Evening star., 1924-08-24
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

The democracy Of America is again
Interestingly illustrated. Maj. Oscar
N. Soibert, junior aide to the Presi-
dent OF the United States, who is to
be next friend and Official escort to
the Prince OF Wales while the heir to
the British throne Is in this country
to pay an official visit to the Presi-
dent, and so designated by the Presi-
dent in acquiescence to request
from the prince himself, before he
went to West Point used to serve one
Of the biggest newspaper routes in
Worcester, Mass.
The Horatio Alger-like testimony
of Maj. Solbert's life to the opportu-
nifty for distinguished service that
lies open before any American youth
Is inspirational. From his humble
and not uncommon start as a news
boy, Maj. Solbert became an honor
graduate from West Point. helped
Gen. Goethals on the Panama Canal
was instructor at West Point, was OF
great value in the Intelligence Service
during the World War. went on a
mission for the Versailles conference
to Russia to confer with Gen. Won der
Goltz at Latvia, was attached to the
Versailles conference, and then mill
tary attache at the Court Of St James
where he became pally with the
Prince of Wales and was q favorite
hunting companion.
~ ~
When Theodore Roosevelt was quit
ting as Civil Service Commissioner
Matthew F. Halloran, 1.-The best known
government employe.' who had been
Roosevelt's yight-hand man, volun-
teered the prediction that Roosevelt
would one day be elected President,
and that he, although a native Of the
voteless Capital, would cast a ballot
and make stump speeches for him.
To make good, he moved to Hyatts-
willie. where he was elected mayor,
and under his administration was
initiated letter carrier service. num-
bering Of houses, erection of street
signs, making the western entrance to
the town a State highway, and the
sale of the water and sewer system to
the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission. completed at a cost of
$4,000, with other marked improve
ments which started the towns
building activity and development.
With his shock of white. curly hair
and genial countenance. Mr.. Halloran
is a distinguished figure at the Civil
Service Building. But officials and
more vigorous young manhood.
He helped to organize and was a
member Of the Emmet Guard, a
crack military company, which won
many trophies and prize drills. Hal
loran himself won a Royal Mail up
right bicycle at the Guards first fair
in voting contest for the most pop
ular member.
He broke the record at the Ordway
~ L.
out of a possible SO with an old
Springfield rifle in the National Guard
rife match, winning the regimental
trophy. That record stood for many
years, and possibly stands even today.
Mr.. Halloran was also one of Wash
ington's best known elocutionists and
prominent in amateur theatricals. He
played the lead. John Renaud, in "A
Celebrated Case" at the Academy of
Music, Robert Emmet at Albaugh's s
(now Poli's), Revells at the Belasco
Theater and Pythias in Damon and
Pythias" at Gonzaga Hall. and Marc
Antony in Julius Caesar at Carroll
Institute Hall. He recited the "Ode
to the American Flag" at the unveil-
ing of the American flag at the Fran
ciscan Monastery before 10000 per-
sons.
He was educated in the Washington
public schools, at Gonzaga and the
Spencerian Business Collage and at
Georgetown, Law School.
\ X
why don't you?" These words,
casually spoken at the psychological
moment, have salvaged many a life
from the routine rut of environment
and inspired youth to climb to enviable
heights. Take DR.. H. Foster Balm,
chief Of the United States Bureau of
Mines, as an illustration.
Some years ago. while travelling in
South Africa, DR.. Balm noticed on the
ship French quotation, Of which the
translation is "All the years Of ones
life are dependent upon one day"
The following chronicle of days truly
significant in the after life of DR.. Balm
Is taken from a letter he wrote to
Mrs. Balm after reading that aphor-
ism.
There was that Autumn back in the
sos when. in the dismal chemical
laboratory Of the old college build
ing, Prof. H, answering some
expression of interest regarding chem
istry made by young Balm. then a
freshman. suggested casually, "Why
not be a chemist"'
1T opened up a new world to me-"
DR.. Balm recalls. my thoughts be-
fore, responding to environment, had
always run to commerce, and to be a
chief clerk at SIS a month in a re-
tail hardware store seemed a quite
sufficient ambition. To be a scient-
ist of any sort was unthinkable.
Scientists were born, I thought, not
made, and no scientist had ever, as
far as 1 knew, been born in any cir
Gle that I touched. The professors in
our small college were a class apart.
I was privileged to know, but not to
emulate, them-at least, so 1t seemed.
And so. when that casual remark
dropped into my life it set new
thoughts racing through my brain
and awakened unsuspected ambitions.
I played with the idea, and resolved
be a scientist"
Biology was his ambition. and re-
mained so through college years.
When he had run into a blind alley,
came another significant day-when
Prof. NJ explained how 1t was
possible for him to go to Johns Hop
kins. ut seemed too good to be true.
and there were anxious days Of PLAN
ming and speculating before I was
actually on the road" DR.. Balm remi-
nisced. II travelled over the c. 4 O.
from Cincinnati, carrying a lunch in
a paper bundle. and slept. as much as
l could. In a crowded day coach.
There was little time. though, for
sleep, since for the first time in my
life I was going south of the Ohio
and east Of the Alleghenies.
For the first time I was getting
out OF the great prairie country in
which l was born and over which
had tramped as q boy"
Since then DR.. Balm has travelled
all over the world, and is as we'll, If
not better, known in China, Russia
and South Africa as in the National
Capital He has Investigated the
mineral deposits and other natural
resources of all the great countries
Of the world.
Johns Hopkins and the men / met