Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-01-22
Death Of a Noted Character.

l'''.-'.N tf'AN4 " ~ . SUI NCSS vi ll!t
by living on IT. grotesque side, died in
New York. Sunday night, at the age
OF "A years. He was native Of Bos-
ton, and was at very early age thrown
upon HI. own resources. His parents
and three sisters died OF yellow fever
in New Orleans in 1888, when he was
but four years Of age. lie journeyed
alone to his aunt at Waltham, Mas &.
He became successfully farmer, grocer
clerk, shipping clerk and partner in
grocery at 20. He established the firm
OF Train u Co, at Melbourne, Aus
tralia, and started the first line of clip
per ships to California. He showed
the English what might be done by
Yankee enterprise in building street
railway system in London. He was
an important factor in promoting the
transcontinental railroad connecting
the Atlantic and the Pacific. He ran
as an independent candidate for Presi-
dent in 1872, which indicates, probably
more than anything else his bent OF
character. His egotism was of the
monumental kind which overlooked
all obstacles that deter ordinary men.
He made money as a lecturer and
wrote several books, but it is fortunate
that his fame does not depend upon
them, for even their titles are unknown
to most people. They we're: "An
American Merchant in Europe"
" Young America Abroad" Young
America in Wall street." all published
in 1857; "Spread.Eagleism," every
Man His Own Autocrat," in 1859
"Young America on Slavery" "Ob-
servations on Street Railways" in 1860 !;
George Francis Train, Unionist, on
Thomas Colley Grafton, Secessionist,"
London, 1861; "Union Speeches De.
livered in England During the Present
American War;" philadelphia and
London, Vols), 1862; Downfall of
England" Irish Independence" 1865,
and championship of Women" 1868.
Mr.. Trains cratic genius acquired
considerable local renown from an &C.
count of his trip around the world
about third of century ago, which
was made special feature by letter
and telegram in one OF tho Tacoma
papers. AS he grew older his mind
appeared to become more lopsided, un.
til it was difficult to discover at times
just where Reason yielded up the
throne OF thought to Madness. He
claimed control OF psychic force, and
like many other noted characters pre-.
ferred communion with inanimate ma
ture to association with his fellow
man. Children and birds were an ex.
ception. Much of his time was spent
in Central Park, feeding his feathered
friends and romping with the children.
His writings were remarkable chiefly
for their incoherence and jerky style.
He had contempt for small words
and omitted them so persistently that
often the sense was obscured thereby.
If he was insane, there was a method
in his madness, and it was simply
more palpable than in the generality
OF mankind.
A LONDON balloon. maker has de-
signed a craft for making aerial navi-
CATION possible, at height of from Is
to 20 miles above Earth's surface,
when about six and a-half miles is the
highest altitude yet attempted, aud
l34 the highest limit that has been
reached by balloons carrying self-regis.
tering apparatus. The journey into
thin air is to be made without the &C.
compartment OF gasping breath, bleed.
ing at the nose and other discomforts,
by making the ascent in a steel ball
seven feet in diameter, filled with com.
pressed air and Theoretically sealed.
The steel OF the shell will be six
tenth Of an inch in thickness, and
ballast will be carried in q cone-shaped
vessel swung beneath the ball. It is
intended for scientific observation at
great heights.