Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23

II am more and more convinced as my
years pass along that there is nothing new
under the SUM-" observed d well-known
scientist to a Star reporter, though 1 am
also free to admit that it took me many
years to get away from the idea that the
world was being crammed full of absolutely
new things every day. It is remarkable
how old many things are that We continu-
ally refer to as modern. But my latest lis
covery which 1 made when in Egypt last
fall, has done more to convince me that
we are not such wonderful beings after all
than almost anything else. Just prior to
leaving this country 1 had my residence
here modernized to some extent in the way
of It's plumbing, and incidentally got into
81 conversation with one of the plumbers as
TO the origin of the single-linked chain
which is used to hold the plugs for bath
tubs and wash basins and fushes. The
plumber admitted that he did not know
anything about the origin of the chain with
its peculiar link, but ventured the opinion
that II was the invention of some Yankee,
and that he thought, in view of its very
extensive use, that there must have been
barrels OF money in it for the inventor.
knew even less the subject, but had
sense enough to keep my mouth closed.
now glad did. On arriving at Cairo,
visited the museum there, and the first
thing that caught my eye was gold
chain. the manufacture of which was ideu-
tical with the plumbers chain of today
Looking into the subject, found enough to
show that it was not a Yankee invention,
but was about the first form of chain ever
put In use. The specimen 1 saw at Cairo
was a gold chain which had been worn by
some prince or princess 5000 years ago.
Pretty old for a new invention, isn't it?'
x x x
iIn the Stanford University IN California
there is a room named in honor of Presi-
dents Cleveland. Harrison and Mckinley
explained a California representative to
Star reporter, and the plan is to keep it
up as Presidents come along. The furni-
ture Of the room is distinctively connected
with the man in whose honor it is named
and has been enriched by something pre-
scented by him. The idea originated with
Mrs. Leland Stanford the day following
the Inauguration of President Cleveland.
She visited the pension Office building and
noticing the interior decorations of the
building. asked If she could purchase some
OF it when taken down. The contractor
consented. and she purchased half dozen
chairs. a number of the shields, coats of
arms, banners, bannerets, guidons. several
flags and other articles. Later on she Sc
cured some of the chairs that were on the
reviewing stand used by the President in
front of the White House. The chairs were
plain when she bought them, but by the
time some San Francisco artists got through
treating, polishing and handling them they
Were somewhat different. At the Harrison
Inauguration Mrs. Stanford personally
selected the furnishings for a Harrison
room. and later on, after he left the White
House. he was entertained in that room on
the occasion of his delivery of a course of
lectures on international law. President
Mckinley will visit the Stanford UNIVERSE
" when he visits California in May and
the room in which he will be entertained
will be furnished with furniture which was
used in some way In connection with his
inauguration. The agent representing the
Stanford University, Mrs. Stanford being in
the Holy Land since last summer recently
visited this city and secured some special
ornamentations which were used at the re-
cent inauguration ball to further furnish
the Mckinley room, in view of his visit
Mrs Mckinley sent a present for the room
with her compliments in the shape of
framed photographs of the President and
herself Among other things recently sent
for the room was half dozen of the chairs
used in the inauguration reviewing stands
They We're simply white pine chairs, but
when they will go into the Mckinley room
at the university they will have been very
handsomely treated. lacquered and orna-
mented. The stands of flags that were ar
ranged on the columns at the ends of the
court of honor were also secured and will
fly at the entrance to the university on
columns III a similar court of honor. Fifty
OF the Inauguration ball flags and banners
VIII De seen In the quadrangle of the uni
yersity."
Talking OF family records and of early
marriages, said South CaroIinian. re
minds me of the most marvellous record l
ever heard OF. There lives in Plckens
county, one of the mountain counties of
the state. a woman twenty-six years old
who has fourteen children and one grand
child The woman was married when elev-
en- years old and when she was at the age
when many women are just marrying she
was the mother of fourteen children, all
OF them alive One of these children mar
ried early like her mother and has one
child L DO not believe that this record
Is easily beaten"
Il doubt if there Is any one who has
been in official life ten years without rum
ming UP against what is known il not
named. as the official hoOdOo" explained
an old Official to a Star reporter. Certain
1t Is that l have met with 1t several times,
and in each case 1t not only tangled me I'D,
but actually bested ME. While it is not an
easy task to describe the hoodoo. state its
sphere of action, likes and dislikes or its
season for working, there Is something
about 1t that Is easily recognized by old
officials, and whether they are inclined to
superstition or anything bordering on #.
the most of them have had experience
enough TO satisfy them that it exists IT
can be called luck, conditions circum-
stances, environment or described nv
half dozen other words; but hoodoos is as
good name for IT as anything else
Sometimes the hoodoo. while holding up
one case or matter. hurries up another
COrrespondfngly. but generally the hoodoo
works inJuriously without corresponding
benefits. In nine cases out of ten the
hoodoo tackles a case as soon as it enters
the department and hangs On to it, though
now and then It Jumps on a case after it
mas been in for some time and has had
plain sailing. Sometimes the hoodoo OPP
crates by losing or mislaying the papers
and at other times by turning a lot of
papers into the case that have no particu-
Tar right there, the presence OF which is
injurious in various ways In the depart
Ment IN which am engaged the work is
the examination of accounts. Hundreds
OF times l have noticed that an officials
accounts now and then are struck by the
h"ohoo, and as long the attack holds on
II means extra work for all hands. trou-
Die and bad temper generally Ii is the
same In other branches OF the government
the present trouble in the naval observa-
tory management being fair Illustration
Some years ago the hoodoo had hold of
tn coast survey. From there IL got into
he