The Detroit times., 1912-08-01
GREAT NUMBER OF OUR
FOREFATHtRS UNABLE TO
WRITE THEIR OWN NAMES
Eleven Per Cent of Men in Mas
sachusetts Attached Names
to Legal Papers
FIGURES FROM THE PAST
People of Virginia Least Edu-
Gated, According 20 Survey
of Old Documents
FIGURES FROM THE PAST

WASHINGTON. July iSs--Some OF
tths experts In the bureau OF eduea'
ton have been putting In the not
days this summer examining The sig
natures OF old documents OF colon'al
days to see how ma1y OF our lore
falbers could write their own names.
Th.,y found an astonishing amount Oh
illheracy among our best people
that In, astonishing TO US In these
dave of compulsory education. but not
SO astounding considering the dlnl'
culties OF getting an education lVo
years ago.
After counting nearly 100000 sigma
lures and marks, the experts round
that the people OF Massachusetts
were best educated. and those OF Vlr-
ginia least. The New York Dutch
and the Pennsylvania Germans were
above the average In education.
In Massachusetts. IL per cent OF
.he men who attested legal papers
made their marks instead OF signing
In the middle OF the seventeenth cen
tury, 68 per cent OF Massachusetts
women could not write their own
names. BY the end OF the century
this percentage had fallen to 3S.
In Virginia, OF over 1000 men who
signed jury lists in the seventeenth
century, 40 per cent made their marks
and OF over 10000 who signed legal
papers, 40 per cent made their marks.
An examination of legal papers filed
by Pennsylvania Germans showed
that 26 per cent OF the men were IL
literate. Among the Dutch OF New
YORK illiteracy declined from 40 per
cent In 1875, TO per cent in 1888.
In all the colonies women pos
sessed the scantlest educatons. In
Virginia. rs per cent OF the women
were illiteratc; IN New York. 90 Ter
cent; in Massachusetts,, 58 per cent
To Raise Swimming Ability.
Numerous drownings OF naval Of
acers during the last few years. has
ed the navy department to adopt q
new plan for increasing the swim
ming ability Of It's men. new form
FOR reports on ship inspection has
just been issued, with space for a
report on tie percentage OF officers
and crew VIII G.C able to swim five
minutes without exhaustion, and how
many are able to swim completely
around the ship without evidence OF
fatigue.
Swimming has long been included
In the curriculum at the Annapolis
Naval academy. and great pains are
taken to make the young officers at
home In the water But the suspicion
has been growing lately that few Of
hcers keep in practice. This led The
academy authorities recently to re-
quire a higher standard OF efficiency
In swimming tests OF graduates, so
high, In fact, that last month several
midshipmen were refused diplomas
because they failed TO meet the tests.
II Is now proposed to make the swim
,ming standard even higher and TO
require officers at sea to keep in prac-
tice. As yet no specific orders to this
end have been issued, out II Is hoped
by the navy department that ships
pride will stimulate officers and men
TO greater aquatic exercise, in order
i, to prevent any bad entry in the in
spection reports.
Another innovation in the inspec-
ton report hits at ships where officers
and men, in their anxiety to lead In
the maintenance allowance" compe-
tition-a race TO see which ship can
make a record for cheap maintenance
have permitted the vessels fittings
or equipment to deteriorate, rather
than have their economy record mar
red by expensive repairs. The new
inspection forms require report by
the inspecting officer whether repairs
have been "unduly spared to the det-
riment OF the vessels serviceability."
Uncle Sans Mineral Wealth.
Uncle Sam doesn't know how rich
he is In lands and mineral resources.
He has been trying TO find out for
three years. with board Of experts,
but the stock-taking is still unfin-
ished.
The classification board has just
made a preliminary report, showing
that up TO date IL has classified as
coal lands, acreage valued az $721.-
S56, 6,656-16,174, 200 acres In all. 1t
has picked 52.O0O,OOO acres as non.
coal land. and tentatively withdrawn,
as possible coal-bearing land, 6S,926.-
497 acres. OIL lands have been with
drawn to the extent OF 4,744,1S2 acres,
phosphate lands over 100000 acres.