The daily critic., 1890-10-09
Dion BOucicault's Utter Ignorance of
the Value Of Money.
A GREAT ENGLISHHAN ON EDUCATION.
Sbys Famous Retreat Interesting De-
tails Concerning Napoleon by His
Valet Bsmarck's One Ambi-
ticn--- --Epitaphs for the
Ex Chancellor.

something about his personal expeudi.
lures assert that he was perhaps one Of
the most extravagant men who ever
lived. He had no regard whatever for
money and always lived up to his In
come, even when his income had
reached the marvellous figure Of 5000
week.
A story Is told by the New York
World Of his going into a champagne
house and asking for certain brand Of
champagne. He was told that the brand
in question was not imported for the
American market aud that II he wanted
any II would have TO be brought over
especially for him, and that they could
not bring over less than 100 cases. The
100 cases Of wine would cost something
like $4,000. But this calculation did
not deter Mr.. Boucicault In the least
He ordered the wine, and four OF five
weeks subsequently, the 100 cases aggre
eating 200 bottles, were delivered at
his apartments, which were then In
Fifteenth street, near Fifth avenue.
No one ever knew him to haggle over
price or even 10 ask what the price Of
an article would be when he left the
order for II with the storekeeper. When
he was living In New York here It was
his habit to 60 to a manufacturer of fine
furniture and order the most expensive
articles and never know what they
would cost him until the bill came In.
This sort OF reckless expenditure began
with his success as playwright with
London Assurance" and continued
until four or five years ago, when his
receipts fell off so considerably as to
make the continuance Of II impossible.
As a young man In London he Is said
TO have been one Of the most gorge lusly
dressed dandies Of his time.
-.
Neither al school nor at college, says
Frederic Harrison in the October
"FUum, was / ever put through the
mill. read the classics with delight,
so rs to enjoy them for themselves,
without ever grinding them up into
verbal exercises In history believe
] had the very best Of teaching, for
which am ever grateful. Aud In
philosophy, We were taught to use our
own common sense, and not TO repeat
tags of windy systems. managed to
satisfy my tutors; but they taught me
TO read for my minds sake and not for
the sake Of "the schools" / always
felt complete indifference TO prize.
winning In all its forms, and I was
happy enough not 10 be pressed into
that silly waste of time by parents,
tutors or friends. / read what / en-.
joyed. and l enjoyed what | read. l
have now an experience Of some forty
years as student, teacher and examiner;
and II forces on me profound con.
yietion that our modern education Is
hardening into a narrow aud debasing
mill. Education Is over driven, over
systematiZed, monotOnOus, mechanical
AT school and al college lads and girls
are being drilled like German recruits
forced into a regulation style of learn
ing, Of thinking, and even Of writing.
They all think the same thing, and Il
Is artificial In ALL The round of end
less examination reduces education 10 a
professional cram, where the repeti-
tiOn OF given formula passes for knOWl-
edge, and where the accurate memory
of some teachers tips" takes the place
of thought. Education ought 10 be
the art of using the mind and Of arrang,
ing knowledge. II Is becoming the art
of swallowing pellets Of special infor-
nation. The professor mashes up a
kind Of mental ''pemmiean." which he
rams into the learners gullet. When
the pupil vOmits up these pellets Il Is
called passing his examination with
honoTs. Teachers and pupils cease to
think, to learn, to enjoy. 10 eel. They
become cogs in q hHge, 7, diving mill
wheel, which never ceases o grind, and
yet never ETinds out anything but the
dust Of chaff. In thirty years the
academic mill, which runs now at high
pressure ike a CunardeF racing home,
has never turned out one single fresh
mind OF one fertile idea. From this
curse of modern pedantry my com
panions and J we're happily saved.
-
A gentleman passed through the city
Sunday on his way 10 Excelsior
Springs Gays the Kansas City Times,
whose name three or four years ago
was one Of the most popular in the
daily press Of that day. II was John T.
shy Of Deming. n NJ whose deed Of
heT0ism in saving his wife and family
from massacre by a band Of savage
Apaches after a running light Of several
miles will ever make bis name a con
spiciOus one IN the history Of the West
The story is as follows
Mr. Shy had settled on a ranch Ia
New Mexico with his wife and young
son, their place being seventeen miles
from any settlement The ranch was
attacked BY a rowing band Of eighteen
ApaChes who sought to drive OF the
stock. Mr. Shy, who was well armed,
and had plenty Of ammunition, placed
his wife and child In place Of safety
within the house and then opened fire,
which vas returned The tight was
Waged for some time tn one Of the
Indians succeeded IN crawling up and
setting IRE 20 the house. This neces-
STATED fight; so, sending Mrs. Shy
forward under cover Of the smoke of
the burning building the husband aud
father, carrying his young son under
bis arm made q dash for the cover Of
some thick brush which vas growing
near by.
An Indians bullet vent through the
child's hip and lodged IN the father
body, but the fight went on Mr Shy
ran forward some distance. and then,
dropping the child into the brush, would
face about and fire at the leading pur
suer who would thus BE- brought % a
staudsiil for a time. then another short
fight ana another stand % gain time for
AlIs shy, who was heeing 10 the font,
and SO the day vas spent The Indians
finally gave up the chase. which bad
cost them 30 less than si1 warriors, aud
The exhausted fugiiyes managed t1
reach lle city Of Demiug Wlih their
lives. The wounds received By both
q ~