Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-19
How hs Was Nearly Asphyxtatsd at
casisruhe, osrmaay-odd Experience
With q Servant In ltaly-seIemn
Seems When. He Died.

tor q, 3Wel when there were 50 many
better uses SoF the money In his terri
tory. A large instaatmenA OF the money
hadssbeen paid, but sitter this protest
tho niSam trt4d to crawl out Of his
bargain. Tue syndicate, however, would
not let him DO 50, and the case went
into the English COUNTS.
Crawford white IN New YORK In 1882
tod ts,ds story torhisA uncle, Sam Ward,
who lflped Il greatly and urged him to
mnke q short STORY out of 1t and pub
iish Il. Cf1wford wrote one which Un-
Gle Sam 4iked, but the author did not
like 1t. ana he rewrote 1t In fuller
form. This was 'tAfr. Isaacs," which
swept &C once into great popularity
and turned fits author into his life
MoTksof novelist and historian.
When, Crawford left Cambridge uni
versaty in Englapd he went to Carls-
ruhe, the capital Of Baden. Germany,
to continue the study Of mathematics
and to lean German. Crawford DOS
sessd the gift Of tongues" Born at
the Baths Of Lucca and not sent until
he was twelve years old to this coun-
t1y, where he spent three years at. St.
PauPs, Concord, Italian was his ma
tive tongue, and he spoke French
equally well. It did not take him
long to learn German at Carlsruhe. He
Joined corps. became immensely pop
ular among his fellow students and
was the equal Of the best of them In
welding the schlagel. His attendance
at one OF the corps kneipen nearly
brought his career to an untimeiy end.
Il was the custom in Carlsruhe in
those days, and may be the custom
now. to nlA OF the gas ct the main
at m5dnghk by which time all good
citizens were supposed to be safe and
sound asleep In bed, and to turn It on
again at 8 in the morning. "Frank"
Crawford one evening left the gas
turned down low In his bedroom when
he started for q kneipe. He returned
to his lodgings soon after midnight.
forgot about having left the gas turn
ed on and got into bed in the dark
When the valet of the corps arrived
the next morning to awaken him to
attend a, lecture at the polytechnicum
he found the room full of gas and the
future author Of ''Mr. Isaacs'' appar-
emily dead. It took two doctors sever
al hourssto pun Crawford through.
In Mr.. CfawfoHd's beautiful villa,
near Naples, there is In operation a
modern system. Of American plumbing.
The devices when introduced were I'M
known 70 the native plumbers. and Mr.
CEawSord was compelled to install the
imp1dvements himself, accepting such
aid az the local mechanics could give.
when the novelist was about ready to
turn on the waAer, he ordered serv-
ant to 60 upstairs and open q faucet
and N soon as the water appeared to
rap on tho pipe two times. Seated on
the edge Of q hathtub. serenely smok-
Ing his pipe, hammer in hand, the sew
ant awsited the moment when he was
10 gtke the signal. Unknowingly the
msn had op6ned the pipe for the
showet Aash, andthe weters from over
head dsscended upon the interpreting
mep1ai. he toEgot the signal. but
rushed 20 the cenAr Shouting that wa
Der wes4pouting ftom' all sides.
'Why didn't you rapr' demanded
Mr. Csrwfnfd turning Oh the water.
Because e0t orders about water
homng up ffam beneath, not from
Bbore." said the man. trying to drain
ehs wseer from bis flooded pipe.
= wsn known man Of letters was
ke1nng stories at q literary club in
Boston one night, when he was re-
minded of an encounter between a
Bostontan protesting love Of art for
arts sake md +. Marsoo Crawford,
the novelist In slightly patronizing
mannsr the Boston man asked:
"Hays yoa ever aspired to write
anything; HI. Crawford, that win 1--we
aztec yuu ME- sone7'
MY dear sir" replied Crawford,
with e'bsoad smile. my principal ef-
tort 1ust now 10 to write something
that 'wIll enabla mo to live while am
here & -
= missionary bishop told at !, a dinner