The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-29


return and by purchase it has acquired
very fine library of 100000 volumes. Aside
from scholarly folk, the institution is best
known as the custodian of the National
Museum
i notice that some last wills and testa-
ments" are contested and sometimes set
aside. Cannot a person by will exclude any
heir whom he does not desire to let share
the benefits of his fortune, and will not the
courts respect such wiI?-A. X.
OF course. the courts will respect any viii
that is drawn properly, but with a large
legacy at stake the legal fight is hot and
straws are split very fine. So able a lawyer
as the late Samuel j. Tilden made will
that did not hold in court. But is should be
remembered that a majority of the wills
that are not contested, or that, being con-
tested, stand. are not published widely. A
common way of excluding an heir is to
bequeath him a trifling sum to show that
he was not forgotten. From this practice
arose the saying "cut off with shilling"
Please give me some information as to the
Bertillon or French system Of taking de-
scriptions of criminals What ] want par
ticularly is the translation of measure
ment under the Bertillon system into En-
gl1sh iigures.-T. j. G.
The distinctive feature of the Bertillon
system is not that it is usually recorded in
the metric system, but that it brings the
question Of Identification to an exact sci
ence. The important measurements are of
ger tip to tip; length of trunk-height of
man sitting; length and width Of head;
length and width Of right ear-these are es-
pecially reliable measurements, as not sub
ject to change with increasing age; length
of left foot when entire weight is on it,
length of left middle finger, little finger and
forearm. By this system it is practically
impossible that the recorded measurements
of any two criminals should be even so
nearly alike as to cause doubt-say, in
jurys mind. Practically all the points COW
cred by the old-fashioned ''rogues' gallery"
measurements are added to the above in
the Bertillon system. To learn how to
change long measure to metric you should
consult an arithmetic.
Please tell something of Andree's expedi-
ton. 2. Could not canal be constructed
across the Isthmus of Panama with less la
Dor and expense than across Nicaragua
r. E. W.
1t was an attempt to reach the north pole
by balloon, and apparently was disastrous,
as an expedition that went out to look for
the balloonists returned without trace of
them. July IL, 1897, was the day of Andree's
start. 2. This is a question in which civil
engineers disagree but the weight of ex-
pert opinion is in favor of the Nicaragua
route In the point of length-forty-six and
one-half miles for Panama and 1894 for
Nicaragua-the former seems favored, but
these figures are not representative of the
work required Lake Nicaragua is taken
advantage of, as are it's tributaries; while
in the Panama route, what is known as the
Culebra ridge necessitates a cutting the like
of which has never been made The
Chagres river, too, which runs along part of
the canal, is subject to high freshets that
already have undone many thousands Of
dollars worth Of work. The Nicaragua
streams are much less unruly. Speaking
before a congressional committee, President
Hiram Hitchcock, of the Nicaragua Com
pany, gave these four reasons why his route
was preferable: That it runs through
healthier country; that it is more direct
that is has great lake for a feeder, and an
abundant rainfall to guarantee steady
water supply.
Inquirer: The poem of Riley's of which
you inquire is called THE Tree Toad" 1t
is found in the volume entitled "Neghborly
Poems" Space will not permit the repro
duction of the verses here.
In what States are first cousins forbidden
to marry? If they do marry in those States
is the marriage illegal? What is the pen
alty?-Reader.
The Indiana law forbids the marriage of
first cousins There is no penalty further
than the fact that such a union is not
legal marriage. We have not the statutes
of other States at hand.
Please explain the requirement and pro-
cedure for obtaining admittance to the
Naval Academy and West Point. When the
graduates are returned to civil life are they
given q bounty?-Reader.
The appointments are made by the Presi-
dent on recommendation of congressman.
Ask your congressman when an appoint
ment will be due in your district. When
cadets are graduated from these institutions
they are at once assigned to duty in the
army or navy, as the case may be.
A. Burlingame: General Joseph Wheeler
was born in Augusta, Ga, Sept 10, 1885, but
no biography to which we have access gives
the name of his father, or any particulars
concerning his family. He was graduated
at West Point in 1852 In 1861 he entered
the Confederate army and served through
the war with great gallantry. Since the
war he has lived in the South and served
several terms as representative in Con-
gress from an Alabama district. He is now
a member of Congress. He served with dis
tinction under Shafter at Santiago.
State what the object of the Monroe doc
trine is. Give it fully so all can understand
what it is.--A Reader.
The Monroe doctrine, first declared by
President Monroe in his annual message in
1898, was intended to warn European powers
against meddling in the affairs of this con-
tinent. As some Intervention was then
threatened President Monroe stated that
I'VE should consider any attempt on their
part to extend their system to any portion
of this hemisphere as dangerous to our
peace and safety" and again, that the
American continents, by the free and indie
pendent condition which they have assumed
and maintain, are henceforth not to be con-
sidered subjects for colonization by any
European powers" The doctrine has been
frequently referred 30 by later Presidents as
a strong ground for preventing any Euro
pean power from getting a new foothold in
the western hemisphere.
If an article be sent in to your paper. with
the name and address of the writer and is
worthy of publication, will it be published?
DE We're.
1t depends on its literary merit, its length.
general interest and other considerations.