Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-10-07
SEEKS WORLDS GOOD.
6equests of Alfred Nobel to Promor-
ers of Science and Public Veal.

flcheSt man in Sweden, died at his
winter residence at San Reno. Italy
and left IA remarkable will. He had
brothers and sisters. and twenty
relatives all told Twelve were re.
membered by larger or smaller leg
acies. The remaining eight went into
comi and fought for what they con
sidered their rights until the execu-
tors succeeded in satisfying their de
mands by the payment of three mil.
lion kroner, when they signed re
lease and the remainder OF the es-
tate was placed in a public trust for
ever, the interest to be used for the
promotion of science and the public
welfare.
=. The scheme of Mr., Nobel is novel
and unique. He provided for the es-
tablishment of five institutes repre-
senting as many different fields of ac-
tiyity--physical science. chemistry
medicine. literature and humanity or
the cause of peace. Each of these
Institutes is to be permanent and eli
joy its proportionate share of the rev
enue from the estate. The headquar
ters of all are TO be in Stockholm.
The king of Sweden is to have gener-
al supervision and appoint general
Inspector or president OF the Joint
committee or executive board. He
has already selected Dr. Bostrom, who
for sixteen years was prime minister
of Sweden. but was compelled 10 r.-
sign last summer. Each institute IS
to have its own building, library and
apparatus. and its affairs are to be
governed by faculty of specials }
The members of these faculties may
be foreigners or Swedes. but they musi
be scientists OF unquestioned reputa-
tion in their respective fields of in
quiry and devote their entire time TO
the duties of their positions which
are to develop and extend the useful
ness of the discoveries or inventions
for which prizes are awarded They
are TO have the title of professor ana
are to reside in Stockholm.
Each year IA prize is to be awarded
to that person who in the Judgment ol
the committee has made the most i'm
portant discovery in the field OF sci
ence or written the most important
literary work or performed the most
among his fellow men. Candidates
for these prizes must be named By
learned bodies. Personal applica-
tions will not be received Profess
orsors in certain universities. bOtn
Swedish and foreign, distinguished
scientists and scholars. especially in
vited by the Swedish Academy of Sci
ences, and former prize winners may
make nominations. The provisions
are complete and are printed i'll great
detail in d code of statutes, which has
the approval of the f:ng.
The money value of the prizes will
depend upon the income of the fund.
This year the first prizes to be award
ed under the will have the value OF
l50 900 kroner each, or a little more
than $4,000 in American money.
The prizes for the most important
discoveries or inventions in physical
science and chemistry will be award
ed by the Swedish Academy of Sci
ences; tnat in medicine by the Caro-
lima Medical Institute of Stockholm;
the prize for literature By the Swel
ish Academy. and the prize for peace.
by "A committee of five persons 30 be
elected by the Norwegian parliament.
1t is a singular coincidence that a
man whose fortune was made in the
manufacture of ammunition. guns and
other explosives, and who for years
had contracts for supplying several
of the great armies of Europe with
fighting material. should offer such
muniticent reward to those whose
talents are spent in preventing
war. Alfred Nobel was born in the
city of Stockholm in 1888, the third Of
four sons who made up the family OF
Emmanuel Nobel, a manufacturer oi
explosives. The father was origin
ally an architect, then professor in
archaeological institution. and finally
an expert in torpedoes and other war
material He laid the torpedoes and
placed the guns at Cronstadt. the Tort
ress that defends St Petersburg. Al
fred, his son, when mere hoy, TOOK
a prize for his inventions in ordi-
nance was the inventor of dynamite,
and one of the first to manufacture
smokeless powder. He claimed TO be
its inventor, and was engaged in a
long litigation in London to deiead
his rights. While he doubtless sap
posed himself to be the inventor and
made many improvements. the irst
smokeless powder was produced by
"A French chemist named Viellie IN
1884 Nobel, however, was the iars'
est manufacturer in the world OF that
sort of war material, and had several
factories in different parts of Europe,
He supplied the British, German
French and Russian armies. lie
was also largely Interested in the man
ufacture of cannon and small arms
and employed $1,000 people in MS
shops and laboratories. He was also
extensively engaged in the manufac-
ture OF petroleum in Russia and EN-
ployed 1000 men in his mills AT
Baku.
He was man of great energy ana
enterprise, but of simple and unpfe-
tentious manners. and lived in quiet