davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
LORD KELVIN.

The rontemporaries of great men are notOri-
Ously at u disadvantage in attempting TO eSt-
mate their genius. But in the case of Lord
Kelvin genius has registered itself in so manly
achievements that the entire world Of science
WAS agreed long before his death that the ven
cradle mathematician physicist and inventor
had an indisputabe claim TO Immortality. Not
even a layman can read the list of the Glasgow
professors theoretical and practical discoveries
without recognizing that they entitle him to
membership in that small galaxy of giants who
have smoothed the path of life for their fellow
men by wrestling secrets from unwilling nature
1t is true that Lord kefvins achievements 10
not impress laymen so theatrically as do those,
for example. Of Edison, Rontgen. Marconi and
Others but this does not indicate inferiority.
ON the contrary il may even be regarded
circrmstantial evidence in favor Of the greater
Importance of Lord Kelvin's work. Unlike
many scientists whose names have become by
words the great man who has just passed away
was always looked upon within his profession
as true genius His greatest discoveries were
of peculiar use TO scientific theorists and ex-
perimenters. assisting them nightly in under
standing the true nature Of their own researches
and In conducting them with ease and accuracy.
The theoretical and technical improvements
which Lord Kelvin introduced in the methods
of measuring electricity have doubtless enabled
hundreds of men TO make valuable contributions
TO physics and engineering. Similar praise
might he bestowed upon his work in pure the
ory. II was As leader of leaders that the
man won fame
Lord Kelvin was the ideal scientist in native
eouinment in education and in character To
degree perhaps never before egualled he com
bined mathematical skill with imagnativeness
and dexterity in experimentation His training.
beginning as early as his tenth year. took the
direction of his tastes. and yet was not one
sided enough to narrow him. His temperament
blended in a rare way passion for truth, open
mindedness, humility, charity and serenity OF
soul that long deferred old age.
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
MUSEUM OF 4RT CHANGES
DR.. Valentiner, of Berlin, 10 BE
Curator of Decorative 4rts.

Four changes in the staff Of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art were announced yesterday oS tle
trustees. DR.. William r. Nalentiner OF Berlin
was appointed curator of decorative arts. MS term
of office to begin as soon his present engage
ments will permit The place is new one on the
museum staff
Roger r. Fry was appointed to the post OF Euro
pean adviser of the museum instead OF that oi
OF paintings Circumstances would not
permit him 10 rema.. in New York for so long
time as the responsibilities of his former position
demanded.
Bryson Burroughs who has filled the position of
assistant curator. was appointed acting curator OF
the department of paintings.
Garrett Chattield Pier appointed general as
sistant in the museum He is a graduate of Co
Iumba University and has done postgraduate
work in the University of Chicago. He has studied
also in the museums of Europe and has spent four
in Egypt studying Coptic and Arabic and
Egyptian glass. pottery and textiles
DIR. Nalentner is now the private assistant OF
Wilhelm Bode. director general of the Royal Mu
seums of Berlin. well official assistant in the
Kaiser Friedrich Museum. He was especially rec
commended 10 the OF the museum by DIR.
Bode himself. Julius Lessng, director of the
kunstgewerbe Museum in Berlin. warmly seconded
the recommendation. Though still young man.
ne has already achieved high reputation among
museum authorities and other connoisseurs in
Europe who regard him OF the ablest OF
the younger generation of scholars who make
speciality of the history of from the expert
point of view He took his degree from Heidelberg,
where. while student he assisted Henry Thode.
the writer the painters of the Renaissance. for
a year and a half After leaving Heidelberg he
went Holland. where he worked under De Groot
and Bredius and became assistant to the latter
in the gallery of The Hague In 1905 he sum-
moned Berlin by DR.. Bode
DR.. Valentiner has published several important
works, his first being a monograph the restora-
ton OF the Castle of Heidelberg followed by a book
Rembrandt and catalogue of the Hispano-
Moresque pottery in the Alfred Belt collection In
London. He has also made special studies of the
pottery OF the Netherlands
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
CPLrINES AND STATIONS.

II &c an interesting coincidence that slmui-
taneouslv with the beginning OF the cruise oi
the American feet to our western coaeI "'
British government has practcailH eh'elen up'h
+ba Iono contemplated work of creating new
FIRST class naval station at Rosyth. on the
eastern coast of Scotland. II was nearly nVe
wears ago under the administration or MI bai-
four and Lord Seborne that Rosyth was So
Iected and it was ifty-two years ago that
Queen Victoria-aS readers of her recently pun
Ished letters will observe-in personal note
+o Sir Charles Wood first suggested. and. in
daad urged the establishment of such station
Now in accordance with the continuity OF poi
lev which is 50 excellent a feature OF Brltl>h
administration the great scheme Is TO ne iui-
filed Rosyth will become the fourth great
home port Of the United Kingdom. ranking III
comtleteness and importance with Devenpori.
Portsmouth and Chatham.
The magnitude of the underta king is Indicated
hy some of the details of the plan. There VIII
be constructed an incloSed naval baSlh MY
six acres in area and of ample depth, which Will
give accommodation at one time 10 Twenty-Five
of the largest warships lying sngly. or to forty
four of them banked two and two An ell
trance lock will make this basin accessible NJ
any state of the tide to the largest ships now
atioat or planned. There will be craving docks
suitable for the largest vessels. and immense
and complete storehouses, machine shops WORK
shops training establishmentS-in brief. all the
appurtenanceS and adjuncts of n first class
naval port This station will he on the Firth
of Forth. fronting upon the German Ocean
There is of course. no relationship between
the cruise of our fleet and the establishment
of this port. Yet the incident causes ccr-
tain appropriate reflections concerning the
other There is no camor about RosythS bein-
n. .I,alI n to proyOkp.i
BY the tension Of Anglo-German relations. No
body dreams of dsputing the perfect right o:
Great Britain TO create a new naval station
wherever she pleases TO do so on her own
coasts, or of criticising the proprlety of her
doing so at whatever point she may regard
as most advantageous Nobody is So shallow as
to suggest that the Rosyth station is To Toe pre-
pared in expectation in fear OF war with
any power. that the creation of II will he an
act of which any power will be compelled to
take notice We should think that an elemen-
tary sense of reason and justice would suggest
the propriety of similarly exemptng the cruise
of our fleet from idle and fantastic speculations.
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18

thereby secured to obtain control OF announcer
and thus to establish 'chain, a favorlte de-
vice of spectators. would be practically barreu
by the restriction limiting loans on such STOCK
to 10 per cent of the capital of the cor
poration whose stock is offered as collat-
eral. Participation by banks in syndicate
undertakings of a speculative character II
restricted and loans to the officers OF a bank
ing company by another bank because OF de-
pOsitS made by the first institution with the
second-a grave abuse by which speculative
bankers have got around the law that limits the
direct loans of :: bank to its officers-is made
a penal offence. The adoption of such reforms
as the commission suggests would give 10 state
banking the same degree of stability that na-
tona banking possesses. 1t would make trust
companies less profita BILE. but, under the vary
ing financial conditions which in the long run
they have to face far more safe.
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
FROM THE DOUMA TO THE MINES.

The action of the Russian government in
prosecuting and inflcting extreme penalties
upon members of the last Douma will undoubt-
edIy create an unwelcome impression The gen
era sentiment and practice Of the world grant
to members OF Parliament a certain immunity
from prosecution for political reasons. save
such as may be ordered by the body of which
they are members. 1t is true that these men
were nominally tried for offences alleged TO
have been committed outside Of the Douma.
But such acts were at any rate. committed
while they were members of the Douma and
while that body in session. and indeed it
was at such time that they were arrested.
The practice of constitutional countries wOollu
have been to let the Douma itself deal with
them by impeachment or otherwise. Yet the
government not only did not do that, but
actually dismissed the Douma so that it could
not take any action regarding them Rightly
wrongly. many will be unable TO avoid the sus-
picion that the bureaucracy violated parlia-
mentary privilege and punished these men for
the course which they pursued as deputies.
With that course may have sympathy.
Indeed. the opinion was frankly expressed in
these columns while that Douma was In session
that 1t and the whole constitut nal system had
no more dangerous foes than these socialists
and revolutionists. who were doing their worst
to discredit the Douma and to make its session
fruitless Nevertheless they were the elect Of
the people and were entitled to privileges
such.
The manner of the trial also was objection
able to those who believe In freedom and JUS
tice II was a secret trial, conducted by no
body but the prosecutors and judges. The ac-
cused were not present nor were their attorneys
or counsel The defendants had no opportunity
to defend themselves. They were not con-
fronted with their accusers. Their side Of the
case was not presented to the court at all.
This. it is true, was technically their own fault,
though many will think their fault hads ample
provocation. They voluntarily a5sented them
selves from the court. protest against the
holding of the trial in secret They were
brought into court with their counsel at the be-
ginning Of the trial, but when they found that
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
f.DEERNDR HTGHES'S LETTER.

GDFERNOR HCGHES'S LETTER.
Governor Hughes's letter to Senator Martin
Sake is perfectly characteristic The Governor 5
ideal often expressed, is TO keep himself while
in office entirely free from political entansle-
ments Thus he thinks he can best serve the
state. and he adheres 10 that position Just as
firmly when the question at issue is his own
poIitical fortunes when the political fortunes
of those who wish to be regarded as his friends
are involved. He has not rule which enables
him to say Il am determined to keep out OF
noIiticS' when some supporter seeks political
aid and comfort from him and another which
enables him To plunge into politics when a sug-
gestion for his own advancement is made
In his speech before the Republican Club. to
which he alludes in his letter. he said Il am
frequently asked to express approval or dis
approval Of party action or OF particular can
"didacies" That is the request in this latest
instance. and he answers it according TO his
invariahIe rule If he were to adopt any other
course he saws. either the Governor-and no
"cannet separate himself from his ofice-will be
lin undisputed control of party management and
become the party boss, or he will be involved
.'in continual contests for the maintenance of
Ibis political influence and prestige.
want simply to be Governor during my term.
He could hardly attain that honorable ambition
and he actively engaged in promoting his own
candidacy for the office of President.
IT is by this Indifference TO things that pol
iticians usually most value this detachment
from the sphere of political management by
which as Governor Of New York. and more and
more as prominently mentioned" candidate Tor
the Presidential nomination. he is surrounded
and this consistency to principle and devotion
to the popular service. that he is increasingly
impressing the popular imagination The infu-
ence on general public sentiment of the coming
action Of the county committee Will he IN
tentlv watched everywhere for evidence 10 con-
firm the present belief of his supporters that
he is sure 10 he one Of tn" three or four lead
ing candidates for the Republican nomination
in what gives promise Of being an open and IN
teresfing convention.
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
From The Tribune Bureau-l

WASHINGTON. Dec. 1.-THE President anu Hi .
Roosevelt reached the White House at e'4o .ii'
morning after a ffteen-rlnute orNe iio'
navy yard where the yacht Mayhower hao iahueu
,ben, AT the conclusion of their trip to Hampton
Roads The President went to his once almost iihi
r,ediateIy to take up his routine work
Thomas w Lawson. of Boston, spent nan an
,r IN tho Presidents office this morning He did
not make public the for his call
Ex-senator Stewart of Nevada. urged the Presl-
dent to keep the regulars at Goldheld as long as
the labor agitation continues. George A. H1ooaro
nav,,, elected Mayor of Boston, called TO pay his
respects Representatives Bartholdt and Cauineio
of ST Louis talked with the President over the
postma stershp of their city. and Senator warner
presented Lieutenant Governor Mckinley OF Mis-
souri, who is an ardent Taft supporter.
The Cabin met at II a. m. and remained IN ses-
sion until 1:t5 D. M, Secretary Cortelyou and Sec
retary Metcalf who have the grip being the only
absentees
Mrs Roosevelt occupied a box this afternoon AT
the Philadelphia Symphony concert.
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18

the proceedings we're all to be secret. ana "nen
the court denied their demand that the ooo.'
be opened, they asked to be taken oach ~ nc.
cells and to have their counsei eAciuoeu y"
tho iudpes met in secret with the prosecutors.
heard accusations and testimony adduced by the
prosecutors and nothing more and on tna'
nurely partisan presentation pronounced JUG
ment sending the prisoners 10 siberia anu ~
the mines. Even some OF the cohpiiahce WIN
legal requirements was SO manipulated as "
aggravate the Injustice of the case, for When
the doors of the court were opeheu a' .no nv
ment of pronouncing sentence. as the law re-
oriros nolicemen prevented any one from en-
terinp Them making the opening OF tnem
mockery The whole business was strongly relil-
;niscant of the trial and condemnation or
certain nfhiIist wears ago when ii was an
nounced that he had been sentenced 10 oeatn
and that the taking of testimony concerning HIS
crime had been postponed until after execution
of the sentence,
Now it may be that these eX-mempers oi tiie
DONNA we're guilty of treason and other crlm
inaI nlottings Russian revolutionists are capa-
bile of such things. Even so. we must WISH
their trial and condemnation had been erected
more in accordance with the Worid S geherai
practice Or it may be-thougn we are reiuc
tant to concede the possibility or lt-tnat al
fairs in Russia are IN so grave !" s'h'0 ' t
cedure of this arbitrary character is necessary
If SC. the situation must De huch woioe 'na,
rbe rest of the world has supposed we snouid
nrofar to believe what indeed is about the most
ohrims exclamation of the case. that the
bureaucracy simply ignored parliamentary PRIV
ilece and constitutional methods. and eitner
carolesslv or purposely acted after the fashloh
of rho times not of Nicholas II. but OF Nicholas
IT is to be feared that the incident VIII nave
the effect of stimulating to renewed ana III
creased energy not the orderly ana cohsti'u
tional reformers hut the extreme. fanaticai ana
revolutionary factions whose ideals are as re-
nuqnant to enlightened government as thoSe oi
the bureaucracy itself.
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
4mUsenleHfS.


ACADEMY OF MUSIC 1.-THE Laoh anu ~
"a a Al ldeyils'
aSTeeEST Abs -I5-Tom Jones ,-5-.s
I'm -t5-Tse MarIeAS q NHeiii'"-
TyFTT;I[ FL > taneica-
pT IoT7-9-. s.ssl-A Dolls Hvuse ,--,,.,,dv
f,i aSFY,S-2 -2.f5-s 1.-THE Chimes % ->o4
I5t3o 11IyAY-2 :I1-s:l5--The Round Up
"a SfN1- .l5-The Gay white Nay
.slT AL
,-PIrt-TRlONS-s.2 2u-The Morals o. 91aleuS
Ipt-s audeviiie
iTnl.< NrSEE-The NorId n WY
y-MT1TrsT--2 i5-s .20-My VIE.
fSTRNAN-s .20-Hans Huchehe;n
n VA au,i-Elie
y iA1-KFTT-s s0-The Nitchlng f1oGis
tar4R ~ an SOFA RE I5-s-13-The GlFl beii-N
S9t,,e Auto Race and Inc fou'
rJr-I1S0SM !. lis: :2o-The Chorus Lady. ,,, Work
1.ei(;IS F-RFSOCI< Ribs 1.-THE AK VI -
iETS1-Y-N2:l5,-s:l5--O' Sein of Derry
NJ Thief
1S-pT,--2.1--s-I5-The secret Orchafo- ,o.sa N NJ
sfa1ISoN SQUARE GARDEN a IN u 10 p
4, lseTTTE iLs :l5-The Top tn World and
Na%HATTAN OPERA HOCSE-e-I@a Na>0
,si-7iEC,E56I TTsN OPERA HoCSE-s.bohenlggT,ii5 lg,i-
eet-,x- s1TSTFElI 4 -2:I5-S:l5-The Merry "4uo"-
S-L-It dvanceo NauceNlIe
SaT0y-e:15-The Man OF the Hour ,,o
-T-r-EX-F.c IA Grand army HL-N
T-t-T Y RafoNIC HALI--3-s;%l-oonceI ,,o,-
IA Knight foI d LAY
E--I-ST- FNI1-e-s-The Cat and the F1ooIe'
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau ]


WASHINGTON Dec 1.-THE Colombian Minister
and Sonora de Cortes were hosts for dinner party
at the legation tonight. having as guests the MIN
lister from Spain. the Minister from Chlh anu
Sonora de Cruz, Nine. Thierry. John Barrett the
First Secretary and Sefora de Guzman ana tne
Counsellor and Sefiora de Pasos
The Naval Attache of the French Embassy ana
Nine de Blanpre among the dinner hosts Oh
the evening. having their guests MI ana Nrs-
William A Slater. Senator du Pont. OF Delaware'
Htnry F. du Pont Mr.. and Mrs. Theodore u boai'
Nile de Iegarde, Viscount de Chambrun- OF the
French Embassy staff. and Captain the Hon. HOT
ace Hood naval attache. and ". II. kennard sec
ond secretary Of the British Embassy STAN
The Bolivian Minister and Sonora de cameron
have issued invitations for dinner on December
q when their guests will meet the Mexican Am
bassador and Sonora de Creel-
Lieutenant Commander Frederick l.. Cnaplh' u
< n on duty in the naval intelligence Office. mas
be.n aupointed naval attache OF the American en-
hassies at Paris and Petersburg He Will san
for France on January
Dr Alberto Palacios Costa. the new nrsl secre-
,arv of the Argentine Legation. who succeeueu
senor ZavaIa has arrived in Washington ana as
e,r,ed his duties Henri Martin. the new secretary
for the Swiss Legation. has also reached "ash-
ington
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
IN WASHINGTON SOCIETY.

from The Tribune Bureau -
Washington Dec. 17.-Major General Aiieu l.
Rates retired and Mrs. Bates enter'alneu "' nm
nor tonight complimentary to their mousse guests
Me- f.aro1in. Henry OF Philadelphia. Mrs Bates
niece. and Robert W. Bliss secretary Of the AmeIl-
can Legation at Brussels. In the party were MI
and Mrs James Wadsworth. jr.. Miss Hasher.
Miss Harriet Norris. Captain Frank X McCoy ana
William Phillips.
Nrs Nevberrv entertained al luncheon today
co,, ,I,mentarv 10 Miss Newberrys house guest
Miss stroh of Detroit; Miss Constance Hoyt' MISS
Eleanor Ridsely. Miss Mary Scott. Miss Henrietta
Fitch Miss Katherine Leech. Miss sadie MURRAY
A,iss carol crawford. Miss Sally Darlington Miss
,-a nou,ring Miss Josephine Schroeder. Miss
E,,,e1,,n Chew and Miss Lillian Chew.
Mrs Beekman Winthrop had at luncheon with
her to-day Mrs stephen b. EIkins, Miss Elkins.
Mrs Cooley, Miss Cooley. Mrs Bourke COCHRAN.
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
THE PHILIPPINE AUCTION.

Hard times have struck this once opuent ma
ton. and its statesmen are now lying awake
nights to discover some painless method of
restoring the normal flow of cash and high
pressure optimism. One of the easiest ways 10
set things right would be to suspend all taxes
for few years, for that would leave billions
of extra dollars in the pockets of citizens, to
he spent on clothes and cough drops, diamonds
and douchnuts, or whatever else private fancy
might dictate. Money would soon be moving
so fast that greenbacks would have to be
sprayed every hour in order to prevent them
from burning up And the great thinkers would
then be confronted with the relatively trivial
problem of finding funds abroad for running
the government. The simplicity of this problem
is shown by the alacrity with which Mr. Clark.
of Florida, has drawn up and presented bill
pointing out the road to salvation Last Mon
day this Southern member Of Congress intro
duced in the House Of Representatives meas
ure authorizing, directing and requiring the
President of the United States to open negotia-
tons straightway for the sale Of the Philip
pine Islands. Bids are to be invited from the
Filipinos, the Japanese and such other foreign
ers the President sees fit to summon to the
auction. In order to make sure that the bid
ders do not combine to keep the price down to q
losing figure. the bill provides that the lowest
acceptable offer must be equal to the total sum
which the United States has spent in securing
and maintaining the archipelago. The fine
Southern chivalry of the bills papa is disclosed
in the clause requiring the auctiOneer to give
preference to Filipino bidders in case of a tie.
So admirably is this measure calculated to
relieve the money stringency and its attendant
distresses that we hesitate to pick flaws in it.
But justice to the seller and to the prospective
bidders demands some slight modification of
the auction rules. Inasmuch as the only con
ceivable reason for knocking the islands down
to the highest bidder is our urgent need of spot
cash, it is obvious that the sale should be
quickly consummated and yield the largest
possible returns Experience with popular
sales of government bonds warrants a similar
procedure in the present case. Let the small
investors Of the earth have fair chance Auc-
ton off the smaller islands Of the archipelago
sngly, subdivide the larger ones into sections
equal in size to a Long Island boom suburb,
and let private citizens Of all nations bid against
governments In this wise thousands of eager
buyers would be lured to the sale and tempted
to bid top prices. AS political sovereignty would
be thrown in along with the real estate and
riparian rights, two large classes of persons
would vie with one another for acquisition of
the peddled domains-men who would be sceD-
tired kings and men with ideas which they want
TO try on some country. Inasmuch as the
Philippine group contains only sixteen hundred
islands, mostly very small, the fierce COM
New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
RECEIVED LINCOLN'S LAST NOTE.
Senator Stewart Reminiscent After Visit to
the White House.
fFrom The Tribune Bureau. I


Washington. Dec 1I.-As Senator Stewart
about to leave the White House after a short
visit to-day. he commented the fact that he
visited the mansion the night of President Lin
coins assassin: -tion and probably received from
the martyred Executive the last lines he
Pointing To the portico of the White House.
he continued:
President Lincoln get into his carriage from
those steps the night he killed. | the
the last man To speak to him at the White House
He wrote me note that night that L would give
s., 600 If | had now.
Mr. Lincoln's calling hour for Congressional visit
o'clock in the evening | in the
Senate, and called at the White House about 1:S0
o'clock that evening. The Presidential offices
located then in the second story. From there
sent my card TO the President, who wrote upon IL
these words: Il have an engagement to take Mrs
Lincoln to the theatre-an engagement l never
break. Call tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock" :"
That. believe. was the last line Mr.. Lincoln ever
ON my way out of the White House l met Presi-
dent Lincoln in the lobby going TO his carriage with
his wife. He stopped to shake hands. and repeat
ed to me that he would like to have me cali the
next morning l stood there until he helped Mrs.
Lincoln In the carriage and got In himself