Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-08
OF CURRENT

in one Of the most familiar forms has 10 a
large extent disappeared. The parlor elo-
cutionist IS a thing OF the past. The young
woman who stepped out into the circle OF
an admiring circle of friends and admirers
to recite 'Of All the Operas That Verdi
Wrote" or You Must Wake and Call Me
Early" has evidently passed away for
good. Nobody sees or hears her now, and
she has disappeared along with those other
young women who used 10 play on the pi-
ano The Maiden's Prayer or The Bat
tie Of Prague" Both Of these interesting
social phenomena have quite dropped out
Of sight In New York. whether they sur
vive in other cities or not. The elocution
teachers Of to-day, judging by the pro-
gramme OF their convention. are devOting
themselves TO much more serious matters
than the education of young women in
those amiable accomplishments which seem
TO have passed away so completely from
metropolitan view. As a public performer
the elocutionist has nearly become extinct.
Formerly there were a number of them
who Travelled with great prosperity through
the country. but now few, II any, OF them
are heard of. Sometimes they were read
ers and sometimes recitationists. and very
popular they were.
College colors. like the outlandish college
| yells and cheers. are a comparatively new
tangled institution. For more than a GEN.
fury PrIneetonianS went without colors.
excepting the light blue OF Wing and the
pink of Clio. Hall. II was a custom. which
hundreds Of living graduates remember.
so Professor Alexander writes in Scribner's.
for the students to wear the badges OF
those renowned societies on all public oc-
cssions-that Of Clio being an oblong pink
ribbon pinned upon the lapel Of the
coat; and that of Wing. a long and fow-
ing mass OF loOped blue ribbon worn on
the wrist The historic OrqDCa Of the UOhin
house of Nassau was adopted much later.
and black was added instead Of blue from
sheer ignorance. The crimson of Harvard
was not adopted until years ago. when
the matter was decided at a mass meeting
of the undergraduates. Black has been
added only in later years to distinguish the
Harvard red from that OF Cornell. which
for a like reason has adopted white to go
with the carnelian. At Yale, within re-
cent years, there has been a tendency to
supplant the blue of the cOrnfiower by the
purple Of the violet.
W. II. Preece, the chief electrician Of the
English postof1ce, has at last succeeded in
telegraphing without wires. sending mes
sages with rapidity and certainty from
Penarth to Weston-super-Mare. a distance
Of seven miles. This distance has been ex-
ceeded before, but this is the first time that
messages of any number have been sent
quickly and correctly without wires. Mr..
Preece's method Of telegraphing consists
in exciting a series Of ethereal waves In a
given spot. from which they radiate in
every direction. He then detects them by a
receiver. The dots and dashes Of the tele-
graphic code are represented by the long
and short series of waves. These waves
are said to be of the same character as
those which give us the sensation of light.
but they are longer and much slower. The
receiver he uses is one invented by a young
Italian. who has done some remarkable
things in electricity for one who has had
but little instruction in the science. This
wireless telegraphing Is designed for use
principally between ships In midocean or
between lighthouses and the shore.
England enjoys the questionable distinc-
ton of being the only civilized country in
the world which not only tolerates but act
ually encourages experimental marriages.
True, these marriages do not take place in
England. but in the Andaman Islands,.
which are used as a penal settlement for
indians and Burmese convicts. The greater
part of the convicts are men who are per-
mitted to enjoy the freedom of the islands
(of the class known in American penitsn-
tiaries as "trusties"), and they are al
lowed to marry women convicts who have
completed four years of their time. The
marriage takes place before the governor,
a British officer, whereupon the woman Is
handed over to the man. not for better or
for worse, but for a seven days trial. At
the expiration of that term. II both are
satisfied. they return to the governors Of
fee and he officially declares the union as
final or definite. Otherwise the man goes
his way and the woman returns to her
routine OF work in the jail.
II all records of railroad accidents could
be blotted out. there would still be a way
in which to tell at what time the great
disasters on the steel highways OF COM
merce take place. Every great railroad ac-
cident starts the inventive genius of hun
dreds Of men and floods the patent office
with applications for patents on devices
to prevent disasters of a similar
in the future. Up to the present time
1913 patents relating to railways have been
issued. Whenever there is an accident
heralded throughout the country. inventors
seek to discover the cause for the disaster.
IL II is learned that the switch did not
work, the patent Office Is soon flooded with
applications for improved switches that
are guaranteed never to fail at a critical
Whatever the cause OF the acci-
dent is shown 10 be. numberless devices to
meet the necessity of the case are for
warded to Washington.
A Methodist bishop was preaching a SER
mon not long ago on the vanity OF dress.
ana, as the AtldnId CONSTITUTION Iells inc
story, incidentally alluded to people who
wore velvet and gold ornaments. After the
sermon a distinguished member of his con-
ference approached him and said: Now.
bishop, 1 know you were striking at me. for
l have a velvet vest and a heavy watch
The bishop smiled. passed his hand
over the vest, touched the chain and then
said. with a merry twinkle in his eye: NO.
really. Brother B., for the vest you wear
is only cotton velvet, and I am half per-
suaded that your watch chain Is brass
The periodic rivalry between Michigan
and wisconsin universities Is now a sub
ject Of considerable agitation in debating
circles. Last winter Michigan. Wisconsin.
Northwestern and Chicago universities car
ried on negotiations to establish a Central
League. The control of the
league was TO be placed in the hands Of a
graduate council consisting Of two repre-
sentatives from each university. The ar
progressed smoothly until Wis
consin refused TO place the choice OF sub
ject and officers in the hands of the grad
uate council. AS a result, the other uni
are now charging Wisconsin with
motives.
Ambassador Hays formal petition TO the
government for the pardon Of Mrs.
Maybrick opens a new chapter in
one of the most notable criminal court ro-
mances Of the nineteenth century. Eight
years have now elapsed since this American
was sentenced TO be hanged for the
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