Evening journal., 1913-08-16
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Man With a Talent for
Acquiring Languages
By Holland.

The considerable fortune amassed
by the late Andrew Collins was be-
queathed by Mr.. Collins to niece
who lived in New York City. From
an intimate family friend I heard this
extraordinary story of an incident in
the life of Mr. Collins.
Mr.. Collins was many years ago
of international reputation because Of
the amazing service which he did for
the Russian government in the late
ffties of the past century.
Russia cOntemplates building a
telegraph line partially encircling the
world from New York by way of the
islands between Siberia to st. Peters
burg and from there to London
That would leave only a gap caused
by the Atlantic Ocean. but 1t would
make it practically possible to tel
egraph around the world or at least
from St. Petersburg to London or
vice versa.
Mr.. Collins was one of the en-
gineers in charge of the construction
of the line across Alaska His work
men encountered great difficulties but
these were overcome and the posts
were ready for the wires when there
came of a sudden the announcement
that Charles Cyrus W. Field and his
associates had laid a cable under the
Atlantic which had established tele-
graphic communication between Eng
land and the United States.
"Of course the Russian telegraphic
line was thereupon abandoned. Mr..
Collins wrote book descriptive of
his travels in Asia and in parts Of
Russia, and II was a work which add
ed to his high reputation.
"He was summoned TO Russia by
the car, and as he was about to
take the steamer at New York a
young man called upon him His
appearance was that Of a person not
very well 10 do. His clothing showed
signs of long wear. although he was
neat I'm his apparel. But the express
sion of his face was that of very
intelligent man. He said to Mr.. Col
Inns that he had been greatly inter-
ested in the latter's book, and for
that reason had called upon him to
say that if he would only make him
private secretary and take him to
Russia with him doing no more than
pay his expenses,- then the young
man probably would be of some SER
vice In repayment
"He said further that he spoke and
wrote the Russian language as well
as several other European languages
and he confessed that he had an espe-
cial gift for acquiring languages Mr..
Collins said that while he had no spe-
cial need for the services of pri-
vate secretary. nevertheless he would
take the young man with him TO Rus
sia and that while in that country ha
might hnd special opportunities for
profitable employment for the young
man.
They went to Russia together
Mr. Collins was amazed at the ease
with which this young man acquired
European languages. The mastery
of a language and even of a dialect
seemed to require no special mental
effort IN Russia the young man
was Of great service, so much 81
! that when Mr.. Collins was about "a
! depart he went TO the consul genera
! of the United states to induce him
to employ the young man as an In.
terpreter. subsequently Mr.. Collins
took the young man to Norway. hav
ing learned that his private secre
tary spoke Danish Swedish and Nor
wegian.
Having established reputation
in Europe as linguist Of marvellous
attainments, the young man becam
an attache in the state department o
Washington as translator Later HI
gained wide reputation both in Eng
land and in the United States as tn
wonderfully accurate translator .
the widely popular novel of Henri
Sienkiewicz. the Polish novelist VIII
wrote "Ouo Vadis" His name wa
Jeremiah Curtain and his fame is no'
established both In America and d
the countries across the ocean
Copyright, 1913. by f.. j. Edwards
All rights reseryed)