Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-10

Ellery H. Clark, the Boston alderman
who wrote the popular novel, Loaded
Dice" used to be the all-around anna
teur champion athlete of America.
This title is no misnomer. In one at
ternoon, with five-minute intervals be-
tween the events. the contestants in
turn run 100 yards, put the shot, high
jump, walking half a mile, throw the
hammer, pole vault run the 12O-yard
high hurdles, broad jump, throw the
tifty-sx pound weight and run mile.
One by one Mr. Clark mastered all
these different events to a greater or
less degree. He had more difficulty
with the half-mile walk than anything
else. 1t is a curious event, the walk
being an artificial, contorted muscle
racking gait, always provoking the
mirth Of the spectators. Mr.. Clark's
first intimation that he was hardly a
graceful exponent of the art was re-
ceived one day during practice, when
some small boys near the track sud-
denly called out: "Go 1t, old ice
wagon" In his innocence the high
stepping author-athlete looked for
runaway ice team, and, seeing none,
the application slowly dawned on him.
Later the remark of his trainer that he
was q bum" half-mile walker but
might very readily develop into a good
cake walker strengthened his misglV-
ings, but 1t remained for the day or
the aIl-arounds to bring forth the
crowning humiliation. Mr.: Clark had
won two out of the first three events,
and was feeling rather "chesty' when
the walk was called. Out of field OF
nine he was a bad ninth, and as he
toiled up the home stretch, many sec
onds behind the rest a little girl
leaned out over the grandstand rail
and cried in tones that to his an
guished ears seemed to carry about a
mile: "Oh. mother, look at this COM
ing!" Mr.. Clark won the title that day,
but never since has he been in danger
of the dreaded "swelled head"
In the Last wordsg of Count Toll
stoy which has appeared in French
translation, the Russian literary
prophet. before returning to the in
finite" addresses his final eXhortations
aid one another. 1t is a message that
he has often preached, but no matter
how familiar the matter and how far
away from art" the form has become,
the old power remains in this spiritual
giant, and will probably, in spite of
his last words" have future express
York Evening Post.
The courthouse at Washington, Ma
son county, Kentucky, in which Uncle
Tom" of "Uncle Toms Cabin" fame
was sold, was struck by lightning and
destroyed recently. The building was
erected in 1894. 1t was the sale Of the
aged negro at this place that gave
! arriet Beecher Stowe the basis for
her story.
The centenary of Edward Fitzgerald's
birth is being commemorated by Thorn
as Y. Crowell & Co. in the issuance OF
a Fitzgerald edition of the "Rubaiyat'
of Omar Khayyam. 1t is spoken of as
& genuine artists de luxe, every page
and every letter being the work Of the
artist, Willy Pognay The
motif and color effects are Oriental.
The warfare against tuberculosis has
been succinctly described in new book
soon to be published by Thomas Y.
CrowelJ & Co-"The Great White
by Edward o. Otis. The work
is described as popular in treatment
and designed to aid every. reader with
practical hints as to eating, sleeping
and breathing.
In view of the recent discussion of
President Eliot's 'new religion" the is-
suance Of a work on christianity, Its
Nature and It's Truth" is timely. Its
author is DR.. Arthur s. Peak, an Eng
iSh theOlOgldn Oh pIOulluellCo. II VIII
be published at once by Thomas Y.
Crowell & Co.
The writings of the late Edward |
Everett Hale, who died at his home in
Boston, June TO- aged 81. must be in
eluded among the classics Of the Eng
Iish language, and classed among the
very best productions of American lit |
trature. DR.. Hale's contributions to
our literature have been voluminous,
and in some cases conspicuous. He
has been, as everybody knows, man
Of great and varied activity, within
and without literature.
No American author has held a
warmer place in the hearts Of his
He had the affections of
all classes and conditions of readers.
When the works of a contemporane-
GUS writer receive embodiment in a
definite edition, a certain stamp OF
seems to be set upon him
so far, at least, as the word "classi-
cal' can be applied to literature that
Is current. DIR. Hale attained this dis
tinction in his ripe old age for uni
form library edition of his works in