The Washington herald., 1908-05-10

the gift of Thomas George Hodgkins. of
Setauket. n Y. who placed with the
Smithsonian Institution S20o.Ooa. ON Oc-
tober p, 1891, stipulating that the income
Of one-half OF this sum should be de-
voted to the increase and diffusion of
more exact knowledge concerning the
nature and properties ef atmospheric air
in regard 10 the welfare of man. the re-
malnder to be applied to the general p,r-
poses of the institution This sum was
added TO from time to time. and Mr.
Hodgktns finally capped his generosity
by making the institution his residuarv
legatee The first prize competition was
announced in March 1893, when three
money prizes were offered The first of
M0OO for paper embodying some new
ana important discovery in regard 10 the
nature and properties Of atmospheric air.
was awarded TO Lord RayIeigh and Prof.
WlIilam ramsey; the second, for the most
satisfactory treatise on atmospheric air
ana the proper direction of future re-
search in that connection. was nor
awarded, none OF the essays offered com
plying strictly with the terms; the third.
Tor I,0OO. was given to Prof. Henri de
Narigny, Of Paris for the best popular
essay on atmospheric air.
Ihe HOdgkins gold medal has been
twice bestowed, First. April 8. 1889. on
Fror. Dewar. +. r. S, of the Royal In
sutute, London, in recognition of in
ueIatlgaDle researches, pursued for many
years, which have been potent not only
IN increasing and diffusing a more exact
knowledge in regard to the nature and
properties of air, but have opened the /
way for the practical utilization of this
knowledge In the advance of human vel /
rare. The second medal was conferred |
on Prof ]. J. Thompson, F. r. S. OF |
Trinity College. Cambridge. 'in recoe 1
milton of Investigations on the conduc- |
tlvity OF gases. especially on the gases
that compose atmospheric air" Several 4
bronze medals have been awarded from /
thls rund and number of investigators /
are working under grants from it.
The Smithsonian Institution has receiy- |
od many amusing communications apro-
pos OF the Hodgkin prizes, for the sub /
Iect they seek to further is especially /
popular with cranks, When the FIRST /
prize was offered a German E4iantfst of 1
small caliber submitted a paDar and 50 I
certain was he that his monogram had 4
won the prize that il had no sooner been
mailed than he wrote demanding the
sl0VJV. He was at once informed that
some time must eiapse before the ESSAYS /
couid De examined and the prizes award 4
ed, out this did not serve TO discourage
the anDiuous Teuton, who wrote again
announcing that no matter what they
lhousht, ne knew he had won the prize
"hlch, ne requested the Smithsonian
authorities. TO Immediately forward His
'etteTs receiving no response. he COM
munlcated with his London agents and
meeting with no announcement from
them. he endeaVored to retain vVasb
ngton attorney, whom he instructed IN
collect the money which was obviousIv
1ue him and dispatch 1t as speedily as
possible. How he conducted himself
"hen It was announced that the uriza
lad been awarded to Lord Rayleigb no
1ne at the institution ever knew. for his
etters ceased as soon as this news was
published.
matron in the West End has an
Lt@hah servant whom she Is trying 10
convert from raw peasant into an ac
,omplished butler Sometimes she is
siateo- at her experiment. sometimes she
s utterly cast down but Raffaele is so
sood, so ooedient so patient and pains
aking that she continues with the good
Work The other day this son of Tta1,
walked solemnly into the bedroom of his
Mistress, carrying a card 10 her. without
% Inuch as the formality of knocking
why. Ranaele,' said madame 'vou
must never come into my room witboUt
knocking. I might be engaged or
night be dressing"
An. data's all right" replied the ItaI-
an / looka tru de keyhole ata first.
The recent cable dispatches 10 tba Of
ect that King Leopold Of Belgium was
apidly failing in health and that his ad-
ancing years We're telling heavily mo,
llIh' are confirmed by letters from, an
American resident in Brussels who
writes that the old vivacity of This mn.
opular monarch, the youthful manners
ho appearance are quite gone and thar
le mas become suddenly e decrepit old
man, which is not 70 be wondered at
4Ace ne is seventy-three years old aand
las hVed life Of gayety and dissipa-
ION. MS preeariOus cOndition-for al
hough ne Is not bedridden-he is still
e'y III man. brings to mind the visit
S tIliS country or the next heir to the
uIoHe OF Belgium, Prince Albert. the
~, IN Vi ring Leopold's brother, Prince
philippe, Duke of Flanders who 1,osn =
TIP through the United States lust ter l s
ears ago this spring. Hi. coming which
vas heralded some time before he n5,+
q an appearance and his stay here Gre
Ted quite little commotion. for II is
oI oIten that we have a real live nrinca
D our midst, and Tarer that we are treat- :
q 10 q visit from one so voung good
JOklng, and amiabie; moreover a rune,
vas current that King LeopoId's heir
du come 10 America for the exnrase
UrPoSe OF Wooing and winning mil
onairess. q 'i''i-
Ihere Was of course, no grounds for
MS story, marriage having aIrasd,
een arranged for kim with a RavariqT
rlncess, but il was a delicious norsaI
I gossip, and one that added zest and
aVor TO his visit. Prince Albert az tba
lme or his visit here was only twensv-
hFee years old. and he had all of the
resh enthusiasm and interest Character
5tio Of his age President Mckinley who
vas IN the White House when he visited
washington, took the liveliest interest IN
ne young foreigner. and, besides what
7as absolutely necessary officially did
much TO contribute to the pleasure of
Is visit
The prince was much sought after So
tally when he was in America. bnt since
is visit was semi-oficial in character
e did not accept any private invitations
evoting his entire time to doing" the
'nited States. Shortly after his return
ONE, Prince Albert was married to the
duchess Elizabeth Of Bavaria. daughter
that celebrated eculIst, Duke Charles
heodore, who renounced his rights in
avor Of his brother, Duke Louis. that he
light, undisturbed. practice the profes-
ion he had chosen. Prince Albert has
no handsome and strapping little sons.
he Princes Leopold and Charles Theo-
ore, so heirs to the Belgium throne are
ot lacking, II will be remembered that
rince Albert is a nephew of that poor
rincess Charlotte. the consort of Maxi
lillian of Austria, who, after a short