The sun., 1908-03-22

cannot sleep, not e people ordinarily do
put their head on the pillow and away
for eight or uine hours at .atretch. That
IL one Of the joys Of medioority, one that
l have never experienced
-Four hours a night Ia my limit. and a.
soon as turn on the light my brain begins
10 TEEN with a thousand million idess which
obsess me, When daylight comes nse and
begin 10 work on some Of them, work, work
work. until find out whether the midnight
suggestion that will not be crushed into
nothingncss has any elements In Il Of worth
whileness
Perhaps you did not know that many
OF these midnight thoughts are materialised
In the form Of patents, have taken out
1O7 patents many Of which are very suo-
cessful The most lucrative is the cigar
rolling machine. the basic model for which
was my invention and on which ! still
have patent rights.
Anything for the theatre' Well there
was that wonderful invention Of mine for
showing oil paintings on a screen In their
original colors. II would have turned out
! beautifully II II hadn't been that the heat
necessary to make Il work was 30 great
that il melted the OIL
Il have written four operas-ruusic
/ iibrettos, everything Since Commis-
soner Bingham came into Office ] have
stopped Has he heard thcm2 Well, !
have stopped There is no earthly reason
why one should run in opposition with the
| authorities II he can avoid It,
Il studied music in my youth and per-
fected myself on three instruments-piano,
flute, violin. Naturally my tastes led me
to the undertaking which | have finally
accomplished, and which, through all my
theatrical ventures. was the one great
thing | had in mind In twenty-three
years | attempted four times 10 put on
grand opera for tie New York public.
Il have had hardships, diSappointments,
sad weary, heartrending times, and the
best that have gained out Of it is not the
satisfaction Of ambition realized one never
has that; In the nature Of things II is an
impossibility not that at all, but the
philosophic attitude that comes TO a man
who has fought such bitter fight, reached
middle age and knows that nothing that
comes to him can hurt him In the least, can
make him either glad or sorry.
'When a man has reached that age and
has provided for those who belong TO him,
his family. so to speak queer word isn't
it' and queer thing, too-then he has no
responsibility except 10 himself, and such
a man who thinks only Of making money
10 beyond my comprehension. Can he
take II away with him2 Can | look al this
pile Of bricks without realizing in the best.
moments that come to a man that cannot
pack il away in that little narrow box that
is going to hold me some day; and so, know
ing that, can l do otherwise than believe
that it is a trust 70 do something for tho
future so that the good I do may live after
me?
when / said that man finally reaches
A time oi life when nothing can hur, him Il
he has acquired philosophy forgot one
thing. will retract the general statement
for the one instance He can be hurt by
the approach Of old age.
When hear people call me the Old man
| can't describe to you how feel the old
man. the term each one OF us has go; TO
hear some time. And we men, who are
all Of US 80 much vainer than women in
reality, how it hurts us!
"When man gets TO be 50 he is just be-
ginning to live. just beginning to enjoy
the fruits Of his labors, and then Age, the
thief, steals upon you so impercepubly
You used to have rosy cheeks. You think
they are still rosy. and some morning you
look in the glass and find that tho rose has
turned to yellow.
There are horrible bags under the eyes
and what was once a dimple is now a fright
full cavity. Personally, | would like 10
live TO be 100, and would be willing to work
, all that time, but--well, I've got a good
many years coming to me still. How do
know? Because my work isn't done vet
L am not satisfied then? Satisfied
Why should | be? Success is spectre
which does not chain you TO spot, but
dogs your restless feet on and on and on,
Every thought created breeds another.
People say to you how wonderfully you
have advanced, but by your side is the ideal
| Of what you hoped 10 do, which has little
real resemblance TO what you have acoOm-
plished.
Satisfied for the moment you are dis
satisfied the next, and you don't know why
You wish il we're otherwise. but it is not