculiarities give exceptional value to many of the United States postage stamps Issued from 1870 to 1876. The stamps of 1870 were printed by the (National Bank Note Company and were all embossed In relief on the back. They consisted of 11 denominations one-cent, ultramarine, with the portrait of Frank lin; three-cent, green, portrait of Wash ington; six-cent, carmine, Lincoln; even-cent, vermilion, Stanton; ten-cent, brown, Jefferson; twelve-cent, violet. Clay; fifteen-cent, orange, Webster; twenty-four-cent, purple, Scott; thirty cent, black, Hamilton, and ninety-cent, carmine. Perry. In 187S the Continental Bank Note Com pany, of New York, got the contract for printing the stamps, and while It used the Identical plates of the former com pany its engravers added to each denomi nation a secret mark, almost undlscover able by the layman, that the two issues might be distinguished. The stamps were of the same general colors as the 1870 issue. - The secret marks remained unknown to stamp collectors until 1895, when a private mark- was found on the twelve cent stamp, and afterward mark after mark came to light until all the de nominations were found to have secret marks except the 24, 30 and 90-cent stamps. These were distinguished by other peculiarities. The stamps of the 1870-78 period can be divided into five general classes: Those of 1870-71, with embossing on the back; those of 1870-71, without embossing; the Continental Company's stamps of 1873; the stamps specially printed for sale to collectors In 1875, and, lastly, the regular Issue of 1875, of which the two denomina tions were specially printed. The rarest one-cent stamp of this series Is that of the special printing of 1875, which can be recognized by the fact that it Is printed on hard, white, woven paper Instead of the regular paper of the 1873 issue. Like the regular one-cent stamp of 1873 it bears a secret mark, which consists of a small crescent drawn Inside the first small white ball to the left of the large figure "1." This stamp unused is valued at 350. A stamp with the same mark but' on the regular paper Is worth tl, and that without any mark, the regular stamp of 1S70-71, with em bossing. Is valued at 17.60. The two-cent stamp of the special printing series Is also the rarest of the denomination of the period mentioned. The stamp is dark brown, is printed on the same paper as the one-cent and scribing the original Buddha as having the Swastika mark on his breast. He re ceived, through the legation, a series of India Ink drawings illustrating the sym bol used in this way. also as a sign for the sun, etc! According to this data it was the practice of the ancient Chinese to endeavor on the seventh day of the seventh month of each year to have spi ders weave the swastika on their webs and to thus be assured of good luck. This material also showed that the Chinese Emperor Tal Tsung over 1100" years ago Issued a decree forbidding the use of the swastika on silk fabrics manufactured for any purpose. Perhaps a swastika fad, then rampant in China, got on this Em peror's nerves. Prevent the Evil Eye. That it is common for the people of Thibet to tattoo the swastika on their hands Dr. Wilson learned through W. W. Rockhlll, our present Minister to China, who visited Thibet some years ago. It was learned also that the Thibetan wom en ornament their petticoats in this way and that It is also placed on the breasts of their dead. The symbol was found, too, upon Thibetan statues of Buddha. Besides appearing upon the carved foot prints of Buddha, In India, this sign was found on ancient Buddhist medals of the .same empire. Today In certain parts of India parents of young children liable to the "evil eye" draw it on their walls, be side their doorposts or paint it upon the shaven heads of their little ones when there is a wedding In the family. In Persia the symbol Is found on ancient coins and modern rugs. On a bas relief left by the Hlttltes it forms a 'border of the robe of a king or priest offering a sacrifice to a god. It was used also in the Caucasus as early as the first age of Iron and Is still used there In modern times for. the branding of Circassian horses. Many specimens of the swastika were dug out of the ruins of ancient Troy by Henry Schllemann. Some were found even among the remains of the first or oldest of the seven cities excavated. In this land of the fair Helen the ancient symbol was mostly used to decorate stone spindle whorls, although It was found also on pottery, balls, Idols and vases of the Trojans. . Used In 3000 B. C. Swastikas dating back to three mlllen iums before Christ have been found on pottery dug up In ancient Egypt. Others are found on the art works of the later Egyptians, down through . the dynasties of Greek influence. They have been dis covered on objects of pottery, bronze and gold ' belonging to the ancient Greeks, and It is remarkable that the Greek vases on which the swastika appears in largest proportion are the oldest those belonging to what antiquarians call the archaeic period. The ancients of Cyprus put the sign even on some of their statues. Including one of Aphrodite and another of a centaur. It was employed in Italy through all the epochs of the Etruscan and Roman and Into the Christian period. It was used in France during the bronze and iron ages and af ter the occupation of Gaul by Julius Caesar. The tribes of ancient Scandi navia and Britain punched It Into their bronzes and the "triskellon" which formed the armorial emblem of the Isl and of Sicily and also of the Isle of Man is said to have been a modification of It. ' Used by Oar Moundbullders. But that the swastika found Its way to America in prehistoric times is much more remarkable than the fact that it was so widely scattered over the Old World, with Its connected grand divis ions Dr. Edward Palmer, while exca vating certain haunts- of our ancient moundbullders, found It on a shell orna ment dug from a mound on Fains Isl and, Tennessee. The design on this shell ornament Is Inclosed by a circle and Dr. Wilson was the first to recognize It as a swastika. This find suggested to Dr. Wilson an investigation as to evidences of communication between the eastern shows a secret mark In the form of a short diagonal line under the scroll at the left of "U. S." This variety In un used condition is valued at 340; the stamp on the regular paper with the same mark at $1.50, and the stamp of the 1870-71 issue, with embossing, which does not show the mark at 35. The three-cent, blbe-green special print ing Btamp Is valued at 350. The secret mark consists of the lower part of the tall In the heavy shading of the left rib bon. The stamps on regular paper with the secret mark and that without It are both valued at Jl- On the six-cent dull rose stamp on- the bard white paper the first four vertical lines of the shading in the lower part of the left ribbon have been strengthened as a means of identification. This stamp, unused and in perfect condition. Is valued at $50. The same design on reg ular paper Is quoted at 31.75, while the one without the private mark is valued at 315, If embossed. The vermilion colored 7-cent stamp of the special series of 187E Is valued at 34ft. The characteristics which distinguish It consist of two small semicircles drawn around the ends of the line which out lines the ball In the lower right-hand cor ner. The same stamp printed on the regular paper Is quoted at $6, and the one without the mark and embossed on the back at $15, both of these quotations being for unused and perfect specimens. The 10-cent pale brown stamp on hard, white woven paper has a private mark In the form of a tiny crescent In the white ball at the right end of the upper label.. In unused state It Is valued at 350, the same design on regular paper being valued at $5. This denomination of the 1870-71 Issue, without mark, but showing a plain white ball at the end. of the label. Is also fairly rare, and is quoted at $36 in unused and mint condition with embossing. The rarest of the 12-cent stamps is that of the color of dull vloiet of the 1870-71 Issue. But three specimens of this stamp are known In unused condition, and the last one sold brought 3625, which is con sidered below its value today. This stamp was used on letters forward ed to Australia, and as there were no re mainders left when the issue was discon tinued the number of unused copies is re markably small. Even in used condition it Is scarce, and a fine specimen Is quoted at 375. The next In rarity of this denomination is the one of special printing which is dis tinguished from the first by a secret mark consisting or two small crescents In the figure "3" Instead tit round balls as on the others. The stamp, unused, is valued at 340. This stamp printed on regular paper when unused is quoted at $12. The last of the stamps of this series to bear a secret mark was that of 16 cents. In this the two lines forming a "V" In tha ? " W ..T 4 A-:-iV..- IS- JKo 7" BUPDHA - LIKE CARVING OF MOUWD , - ' V v f f, rl V V :," , PUILCE.R.S FOUND WITH SWASTKA L A i -h- . 11 LEFT HANJDAND RIGHT HANP (f 'Ji , " I'JyLi II swastikas , VJ. rk :-' - ;V' Sstyv JrXi ; - II and prehistoric Western Hemispheres. Whether there was Buddhism on our continent before' the advent of the whites was one of the first questions which suggested themselves to him. While making researches along this line he hap pened to find in the National Museum a mutilated and damaged she"; found with another swastika by an employe of the bureau of ethnology excavating ruins of the moundbullders In Big Toco mound. Monroe County, Tennessee. This shell bears a human figure which to all ap pearances represents one of the Buddhist divinities. Its material is similar to that of the hundreds of other relics of the prehistoric moundbullders found in the vicinity, yet parts of its style are differ ent from other. Images of the North American aborigines. The figure squats with knees outward and feet brought to gether, soles uppermost. It has a slim waist, winged arms, long feet, broad toes and triple lines of garters or anklets, all showing different characteristics -of physique and dress from those of the ancient North Americans. This figure, taken in connection with the swastika so generally associated with the Budd hists in the Orient, as seen above, pre sented a group of circumstances which Dr. Wilson thought to go a long way toward circumstantial evidence of the migration of Buddhists from Asia and Its presence among our . Indians before the discovery of this continent by Europeans. This theory, by the way, was favored in a series of essays by M. Gustavo d'Eichthal, a Frenchman writing in 1864-S5. Five swastikas cut out of thin worked copper were also found in one Postage Stamps Secrets of Issues of 18 70-75. lower part of the triangle in the upper left hand corner were made heavier than on the stamp of 1870-71. The stamp with the mark printed -on hard, white, woven paper is now valued at $50 when unused. That without the mark of the 1870-71 Issue Is quoted at $25 in the same condition, while the stamp bearing the secret mark but on regular paper is valued at 37.50. The rarest of the whole series is the 24 cent purple stamp' of 1870-71, with Scott's, portrait and embossing on the back. There is only one specimen known in unused condition, and this Is valued at from $1500 up to any premium a collector may choose to offer. In used and perfect condition It is valued at $100. It Is remarkable that this stamp Is so rare in unused condition, as the records show that a total of 661,075 were printed in 1870 and 1871. Probably the next In rarity is the 24 cent dull purple stamp of the special printing, which is valued at $40. There are two varieties of the 24-cent stamp without embossing, but it has not been definitely settle which company printed them. The 30-cent stamp of the special print ing, greenish black In color, is -quoted at 360. The one printed in plain black of the 1870-71 issue with embossing Is held to be worth $25, and the green black stamp of 1873 Is valued at $10. The last denomination' of the entire series Is the 90-cent stamp, which, violet carmine in color and on hard, white, woven paper, Is now quoted when' unused at 350. The unused carmine stamp of the same denomination of the 1870-71 issue Is valued at 325 with embossing, and the rose carmine stamp of 1873 on regular, paper at $5 when unused. The regular issue of 1876 consisted of but two denominations, the 2-cent ver milion, with the portrait of Jackson, and the E-cent blue stamp, bearing the bust of Taylor. These are quite common, being quoted respectively at $1.36 and $2.50 In un used condition, but special printing speci mens of the two denominations are very scarce. Of the latter the 2-cent carmine vermilion stamp on hard, white paper is valued at $(, while the bright blue 6-cent stamp on the same paper Is valued at the same figure. Paradox of the Tariff. , Henry Litchfield West In the Forum. The Republican party is already pledged to conduct Its next campaign upon the promise' that after the election the tariff will be revised. The Democratic party does not question the sincerity of this promise, but It does doubt the thoroughness of the proposed revision. On the very threshold of the contest, however, -we are confronted with a most singular paradox. The only way to prevent a revision of the tariff will be to elect a Democratic President and a Democratic House of Representatives, . n - jut :'. - :."--. a w---.-, j ; , i - - i I i 1 ' mm i trWi Mi- V m- j-x JT4 .7W -. i: , . Wr ,.a I . -a .M mm mm sm : 1 . - J" J. tt 1 -i I I , . $ v t xs"y. v i - - ' ' vTfcie". :;' -: .. .- .- ' j-. ';; .:.:::...:v..:.;:v:.'''::::::v... mmmmi of the ruins of one of the famous Ohio moundbullders the Hopewell mound, at Chlllicothe. The Indians Used It. " Our moundbullders having made the swastika, It is by no means remarkable that many such symbols have been found among their descendants, the Indians, as the white man has known them. The Kansas Indian warriors, who removed the hearts of slain foes and put them In Democratic victory In 1908 will not only fall to secure any revision, but It will fasten the present schedules upon the country for the next four years. This paradox la explained by the fact that the Senate Is not only Republican in Its majority at the present. time, but will continue beyond peradventure to be Republican until 1912. Out of the 90 members of the Senate, only 32 are Democrats, and only a political invo lution of the most remarkable nature will materially Increase this number during the next four years. This Re publican Senate will stand as a bul wark against any . legislation emanat ing from a politically hostile House. An Ibsen Girl. Hedda lived up In a region More or less unknown to fame; Both, however, were Norwegian. Gabler was her other name. 8he had, so it seems, a father Upon whom she had relied For provisions; but who rather Infelloltously died. All he had be-left in care of Hedda, It consisted of AH the Gabler pride, a pair of Pistols, and his fondest love. Hedda, having wept what pearly Little tears she eould afford. Rose, next morning, rather early. Rather surly, rather bored; For it seemed she simply had to Set hr bonnet, as it were. For a man who would be glad to Marry and provide for her. That. she found a poor assortment Proved to be her sorry lot: Men of, morals and deportment Rarely frequented the spot. Of the few who did imprest her Mrs. Grundy would Indorse None except a poor professor. Hedda, she was bored, of course. Still, as he was well respected As a man of Intellect, - He was presently selected. Married and, when prudent, pecked. For It was against her wishes To have household duties such As the laundering of dishes; Dishes bored her very much! And as bridge and modern motor cars were not, as yet, in view Having nothing to devote her Time and inclination to; Lovely Hedda would -disparage Everything; ae If to lead One to think the bond of marriage Bored her very much indeed. Happily, a friend, a writer Cared no longer to exist; ' Thinking that It would excite her, Hedda ottered 4o assist; Asked the writer would he care to Use one of the pistols that She had lately fallen heir to; She would gladly place It at His disposal would he promise To observe the rules of Art. He agreed and thanked her from his Somewhat sorrow-laden heart. Promising to do it nicely And with vine-leaves in his- hair. This he didn't do, preclcely; And, when she beoame aware Of his consequent disorder. She took one departing breath As the other pistol bored her Bored her. as it were, to death. Tsmas Finnsxan. Jr.. in Harper's Weekly. BUDDHA.. AMD THE SWASTIKA FROM A" CHINESE. PAINTING the fire as a sacrifice to the winds, used a war chart bearing the swastika as a sign for the winds. The Sac Indians called the swastika the "luck" or "good luck." It was embroidered upon the necklaces and garters of their sun wor shippers; also by those of the Kicka poos, Pottawatomles, Iowas and Wlnne bagoes. The Sac squaws used the swas tika In the silk patchwork of which they make sashes and skirt trimmings. The Pueblo Indians of the Southwest use the swastika on their dance rattles and pot Was A ccomplished With a Washtub How a ONE of the honor men at Harvard, class of nineteen hundred and something, was the son of a washerwoman, a widow who earned a living for herself and her two chil dren and gave them both a college education arid a profession by means of her washtub and flatlron. Mrs. Blank is now living with her son and daughter in her home, a pretty cot tage in a suburb of Boston. Her son Is a lawyer with a thriving practice and her daughter, besides being the organist of a church in Boston, .Is a teacher In a music school. "Both my husband and I were born and brought up on farms here In New England and on marrying we went out to live on a farm in the north western part of Michigan," Mrs. Blank told the reporter, who found her watering the pot plants on the piazza of her home.' "When my daughter was eight and my son six my husband died and I faced the world .alone with no capital except good health and a mort gaged farm. "The question, as I put it to myself; was whether I should remain In Michi gan and work and pay off the mort gage, allowing the children to go without a proper education, but to have the farm free of debt on their coming of age, or to sell out and take the money left after paying off the mortgage and bring them East, where they cculd get an education. "After two weeks' thought I decided to sell out and come back to the East I selected Boston, because It was large enough to get work In and be cause I knew that . a good education was to be had for both my son and daughter at a nominal cost, if not en tirely free. "After everything was settled and my railroad tickets were bought there was less than $103 left. But I had good health and had been accustomed to hard work all my life, so the small amount in my pocketbook didn't worry me. "On the train I put another ques tion to myself. I was confident that I could make a living In two ways, as a cook or as a wasnVrwoman. Which should It be? 1 : - "That was the question - that kept my brain busy on that long trip from the West., If I went out as a cook, while I would have my meals and quarters furnished I would be com pelled to put my children In an lnstl tuton. On the other hand I could keep them with me and have a little home of our own If I took In washing. That decided me In favor of becoming a washerwoman. . "My first care after arriving In Bos ton was to get shelter. It was two small rooms in a cheap but decent part MAP SHOWING PISTRIDUTIOW OF THE SWASTIKA tery. The Navajoes reproduce It on their many-colored ceremonial sharts of dry sand, and On the war shields of the Plmas It appears In the same peculiar form as found elsewhere only in Europe. The swastika was known not only to our aborigines, but to those of Nicaragua, Yucatan, Costa Rica, Brazil and Para guay. How the swastika became thus widely distributed on both continents has been discussed by many ethnologists. Dr. Daniel G. Brlnton argued that It, like Boy and Girl Were Educated at Harvard. of Boston. One room was for wash ing and cooking, the other for sleep ing and living. "The second day I entered my chil dren in the public schools and set out to hunt washing. I appealed first at a large school, the very music school in which my daughter now teaches. I came away with washing from four girls. "I worked for the students exclusive ly for two years. Then, having saved up enough money to rent larger quar ters I hired an assistant and began to take lace curtains and fine starch clothes. In less than three months I had more work than I and my assist ant could do properly, so I hired an other woman to do the plain things, while we did the fancy work. "When my daughter was 15 years old she finished her course In the public schools and announced her Intention of staying at home and helping me. After much talking and reasoning I found out that besides wishing to help me she had been twitted by her school mates with being the daughter of a washerwoman. When she told me that I knew that the moment had oome for her to learn one of the most important lessons of her life. "I made her get her things ready and I took her right out ami entered her as a pupil in a woman's college near Boston. In the child's presence I explained to the president of that college just what my work was and all about it. I didn't In tend to allow a child of mine (o feel that she had the slightest occasion-- to be ashamed of her mother for doing honest work. "The president of the college must have understood my motives. In any event she could not have been more polite and courteous to the first lady of the land than she was to me. "That was a lesson to me, and there after I took the greatest pains to let the teachers of both my son and daughter know about my work. - It was a good move financially, so it proved, for soon I had washing from them alL "Whenever I had occasion to visit my daughter or to see the teacher of my son I always brought it around so that I could ask about the wash I had Just sent home. Did it please? I was always glad to get more? My main object was to let my children see that they had no reason to be ashamed and also to dissipate any false delicacy that might be hovering in the mind of the teacher. "Didn't I allow my children to help me? Indeed I did, all they could. My son car ried home the wash and after he entered Harvard often called for It Monday morn ings. "If he ever was snubbed he never told me of It, but I fancy that never hap pened, or at least not often, for the men who are working their way through the cross, was a design simple enough to have been Invented independently by many primitive tribes to have originated In many places by designers Ignorant of the fact that others had designed It else whene. Dr. Wilson, after assembling all of the data above abstracted, concluded that the swastika was not simple enough to have come to the minds of many per sons. He found that it was almost un known among Christian peoples; that it was not Included In any of the modern European or American decorative designs or works on decoration. He discovered that its use In modern times has been confined principally to oriental and Scan dinavian countries countries which hold close relations with antiquity; In Western Europe where the swastika was most fre quent in ancient times it has become ex tinct In the last 1000 or 2000 years. He found it used on the same style of ob ject In Europe, Asia and America. He came to the conclusion that the distri bution of the swastika was due to migra tion, contact or communication between the peoples of the old and new world as early ss the time of the moundbullders, the oldest civilization In America, who flourished prior to any historic knowledge which we have of communication be tween the two hemispheres: that some Immigrants from, the old world brought this symbol to America long before the days of Lief Ericsson, who is alleged to have landed here about A. D. 1000. As to , the swastika's migrations in the old world ' It has been held that the Phoenicians, finding it In the Orient, brought it across the Persian Gulf to Asia Mlnot and Cyprus, other peoples bringing it by the overland route from Central Asia and Asia Minor. Is One Form of the Cross. "I have come to regard the swastika merely one form of the cross, the distinc tion being merely one of detail," said Professor W. H. Holmes, chief of th bureau of ethnology, when I asked him for his theory as to the origin bf the symbol. "The cross as a religious symbol, In one form or another, came into exist ence long before the beginning of th Christian era so far beyond the begin nings of history. Indeed, that there Ii not the least possibility of obtaining defl nite knowledge of its earliest origin. The cross was In very general use In America at the time of the discovery. In nearly all branches of art in which surface ornament Is an important factor the spaces available for decorative de signs are rectangles, circles and ovals, or are borders or zones divided Into squares or parallelograms for ready treatment. When simple figures are filled into these spaces they are Intro duced in fours, thus filling the space evenly and symmetrically. This quadru ple arrangement In a multitude of casei produces a cross." Washington, D. C. Harvard do so many things that people have become accustomed to seeing them work. Then, too, boys are not as a rule so mean to one another as girls, and my daughter as a child was inclined to be supersensitive. "When the time came for her to grad uate and devote herself to music I had such a flourishing business that I had taken an entire house and employed 12 assistants regularly besides calling In as many more on special occasions. I never called myself a laundress or my place a laundry. It was washing and Ironing with a few stitches of mending thrown in for good measure, on the students' wash. "It was those few stitches as much as my good wrork that made me popular with the students. I think I never charged extra or referred to It as anything un usual. When I saw a garment needed a few Btitches I took them, but If I sus pected that worn garments or stockings with large holes were sent me on purpose I let them pass. "As for trouble with my workers I did not have very much. Of course, some of them had to be taught, and several who remained with me for years always needed watching. Even when washers and lroners were hard to get In the best laundries, I had little or no trouble. "Whenever we had to work on a holiday I always gave them some sur prise for their dinner, and as a rule It took the form of Ice cream. Y6u see, I was a working - oman myself, and I realized how grateful one is for a good meal. "When the giving up time came that Is, when my son finished his law course and my daugter was well es tablished as a teacher of the organ I turned over my work to the two women who had been longest In my employ. Both of them had saved money and had enough between them to buy me out. Now I Tiave this little home and a few hundreds In bank against a rainy day. "Am I proud of my work? I am certainly proud of try children and of the position they are earning for themselves in the world. "Of course, we can never tell for s certainty what, would have happened under different' circumstances, but I have never regretted leaving the West, giving up the farm for the saks of educating my son and daughter. Each year a good education become more and more necessary for a map or a woman's success in this country. "Long ago, when few people were educated It didn't count so much, but now, from my observations, I would advise that if 'you can't give your child an education and also leave him an Inheritance in money, you should give him the education and let him earn his own money."i new Xork Sun.