The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-24
Something About the Mis-
souri, MeerSchaum.
Anniversary of John Cab0t'S
LandiDgin America.
The Oldest G. A. R. Man in the
Counlry--An Interesting Report.

A few days ago the Gossiper noticed
sign In tobacconist shop announcing
Missouri mesrschaums for sale. Out oi
curiosity he asked the dealer for one oil
those meerschaums. When II was handed
to him he found that 1t was only the IA
milisr and commonplace corncob pipe.
The dealer explained that the best corn
cob pipes in tho world came from Mis-
souri,, and said that for that reason they
were called meerschaums. He then went
on to explain that the material Tor Drlar-
root pipes is imported from Europa 1t IS
the root of a shrub and Is sometimes US
big as a man. In Austria all sorts Of freak
pipes are made. One pattern represents
q billiard table with three players; one OF
the players Is a cigar holder, another Is a
cigarette holder and the third Is pipe
bowl Each of them may be smoked with
the billiard cue, which serves as stem.
Another style Is three dsrkies seated on q
bench. They may be detached and used
like the billiard PLAYERS Some German
pipes are of porcelain, with glass bulbs
below the bowl To catch the nicotine.
Then there are walking sticks which are
pipes In disguise, the ferrule unscrewing
and revealing an amber mouthpieco Jap
snese pipes are nearly flat and take only "a
small quantity Of fine cut tobacco.
It is interesting to note that the anniver-
sary of the landing of John Cabot on
North American soil is to be celebrated
this year. This has been much-oyer-
looked event in American history, though
II was because Cabot, the Genoese sailed
under English patronage that gave to
England her priority Of discovery on
which she based her claim to the conti-
nent of North America. History might
have been very different had some Span
,sh navigator sailed northward and made
claim to North America as we'll as tC tho
southern part Of the continent. 1t was on
the third day Of May, li97, that Cabot,
with small vessel and crew eighteen OF
men, sailed westward from Bristol, Eng
He had been commissioned by King
Henry VII of England on the fifth Of the
previous March TO proceed TO the discov
ery, exploration and conquest OF such
new lands as he might find. After CO.
lumbus broke the way there We're plenty
TO follow. The world has done right in
honoring the discoverer, but the original
irnding OF Cabot ON the North American
coast is fact of scarcely less Importance
in the world history. He landed on the
New Foundland coast June "a, 1897, and
returned to England in the following Au.
gust.
Rhode Island Grand Army men will be
interested in the story of William Hard
ing. who. 1t is claimed, is the oldest sur
vivor of the Civil war. One hundred
years ago on April 2, he was born at
East Orsley. Eng, and no Is today the
veteran of three wars and the oldest mem
her of the g. A. X. I'm the country. Mr.
Harding Is now a resident Of Naseca,
Mimi. At the age of Is he participated
in the war of 1912 and no still remem bers
many Incidents OF that struggle. he re-
mained In Canada for 10 years,Shen moved
to Milwaukee. From there after five years
residence he went TO Burlington, VT.
From that plaza he enlisted and fought
under Taylor In the Mexican war and
for that service bo Is now drawing "a
pension of $72 month. After that war
he moved to Chicago and lived there for
decade. Then no moved 10 Minnesota.
When the Civil war broke out Harding,
who was 90 years OF age, deter mined TO
enlist. and by swearing that he was only
40 years old. succeeded in getting en-
rolled In the Fifth Minnesota regiment.
The preliminary drilling proved too
severe for him and he was detailed for
work at Fort Smelling The old man
today is remarkably hale and hearty. and
Is In the possession Of all his faculties,
though his hearing Is somewhat defec.
tive.
he takes an interest In current events,
and thoroughly enjoys and appreciates
gatherings In his honor and the presents
that are made him. He does work out
of doors and takes pleasure In war remin-
issenccs. lie declares that he will attend
the national encampmont to be held at
Buffalo in September
Mr.. james Charles Monaghan of this
city, now consul at Chemnitz, Germany,
in all OF his reports has something inter
esting and valuable TO say. In the cur
rent issue of the consular reports he treats
among other things of industrial educa-
tion ia Germany. He says that Prussia,
like Saxony, has reason 10 be proud OF her
progress in Industrial education. The
unprecedented activity in tho building
x-ades all ovor the empire makes more
evident the need of building trade schools,
for which liberal provision is made in the
bucget for the current fiscal year. The
existing schools are not as thorough, he
says, as the masters in trades and the
friends Of industrial education desire.
Old schools are 20 bc improved and new
ones are TO be built. The marine school
at Flensburg for steamship inachinists is
TO be put under imperial control as well
as patronage; the corps Of teachers Of the
machine building school at Durtmuud is
TO be enlarged: the school at Hcchr for
ceramics Is TO be asSiStpd by money and