Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-06

Some slight mishap occurred to the Osborne
section of the wire and the queens coming
was delayed. The mus !cians after playing
some time, were dismissed. Shortly after,
to my CONSERVATION, / received a wire from
Osborne stating that the queen had arrived
and was ready to hear the music. What
was to be done? The band had departed and
there was no way of getting another On
hasty impulse j decided to see what I
could do, and hummed God Save the Queen
her majesty had recognized the tune. Yes
was the reply; 1T was the national anthem,
but very badly played
HIS POWERS OF PERSUASION.
The spirit of the man is well illustrated
by the above story. His geniality is
further shown by an anecdote told by w. ID.
Weaver, editor of the American Electrician.
1t also brings him nearer the hearts of Amer
leans. 81 met Mr.. Preece in America when he
was on his way to the Worlds fair at Chicago.
I was then editor of the Electrical World
and we were very desirous of obtaining his
photograph, to be published along with the
pictures of other European scientists then
visiting this country. ] saw Mr.. Preece at
his hotel, and with him was Alexander
Siemens, well known as all electrician, whose
family name is an honored one in the scien-
tific world. Preece's geniality at once
prompted him to acquiesee to my desire for a
picture, but the modesty of Siemens was
proof against it. Not only did he not have
a picture of himself, but he refused to allow
one to be taken. %, come, come, Sic
mems said Preece, why not have it taken?
You are well known over here No, no,
said Siemens, 1T is my father that Amerl-
cans know, not L. On the contrary said
Preece, 1t Is you. Why, certainly, we will
go right down tomorrow morning with Mr..
Weaver and have our pictures taken But
Siemens was Obdurate and / was compelled
to leave without his consent. AS / was
about to leave, however, Preece assured me
that Siemens would be along with him the
next morning.
CAPTURED THE PHOTOGRAPHER.
"Sure enough he was, Into the photog-
rapher's the two walked together, Semens
perfectly willing to sit for his photograph.
Whatever kind of persuasion Preece used 1t
was certainly all-suflicient. The photog-
rapher, who. by the way, | will call Parker,
although 1t Is not his real name was man
who prided himself on the number Of celeb
rites he had photographed. Preece COM
pletely captured the heart of the man with
his geniality. He spied a photo of Blaine.
why, there is Blaine! he cried. %, yes
said the photographer, I have taken several
OF our great men, Have youY said Preece.
I'll bet can recognize the picture of any
great American you've got in the place
Can your said Parker, throwing down sew
eral. Well who are shey?' Why said
Preece, this one Is Depew; this is Cleye-
land, here is Carlisle and Benjamin Har-
ished at the celerity with which Preece rat
tied off the names. He hunted up lot OF
pictures of men of not quite so much prom
nence. Ii was DO use Preece knew them
all, and every time he finished summing up
came that quizzcel demand. Got any moreY
In ten minutes he appeared to know the
photographer all his life. He had dropped
the prefix mister and was calling him plain
Parker, and had him busly engaged pulling
down Iong-forgotten celebrities from dusty
hooks in q fashion which showed him to be
fairly bubbling over with delight. When we
were on the way out Preece excused him
self as though he had forgotten something
and went back Putting his head In the
door he called out: i say, eh! Goodby,
Parkerr A few days afterward ! met the
photographer The remembrance still seemed
to tickle him. why he said. that man
Preece is one of the finest men / ever met
TELEGRAPHING WITHOUT WIRES.
II is typical of the man that he considers
no person or object too Insignificant for his
attention. Ii Is this phase OF his character
which made him grasp the reins OF succese
SO early in life, which has made him the
most progressive man OF his clique, which
made him Instantly comprehend the posi-
bilities of the telephone. He has grasped
and successfully exploited theories which
more conservative men have waited TO have
thrust upon them. Thus he has been the
most active patron OF the young italian,
Marconi. who has startled the scientific world
with his exploits In telegraphing without
same direction have attracted attention
His assistance given 10 these Investigators
proves his personal dlsinterestedness on the
side OF science for he has been working for
years oil the same lines, although
not with such radical assumption OF
new theory and method IN 1872
he made practical trials across the