The Sunday Oregonian., August 01, 1909, SECTION SIX, Page 6, Image 58

THE SUNDAY OKEGOSTAX, PORTLAXD, AUGUST 1, 1909.
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BY IRVTXO S. COBB.
32 3 them Suffrage tiers Is still
klckin' up trouble over In Ens-
land," said the Boon retectlve of
the St- Reckless. "I wonder will they
win out?"
"I don't know," said the Hotel. Clerk.
"I wish the ladies luck but It looks to me
as If they'd split the beans. In a manner
of speaking. When lovely woman stoops
to fo:?. as the poet says, 6 ho generally
stoops so far that she looks like she
was walking on her hands. And that
heroic little group of English wives and
mothers and maiden ladies who are still
unattached and cot yet bespoke, so to
speak y d not much danger of their
lying bespoke, either Judging irom wnai
I can learn that heroic little band made
a fatal error, it seems to me when they
bf-gan to act up In such a manner as to
make people laugh at them Instead of
with. them. -The noblest crusade that
ever was crusaded wouldn't have lasted
10 minutes, Larry, if the populace got
an Idea Into its mind that it was some
' thing to laugh at. A sense of humor
would have put Joan of Arc, or Peter
the Hermit or Coxey's Army on the ever
lasting frfztenbofT the first day out. Kot
being cursed with the fatal sense of
humor those -parties put the thing
through, or at least they went a good
ways with it. And the Suffragettes ap
peared to be doing first rate for the
first two or three years. At the end of
tr.at time the English publio began to sea
the Joke. It generally takes longer than
that but this was an exceptional case,
end not more than two years or at moat
three had elapsed before the Joke dawned
on them, and then all of a sudden, with
a great, glad cry they burst out laugh
ing." Well, anyway the paper says there's
b?en a lot of popular indignation over
fx-ndin' them women to Jail," said the
House Detective.
"Maybe so." said the Hotel Clerk, 'but
did yoa hear of any of their husbands
Joining in the indignation? You did not.
Nor I didn't, and I've been listening -very
closely. If I wae . an English husband.
Larry, which Heaven forbid, but If I
was. and I had a wife with one of those
time lock expressions on her face and a
Jaw that worked on a ball and socket,
and if she fell into the habit of going
out and waking up stowed cabmen to
make suffragotte 'speeches to them, for
getting that an Englishman's bouse is
his castle and may not be Invaded, and if
the tried to send herself through the
post as second-class female mail matter
and if she spent her mornings beating
on Premier Asqulth's front door with a
cotton umbrella, yelling 'Petition, peti
tion.' and went to Parliament of after
noons and chained herself to an Iron
grating and yelled It some more, and If a '
ADMIRAL
BY RICHARD SPILLANE.
fITHIX half a mile of the cam
f pus of Princeton University.
New Jersey, there Is a simple,
solid, dignified old dwelling which
many a millionaire would be delighted
to own. It was built 150 or 00 years
ago, in a day of sound timbers and
honest workmen, and Is as good today
as the day it was finished. It has an
air of peace and respectability, of qui
etude and contentment, well suited to
Its Quaker beginnings and Its univer
sity surroundings. Queer cradle for
the greatest fighting man that the
American Navy ever has known or
probably ever will know. Here was
born In 1796 Robert Field Stockton, the
Andrew Jackson of the sea. Into his
life was crowded enough of adventure.
enoush of danger, enough of dueling.
enough of conquest, to supply a regi
ment of Dumas. Practically single
handed and alone, he took, at the point
of his pistol, the vast territory that is
now the Republic of Liberia. He con
quered California- and gave it to the
United States. Once he was under en
gagement to fight duels with all the
British officers on amy at.
ir ihrw hot shot into the gentlemanly
ruffians of the Barbary States, and he
scattered the pirates who In the first
half of the 13th century infested the
Oulf of Mexico. He loved nothing bet
ter than a scrap, and particularly If It
was with an Englishman, lie naa rea
son to hate the English because his
grandfather, that great man. Richard
Stnrkton. the signer of the Declaration
of Independence, died as the result of
the brutal treatment re received wnue
a prisoner in the British Jail In New
York In the Revolutionary ar.
An Aristocrat of Aristocrats.
Of n the fighting men of America,
Ftockton probably was more of the
aristocrat bv birth and training than
any other. More than 100 years prior
to the Declaration of Independence his
ancestors, who were persons or weaitn
and position, had come from England
and purchased a tract of 6000 acres of
):ind In what now is Princeton. They
were Quakers, and left t-n gland to es
rane oersecution from the Stuarts.
Richard Stockton, the signer of the
Declaration, was one of the greatest
lawyers of l-.:s time. He was so great
a man that when he went abroad, long
before the Revolution, every deference
pnrt honor was shown to him in trance
nd Ensiand. Richard Stockton, son Of
the signer and father or tne naval nero,
was for 40 years the leader of the bar
in New Jersey and the Joseph H.
'noate of the first quarter of the 19th
century.
The law had no attractions for Rob
ert Stockton. "Fighting Bob." as ho
always was known. Somewhere far
hack among the Quaker ancestors of
' Fighting Bob." there must have been
a hot srirlt. or else it is "hard to under
stand his character. He was a great
admire? of Andrew Jackson. He got
to look like "Old Hickory." he got to
act like him. he got to think like him.
and he got to do like him. Stockton
entered the Navy as Midshipman Sep
tember 1, 1S11. when be was 15 years
old. ar.d was ordered to Join the frigate
President, which he did February 14,
1 SI 2. There were all sorts of rumors of
war In those days. Great Britain and
France had taken men off American
vessels and were Impressing them into
t.':eir sen-ice. The whole coast of the
Vntted States was patrolled by British
warships. The President cruised along
tie coast until June 1, and then re
turned to New Tork.
On June Si. 1S12, three days after the
declaration of war with Great Britain,
commodore Rodgers sailed from New
York in command of a squadron consist
ing of the President, Congress, Hornet
and Argus. For five months the squadron
ranged the seas and young Stockton saw
plenty of action. Rodgers skirted the
British coast for a time and got up as
tr.cch of a scare In Britain as did Paul
Jones in an earlier day. When the squad
ion returned after sailing 12.000 miles. It
l:ad captured many vessels, and the fame
uf Rodgers was established.
By reason of his family's position the
young Midshipman was appointed aide to
the Secretary of the Navy and remaioed
In Washington until the Capital wa-l.tt-
London bobby, or Robertacop, arrested
her and the Judge gave her three months
In "Wormwood Scrubbs, do you think for
a moment, Larry, that I'd Join in any
popular Indignation? Not a pop, not an
lndignate. not even a very small dig or
a cate for mine. No sir, if His Worship
gave her only three months I'd send him
a box of cigars a.nd If he'd made It six
it'd be two boxes of the cigars and a
case of fine old crusted port at two and
six pence the bottle for him with my
compliments.
"I think t'would be better for the Eng
lish suffragettes, everything considered,
If they'd cut out the knockabout stuff
and copy after the example of their
American co-workers who do a turn that
Is more refined and at the same time
mildly amusing. Tha American Suffra
gette doesn t make her act one Dig
scream from start to finish. 9he's more
of a light housekeeping -style of Suffra
gette, doing chafing-dish sufCragetting,
as you might say, and the comedy Isn't
so broad. In consequence we haven t be-
gun to laugh at her so very hard as yet
and until we do begin she ought to last
quite a spell. And besides we've tried
woman suffrage in several of our West
ern states and have found that those
states don't 6end any worse grade of
Senators to Washington than they did
before the women began to vote."
"It looks like these days a woman
don't think she's properly organized
unless she's forever Jolnln' some move
ment or some club or somethin'," said
the House Detective.
"With a few unimportant exceptions,
yes," said the Hotel Cleric "Modern
woman has a sphere If she can. only
find It and she generally hunts for It
hard enough, goodness knows. It's fine
and lovely boating for the ladles but a
trine wearing;, at times on their hus
bands. I'm thinking particularly of the
case of my friend, Smeltzer."
"whoa Smeltzer?" said the House
Detective. i
'These days he's best known as Mrs.
Smeltaers husband." said the Hotel
Clerk. "His is a sad case, a very sad
case. When the family is traveling the
order of precedure, giving each separ
ate article Its relative Importance, Is
aa follows: Mrs. Smeltzer. Mrs. Smelt
zer"s maid, Mrs. Smel tier's dog. Mrs.
Smeltzer'a baggage and Mrs. Smelt-
zer'a husband carrying Mrs. Smeltzer'a
hand bag. But I can remember when
Smeltzer bad an Identity of his own.
Sometimes he comes In here and talks
about the old glad days before he
married, thinking he was going to get
a wife, only to find he'd got a club
woman.
"It seems that In the early days of
their married life, she was of a very
emotional temperament. From what
Smeltzer tells me about her. you'd have
thought she was the favorite child or
old man E. Mosher himself. She was one
of those Lady Dreadnoughts for size,
but by nature, highly emotional. She '
belonged to a very exclusive, slant-'
ROBERT
tacked by the British and Congress fled."
Then he went back to active service. He
was Commodore Rodgers' aide in the de
fense of Baltimore and conducted himself
so gallantly that he was promoted Lieu
tenant. Pretty good record: Lieutenant
In the Navy at 18.
The Algerian Affair.
It was after the close of the War of
1813 that Stockton got real busy. The
j rulers of the Barbary States had been
preying on American commerce ana noia-
lne Americans for ransom, and Commo
dore Decatur was sent to the Mediter
ranean with a squadron consisting of the
fMuu-T-ler. Macedonian. Constitution, un
tarlo. Eoervler. Firefly, Flambeau, Spark.
Spitfire and Torch to teach a lesson to
them.
Stockton sailed as Junior lieutenant on
the Guerriere. but was transferred soon
after to the Spitfire, in which vessel ne
acted as First Lieutenant. The squadron
had been In the Mediterranean tut a few
days when the Guerriere and Spitfire leu
In with the Algerian frigate Miahourl,
44 guns. In the chase the Spitfire kept
side by side with the Guerriere as she
approached the corsair, w hen, to avoid
getting between the Guerriere and the
enemy, the Spitfire ran close under the
stern of the Algerine, and the Guerriere
was ranging up broadside to broadside at
the moment the action was opening.
Stockton suggested to Captain Dallas
that thev never would have such a good
opportunity to observe the effect of a
frigate a broadside, ana asxea leave De
fore the Spitfire took part In the action
to go out on the bowsprit and watch the
effect of the Guerriere nrsi oroaa-
aide.
He went to the extremity of the bow
sprit and remained there while two
broadsides were fired. He came back
and said: "They are firing wildly. Let's
go to work and knock in tne camn win
dows of the pirate." During tne remain
der of the half hour the Spitfire, with her
S2-pounder. poured In a raking fire, until
the guns of the Algerine were silenced.
When she struck her flag she proved to
be a ship of the Algerine Admiral. He
was killed, w.ch SO or his men. r.o one
was killed on the Spitfire and only four
wounded on the Guerriere.
Some of the things that the Americans
did in that war with the Barbary pirates
are almost beyond belief. In one en
gagement with an Algerian brig that had
sought safety In shallow' water, Stockton
took men In small boats and boarded the
corsair, capturing htm after a terrific
hand-to-hand fight. Up and down the
Mediterranean went the American squad
ron, and every time one of the Algerian
vessels was discovered It was destroyed.
So vigorous was the action of Decatur
that the Dey of Algiers, the Pasha of
Tunis and the Bey of Tripoli . sued for
mercy, and ever afterward respected the
Stars and Stripes.
For four or five years after the Algerian
war Stockton was on cruise, first in the
Washington and later in the Erie.
Duels Galore.
In those days the American Navy was
a stranger in European porta, and the
British, smarting under the defeats of
the War of 1S13, were very savage to
ward Americans. On one occasion the
Erie droppped anchor In the Bay of Na
ples. An Italian came aboard and so
licited employment In transporting things
between the ship and the shore. He
presented, according to custom, his book
f certificates showing what o trier men-
of-war had employed him. Among these
certificates was one given him by an
American naval officer, beneath which a
British officer had written a contempt
uous and opprobrious epithet.
Stockton was furious when la read
what the British officer had written.
Learning that the officer was aboard one
of the English men-of-war in the bay.
Stockton sent him a challenge. The Eng
lishman seemed disinclined to tight ex
cept at long range with pistols, but a
duel was finally arranged. Stockton shot
the English officer In hl leg. The Brit
isher dropped, yelling. "I'm hit! I'm
hit! Are you satisfied?" Stockton said he
was not, but finally agreed to let th
matter drop if the Britisher showed
proper courtesy to all Americans there
after. When the Erie arrived, at Gibraltar the
browed Emerson Club, where the mem
bers used to assemble once a week and
read His Essays and see if any of the
other members was wearing anything
new. She was also very strong for the
Ibsen or blue mass school of drama
and frequently went to plays that had
STOCKTON, THE ANDREY JACKSON OF
captain of a Boston merchant vessel
came aboard and complained of the treat
ment to which he had been subpected.
There was a regulation in Gibraltar that
at night every one should carry a lan
tern. The captain did not know this and
walked a hundred feet or so ashore with
out a light. For 'this he was arrested
and cast into a dungeon by the British
officer in command,, also being flogged
and grievously abused. He was rescued
from the prison by the United States
Consul, but was unable to obtain, any
redress. . The captain of- the Boston
merchantman then challenged the Brit
ish officer, but his challenge was received
with tha contemptuous Inquiry "whether
he was fool enough to suppose that
British officer would fight the captain of
damned Yankee merchantman.
Stockton tried to get redress for the
Boston captain, but was repelled in a
manner that provoked him to fighting
pitch. He challenged the Englishman,
and when they met put a bullet in him.
The manner in which the British officer
acted on the field led Stockton to declare
that even In the duel he had shown a
cowardly spirit. One of the seconds
thereupon remarked that If Stockton did
not apologize he would have to fight all
the officers of the regiment. Stockton
said he would be delighted. He said he
would assume that the second's remark
was a challenge from all the -officers of
the regiment, and that he would accept
lt Before Stockton could shoot up the
whole garrison the Governor of Gibraltar
Interposed. At his suggestion the com
mander of the American squadron for
bade the officers of the Erie to go ashore.
This did not - end It, however. The
squadron sailed away, but a few months
later the Erie returned. Stockton got
after the Englishmen again and received
a message from the British, Captain that
he was ready to give him another meet
ing. Safe conduct was guaranteed to
Stockton, and the British officer pledged
that the duel should be on neutral ground.
and that It should not be Interrupted.
When the .principals and seconds met.
however, the English party began mak
ing numberless objections which excited
the suspicions of the Americans. Soon
the Americans saw the guard, coming to
arrest them. The Americans forced the
British to place their man, the men ex
changed shots and Stockton wounded his
antagonist. Then Stockton had to turn
his attention to escaping.
The guards who were coming to arrest
- -
CA&MZW TO S&XE
been written by the great Norwegian
Just after eating a hearty meal consist
ing of whale oil. fish and calomel pills,
when be was feeling sort of morbid and
low In his mind. She'd go to a matinee
and sit there and cry through three
or four long or Isben acts and come
STOQCJON
him had blocked the only route open,
Stockton overthrew them and hurried
away. Further along 'the path he en
countered a dragoon. Dragging the dra
goon from his horse,' Stockton Jumped
up and rode at a gallop through the main
street of Gibraltar down to the shore.
where his sailors were awaiting him.
Feeling that he had been deceived by
the British officers, and that tneir con
duct In arranging for his arrest was con
temptible, Stockton branded them as a
lot of knaves.
The tension between the men on the
squadron and the troops on shore was
strained to the utmost, and It only was
after great efforts by the commander of
the squadron and the Governor or Gib
raltar that a. truce was arranged and the
sailors and the soldiers could meet with
out bloodshed. Meanwhile Stockton was
the idol of the squadron, and when he re
turned to New York In 1821 he was
"Fighting Bob" to the whole country.
Winning of Liberia.
The American Colonization Society pro
posed to him about this time to take
charge of a ship which they intended to
' send out to Africa to procure .new terri
tory for their colony of blacks. The first
colony had been planted in an unhealth
ful spot, and all the colonists had per
ished. The United States was the only
cation that had declared against slave
trading. Portugal and Spain were espe
cially active in the commerce in human
beings, taking great numbers of negroes
from Africa to Central and South Am
erica. To go to Africa and establish a black
republic Just suited the adventurous
young man, and ho sailed away to Si
erra Leone. There he was informed
that several hundred miles away there
was a fine, fertile upland country, hut
In the possession of warlike chiefs.
Many efforts had been made by various
nations to obtain possession of it by
purchase or. by treaty, but without
avail. When Stockton reached this ter
ritory he found it all it had been de
scribed. The natives were ruled by
head men, and the head of these head
men was known as King Peter. The
natives made raids Into the Interior and
preyed upon their less-warlike neigh
bors, selling them Into slavery.
Stockton disguised the real object of
his mission and began trading with the
head men until he got on good terms
with them. Then he gradually pre
sented to them the advantages of h- '
-
' . ,CL1 !
- , .
home with a red nose and a raging sick
headache and go to bed and say she'd
had a perfectly lovely afternoon. But
after awhile, these comparatively
simple pursuits of the higher knowl
edge failed to satisfy the cravings of
her soul. She began to go In for civio
1 ing the country inhabited by civilized
negroes, who would bring commerce,
civilization and comforts to the land.
He made so good an impression by his
arguments that he finally got to a
point where- a meeting was arranged
between him and King Peter, but when
the day for the meeting arrived he was
told King Peter had gone to his strong
hold, 20 miles in the interior. The
only word the King left was that
Stockton might follow If he dared.
The only companion Stockton had
was a missionary who acted as inter
preter, but he did not hesitate a minute.
The way to King Peter's stronghold
lay through swamp and Jungle. Stock
ton had all the Tiifflculties of tropical
traveling on the trip, but finally he
reached King Peter's fort. The King
received him harshly, demanding to
know why Stockton had followed him.
The King said he considered Stockton
had offended against royal dignity and
should be chastised.
In King Peter's retinue was a mu-i
latto who had traveled to -he United
States and elsewhere and who was
more Intelligent than King Peter or
any other of the head men. He was
chief adviser to the King.
To the announcement of the King
Stockton answer'edVmildly and diplomat
ically. While Stockton was addressing
King Peter through the missionary in
terpreter, -the mulatto arose and de
nounced Stockton as an enemy of the
slave trade. Immediately the whole
party of head men, 100 or more In num
ber, Jumped up roaring threats to kill
Stockton.
There were no six-shooters In those
days and no repeating rifles, but Stock
ton acted as calmly as If he was on the
quarterdeck. Drawing two navy pistols,
he handed one to the missionary and said:
"Shoot that villain of a mulatto lr ne
opens nis iip "
pistol he took aim at King Peter's head
and sternly lnstructea mo xnus w "
down -and behave himself until Stockton
got through talking with him or he would
be killed Instantly. v
King Peter and the whole party nearly
collapsed Irom ingni. at tuus .
daring.
A.. iv.n an1 therA nlfftol in hand.
Stockton practically dictated the treaty
i .v, iu r ihorla vah erea-ted and that
vast stretch of African teritory opened
to free negroes.
Pirates, Canals arid Races.
Stockton was 30 years old when he got
back to the United States. He had
honors enough for any man. It seemed.
so, there being no war or. prospect of
war, he wanted to resign from the Navy
and enjoy life. But before he could do
this he was ordered to the West Indies
to rid the Gulf of Mexico of pirates.
For centuries the Gulf had been In
fested with buccaneers, who had all sorts
of odd harbors in which -to hide. Lafitte
had his headquarters once at Galveston,
once at Barataria and once at Dry Tortu-
gas. - Some of the Spanish freebooters
had their bases In the Bahamas. Within
six months Stockton had cleaned out
every known stronghold of the pirates
and had sunk several pirate craft and
killed or captured dozens of the sea
robbers.
This work done, his resignation was ac
cepted. He got a charter for the Dela
ware & Raritan Canal and built that
waterway. Incidentally he turned his at
tention to politics and horseracing. In
politics. Of oourse, he was the stanch
supporter of Andrew Jackson. In horse
racing he was a good deal like the late
D. D. Withers, not much on the betting
end, but great on breeding and immense
ly proud when one of his home-bred colts
won a race. '
Ha was a distinguished success on the
turf, too, although he did spend a large
sum on his breeding establlshment.
Among the great stallions he Imported
from England were Trustee and Lang
ford, and he also imported that magnifi
cent brood mare, Diana. For nearly 20
years the Stockton horses were promi
nent wherever big race meetings were
held In America, and today the blood of
the Stockton horses can- be traced in
many of the great families of thorough
breds.
But horseracing and canal-building and
politics are slow, dreadfully slow for a
man who loves the sea. In 1S3S Stockton
was back on the ocean. He tailed In De-
uplifts and great economic movements
where if a member wore the same gown
to two meetings In succession, it
amounted to a scandal. And also she
began to 3ally extensively with those
very superior societies that are made
up entirely of descendents.
"Smeltzer was telling me about It the
last time he was in. Ho'd been around
among the retail liquor stores, shopping
for gin rlckeys and things and he was
quite worked up. 'Old man,' he says
to me, 'It's a terrible strain, being re
lated, even by marriage, to so .many
ancestors. You've no idea how I suffer
at times," he says. 'At first,' he says, 'she
was satisfied with being a Colonial War
and a First Family of Jamestown and
a standard registered Plymouth Rocker
and a few other trifling little things
like that; but her ambition grew with
her family tree, and that's going some
too, for the kind of family tree that
she's raising, puts out a new shoot
every day 'or two. I come home of an'
evening and find the upperdeck
branches heavily laden with fresh, ripe
ancestors that have budded mt while
I was down-town at work. They sprout
over night, some firaes her ancestors
and mine too.' he says. -
'"Yours, too?" I says to hliriln sur
prise. 'I didn't know . you had any
ancestors," I says. "Neither did I." says
Smeltzer, "she grew them for me, from
time to time. She's been very gener
ous that way," says he; 'first there's a
new ancestor for her and then a new
one for me, turn and turn about, only
they're all working for her," he says.
'Every blessed one of 'em," he Bays, 'Is
kept busy night and day qualifying
her for new membership somewhere.
"Twas only here the other day." he says,
that I learned quite by accident while
looking over some papers in her writing-desk
that her grandfather had got
her admitted to the 'D. A. R. I re
member him distinctly. He was tall
and thin, and he had pink eyelashes
and light yellow hair that stood up
straight on his head. He looked like
one of those prophylactic tooth brushes
and he was one of the hottest Revolu
tionary heroes that ever came from
Sweden by steerage. In the year 1866.
He'd a-been fixed all right for mem
bership in the Society of Survivors of
Cold Winters in the Northern part of
Minnesota. But I'm blessed if I could
see where he cut in anywhere else. But
she fixed him all up with his proper
record, showing that he was the only
son of a Colonel of Vermont riflemen,
or something equally nifty, and other
wise made him competent. 'Twould be
a proud day for him If he was alive,'
says Smeltzer. t - ,
" 'She's done wonders with my ances
tors too,' says Smeltzer; 'you'd be sur
prised to notice how easily she's turned
them into blueblooded aristocrats. Take
my respected grandfather on my mother's
side, for example,' he says. 'According
to my best information on the subject
he came from the southern part of Ire
ceber of that year In the Ohio as fleet
captain of the Mediterranean squadron.
He returned in 1839 and in 1841 the position
of Secretary of the Navy was offered to
him, but he declined it. He did not care
for office, and it probably -is Just as well
that he did not, for he had more useful
work to-do. Under his supervision the
sloop Princeton, the first naval vessel of
the United States to use- steam, was
built.
Conquest of California.
In 1844 he had sailed in the Princeton
to carry the annexation resolutions to the
Government of Texas, and in 1845, before
the breaking out of the Mexican War,
he had been sent to the Pacific in the
frigate Congress to relieve Commodore
Bloat, commanding the United States
squadron in those waters. The Govern
ment wanted a man of quick action on
the Pacific Coast Just then and no one
In the naval service had such a reputa
tion for quick thinking and quick acting
aa "Fighting Bob." Promptly on learn
ing that war had been declared Stockton
got busy.
Los Angeles was the capital of -California
in those days. Stockton captured?
San Diego, which had been taken, by the
Mexicans after once falling into the
American's- hands; he defeated the enemy'
at Rio San GaLrlel and at La Mesa and
on August 13, 1846, he took possession of
Los Angeles. Having organized a civil
government for the state, he appointed
General Fremont, who had been co-operating
with him. Governor. Stockton su
perintended all military operations until
Edison's Interest
THOSE fellows wanted to make a
plain panel for the house, one with
out ornamentation, but I told them
we would give the workingman and his
family ornamental work In their house.
They deserve it, and besides It costs no
more after the pattern is made to give
decorative effects than It would to make
everything plain.
Thomas A. Edison said this as he was
standing in a little pattern shop in tha
laboratory at Orange. N. J., exhibiting
to the writer the many patterns that are
to be used in the production of his poured
cement house.
His words revealed the- motive and in
terest in the welfare of the workingman
that lie behind the creation of this struc
ture.. Motives are often revealed unin
tentionally and unconsciously.
It was so in this case. Mr. Edison's one
thought through all the eight years he
has been studying this problem has been
to evolve something to make the struggle
for existence easier for the wage- earner.
The Edison poured cement house is
about to become a factor in twentieth
century building construction.
Mr. Edison has answered all objections
to the full satisfaction of the most crit
ical. Here are the important facta about
the poured house which will be spoken of
more in detail further on:
He has produced a mixture of a con
sistency almost like water whicR holds
the stone or aggregates in suspension,
allows the mixture to flow freely to all
parts of the molds and secures a uniform
distribution of the aggregates throughout
the mass.
The molds are adapted to variations of
arrangements thus making It possible to
change the style of houses with the same
set. of molds. v.ith five' or six sets of
molds, therefore, a wide variety of style
Is possible. '
Yet he makes no boast of his accom
plishment. The first house itself, which
will be cast In a few weeks, will be suf
ficient answer to all critics. .
A house like this built of stone, both
Mr. -Edison and his engineers say. would
cost several thousand dollars. But if the
operator of the molds fdr the Edison
house buys his material in large quanti
ties it can be built for J1200.
Now this house is for one family: with
a floor plan 25x30 feet. It is intended to
be built on lots 40x60 feet, giving lawn
and small garden room.
The front porch extends 8 feet and the
back porch 3 feet.
On the first floor Is a large iront room.
14x23x9& feet high Intended as a livings i
land the year after the big famine and
he had an accent that made him call
a graham gem a "grim Jam." He never
had his vest on or his suspenders off.
in the hor.se If he could help it and his
Idea of the correct thing In a dinner
coat was one that you could take off
Just before sitting down to the table
and hang it on the back of the chair.
He had a strong right arm and a clay
pipe that was a good deal stronger.
He was a fine old boy at that, and I'm
proud of him,' says Smeltzer. 'but.
knowing him as I did. I was astonished
to hear Mrs. Smeltzer bragging the
other day about my maternal grand
father being one of the Virginia landed
gentry with the best blood of tiro Old
Dominion coursing through his veins.
He'd have been astonished, too. He
may have been an aristocrat,' says
Smeltzer, "but he never knew it. He
never got a chance to work at the
trade.- He did a trucking and general
contracting business all his life, when
he might have been prominent in the
aristocratting line. Only I don't think
he was suited for it by nature. He
wouldn't have given up his life's habit
of breaking the bread Into his coffee
and eating his boiled cabbage off the
end of his knife with an overhang
swing like a man putting In coal with
a scoop shovel for anything in the
world,' says Smeltzer.
" "I s'pose she's pretty strong with
the Mayflower bunch, too,' I says, 'hav
ing noticed,' I says, 'that being a tagged
and certified Mayflower descendant is
pretty much the. same to a lady Joiner
as getting into the Shrlners Is to a
thirty-second degreer." 'Oh, she's a
long way past that,' says Smeltzer.
'I've been able to gather from her
conversation that when the Mayflower
first hove Into view off the Massachu
setts coast, all loaded down with Pil
grim Fathers, Pilgrim Mothers, and Pil
grim Kids, spinning wheels, warming
pans, ducking stools, Ingredients for
making the New England boiled dinner,
baked bean pots, pumpkin pies, leg
irons for detaining witches until
enough dry wood could be collected,
codfish balls and other necessities of
life, there was a large Colonial mansion
standing some distance back from
shore surrounded by well-kept grounds
with peafowls and an Iron dog on the
front lawn. And that was where Mrs.
Smeltzer's ancestors were living and
had been doing so for some time past,"
he says. 'Anynow, that's what I gather
from her remarks on the subject," says
Smeltzer, sadly, and then he invited me
to go out with him and take seven or
eight drinks more. For a man with
such a progressive wife he seemed very
low in his mind. Several times in the
conversation I thought he'd be moved
to tears."
"Well, this talk's drifted a long ways
from the Suffragetters," said the House
Detective. "Tell me, If you had ti.e
power, would you let the women vote?"
"I would so," said the Hotel Clerk.
"Anything for a quiet life."
THE SEA
the province of California was ceded to
the United States.
Stockton returned home overland
during the following Summer and re
ceived almost as many honors as did
General Zachary Taylor and General
Wlnfleld Scott. And the Californlans did
not forget him. The City of Stockton is
named for him and Stockton street, in
San Franclsoo, likewise. The Legisla
ture of New Jersey gav a reception in
h'.s honor and Eave a Vi -fe of thanks to
him, and so Boon as they could do so
the people of New Jersey sent him to
the United States Senate. Those were
the rosy days for "Fighting Bob."
While in the Senate he got through the
measure by which flogging in the Navy
was abolished, and he gave earnest at
tention to all propositions for coast de
fense. A warrior from his boyhood, fearless
as man can be, his blood running riot
when conflict arose, a time now came
when "Fighting Bob" was "Fighting
Bob" no longer, but used every argu
ment, every plea, every influence in his
power for peace.- It was- a new role for
the man of Mars, hut perhaps the Quaker
blood, so long still, now ran stronger
than the other. He wae one of the most
active members of the American party
and was a delegate to the Peace Con
gress of 1S61.
He lived to see peace; the peace that
came after the great conflict, and then,
on October 7, 1866, "Fighting Bob" died
in the quiet old university village he and
his Quaker ancestors called home and
which the Stocktons for many genera
tions to come are likely to call home.
(Copyright. 1909. by Richard SpHlane.)
in His Workmen
room, and a kitchen in the back, 14x20x
9H feet high. In the corner of the
front room' Is a wide etah-case leading to
the second floor.
This contains two large bedrooms, a
wide hall and a roomy bathroom (7 feet
6 inches by 8 feet 2 Inches high). The
third floor has two large rooms.
Each room .has large windows, so that
there Is an abundance of light and fresh
air.
The cellar, 7 feet 6 inches high, extends
' under the whole house and will contain
the boiler, wash tubs and -coal bunker.
The main room, as well as the outside of
the house, will be richly decorated. -
The decorations will be cast with the
house and will, therefore, be a part of the
structure, and not stuck on, as is done at
the present- time.
It is an Important fact about this house
that it will be entirely of reinforced con
crete, including the roof, floors, bath and
laundry tubs.
The doors and window frames will be
the only parts of wood or metal, so it will
be practically fireproof. The mixture
composing it is both waterproof and vermin-proof.
The inside walls, stairs and partitions
will be concrete also, and no plaster will
be used. The surface left by the molds
will be perfectly smooth and can be paint
ed or tinted if desired.
The writer was shown a specimen on
which paint had been applied and it
takes paint as readily as wood, even
showing a gloss if paint of that character
is desired.
All the decorations and ornaments will
be cast with the house and in every case
will be a part of the wall which It adorns:
in fact, the entire house will be In one
piece, as if hewn or carved out of a solid
piece of stone. The cost of the house.
J1200. Mr. Edison says. Includes heating
and plumbing and a structure ready for
occupancy. Cement World.
Education of Men and Women.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
It is, however, a plain fact that In this
country, women are more cultured than
men; on the average are better educated.
The boys quit school earlier to go to work
and the unpleasant fact is that they too
often cease studying so soon as their
books are closed. Now there are many
highly educated and cultured men and :
women in this country who have never '
attended college. There are many op- :
portunltles open for those who desire to :
Improve themselves. The unpleasant fact
is that so few use the opportunities open
to tham, f