The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-12

plastered with bows and trimmings, that
are sent to Germany, for instance.
MY new book? 1t is called Abdul
Hanid Is Daughter I have written it in
conjunction with a Turkish woman, and
1t deals with the life of a Turkish
princess. There are descriptions of court
ceremonies in the book that have never
before been given to the outer world
U. S. Consul General Honored
So far as this country is concerned the
mantle of Joseph H. Choate surely must
have fallen upon John L. Griffeth, Unit
ed States consul general in London, who
has just been paid the honor of being
elected president of the johnson society
for the coming year. Whenever really
rousing speech, well as scholarly
one, ON any international subject is want
ed nowadays, Mr.. Griffeths appears to
be asked to make it. and the consul gen.
eral was in his best form when he de-
livered his presidential address to the
johnson society. who have just been cele-
brating, at Lichfield, the 204th anniver-
sary of the great photographers birth.
Speaking of the Guildhall at Lichfield
Mr.. Griffeths said DR.. johnson was a
man of many prejudices, and among
them was his dislike of Americans, which
was as pronounced and senseless as his
antipathy to Scotsmen Time had how
ever inflicted noble revenge on DIR.
Johnson's excorations of America. They
were developing literature and art, and
paid homage to distinction in English
| letters.
| Americans, he said, felt that Johnson
| belonged almost as much to them as tc
the English people. The fact that the
| people of England and America spoke
| approximately the same language and had
| a common Jurisprudence, common ideals
in diplomacy, and common conception
of what constituted an efficient state
did not declared the speaker, form as
strong and enduring bond of union as
the mystic chords which stretched from
Poets Corner in Westminster abbey to
| thousands of sympathetic hearts in the
new world
To Make Museum of Johnson's House
Americans may be interested to hear,
by the bye, that the work of transform
ing DIR. Johnson's famous house in
Cough Square. London, into q Johnson
ian museum, is going on apace. In March,
1911. this little house, which is No. II, in
the square Off Fleet street, was bought
by Cecil Harmsworth, whose brother,
Lord Northcliff, owns the Daily Mail,
with the idea of dedicating 1t to the pub
lic and 1t is now full of workmen and
hidden behind a wilderness of scaffolding.
1T was in 1749 that johnson moved into
this house, which numberless Americans
have seen, and 1t was associated with the
most prolific period of his life. While
there he began his dictionary, which cost
him eight years of work and also wrote
his Rambler" "Idler,' Irene" and
"Rasselas, the latter as all the world
knows to pay the expenses of his moth
er's funeral.
Surgeon Rivals Sherlock Holmes
DR.. Watson, you will remember. mar
yelled greatly at the astonishing deduc-
tions of his friend Sherlock Holmes, as
we'll he might. Had the sleuth of Baker
street had certain real London physi-
clan as his co-worker, however the lat
ter's admiration might not have been
quite SO overwhelming for this Doctor,
whose name is Claude Waukes, and is a
surgeon In Wimpole street. is decidedly
some at deductions, himself, and might,
like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, have had
DR.. Joseph Bell for his mentor. Two
days ago a burglar visited DR.. Waukes'
house, stole $3.50 worth of silver and ex-
changed his old boots for a new pair of
the Doctors. Those old boots may well
be his undoing, for from study Of them
the doctor was able to furnish a fairly
full description to the police.
1t is plain" he said that the boots
nave been worn by man who Is used to
walking up and down ladders; they are
worn in certain place and manner. He
may be painter or a window cleaner
| think he Is painter. because his boots,
instead of being blacked' are done with
black paint. There are indications that
he is thick-set fellow, who Is probably
rather short"
And yet the burglar who visited DR.,
Waukes' house is at large. but mean
while the physician mas given further
proofs OF his ability to use the methods
of the great Sherlock and If only he
m II
nation may ultimately give US a series
of crime stories not unworthy of COM
parison with those chronicled by DR..
Watson himself.