The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-13
FAv0RITE HOBBIES.
Some of the Occupations with Which
Euxlfshmen Fill Their Leisure.

Englishmen Fill Their Leisure.
Correspondence New York Commercial.
An eminent writer has said that hob
bies are species of insanity, and 1 am in
clined TO think that in some obscure cases
he is right; but, generally speaking,
mans hobby is his salvation. When we
were boys we of course shared the hobbies
of boys and perhaps, in the first instance,
like Mrs. Bardells son, collected ALLEY
tors and the like. 1 remember, years ago,
there was a craze in the north of England
to collect locust beans. and the happy pos
SCISSOR of thousand of these was consid-
| cred Just as much a hero as the lad who
had made century for the school eleven
| against the town.
| But the great schooboy hobby is that
| of collecting foreign stamps, and in
| smaller degree, as it requires more capi-
| tai collecting old English and foreign
coins. There never was a school Where the
stamp craze did not exist in a more or
| less aggravated degree and. though in many
| instances il is sternly suppressed by the
| masters. there are those-and | think they
are in the ascendant-who encourage stamp
| collecting as a means of strengthening
the raphical knowledge or the scnoois-
With such a prominent example before
| them as the Prince of Wales. it is not likely
| that the stamp collecting as hobby Will
| lose its popularity among schoolboys. Inc
prince is a most enthusiastic philatehst VINO
has spent a great deal of time and money
on a collection that is reputed to be one
| of the finest in the world. Butterfly coiiec-
| lions, insects and beetles form other inter-
| esta of the juveniles, and until recently,
| when the law took matters in hand, the
practice of collecting birds eggs tausht
youngsters more OF natural history than an
| the textbooks that were ever penned.
| Statesmen and noblemen are equally dill
| gent in following some hobby. and so num-
1 erous has the army of lobbyists become IN
| ffa hot NOW a
| magazine of their own.
| From a casual perusal of the journal
called Petal Work, 1t would , seem tn naa
| most popular of all hobbies; but 1t is run
| very close by fret-work and stamp collect
| ing while gardening and coin collecting,
| as we'll as joinery, are also in the running
| One of the most novel and interesting as
well as artistic hobbies that has been
| work This is a name given TO an exceed
| ingly simple process by which any one
can produce brilliant designs and color
| effects without the of brushes and
| without any experience or artistic training.
| All that is required for the process is a set
| of petal paints. These paints behave In
| a manner peculiarly their own, and when
| placed upon a card other surface, and
| Slight pressure applied. they blend together
and form the most delightful harmonies.
| This work may be applied to the ornamen-
| tation of post cards, menu cards, pro-
| grammes and Christmas cards with great
| success.
| The hobbies of well-known people are
! always interesting, and some OF them will
not be out of place here. The Premier s
| hobby is very we'll known. so persistently
has it been caricatured in Punch" and
other comics, and the figure of Mr.. Balfour
golf club in hand, is familiar to all. Still,
it is not SO well known that his uncle the
science. and has very fine laboratory
fitted up at Hatfield.
The COLONEL secretary's hobby is as
familiar as his eye-glass. for. Mr.. Cham
berlain without his orchid would be of just
as little Importance as Mr. Chamberlain
without his monocle. Orchid growing has
become a passion with the statesman-trav-
eler. and in his houses at Highbury are
some of the finest in the country.
| The Duchess of Sutherland also takes a
keen interest in matters horticultural and
is especially interested in orchids and lilies.
Andrew Carnegie Is associated with Pass
more Edwards in providing Libraries for the
world.
One of the most peculiar of hobbies is
that of the author. Guy Boothby, who col
| lects live fish and spares no expense in pro-
curing them from all parts of the world
AS some of his specimens have been very
difficult to acclimatize at all, but have pre-
ferred death, it will be understood that Mr.
Boothby's hobby is no inexpensive one.
OF the present government, the Duke OF
Devonshire's hobby is racing, and Mr.
| Ritchie's reading. In the House of Com
mans, John Burns, the popular member fol
Battersea, is devoted to cricket and wher
he is not in the House he may always be
| seen at the Oval during the season
Keir Hardie, another labor member, col.
lects ballad and cheap book literature OF
Scotch origin.
DIR. Macnamara spends all his holidays
fishing in Ireland, and Sir William Holds
worth one of the Manchester members
makes hobby of music. Mr.. Barrie anC
! Sir Conan Doyle are both cricketers, and oil
our generals. Lord Roberts considers hi:
hobby to be hunting; but Lord Kitchener s
according to his own statement, is work
Baden-Powell is aeronaut, and In tbs
naval division, Lord Charles Beresford ii
an expert turner and carpenter. OF oul
legal lights, Mr. Justice Barnes is inter
ested in farming, and prides himself OF
producing first-rate poultry and eggs. TIL,
Lord Chief Justice was and is a grea
athlete and Sir Edward Clarke makes
hobby of boating and boats, while Ruff:
Isaacs prefers his wheel.