The Washington herald., 1907-09-16
MEN AND THINGS.

MEN AND THINGS.
An UnpretentIous Hero
There has just been unveiled a monu-
ment to Eben Brewer. one Of our heroes
OF the Spanish-American war. What par
ticuar deed won this honor for Brewer Is
not recounted in any Of the histories Of
the war with Spain. He was not mem
ber Of RoosevelTs daring regiment and
took no part in the charge up San Juan
Hill He was not at Las Guasmas and
did not storm the rsmparts Of Moro Cas-
tie He was not surrounded by cheering
companions when he performed his deeds
Of valor, and his name does not appear
on the muster roll OF either the army or
the navy; but he was hero just the
same Eben Brewer went TO Cuba at the
outbreak OF the war with Spain to aid
| in the establishment Of a military postal
/ service. He learned upon landing in the
Queen of the Antilles that there were
many sick and wounded soldiers at the
/ front. with scarcely any one to take care
| Of them. He made haste to offer his serY-
| ices in capacity OF nurse. During four
weary DAYS he took no rest trudging tire
IessIy through Cuban jungle, and carry
/ ing the sick and wounded on his back TO
the nearest field hospital He drove his
/ strength beyond the limit. and fell, dying.
I into the tent OF a war correspondent,
dragging with him a seriously wounded
: soldier. Efforts to succor him were sutiIer
and he died within an hour an exam PIE
| Of patriotism and unselfshness.
Gold I'm Great Britain.
| Although gold has never been discovered
| in Great Britain In sufficient quantities tc
make its working pay, Britain's scientists
avow that should the rich gold mines giYe
out, there will always be gold enough tc
/ supply the world as there are numerous
sources Of supply which are still un'
touched. but for the working OF which
proftabIy. means would be devised II need
| were 10 arise. Granite, for instance. con-
/ tains an appreciabie quantity Of gold, and
/ II Il we're not. under present conditions
! too expensive a matter 30 extract il, Il
would not be strange TO find the granite
I mines Of Scotland and Of Cornwall rival
/ inz the gold mines Of the Transvaal and
the Klondlke. The sea is also known tc
contain gold in solution and the man who
/ invents cheap way OF getting at Il viii
/ have q tremendous fortune Ia his grasp
/ There is already one factory for gettng
/ gold from sea water IN Maine. scientists
/ also tell us that gold is constantly falling
I'M over the surface OF the world, blown
/ ~ us in minute quantities along with cos
mic dust which comes from the inter
/ stellar spaces
Great speed at sea.
! Tho recent effort to break the trans
Atlantic speed record by the Lusitania
IcaHs attention 20 che great efforts Thai
Ibave been made by the German ship
/ builders 70 maintain supremacy IN this
direction. Beginning with the Kaiser
! Wilhelm. the first ship 70 maintain an
average of over . knots an hour across
the Atlantic. Germany has placed ir
service AZ intervals Of a year or two tht
Kronprinz wilhelm IT. with a record OF
f347 knots. and the Kaiser Wilhelm il
which raised the speed 20 -3.5S knots, Tho
present record Of the Atlantic. This las
named ship proved 90 be so eminenu5
satisfactory that the company decided e
build the Cecilie a duplicate or tn,
/ Kaiser Wilhelm II iu every particular
Their judCmeu, was vindicated In this
Instance, as the Cecilie, on trial triI
over a measured course Of sixty miles
made an average speed Of s49s knots,
Our Shirt-slceVe Ancestors.
The coming payment Of some $1,000 90
/ inheritance TO Miss Gladys Vanderbilt
on the attainment OF her majority, ha!
brought out new crop OF anecdotes
about the Vanderbilt fortune. The FOL
lowing story illustrates the democratic
spirit Of the old commodore. He was sit
ting on the porch Of a fashionable h0te
al a swell summer resort on one occa
sion. when he saw a lady approaching
with whom he was acquainted. His VIII
and daughter who were with him. recOg
n.zed her and could scarcely contain thei
anger when the commodore arose and 20
litely addressed her Don't you know,
asked the daughter. after the lady hs'
gone. that horrid woman used 10 SCI
poultry 10 us2" Yes" responded IN
millionaire. and 7 remember when you
mother sold root beer and peddled oys
ters in New Jersey"
Drought In Australia.
4 traveller. recently returned from Aus
trslla, tells Of the desolauon that on
meets with along the banks Of the YaTT
Yarra River. On every hand one can Sc
with what a lavish hand money was ex
lpendad in the boom days. There are mile
Of wharves and qUays where never a shi
lands; all waiting for the good time t.
come. In the early sos the land ant
building boom collapsed. and then cam
the great drought which killed off tn
sheep and cattle by millions. Now tn
rains are abundant again and Australia f
in for another period OF prosperity. Moth
Ing but a series of storage reservoirs vii
ever combat the fearful droughts In Aus
tralia, which seem 10 come about once il
every thirteen years. So bad are the ef
feCts CT these that in ten years the popu
latiOn OF Melbourne increased by onl
5000; the females increased by 15.000 bu
the males diminished by 1900 whic
shows what vast army Of men mus
, have left in search OF work.
elephants" on Their Hands.
Emperor Menelfl, as a token Of his ap
probation Of the hospitality Of the En-
peror of Germany, presented that mon
arch with a ThinOceros and a lion. Thi
sort of gifts Is not unusual betwee
monarchs Shortly after her accession I
the throne Queen Victoria received fror
the Sultan Of Morocco q lion, a leopard
a pair Of ostriches. and a pair of gazelles
These the Queen presented to the Lond0
, Geological Gardens. These gardens hav
often been the recipient Of such gifts Tn
Duke of York presented the garden WIT