New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-01
ANECDOTES OF SIEMENS.
INFLUENCE OF a uANnER UPON HIS LIFE.
THE INVENTORS RECEPTION OF AN HONOR
From EMPEROR WILLIAM

| Berlin Dec 11-"I began the writing of my
| memoirs with the Biblical spying: THE days OF our
| wears are three score years and ten; and II by
re On Of strength they be four score years. yet Is the
strM 9Th labor and sorrow and think the concluding
| words Of the verse; yet Is thci: strength labor
| and SORROW have been proved In my case NV
| ~. was beautiful because it was successful ana was
| devoted to useful labors And when say mat
am sorry because approaching It's end, 1t Is be-
cause I must part from my loved ones, and because
| I shall not be allowed to work longer successfully IN
| the full development Of the scientific age"
| with these prophetic words Werner Won slcnens
| ended his Memoirs which left the printing presses
| on the day. week ago. when he was attacked WIN
his fatal Illness. To-day he Is dead, and Ills pub
| lshod fnrcwcl has attracted universal attention.
| berlin and Germany have seldom mourned the
| death OF a great citizen more deeply and sincerely
| than mat Of Won Semens. The mourning ior the
| death Of old Emperor William and Won MoitHe
only can be compared with the signs OF regret al the
demise Of the great manufacturer. scientist ana III
ycnror Among the mourners no persons are more
SINGER, than thousands Of poor In Berlin. who have
! sought the aid Of Won -cmens-nnd never In vain
For years. Indeed. It the inventors first duty
every morning to read the hundred or more requests
for assistance which had come through the RAILS.
| F,w indeed, were those which he refused. Marked
on each letter. under the wor!s-wricn with his own
| hand-.It Is blessed 10 give was the amount of
| money which 10 BE- sent, tHrblEn MS '''r't'S'
| 10 the applicant. It ony after this morning
duty that Werner Slcmens could De seen !y his
friends nj his curious Office In the middle Of his
| great factory In Berlin
IN the lives Of most great men small events nave
| played ! great part The HE OF Won si'fh"hS "s
~ exception. In the Mcraoirs" referred TO above
| he tells Of a victory wln In hi earliest childhood
| which aided him In accomplishing every triumph "i
| later year, strange {, say. Il was victory over
| gafdcr Ills Younger sister. he SAYS was one day
soui LIZ nj, mother 10 get some trinc In the barn
She returned moment later crying because a terri
BIZ cnnder had tried attack her she passed the
BARNARD gate. )nd attempt 10 gt by the gl1rd
was a failure. An appeal was then made to Werner
d" Ny father he writes. gave me stlck and told
| me 10 use when attacked by the pnrdeT, and all
would 20 well. Accompanied by my sister opened
tho gnic when the bird. Kissing aud with Bonded
neck. started toward u.s. Ny sister. crying. cling
| clos, ~ me. ! wished 10 Zee. but remembering my
fathers words, marched toward the gander with
cyc, shut Ia tell the truth although wished % ram
branil,hing my stick the right and left True
enough. the bird tIrr"d when he approaching
and ran away allowing to accomplish the crrand."
The Incident" heroic Decd he calls it-Von
| slcmens says he never forgot Whenever difficult
pr icm presented ITSELF whenever h" grew discouraged
and ready 10 give MP hard struggle, the victory
over the gardcr 10 his mind. and shutting his
oyrs.~ frlmtvclv spcallLc he pushed on TO other
triumpls.
II may be generally known that Won Sl,m"ns
applied for lis first patent from the cell OF prison
After graduaion from the artillery school, In Berlin
| the Young mar-thcn only twenty one years od-wlS
attached a regiment in Wucnberg. II was hcr,
he Logan his experiments, 10 the great horror II his
landlady who upbialdcd him day after DAY for stain
ing his clothes, furniture and the windowpane' with
: III. silver and acid spots. she coud no the
| e "wn,ting money for such things Iut Won Sic
mems went on with lis experiments and with stain
Ing lis furniture and clothes He became too, the
life Of m" garrison. and one Of It's NEST popular
bcrs. His popularity however led to his taking part
Of second In dncl between two Of his comrades
A. result he sentenced 70 five years mprls IN
mont IN the fortress o. Magdeburg.
The hnclady was the only person In Wittenbcrg
who glad of the young lieutenant's departure
In the cell In the fortress however he was allowed
TO hx up laboratory and there continue his expert
mcns. There. too. a month after his Incarceration
h" perfected his method Of galvanic gliding and APP
piled for the patent from the prison cell. II was
granted, and with II Il pardon. a pardon In all
probability never received with less glec
si"mens had other experiments under way In his
prison workshop, and begged 10 be allowed TO stay n
while longer in PRISON 10 complete them. But the
Keeper sent him AWAY with the declaration that such
a course would b" an insult TO his King and com
mnnder. Scmcns then came 70 Berlin.
Among his friends In Wittcnbcrg who forgot
I'm. the wife Of n BAKER from whom young
lieutenant, he 10 buy cakes Airr her former
customer had become famous. he always the
BAKERS wife word when he intended 20 pass through
Wltcnbcrc the trains. She never failed until
her death to appear nj the station with apple cakes
for the great inventor. These he while the good
woman told him Of the changes and gossip Of the
town.
After Won siemens had become world famous and
had received testimonials OF regard and honJr from
almost every country In Europe, old Emperor Will
lam could not afford u ignore him longer. lie de-
cidcd therefore, to confer dignity upon him. one
day Herr Won Madal. president Of the Berlin police,
called upon the inventor to say that Ills Majesty had
decided to make him Commerhenra,h," "A coun-
sellor OF commerce. counselor OF Commerce. snld
sicmens hnlf to himself, First Lieutenant. Hon
ornry Doctor Of Philosophy and Counsellor OF Com
merccl That. ! fear VIII be- mixture OF titles
which Will give me II pain In the stomach
The president repeated Siemons's reply to the En-
pcror. who laughed heartily. He sent Herr Won
AIada ngnn scmens with the order that he appear
at the next courtball, ard ask for some distinction
This the Inventor declined to do.
"Then,- said the Emperor TO the president. intro
ducc him h. my WIFE She will arrange the affair."
Won sicmens, however, never took advantage OF the
opportunty several years later ut the Vienna EN-
ribtlon where again honors were thrust upon him.
the Empress hunted him up of her own accord. g.
have a bone to pick with you, Herr sIemens.' she
said upon receiving his obesance. You always run
oway from us. That will not b. possible any more
But the inventor cared little for the rvolities OF
cougtife and still declined /, accept the Invitations
Emperor Frederick appreciated him, however; and one
Of the first acts of his short and melancholy reign
WINS the granting OF patent Of hereditary nobility To
Werner siemens strange as II may seem, this honor
was a great qualification to the man whose work Is
now ended and whose name without the "von' would
be immortal.
Three sons survive Werner Won Siemens, ana will
continue his wora The eldest Arnold. is married to
n daughter OF Won Helmhcltz. His brother. sir
william. who took up his home in England, Is dead.
one brother stu lives IN DRESDEN and another In
st. Petersburg. They and men OF parts-but
the fame Of Werner overshadowed them.