davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
The Impossible
CaIiguIa

"Now, Caius Caligula,' says Barring
Gould, Eve know suffered from both the
worst form of this disorder (i. e., epilepsy
as we'll as from the less serious; and there
can be little question that the sickness
mentioned by the historians, but unfortu-
nately not described by them, was violent
attack Of cpileptic fits, which, when they
passed, left Caius in a measure deranged.
(The author then refers to chart
which reveals insanity in six members Of
the tyrant's family.)
"Whatever his malady was, the prince
rose from it very much changed, if not in
disposition, at all events in conduct. If
hitherto he had worn mask, with conva-
lescence he cast it aside; if for period of
a few months he had rejoiced in the favor
of the people, and had striven to retain it,
he now found pleasure in striking awe
into their hearts, and in dissipating every
particle of the affection he had inspired.
"He began to suffer from want of sleep;
he seldom obtained more than three or
four hours rest in the night, and then
could not sleep soundly, as he was dis
turbed with frightful dreams, fancying that
old Ocean convcrsed with him in roaring
tones. Unable to be quiet when sleep for
sock him, he would sit up in bed, the prey
to wild fancies, schemes and terrors, or
ramble about the porticos of the palace,
looking for the approach of day.
almost from the moment that he aross
from his sick bed Caius behaved in a man.
ner the reverse of his previous conduct.
Some of his actions were certainly those of
a madman, but he had intervals of sense,
though he never again returned to the
amiable mood of the first stage of his i'm
perial career. To describe in a few words
the change that took place in him, Sue
tonius says that at first he acted as
prince, afterward as a monster.
"At the time of his sickness he had
drawn up his will in which he constituted
his second sister, Drusilla, to whom he was
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

the whole garden was one pink blush Of the
loveiest roses
wide and stately entrance hall extended
from front to back of the mansion, the
upper floors being reached by ornate and
massive stairs, the first landing having a
tall and very ancient clock, whose deep and
Impressive tones had checked off the fleet
ing hours Of many merry family gather
ing, and also, must be inevitable, the
slowly passing hours Of family woes.
The Christmas gatherings Of grandchil-
dren and eat-grandchildren of later years
brought together as many as fifty little
ones, their greatest delight Of all being to
cluster around the venerable grandpa while
he called "Coo! Cool" to his seemingly end
less clouds of tame pet pigeons and scat
tered handfuls Of corn among them
John A. Poweson, of Pluckcmin, great
nephew, and his mother, a niece Of Mr..
Van Nests, last visited their aged and
genial relative in his beloved Greenwich
home in the year 1863, when he was eighty
seven, and helped feed the pigeons and saw
the family COW and hundreds of chickens
as peacefully feeding as If out miles in the
country
Mr. Van Nest was one Of the founders Of
the Greenwich Savings Bank, of which he
was president great many years. He made
his will in 1907, Afty-seven years before
his death, and wrote each Of his sons and
daughters beautiful letter. These were
all laid carefully away with the will. to
be given to each rs soon after his decease
as his executors deemed expedient, Need
less to say, these letters are all carefully
preserved as precious heirlooms.
Abraham Van Nest died in 1854. in his
eighty-eighth year. Soon afterward the fine
old homestead was sold for inward of
Sooo'ooo. Then, very promptly, the stately
old trees were uprooted, the mansion dis
mantied and demolished, the beautiful gar
den oiotted out and tho last, long-lingerjnp
relic of old Greenwich's glory was seen no
more.
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
A Romance of Early Gotham,
In a Relic of Old Greenwich

errand boy to a harnessmaker. Els land
lady trusted him till he got his pay at the
week end, 80 he pulled through, and when
he settled up on the Saturday night felt
as proud as possible.
Abraham's father, the rich and renowned
Prince" George-who, by the way, was
the great-grandfather Of the late Rev. T.
De Witt Talmage-had many slaves on his
large place near Pluckemin, his father,
Peter Van Nest, having been the first to
possess slaves in New Jersey, and was Law
ish in attendants for every possible pur-
pose. This and his royal liberality of en-
tertainment, and, indeed, his whole man.
ner of living, had something so truly regal
about it that the title Of "prince" quite
naturally rose to every ones lips in regard
to him.
For instance, he always travelled in
state In his big family coach and-fou
with spick-and-span colored coachman and
footman seated up in front, correctly ccat-
ed and silver buttons up to the chin. shin
ing beaver hats, the footman with folded
arms and ready at all times to open gates
or clear the way Of any distractions. and
up behind his slordly master, his little
darky page, faultlessly attired and ready
to brush away mosquitoes or troublesome
nies, fill his masters pipe, or a thousand
other duties--in, short, whether at home
or abroad, to be always at his masters
heels.
Among his other riches Prince Gcorre
possessed great quantities of splendid
timber on his estate. One black walnut Of
tho hundreds of that species pleased nim
so we'll that he had it sawed up into slabs.
several Of the most choice of which he
had bound together and stored In his rar-
ret, labelled "For my coffin"
By sticking to his work early and ,.te
and never thinking Of a holiday, little Abra-
ham Van Nests pay rose even quicker
than his stature. He became foreman. and
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
What Is This Mysterious
New Disease, Sleeping Sickness?

the victim chatters rapidly in hysterical
manner, indicating marked alteration in
the mental state.
Thus far no special treatment has been
discovered. The patient is put to bed and
given careful nursing. Temporary relief
from pain coma is often obtained by
withdrawing a quantity OF the cerebro-
spinal fluid. Hot water bottles applied to
the limbs also relieve pain, numbness and
tingling in the extrcmities.
All nerve specialists agree that it is far
better to refrain from administering OPT
atcs.
In the war ridden countries particularly
France, observers of the disease were at
first inclined to attribute it to an infection
caused by eating inferior food. This theory
it was a disease allied to poliomyelitis, or
"infantile paralysis" Failure to repro
duce the disease from virus injected into
monkeys seems to have upset that theory.
Speaking Of this phase of the disease, the
Journal of the American Medical Asso
citation in its latest issue says:
"It is notable feature that the anatomic
changes in polomyelitis and cncephalitis
lethargica arc of the same general nature.
and some specialists have suggested that
the two diseases bear about the same rela
tlon to each other that typhoid fever does
to paratyphod."
American observers lay great stress on
the TACT that at least SO per cent of the
cases in this country show a post-infiu-
enzal history. DR.. Charles L. Dana, the
eminent neurologist and chairman of tho
committee on public health of the Academy
OF Medicine, believes that it is purely an
aftermath of the influenza endemic and
that it will not work much havoc or last
very long.
We had an epidemic of the same in
fcction after the grip epidemic of 1880 'ai ;"
says DR.. Dana. 'Thc English called IL
'wrirral catalepsy' MT tho time II d;dna
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

do much harm, and its reappearance wcs1
be serious either"
Profound and prolonged sleep has bss'
observed following many epidemics sine
early times, according to American obssrT
ers. They were observed after an cpl
demic of influenza in 1912, and the mslsd7
was dubbed sleeping sickness" RECORDS
show it had peculiar effect on tue
nerves of sight, and a good description 81
"ophthalmoplegia" accompanied it.
In 1871 mona" or "a mona" appss's'
in Australia as a novel and highly mysssn
Gus disease It's symptoms were similar %
those of epidemic coma. 1t failed, ho"
ever, to establish itself as a distinct sn'
definite disease and was soon forg0as'
Present observers, however, are inches
to believe that mona" was a past'ai'
enzal condition.
Health Commissioner Royal S. 0F
land is one of those who disagree win y
Dana. He is positive that in encepnsns,,
lethargica we have distinct disease
bases his belief on the fact that in at lss,
one-half the cases reported in New W.
the victims have not suffered from ia.''
enza. While he doesn't anticipate msiA'
mortality from the disease, DR.. CopeH.
believes it should be studied carefuly
that the mystery surrounding it shS"
solved
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
And He
Knows 1t

"This is exactly what happens in the
mental sphere. The feeling of inferiority
forces the individual to make supreme ef-
forts to overcome this particular defect.
Feelings of inferiority are compensated for
in various ways by the person becoming
egotistical, boastful, envious, showing a
tendency to undervalue all men and things
except themselves, developing ideas Of
greatness and omnpotcnce of thinking. OF
course, in pure Freudian phrase, this
compensation is really repression Of the
inferior feeling.
"This tendency to compensation is an
unconscious mental process, the only con-
scious feeling being the oyer-compensation
which takes the form Of day dreams. Their
origin is unknown and never understood by
the sufferer. These day dreams are so
often repeated that they become part and
parcel of the personality; they cannot be
distinguished from reality. Thus, indi-
viduals with feelings of infcriority, whether
real or fancied, as individuals who possess
inferior organs, attempt to compensate
This is Adlcr's great contribution, the re-
markable relationship between inferiority
of physical structure and mental compen-
sation.
"Let us apply these theories to the
Kaiser. 1t is said that he was born with
withered left arm, probably a paralysis
from birth (obstetrical paralysis). This
can be seen in his portraits in the short
ening of the arm and the manner in which
it is held. DR.. Davis, in his book, The
Kaiser as Knew Him. gives an interest
ing account of this deformed and shortened
left arm, and states that the fingers were
properly formed, but appeared to be prac-
tically paralyzed. He is unable to raise
his ARM In one of the recent French
medical journals there is an interesting
portrait taken in the summer of 1918,
showing the atrophied (wasted) left arm
held in the typical position Of obstetrical
paralysis. Such a man, educated and
nurtured in surroundings where militarsm
was made the dominant factor Of life
would tend to regret this physical inferi-
ority. At first he would attempt to de-
fend and protect the inferior organ, then
this very protection and defence would
tend to more and more occupy his atten-
tion, until it became almost an obsession
1t would be impossible for him to put the
idea of his physical inferority out Of his
mind, for, as in all these cases, the more
ne attempted to put it out Of his mind the
more he would put it in his mind.
"The physical inferiority he could not
conceal or cover up, because the more he
attempted to do so the more prominent it
would become to him and Others There
would remain only one way to neutralize
this and this would be by compensating for
his feeling of physical inferiority.
"Thus he would tend to emphasize his
own militarism and physical strength and
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
rneys Through the Kaiser's Empty Head

Incidence. But there were many points
of similarity-cnough to bring Quidde un-
pleasantly near a prison sentence. The
German government had delicate problem
to handle. They did not care to fan the
flames; yet how could they pass unnoticed
such an outrageous example OF lcze-
majesty? 1t is said that at the trial the
government prosecutor asked Quiddc whom
he had in mind when he wrote that article
about Caligula Quiddc very ccverly re-
piled, Il. had in mind Caligula, but whom
did you have in mind when you asked me
the question: The whole affair was too
intangible. The matter was dropped and
passed out of mems minds"
The writer goes to point out certain
characteristics of Caligula that repay
notice in connection with subsequent traits
developed by the Kaiser. Caligula, was
doubtless a victim of evil hcredity, one of
the most horrible examples of tyranny, un-
restraint, brutality and egotism that the
world has ever known 1t appears that at
his accession to the throne he was only
twenty five years old, that for about eight
months his rule was not at all bad. Sud-
denly, however, he was attacked by a
strange illness, out Of which he emerged
radically altered The disease is thought
to have been epilepsy, which has been at
tributed also to Julius Cesar. And here is
Barring Gould's picture Of Caligula, from
his "Thc Tragedy of the Casars," which,
Mr.. Woods assures us, is little less sensa-
tonal than that drawn by Professor
Quidde. This picture is entered into some
what at length because it is of Importance
in connection with the opinions of the
noted psychiatrist to whom 1 submitted the
pathological aspects of Kaiser Wilhclm's
case
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

the militarism Of those about him. For
him the sword would be the great symbol
of power and strength. He would thus
make himself believe that he was not the
constitutional King, but the great War
Lord. This absolutist attitude is shown in
the following speech, which reveals just
those traits of his personality that I wish
to emphasize. His speeches have the quail
ity Of -portraiturc, just in psyche
analysis what a patient does and says re-
veals his inner life. Il could find no better
token than sword, this noblest symbol of
the Germans, the symbol of the great,
powerful period of building whose mortar
was blood and IRON
"Such a man would also have ideas of
dominating power, amounting almost to
obsession. You must all have only one
will and it is mine; there is only one law,
and it is mine.' Because of such a feeling
Of omnipotence Of thought and power, such
a man would be intolerant and would tend
to undervalue men and things and the
opinions of others. For instance, in his
lecture to the strikers he denounces social
ism in this way: For to me every Social
Democrat is synonymous with an enemy Of
the realm and of the Fatherland. Should
!, therefore, discover that Social Demo-
cratic tendencies become involved in the
agitation and instigate unlawful opposi-
tion, will step in sternly and ruthlessly
and bring to bear all the power l possess
and it is great
AS compensation, too, for his feeling
OF physical inferiorty, such a man would
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

next manager, and not SO long after that
was admitted into partnership, and ulti-
mately, when he attained the age of forty
two and had been thirty years in New York,
he became sole proprietor Of the business.
At this juncture he INDUCED what had
long been keen ambition with him;
namely, to possess a summer home in what
was then the rural hamlet of Greenwich,
about two miles distant on the outskirts
of the city. This he accomplished by pur-
chasing the beautiful Warren mansion
there, for which he paid $4,000.
This splendid homestead had been built
in the year 1740 by Sir Peter Warren, vice.
admiral Of the English navy, he being at
that time In command Of the British feet
in New York. 1t became the admiral's
summer home, his town house being on the
Bowling Green.
For many years after Abraham Van
Nests purchase Of it the property was two
miles beyond the city limits. his city house
then being where the Corn Exchange Bank
now stands in William Street. Kip &
Browns stage coaches at that time ran
every hour between New York and the viii
lage OF Greenwich, seats in which had to be
booked in advance at the company's Office.
Long years afterward, when the city began
to grow, Mr.. Van Nests fine Greenwich
property occupied g whole block, surrounded
in time by BlcecKcr, Fourth, Charles and
Perry streets.
His 2H-acre tract Of garden was. I'D to
the last, very fairyland OF the good, old
fashioned fowcrs--hollyhocks, coxcombs.
sweet Williams, bleeding hearts, ragged
sailors, maid of the mists, bachelor buttons.
wallflowers, old man, mgnonette. lilies
Glove pinks, phlox, poppics, larkspurs.
strawberry shrub, etc. Splendid horse
chestnut trees, willows, poplars, sycamore
and locust trees aboundcd, making a per-
fcct canopy over much Of the grounds. with
endless fanciful lockwood borders. In juno
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

interested in the trend Of public affairs
and those more intimately associated with
psychological studies and their application
to world questions, have alike suddenly re-
membcrcd the pamphlet Of 1894 and found
in it new meanings.
Thus Frederick Adams Woods, lecturer
on biology at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, reviewing the sensational
brochure in recent number of "Thc
Journal of Heredity" gives an entertaining
history of the affair. Quidde, it seems, was
at the time a professor of radical views
and brought out study Of the Roman
Emperor Caligula in which that cruel mon
arch's repulsive traits were seen to be
quite comparable with those Of the young
Kaiser. And as if this were not enough,
there was an anonymous supplement by the
same author, entitled boldly, "Ist Caligula
NIT unserer Zeit vergeichbar?" Us Calig-
ula comparable to our times y
We are told that the first brochure
passed through twenty-nine editions before
September Of 1894, and that at the time
Chow times do change!) "The British Sat
urday Review" referred to it as "scanda-
lous and outrageous production" "Profes-
sor Quidde," Mr.. Woods points out, "was
a mild and we'll meaning idealist whose
vision anticipated the coming C@sarism in
Germany, with all the evils attendant upon
irresponsible control in the hands of one
man. Of course there was much that was
unjust in a complete comparison Of the
Kaiser with Caligula, especially in carnal
characteristics - dissipation, guttony and
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

devotedly attached, heiress Of nis pro,...
and OF the empire. He snatchcd he, ~ ...
from her husband and associated hsr -.
himself III a manner that gave r;..
scandal. She had long been un;,oa
Cassius Longinus, by Tibcrius, bu. ca
apparently after his sickness divorced ~
from Longinus and married her TO 8 sx... ~
ure of his own, NJ. Lepidus, and thon -,
her from Lepidus and startled even paN
by the declaration that he proposed ussA As
ing her. This relation-even in ps
not squeamish as to moral scandal
regarded as one crying to heaven tss
vengeance. On medals and cam.s.
the heads OF Caius and Drusills anr..sss
together; and it is possible that bc w.a,s
have carried his daring purpose into es..s
and have openly married her. But his r's
career was frustrated. The unnannv ..',
fell i'll, with shame maybe, and djcd c,;s
was plunged into frenzy of despair,
Barring Gould goes on to tell that Al,
prince, unable to find rest in his oyn r;,,'
roamed over Italy and Sicily and L., ~
hair grow in token Of his sorrow. T.
at this time that he became obsessca x..,
the idea of his own dcifcaton.
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
The Kaiser
Is "InferiOr"

FOR years." says DR.. Coriat, "the mental
condition of the Kaiser has been of great
interest, not only to Germany but to the
world. This interest was greatly accentu-
ated after Germany plunged civilization
into the world war, and now, with the abdi-
cation and flight of the Kaiser, the ques-
tion of his psychology and of his response
bility for the great war has become a sub
ject of universal interest. His mental con-
dition and motives have been variously
interpreted, ranging all the way from de-
liberate criminal cruelty to paranoia, or to
subconscious phobia, as determinant of
mental behavior.
"In any Interpretation of the Kaiser's
mental condition we must eliminate any
Hypothetical reference to the action of the
laws of heredity as explaining his complex
motives and behavior and base our inter-
probation upon the sounder ground Of indi-
vidualistic psychology.
"The Kaiser can be best understood il we
apply to him certain fundamental prin-
ciples which have developed out of modern
psyche analysis.
"As is we'll known, psycho-analysis, as
elaborated by Freud, means an analysis of
the mind, a study of mans unconscious
motives and conflicts as shown by his be-
havior. Psycho-analysis also shows that
the very foundations of character spring
from the unconscious Of the individual
and shape his behavior. In other words,
each individual determines his own char
acter and destiny and character traits are
not inherited, but are acquired
'In 1907 one of the greatest thinkers of
the Fraudian school, Alfred Adler, of
Vienna, began the publication of his re-
markable works on individualistic psychol-
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

eploemlc StupOr' Is creeping
4 IA westward over the United States
from the Atlantic seaport cities,
from England and France. To humorists
and cartoonists the disease seems to have
made strong appeal, but to the hundreds
Of victims and the families of many who
have died from it it is mighty serious
matter. In the fortnight or so in which
the disease has been observed it has de-
veloped is per cent death rate, and, as
the law does not compel physicians to re-
port it, no one knows how rapidly it is
spreading.
"Encephalitis lethargica," as the malady
is technically described, is caused by an
infection Of certain of the brain centres bv
a mysterious virus or germ which has thus
far defied detection by psychologists
Some experts aver that the disease is an
aftermath Of influenza. Others maintain
that it is new disease, with a special
virus Of its own
The most frequent symptoms arc marked
lethargy and stupidity. Usually there is
fever in the early stages, the temperature
ranging from 101 to 1903. Often the fever
does not appear until the last stage This
is especially noticeable in cases that prove
fatal Progressive lethargy is predomi-
nant. The patient grows more dazed and
stupid and sleeps for days at a time unless
great effort is made to arouse him from
has stupor. In the initial stages there is
pain in the eyes, dizziness, headache and
double vision (secing objects doubly). The
patient frequently moves his arms about
continuously in. a purposclcss manner
In tho advanced stages the patient ia
often unable to make any voluntary mus
cular movement. Tho face becomes pale
and masklike and double facial paralysis
sets in. Dchrium at night and rigidity of
the BODY are not uncommon. IN some cases
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

Jerry early one spring morning,
when the robins gave those deli
cious little trills like violins
tuning up for the coming concert,
. little boy of twelve was trudging along
between Bound Brook and Elizabethport,
N. j., bound for the City Of New York
Meantime, in Ano house down Duchess
way, In Somerset County, that little boy
not coming down to his breakfast "a usnal
and tho old colored "auntie" having gone
upstairs for him, she suddenly returned
With:
"Aan' sakes, sab! Lii Mas'r Ab'am done
gone way somewhar!" further explaining
that other articles Of clothing besides what
he could wear had also disappeared.
Tho lad in question was little Abraham
Van Nest, youngest son of George-ren-
ersiiy known as "Prince" George--Van
Nest, who lived on his largo estate in what
IS still known as the Duchess district near
Piuckemin, N. J. This little son Of his.
Abraham, as afterward found out. with
just ono dollar in his purse, was ploddinr
MS way along the turnpike road, some
times getting lift for mile or two in
some farmers wagon. but mostly tramp-
ing the long road on his own sturdy li.tle
feet. At that tender age, with so slender
a purse and without so much as one single
friend or acquaintance in the city. he thus
struck out in the world for himself.
Being no dime novel reader. on arrival
ia the city he started at once y hunt for
some employment, but the street lamps
were already lighted and nearly all busi
ness houses were closed. Besides. as he
was very hungry and dead tired, hc turned
his attention to finding something to cat
and place to sleep for tho night. This
cost him little moro than half of his
small capital But he was up early, and
bsfoxs noon next day had found werk a.