Evening star., 1901-06-08

EENS%N skAtAIlIRitrrff IN
Dry shaving has been a blessing to
China. and in less than three hundred years
has almost removed boards from the faces
of the men of the empire observed an in
telligent Chinaman to Star reporter
Originally the Chinese had heavy boards.
This is easily verified by an examination
of any of the old prints of Cinnamon. for
all of them show long-bearded men. In
time the people found out that there was
no particular use for beard, and that the
wearing of it was expensive. outside of the
time actually occupied in trimming or shaw
ing it How many Americans of today are
forced to spend several hours a week in
barber's chair? Many men that 1 know.
Americans and Europeans as well. spend
twenty minutes in the BARRIERS chair every
day.
The Chinaman of the oIden times, the
kind of Chinaman who figures as e pirate
III your prints, for the good Chinaman
never seems to have got his picture in your
books at all. until within the lest nifty
years at most. always wore long beard In
reality as well as in the pictures. But even
he found out that there was no necessity
for it. The learned men of the empire were
tShCu 10 CplSlUtE the matter. ana IQey ar
rived at the conclusion that dry shaving
was To some extent a remedy Anyhow.
official ediCtS were issued giving this infOr-
nation The old fellows who had boards
of course were not in it. and they lived out
their days and passed out of existence with
fun boards. but the young were asked to
dry shave. Thus the reform started, end
in five or six generations of people the
beard has practically disappeared. so that
the average Chinaman today does not have
70 devote over One-half hour in month to
keep his face hairless In the next two
generations boards are expected to disap-
pear absolutely. II took time to bring this
about. but in the life of nation such a
thing rs a century should not be allowed to
count much. / think boards would disap-
pear rom Americans and Europeans in five
Geucrations of people if the people wanted
10 have them disappear"
The preservation of old manuscripts of
historic or other value has been very much
simplifed by the use of Japanese silk" ex-
planned an official of the Library of Con-
sress to a Star reporter "It has removed
q fear that has long existed in the minds
of Librarians that there was no way out
Of it. and that the rare old manuscripts
would simply have to have their day and
tu"H dry up and return TO their original
clements Happily the use of a silk of ex-
treme thinness and transparency has set
lied tn" question of the life of these manu-
scripts for the next two or three hundred
years al least. BY that time some other
method may be discovered The response
bHlty leaves US, anyhow This silk is thin
ner than the thinntst tissue paper. the
threads being finer than spider webs 1t
Is pasted over the manuscript so firmly
that it keeps off all dust and air and vet
i so transparent that it does not interfere
any more with the appearance of the man
UScrlpt than would ordinary plate of
glass Ii strengthens the manuscript so
that the danger Of handling is reduced 70
ii minimum The Library II Congress is |
now engaged in examining and protecting
all % lis old manuscripts with this silk
aai while it IS an immense task it will
probably he completed within the next
couple If years. This silk is by no means
costly and in comparison with tracing
-ii"n- which was formerly used as a pro-
lection for old manuscripts Is as much SUI
i-rl"F as the tracing linen was TO the Ordi-
nary So-Cdlled transparent or Semi-tra
parent paper. The library does not claim
the credit for its introduction. though it
has had considerable To do in the way of
suggesting and furthering its use in other
i.Jfa les throughout this country. Unless
person IS somewhat expert in the matter
Of old manuscripts ! do not think they
would be able to recognize the fact that
IN" silk had been used"
Experience In a great number of cases
nas shown that a retired army or naval
'-ittNs ILNTS lDilSri II he resides IN WASH
ington after retirement than he would
"lSewhere." volunteered a wel-known army
officer To Star reporter. land that and
other considerations have caused me to
make up my mind that when / retire next
fall / shall make Washington NV home.
The general idea about retiring is that an
officer is branded condemned like an old
army horse or mule. and that he is turned
out to die. having served his purpose in the
service This Is not a Very consoling or
complimentary idea, but 1t prevails among,
officers OF course officers would as a rule
prefer To die in harness. but on reaching
;h' as@ limit 1t is understood that their
t.,ys for wearing harness have passed AS
IN, day for retirement presses on an Off
crr can hardly think of anything else
Il think the desire OF most officers is to
Est out OF the maddening whirl as soon as
POSSIBLE" after retirement. Naval officers
have this desire more strongly than army
officers. and nine out of every ten that /
nave heard talk on the matter express the
desire To- wind up their days in the country
rather than in city. Curiously enough.
the desire among both is to farm. though
As a rule but few Of them know anything
about farming
want To wind up their earthly careers al
stock farmers. The advantage of a Wash
iEgtOn life is that 1t keeps one in an off,
Cial atmosphere and thus tends to proIong
life The ordinary mechanic, farmer. pro-
f-ssional man shOpkeeper rarely thinks
~ shutting off the mortal coil this side of
seventy five years and many live longer
but II you will look up the mortality record
If army or naval officers you will be sur
rrised to find how few of them ever reach
that age, though on the date of retirement
almost everything indicated long hfe-as
a rule they DO much less physical labor
than people in other spheres of life and
are not run down by hard work which may
BE- and often is the rule in civil life. The
retirement is a heavy handicap on them