The Athena press., November 22, 1907, Image 7

JAP NAVAL BASE 05 IST.ATTD
Japan has hoisted the sun-flag over
Pratas Island, according to dispatches
from Yokahama. , That means that she
has taken a glgantnlc Btep of 1,000
miles toward the Philippines. Pratas
Island Is Just 120 miles north of the
Philippines, and Is Just 60 miles too
far north to be claimed by the United
States according to the treaty of Paris,
which named the twentieth parallel as
the northern boundary of Spain's for
mer Msland possessions. It Is a small
island, a, mile and a half In length
by a half mile in breadth, horseshoe
shaped. It is surrounded by a 40
mile reef, through which are two ex
cellent ship channels, the northern one
offering an unobstructed depth of from
10 to 20 fathoms. It is barren, except
for scattered undergrowth. It Is occu
pied only by multitudes of sea birds
and by occasional Chinese fishermen.
Why should Japan want Pratas Isl
and? It Is of no value for agriculture
or commerce. It possesses no natural
resources. But It Is admirably adapt
le5 for a naval base. As a coaling and
refitting station for ships operating in
archlpelagan waters, either against the
Philippines, or as an Important strate
issicsi Limn f.
vcntion
, The motor used by Santos-Dumont
in his recent successful attempt to fly
with - an aeroplane weighed slightly
more than two pounds per horse-power.
The excavations at Paestum have
brought to light a roadway 25 feet
wide, flanked by footpaths. The pave
ment, of large stone blocks, shows dedpy
ruts worn by the wheels of heavy char
iots.; A beautiful Doric temple to Nep
tune has been uncovered for a distance
of 120 feet..
The largest telegraph pole in Eng-
lana, wun one exceyuuu, uuo juoi ucu
erected over the postofflce at Cborley,
Lancaster. It Is over 70. feet high, and
weighs 2V, tons. The diameter is from
10 Inches to 20 Inches. The weight of
the cross arms and Insulators alone ex
ceed one ton. '
For several years past, in some of the
Tine-growing districts of France and
Italy, persistent attempts have been
made to dissipate gathering hailstorms
by the systematic firing of guns at the
clouds. Many vine-growers believe that
the method is effective, as their vine
yards have escaped threatened hail
storms when the guns were fired. A re
" cent report by Dr. Blaserna of the re
sults of a long series of experiments,
under scientific control, shows that the
supposed effects of the gun-firing are
Illusory, and that hall cannot be dis
sipated by firing In the air any more
' than rain can be Induced by a similar
method.
The preparation of mineral and ar
tificial organic colors by the aid of elec
tricity has recently made considerable
- progress, and It la suggested that the
products of this new Industry may
eventually replace those derived from
coal tar. Among the colors now, pro
duced in commercial quantities by the
employment of the electric current are
vermilion, Scheele's green, cadmium
yellow, Japanese red, cerise, or cherry
red, Berlin green and elnc white, be
sides a number of organic colors. The
process consists essentially in sending
an electric current through a solution
. containing the elements required for
the production, by precipitation, of the
coloring matter desired.
The surprising results recently ob
tained hy means of the new kinds of
glass manufactured at Jena, which
permit the passage of ultraviolet rays
invisible to. the eye, but capable of af
fecting a photographic plate, are well
illustrated by telescopic photographs of
the constellation Lyra. One of these,
made with an object of ordinary glass,
shows 351 stars; another, made with
an objective composed of the new
glass, and having the same time of ex
posure, shows in the same field of view
619 stars. It Is hoped that by means
of larger objectives still more surpris
ing results may be obtained. Another
method of photographing by invisible
radiations consists in bathing the plates
a.uh certain solutions which render
them sensitive to the Infra-red rays of
the spectrum.
' Obliging Her.
"What are you turning the gas down
for?" demanded Miss Pechls.
"I'm going to kiss you," replied Jack
Nervey. ,
"I'd just like to see yon!"
"Oh! You would? Then I'll just
leave it up." Philadelphia Press.
"Of the Making of Magasiaes."
Prospective Customer Have you the
Optonow magazine?
News Stand Proprietor (to assistant)
BlUy, refer to your Index and see If
mm
we have the CptonowJ Puck.
SHEAS OUB PHUJPPIKXS.
"
v si
a
gic link in a chain of operations
tending all the way to America, It could
be made Invaluable. Pratas Is re
ported to be the most southerly of the
chain of Islands running down from
Formosa. A naval base here would
permit sudden and swift attacks on the
Philippines, and as swift return to
headquarters for coaling and refitting.
PROXIMITY OF PRATAS TO PHIIJPPINE8.
Its possession by Japan brings the arch
ipelago in quick striking distance.
The question Is, will the underbrush
and the sea birds still occupy Pratas
by themselves, or are they to be re
placed by shops and docks? .
PLEASANT ISLAND.
A Bit ot Land in the Pacific Named
for the Natives, Amiable Traits.
The solitary little Island of Nauru
rises from Pacific depths of about 14,
000 feet some 400 miles west of the
nearest land of the Gilbert group. It
Is scarcely as large as an. American
township, and It Is an atoll, but it dif
fers so much from nearly all the other
atolls of the Pacific that it has attract
ed much attention. '
The atolls rise Only a little above the
sea level, and after the traveler has
seen two or three of them he concludes j
that they are very monotonous. - But a
part of the outer rim of Nauru is a ver
dant ridge of about 200 feet high, and
what was once the lagoon encircled by
coral reef is now a plain, slightly roll
ing and strewn with coral fragments.
This atoll evidently had a peculiar
history that made It different ' from
many of the other atolls. Here and
there are bits of volcanic rock and'ves
tiges of ancient craters that help to ex
plain this history.
The time was when volcanic forces
lifted the submarine mountain on
which stood the circle of coral and the
lagoon within it until the lagoon was
anove tne sea level, and Its waters
drained away, leaving a dry plain. So
here we see an atoll lifted into the' air
so that Its whole formation may be
studied above the sea level.
Nobody knows when emigrants came
in their small boat's to settle on the
little Island, but thre is every reason
to believe that they sailed from the
Gilbert Islands. Their habits and arts
are very similar to those of the Gilbert
Islanders, and there are striking resem
blances between their languages. Their
names for many plants are almost or
quite Identical with the names for these
plants in the Gilbert" archipelago.
Yv hen white men came less frequent
ly than they do now the natives used to
throng the beach, welcome the visitors
with glad shouts and lavish their best
hospitality upon them. There were
factions' among them and they were
often at war until they were disarmed
by the German warship Eber after the
island became a part of the German
Pacific possessions.
Every visitor for years past has said
that they are the most gentle, peace
able, and friendly people that could be
Imagined, and these attractive qualities
induced some English seafarers to gjye
a new name to the Island by which it Is
now everywhere known. Even on the
German maps are found both the native,
name Nauru and the name now In con
mon use, Pleasant Island.
Considering its smallness, the Island
has become remarkably conspicuous In
a commercial way. No other island of
its size produces so large an amount of
copra, the dried meat of the cocoanut
Several years ago great phosphate
beds were found in the Interior and
they are proving a gold mine to the
W3erman Jalult Company, which la
working the deposits In connection with
an English company.' The latter dis
covered beds also In Banaba Island,
about a hundred miles away, and the
two companies are working both de
posits together.
No Proposal Tet.
Miss Yerner "Mr. Sloman Is such
an excitable person, so effervescent, as
It were."
Miss Wise "I should think you'd
be the last person In the world to call
him 'effervescent"
Miss Yerner "Why so?"
Miss Wise "I notice you haven't
succeeded in' making, him 'pop.' "
Philadelphia Press.
Hade Good.
He said if she refused him
- He'd die and though a kid It '
Turned out as he said it would J
In fifty .years be did It
Hooston Poet
asked. "I I have jreat confidence in
your judgment"
"Thank you," said the girl. "Then
my advice to you is to please Miss Car
michael. By pleasing her you will
please me."
"Then that's settled," he said. "But
wait. About this trip abroad." His
voice shook a little. "Miss Landou,"
he Baid, "I am pajnfully conscious of
all my defects. I know I am presumpt
uous in daring to hope that you may
see In me qualities that raise me in
your estimation. 1 don't beljeve I Jiave
either the desire or courage to take
that trip alone. Will you go with me
as my wife?"
She did not answer him for a mo
ment '
"Tour price 6eems pretty high," she
presently said. "An Interest In the
business, an increased salary, and now
me."
"It is you alone I care for," he mur.
mured.
"If it Is the only way of keeping you
here, my dear manager," she said, "I
must say yes."
He caught her hands la his.
"I didn't dream I could be so happy,"
he cried.
"I am afraid you are a very, obtuse
person," she presently said.
"No doubt of that" he answered.
"Otherwise you would have discov
ered that a certain young woman in
whom you have a keen- Interest was
masquerading In one of your depart
ments, finding out something about her
big store and a great, deal about her
manager."
"What !" he cried. "You !"
"I am Alice Lahgdon Carmichael." ,
"I never dreamt it!" he said with a
little gasp. "And you are going to
marry me?" '
"I am going to make sure of an ex
cellent manager."
He looked at her In silent admira
tion. '
"Do you know what drew me to yhu
at first?" he said. 'It was having you
say a kind word In my behalf. I over
heard you I happened to be behind
the partition." ,
Her eyes danced.
"Yes," she demurely said, "I hap
pened to know you. were there." W. R.
Rose in Cleveland Plain Dealer.
TECHNICAL SCHOOL IN FOREST.
How "Wood Carving? Is Taught in Ansa
trla Live Models to Work From.
To study a valuable technical and
art craftsinanshin school one would
scarcely in England choose a little
town of 14,500 Inhabitants wherein to
make research. But In Austria it is in
ail small towns wherever tnere are
special industries that the educational
ministry plant their school to develop
and advance the scientific knowledge
of those Industries, says a Pall Mall Ga
zette correspondent at Vlllach, Austria.
Here In Villach we are In the midst
of forests. Wood forms the staple
commodity, and so in this interesting,
historic and . picturesque town is a
Bchool to develop wood Industries.
The school has three sections build
ing, art and cabinet work. In the di
rectors' room one at once saw all the
hidden beauty and worth of wood. Ar
ticles of everyday utility were beside
objects of art full of expression. There
was a figure of Samson, full of pathetic
power; a portrait of the old master
workman, such a figure as Herkomer
would glory in ; a statue of Dante, and
a Christ, reminding one of the work of
the fourteenth , century, when wood
carving was In its glory and this
Christ was carved by a lad of 18. But
near were quaint little tops of the
most simple form ; these were the mod
els for the village children to copy,
jthus making the Noah's ark tops of
commerce.
In "the drawing rooms I was sur
prised to see a monkey running about
and some birds feeding, but I soon saw
that monkey and birds were worked
Into many a design; a hen with her
chicks were also utilized. Flowers and
trees they had around them, and the
pupils had to create, not copy.
In the turners' room were fifteen
lathes. In the sculptors' room pupils
were at work. Quite a picturesque group
was formed as the workmaster stood
over a lad who, with mallet and chisel,
was working out of a rough wood block
the figure .of a laughing fawn. The
pupil had'a fine face, and his eyes went
Into his work a village lad turned into
an artist by this school.
The number of pupils In all was 520.
Girls were taught drawing and paint
ing. ' Here their system makes the
poorest see with an artistic eye, and
the value of this was evident In the '
towa In the furniture and houses were I
seen the influence of this school, which
is absolutely free to all without pay
ment even for material
Autographs and Holographs.
"An autograph," said an antiquary,
"is worth nothing, while a holograph
may be worth $1,000 or more. An
antograph of a man is his simple sig
nature. His holograph Is one of his
signed letters, and its value depends
on Its Interest
"Some men are such fools that they
think autographs valuable and holo
graphs worthless.
grandfather's chest a lot of Important
letters of Franklin, Washington, Aaron
Burr, Hamilton, Andre and JeCerson.
He read these letters; then be burnt
them, first cutting out the signatures.
"For the signatures he got 50 cents
apiece or thereabouts. For the letters
In their entirety he would bar got
from $100 to $500 apiece.
"By this loss of about $24,000 the
man learned the difference between an
antograph and a holograph."
Nora's Stone Butterfly.
Teddy and Nora ran Into grandpa's
tudy all out of breath.
"It is, Isn't it, grandpa?" cried Nora.
"It isn't. Is It?" cried Teddy.
"What are you talking about, chil
dren?" asked grandpa smiling. . j
"About my stone butterfly," said
Nora, eagerly. "I found it down by
the brook. It must have got caught In i
the stone someway. See herel"
Nora held out a stone In which was
something that looked very much like
a butterfly wltll its wings spread.
Grandpa took It in his hand and looked
at It carefully. "That is not a butter
fly," said he.
"There, Nora!" said Teddy; "I told
you It Just happened so."
"No," grandpa went on, "it did not
Just happen so. Let me tell you a
story."
"Oh, do, grandpa!" cried Teddy and
Nora together. ,
"A long, long time ago "
"When you were a little boy?" Inter
rupted Nora.
"It was long before there were any
little boys In the world," said grandpa,
and -Just where our farm Is now,
nothing was to be seen except ocean.
In the ocean lived a great many shell
fish. There was one little fellow who
had a very pretty shell, though I can't
tell you just now what color It was.
He had a spclndld" time swimming
about with, his mates in the warm sea
water as long as he lived, and whea.he
died he left his little shell In the sand
at the bottom of the ocean. The sea
slowly drifted away,' and., the sand
grew harder and harder, till at last It
turned to stone, and the shell turned
to stone, too. There It lay for thou
sands of years, till at last a little girl
found It amixalled It a stone butter
fly."
"Oh, grandpa, how funny said
Nora. . "And are there any more shells
in the rocks?"
"There are so many," said grandpa,
"that you could not write the number
on your slate."
"Then see If you don't fill my cabi
net with 'em!" cried Teddy. Youth's
Companion. '
The Magio Pill Box.
Take a small round pill box and a
coin that exactly fits into it Cover
one side of the coin with paper of
exactly , the color of the Inside of the
box. . Now show the coin to tho audl-
Fill. BOX.
ence, being careful to show them only
the face that Is not covered. Now drop
it into the box with the covered face
up. Put the lid on the box and talk
mysteriously; then open the box and
show the audience that the coin has
disappeared. Tut tho lid on the box
again, make a few passes, open the box
and let the coin fall out into your hand
with its uncovered face up. When you
show it to the audience they will be
mystified.
He nises Late.
There is an old saying, much quoted
by advocates of early riBing It is the
eariy bird that gets the worm. That's
ell right for the bird, but how about
the worm? The editor knows a man
that has reasoned the thing out, and
has concluded that rising late Is the
proper thing to do. Here is the way
he puts it:
The lark was up to meet the tun, and
carol for bis lay ;
The farmer's eon took down his gun, and
at him blazed away.
The busy bee arose at S, and buzzed the
meadows o'er ;
The farmer's 'wife went for its hive, and
robbed It of its store.
The nimble ant rose early, too, his labors
v to beein:
j"" '"VT that.way' and
took his antshlp in.
O bees, and birds, and ants, be wise, in
proverbs take no stock ;
Ltte me, refuse to rise until it's half-past
8 o'clock.
The Boy and His Bones.
Here Is an extract from a school
boy's composition on bones ; the teacher
to whom it was submitted vouches
for Its accuracy as a copy : Some of
my bones don't grow close to my oth
ers, snug, like the branches to the
trunk of a tree, and I am glad they
don't, for if they did, I could not play
leak-frog and other good games that
I know. The reason why they don't
grow that way is because they have
Joints. Joints is good things to have
,ar V ,'The
ball and socket Joint like my shoulders,
Is the best Teacher showed It to me,
only It was the thigh of a cow. One
end was round and smooth and whit
ish. That is the ball end. The other
' end ' was hollowed In deep. That
la the socket and it oils Itself. It is
the only machine that oils Itself. It
never creaks like the school door.
. .1 Chain of Post-Cards.
Post-cards both domestic and for-
eign, are so plentiful and so oeauami
at present that thousands of boys and
girls are finding ways of preserving
them. Most of them use an album for
this purpose, but It Is said that a post
card chain is preferable in every way.
Punaji a hole through each corner of
the cards, string them on two ribbons,
putting the ribbons through the upper
boles from the under side, and then
across the ends of the cards and down
through the lower holes. String on as
many cards as you please, one above
the other, like the links of a chain.
Tie the two ribbons together at each
end, and hang the chain on the wall;
or finish with a bow of rlbon at each
corner of tlie first and last card, and
fold in book-form.
"SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES."
Lamentable Ignorance of the Bible
Among the Moderately Educated.
Lillian felt a glow of pride and pleas
ure in her success at the guessing game
In which Boine of the elderly guests in
the summer hotel had Invited her to
- I
-. . . . . ,
We cant expect to match our wits,
with a girl Just out of high school," :
.,, ., .
said one of the party, with a kind,
oiuue ul iniiitu. we miznt nave
known that she would recognize Bag
well as the Englishman whose claim to
fame rested upon a blograpby."
"And she knew it was Pepys who
chronicled small beer and great his
torical events In the same cryptic
pages," added a gray-haired gentleman.
"But if you ,wljl leave the room again,
Miss Lillian, we'll try to find a char
acter that won't be so easy for you."
When Lillian was recalled she was
told that the person she was to guess
was a leader, a lawmaker and a magi-1
clan, and celebrated for his meekness
Alter a rew moments' thought .she
owned herself mystified.
"He had stone tables," a lady sug
gested.
"Was It Hadrian?" Lillian asked.
"He had lots of marble furniture."
"Ours Is an Old Testament charac
ter,' remarked the gray-haired gentle
man, smiling, "and he passed forty
days on a mount"
Even this hint did not enlighten Lil
lian. "I'll have to give up," she said, j
"Moses," merrily chorused
all
the
players. ,
"Moses?" .repeated Lillian. "Why,
did Moses preach the Sermon on the
Mount?" The merriment died out of
most of the elderly faces, and was re-1
placed by a grave expression that made
Lillian uncomfortable. "Have I said
something wrong?" she whispered to
Mrs. Dorsey, her chaperon.
"I think, dear, we are all pained to
find you don't know who preached the
Sermon on the Mount," was the gentle
reply. - ;. .
A few minutes later Lillian answered
a tap at the door of her own room, and
Mrs. Dorsey entered.
"I thought when I missed you that
maybe you were here alone," she said,
and then noticing Lillian's tear-stained
face, "Why, my child, you mustn't be
unhappy."
"I can't help It I know every one
In the parlor was shocked at my Ignor
ance about the Bible."
"Perhaps your Ignorance Is not alto
gether your fault. The Bible Isn't
taught as It used to be. In my early
days it was considered an Important
part of education, and I think the pres
ent almost total neglect of It In tha
home and school is a sad mistake. Chil
dren who are not brought up on the
Scriptures as I was don't know what
they are missing. Aside from the great
religious and ethical value of a knowl
edge of it, a familiarity with the Bible
is necessary for a good understanding
of literature. Do you know why Mrs.
Wharton named her novel The House
of Mirth?"
"No," answered Lillian. ,
"Then search the book of Ecclesl
astes. Do you know why Mrs. Deland
called a story 'Many-Waters'?"
"No ; I read it, and I couldn't see any
sense to the title."
"That was because you hadn't read
'Solomon's Song. These two names
happen to occur to me now, and as
you become acquainted with the Bible,
.,. . . . ,, . , '
you will see what fullness and rich
ness It has given to nearly all onr
literature."
"Well, I Intend to become acquaint
ed with It," said Lillian. And she
wrote home that night and asked her
father to send her her mother's Bible.
Youth's Companion.
TVben Salmon Are Suicidal.
In the Sea of Okhotsk the salmon
are suicidal and one of tho most star
tling examples of the spendthrift side
of nature may be found in the rivers
that run into this sea.- When 0 years
old the salmon begin a voyage of death.
Ascending the river of their Infancy,
they race in countless thousands up
stream until lack of food and lack of
elbow room kill them off. A recent
traveler., declares that however many
millions of salmon majr run up the
river, not one ever reaches the sea
again alive. What becomes of the
rivers of dead salmon? The seagulls
whi down unon the scene and fenst
upon their eyes, scorning anything less
Ttonra. wolves, form ariri alu4m
dogs are made comfortable for
tha
year.
How It Began
A dramatic critic has married an ac-
treas.
Probably the courtship began the
first time he noticed her. Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
Instead of calling a man a liar it Is
more polite to say he is unblstorlcaL
,
HI burner like chemical preparations,
often comes from a retort
THElEEKLY
IV.'- '-, .) 'It.
1191 Richard
I. defeated the Saracens
at Arsouf.
wr ttt it . . . . . . trt i ' i.
ivi uanace acieaiea ine ningnsu
pamKv
r . a tt i a . ti
145C Mohammed II. repulsed at Bel-
.
1522 Circumnavigation of the globs
completed by the return of Magel
lan's ship to Spain.
1544 Valparaiso," Chill, founded by
Pedro de Valdivia.
1547 English defeated the Scots at
Pinkie.
1505 French sailed
S. C, against
Angustina, Fla..
Augustine, Fla.
from Tort Royal,
Meneniloz at St.
. .Founding of St
1584 Sir Humphrey Gilbert lost at sea.
100S Cant. John Smith elected Dresi-
. dent of Virginia colony.
1000 Henry Hudson arrived in New
York bay.
1031 Gustavus defeated Tilly at Lelp
sic. ' '
1G50 Cromwell defeated the Scots at
Dunbar.
lOSo Jean Baptiste Colbert celebrated
' Minister of Louis XIV. of France,
died.
1751 New style of calendar adopted in
Great Britain.
1755 Exile of Acadians from Nova
Scotia announced.
17G0 Montreal capitulated to the Brit-
lnh.
17G3 Detroit relieved from siege by
Indians. .
1708 Cyclone at Havana destroyed one
thousand lives,
1770 American colonies firist called the
! ''United States" by Congress.
i(si Liaiayette prevemeu tne retreat
of Cornwallis into North Carolina
.... New Loudon, Conn., burned by
British.
1705 First newspaper exclusively for
commercial topics Issued at Boston.
1800 Malta ceded to the British.
1S04 United States ship "Intrepid"
blown up in Tripoli harbor.
1807 Copenlingen surrendered to Ad
miral Gambier and Lord Cathcart.
1812 French defeated the Russians at.
battle of Borodino. .
1818 James J. Wallack made his first
appearance an the American stage.
1828 Earl of Dalhousie finished his
term of office as governor general of
Canada.
1835 John G. Carlisle, ex-Secretary ot
the Treasury, born.
1838 Ferdinand I. of Austria crowned
at Milan.
1841 President Tyler vetoed the fiscal
bank bill.
1840 John Y. Mason of Virginia became
Secretary of the Navy... Ellas Howe
Invented his sewing machine.
1850 House of Representatives paused
the fugitive slave bill. ...New Mex
ico and Utah territories organized.
1852 Brevet Col. Robert E. Lee made
superintendent of tho West ' Point
Military academy.
1858 Gold found in Tangier river, Nova
Scotia. ,
1800 Union force under Grant occupied
Paducah, Ky.
1801 First provincial synod of the
Church of England met at Montreal.
1802 Gen. Lee crossed the Potomac and
Invaded Maryland.
18G5 I'resident Johnson Issued bis sec
ond amnesty proclamation.
1870 French republic .declared and
flight of the Empress Eugenie.
1873 Great Britain paid the Indemnity
I n ha Alabama claims,
j 1874-Colorado for the first time went
Democratic.
1870 Fire at St. Hyaclnthe, quobec,
destroyed five hundred Louses.
1879 Massacre of British residents at
Cunul.
1884 Parisians demanded that the gov
ernment declare war on China.
1880 Apaches under Chief Geronimo
surrendered to Gnn. Miles In Arizona.
1891 The new Chilean government
recognized by the United States...,
Tennessee Legislature refused to
abolish the convict lease system,.,.
Centenary of Meyerbeer celebrated
at Berlin. .. .German government re
moved the prohibition ot the Impor
tation of American pork.
1893 President Cleveland opened the
Pan-American Medical Congress In
Washington.
1894 Twelve thousand tailors struck la
New York City against the task-work
system.
1895 Attempt made to blow up the
Rothschild bank In Paris.
1898 United States commissioners ap
pointed to negotiate a treaty of peace
with Spain.... New Westminster, B.
C., nearly destroyed by fire.
1001 President McKinley shot at the
I uuuuiu "F"""-
JVaval Shake-np Began.
One of the moat radical shake-ops In
the history of the United States navy Is
now reported to be under way In the de-
pnrtment with especial reference to the
personnel of the line on the battleships
which r t0 tek ' P,art ,n the 'ortncomlng
I acme cruine, xuo yujryuiw is m au-
vance the younger men to the fighting line
and send their elders to the rear, and It
i ot tn elnten captains who
will command the ships on the long voy.
' ggv fourteen will be men younger than
the officers now In command,