The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-22

English novelists, passed his forty seventh milestone yesterday, but he is still enough of a boy to enjoy playing with toys. The celebrated author of ''Tono Bungay,'' When the Sleeper Wakes and ''The War of the Worlds calmly confesses that he likes nothing better than to get down on the floor with his boys and play make-believe war with forts made of wooden blocks and with toy men. Mr. Wells is very much interested in mil itary matters, and the play war gives him an opportunity to display his abil- ity as a general. He has even gone so far as to write a book describing the various floor games he has contrived.
 Herbert George Wells is the full name of the author but only his in 1tials appear on the title page of his books. He was born in Bromley, Kent Sept. 21, 1866, and his father was a fa- nous professional cricketer He was educated at the Royal College of Sci- ence, where he specialized in zoology. He has always been interested in the progress of science, and one of his lat est books is plea for the fullest in tellectual liberty as against orthodoxy in science.
 MT. Wells began his literary career in the early sos, and his first book Select Conversations with an UncIe,-s appeared in 1895. In the same year, in rapid succession, there appeared ."The Time Machine" t'The Stolen Bacil- 1us," and rsThe Wonderful Visit" His first big success was scored in 1896 with "The War of the Worlds" Since then he has been one of the most pro- life of writers, and has gained a large following on both sides of the At1an- tic.
 Abdul Hamid, the ex-Sultan of Tur- key, who is spending his last years in retirement after having ebeen relieved by the Young Turks of the cares of state and 700 wives, was born seventy one years ago, Sept. 21, 1842. The for mer Shadow of God on Earth has spent much of his time, since dis dep oSition, in dictating his auto biography which is a remarkable volume and written with much more frankness than usually characterizes such works. Like General Diaz the deposed dicta- tor of Mexico, Abdul HaLnid has been able to get much cynical and sardonic satisfaction out of recent events in the country over which he once ruled.
 Samuel Req, president of the Penn eylvania railway lines, the sovereign of great transportation system of nearly 12,00O miles, was born in Ho1li- daysburg, Pa, hfty-eight years ago. He is classed as one of the ablest rail road engineers in history, and a sec ond CaSSaIr. lie was only fifteen when 91e left school and entered the engin- eering department of the great rail- road of which he is now the head He worked his way up to a Migh place among railway construction engineers, and many big jobs were given to him. Cassatt turned to him when he wanted to invade New York, and Req visited Europe to study the railway bridges and tunnels of that continent. He spent much time in London and after ward wrote a book on |"The Railways Terminating in London" Rea's sug- gestion contemplated high bridge across the Hudson, but the project was abandoned because of the prohibi- tive cost. With the invention of cleo tric locomotives the tunnel system be- came feasible.
 The first legal shooting in Utah, un- der the novel law of that state which permits condemned murderers a choice between hanging and a bullet as the method of their taking off, was held in the county courthouse yard at Salt Lake City ffty-two years ago. Will liam Crockroft was the man who fac ed a firing squad He had engaged in