The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-05
SCRAP BOOK FOR TO-DAY

7 | ~~~
 Pittsburgh's project. for perpetual | ing the memory of stephen Collins
 Foster by preserving his old home as
 memorial will meet with general
 approval. The immortal composer of | "O1d Folks at Home,'' "OId Uncle | Ned" My Old Kentucky Home ''
 ''Massa's in the Cold, Cold Ground,' g and other negro folk songs, was born eighty-seven years ogo, July 4th, 1926 "a date marking the semi-centenary of American independence, and almost simultaneous death Of John Adams l and Thomas Jefferson. Foster knew 1 little of the negroes and their folk 1 songs, and it was the popularity of
 blacl1face nninstrelsy that led him to compose the songs that made him one of the most honored of American song writers.
 Many quaint and curious customs
 dating from ancient times are still
 observed in the Isle of Man, and not
 the least interesting of these is the ceremony that will be enacted today on Tynwald Hil1 Men, women and
 children from all over the little island
 of the Irish Sea will gather on the | hillside and listen to the official who
 will read aloud the book of Manx laws. For centuries this archaic le-.
 gal ceremony has been carried out on each fifth of July, except when that date falls Sunday, and it still re- tains most of the novel features that make it the most interesting obeer- vance of it's kind to be witnessed any, whereeIse in the rwor1d-
 It is no longer possible to read all the laws. that govern Manxnen, since the House of Keys, as the local leg islature is called, has of late been as busy in adding new statutes as sim liar bodies elsewhere.
 A Manx law that is no longer en-
 forced, but which retains a place in
 the statute book, provides a penalty Of $50 and the loss of both ears for
 anyone guilty Of lfbehng the lawnaak- CTS. The death penalty was long i'm posed for the theft of any amount above thirteen cents, while a fogging
 was the punishment for stealing a les- ser sum. An exception was made in
 the case Of horse and cattle thieves, for it was set forth that, as they could not hide such criminals, their act was
 more foolish then felonious.
 Hall Caine, whose youth was spent in the Isle of Man, has described many of the interesting customs of the Manxmen in his novels. Of late years, however. the inhabitants have shed some of their pecularities, owing to contact. with tourists.
 IhS IlTSC company O1 I4AS NHoaANc@LAOA11 Army was organized by William Booth at Mile End, England forty-eightI years ago today. and the branches of the army throughout the world arei already making plans to celebrate the serni-centenary two years hence. The founder, the late General Booth, and his wife started out from the Metho- dist New Connection to reclaim thel wayward, the neglected and the de- graded. They organized their work in the east end of London, naming it the Christian Mission but the protect was not very successful until the idea of a military organization was, to use Booths phrase .sreveaIed' to him. It was notf until 1878 that the military organization became fully effective, with Booth as general The army had to, light it's way to recognition, for it's street meetings. both in Euro- pean and American cities, were at times broken up by the police, and the 1 leaders jailed or fined. The uniforms of the men, the poke bonnets of the women, the songs, and the music | of drums and timbrels, served the pur- pose of drawing crowds to hear the preachers, who held forth at the sbar- 1 rackg'' The plan was successful from the first and in 1880 extended to 1 France and America. The army now has branches all over the world, in hfty-six countries and colonies.
 The first Christian Science associa- l ton was organized by Mrs Mary Ba- ker Eddy and six of her students thfr- 1 ty-seven years ago. About a year la- ter thde first church of the organiza- ton was founded by the leader of the denomination and twenty-six of her disciples. Christian Science was dis covered by Mrs. Eddy in 1866, when apparently near the confines of mor- <,Iv in the shadow of the valley of death 7 1 The "bibIe'' of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.' was published in 1875. At first the book seemed doomed to ob-i scur1ty, and. as previously stated, on1yl a half dozen followers rallied to the standard of Christian Science at the first meeting in 1876, held on the cen- tenary of American independence. In | 1878 Mrs. Eddy preached in the Bap-I tist Tabernacle. Boston, and many | testified that they were healed by her preaching From that time the new sect began to spread, until now there are nearly a hundred thousand mem bers in the United States, 5.074 in Canadian, many thousands in other countries, and hundreds of thousandsl of unattached adherents.
 If you happen to be a s.Borrovian. 7 you will attend in spirit, if not in body the great Borrovian celebration to be held to-day in Norwich, England. For the benefit of the initiated, 1t may be explained that a Borrovian is a disci-l pie and admirer of George Borrow, the English vagabond writer and author ity on gypsy habits and history. The celebration in Norwich to-day com memorates his 10th birthday. Bor-l rows advocacy of pugilisn, his jeers at the conventions and the proprieties and his sneers and sarcasTnS directed at everything that was considered res pectable, led to his genius going with little recognition during his lifetime, and even his centenary a. decade ago passed all but unnoticed- Now the Borrovians form a cult with devotees throughout America and Europe, and they propose to do delayed justice to the memory of their nastor to-day. Borrow was born in gypsy camp, near