Chicago eagle., 1900-09-22


bers as hard to realize as astronomical
figures are to those who think in tens
or hundreds.
~GA
Phrenology and palmlstry are out of
date. Character, it Is said. Is now
read by the lines in the soles of the
feet. This seems to be getting down
to the foundation of things. 1t will
probably be found that the shoemaker
Is responsible for more bad character
than has heretofore been supposed.
~6A
The loss and waste through negli.
gencc Is Incompatible. The mechani-
cal genius and business energy of our
age Is devoted in large measure to the
economies of doing things. II any one
shall say that inventions i'm machinery
have reached the limit. which Is far
from safe prediction, no one can say
that the occupation of making men
has reached the limit. Men, as never
before, are a necessity of business.
~6A
The value of negative blessings. so to
speak--the things that do not happen
Is seldom taken into account. yet one
might not unreasonably figure them ms
assets" For instance. an insurance
expert estimates that two and half
million accidents. involving a money
loss of one hundred and seventeen mil
lions of dollars. take place In this coun.
try every year. Turning this state
ment about little. 1t would seem that
the people who met with no accident
last year saved thereby, on an average,
forty.six dollars and eighty cents!
~
a freight brakeman on an Eastern
railroad. after working continuously
for 100 hours without sleep, after flag.
ging a train following the one on
which he was employed, instantly fell
asleep Oh the track and was run over
and killed. The railroad officials. who
exacted 100 hours of labor without rest
from this emplOye. were atroclously
at fault and are morally responsible
for the loss Of human life. Such In.
human demands upon the strength of
faithful railroad employees shock the
public. Adequate legal punishment
should be visited upon railroad authors.
ties who order or permit their men to
remain on constant duty four days.
Conditions In Porto Rico have greatly
improved since the American Occupa.
ton of the island. An efficient tele.
graphic system hnc been established,
and roads are In process Of construction
which will make all parts Of the island
easily accessible. The judiciary has
been rcformcd; schools have been reor.
ganized and improved; an efficient 20.
lice force has put down brlgandage--
once the curse of the island-and rem
dcred life and property generally sc.
cure. Improved sanitation has had
marked effects In promoting public
health, and under the new order of
things, 1t Is safe TO assume that, as
time passes. the island will enjoy a
prosperity hitherto unknown In Its his.
tory.
~6A
Richard lie Gallienne may be auda.
clous and cxtravagant Mt times. but he
Is thoroughly sane when he snys
''There never was more perniciOus.
shallOw.minded prOvcrb than Business
before pleasure The natural law Is the
opposite. Business for the sake Of
pleasure would be the truer precept."
II one takes time to think Of 1t the IRA.
tlonality of life seems objectionable.
The first question In the old Gatechism,
"What Is tine chief end of man?" Is now
answered .u terms Of work, and In in.
numerahle cases pleasure means moth
ing but Tie fever to plunge into more
work. II heaven be u place Of rest few
are preparing to enjoy 1t, for little va.
cation Of fortnight, unless one works
hard In trying to enjoy 1t, often means
only SO much tedlousness. This fever
for work, like any other fever, Is con.
tagious, and as yet no panacea for 1t Is
| In sight. II with the increased com.
mercial advantages which we are striv-
Ing for In the far East we could also
barter some Of our nervous restlessness
for their undlsturbed calm, the eX.
change might be our most profitable
gain.
TO Americans the Lord Chief Justice
Of England Is usually but name. The
late Baron Russell Of Killowen, how
ever, was almost as well known and
quite as sincerely respected In the Uni.
ted States as In Great Britain. He had
visited this country twice, the last time
to deliver q most thoughtful and sug
gestive address on international law.
Even before his elevation to the highest
judicial office In Great Britain, he had
won universal recognition by the mas.
terly skill with which he had exposed
the Plggott forgeries In the London
Times, and vlndicated Parnell, the
Irish home rule leader. He represented
Great Britain In the Bering Sea arbltra.
tion, was member of the Venezuela
tribunal, and on the death of Lord
Herschell was chosen to succeed him
as President of the Joint High Commits.
sion. These duties kept him In close
touch with American statesmen and
lawyers, whose confidence he won and
kept by his courtesy, falr.mlndedness
and profound legal knowledge. His
death was a loss to international com.
ity, and to the whole body of English
speaking people.
Society people are Interested In the
announcement that the American So.