the gymnasium to the schools this year is that there was too much
crowding on the track by the runners, and that the galleries were kept
too full of spectators. This is a very good reason, of course; but it
would seem, nevertheless, that if the gymnasium was given up to the
schools entirely between the hours of two and four, it could make no
difference to the college men how much the school athletes crowded one
another on the track, nor how many of their fellows congregated in the
galleries to watch them. I can readily understand, however, that if the
gymnasium was not entirely given up to the high-school lads--if the
college men intended to use the track and the floor at the same
time--there would naturally be a good deal of crowding, and the vigorous
methods of the younger athletes would probably prove annoying to those
who considered that the youngsters were intruders.
In a matter of this kind there should be no half-way business--that is,
if the boys are to have the use of the gymnasium, they should have the
unrestricted use of it; and the college men should keep away during
those hours. If, however, the college men honestly believe that there is
not time enough for all the college athletes to train, and at the same
time allow the schoolboys to use the floor for a certain period each
day, they are fully justified in refusing the use of their gymnasium.
It is to be regretted, however, that some kind of an arrangement cannot
be made for the boys, for the college men must remember that by
developing the young athletes they are bringing up material that will
eventually go into the university teams, and prove of the greatest value
and usefulness to them.
The skating-races of the Long Island Association for the championship of
the League have been postponed, and will now not be held until possibly
the first or second week in March. They will be held in the Clermont
Avenue Rink, Brooklyn and the events to be contested are 220-yard dash
and one-mile and three-mile races.
At the Boston A.A. in-door meeting, a week ago Saturday, there was a
number of interscholastic entries, and several of the schoolboys did
good work. There was a 40-yard novice race, in the final heat of which
was H. C. Jones, of Exeter. The final heat was so close that the judges
were unable to decide upon the winner, and it was necessary to run it
off again. On the last attempt Jones won. The time was slow--5 sec. In
the tie heat the time had been 4-4/5 sec.
In the mile run, E. W. Mills of Chauncy Hall School, who ran such a
beautiful mile at the Madison Square in-door games last year, was pitted
against Hjertberg, Orton, and Kilpatrick. The schoolboy started off
quickly, and for four laps he led the field, with Hjertberg a good
second. The latter then hit up the pace, passed Mills, and was never
headed. Kilpatrick passed Mills on the tenth lap, but it was not until
the last lap that Orton managed to get ahead of the Chauncy Hall runner.
The time was 4 min. 36-4/5 sec.
The hurdle race was won by J. J. Peters, of Andover, with E. Cole, of
Hopkinson's, second. There is excellent material among the Boston
schools this year, and the interscholastic games ought to be the
occasion of some record-breaking.
The National Interscholastic Games, which were held at the Columbia Oval
last June, were a success so far as they could be when one considers all
the disadvantages that the managers had to contend against. That was the
first year of the association's existence, and the officers naturally
had a great deal more work to do than they ever will have again, and a
great many questions to decide at short notice without any experience to
assist them toward these decisions. Several of the present officers of
the association were connected with the management of the games last
year, and they consequently know of several things that must be avoided,
and of many others that should be looked after.
It is none too early now to begin to make plans for these games. One of
the difficulties last year was that there was hardly time enough to do
all that should have been done to make the games a striking success.
Another trouble was that so many of the games of the various
interscholastic associations were scheduled for so late a date that the
national games had to be postponed until June 20, in order not to
conflict with the other contests. It seems to me that a good thing to
do this year, and it ought to be done as soon as possible, would be for
the executive committee of the National Association to meet and decide
upon a conditional date for the national games.
The secretaries of all the interscholastic associations of the country,
or of all those that will probably send teams to the national games,
should be informed of this proposed date, and the request should be made
to them that their own games be held at least a week previous to the
national event. It is more than probable that every association would
endeavor, if it were a possible thing, to concede this much to the
National Association, and to hold their local games at a date that would
not conflict with the general event.
In New York the interscholastic games are held early in the month of
May. The Long Island League follows about a week later. But in Boston,
as well as in Philadelphia and in the Maine Association, the spring
games usually come in the first week in June. It is at just about that
time that, it would seem to me, the National Association would wish to
have the big games in New York. These contests, to be successful, should
be scheduled so that they would not interfere with the college
examinations, and also so that they would not come too early in the
season for the contestants.
In order not to interfere with the examinations, they ought not to be
held any later than the first week in June, for the young men who
participate in the games will need two or three weeks at least after the
meeting to devote entirely to their studies. In order to gain the
good-will and obtain the support of the older heads, the managers should
do all they can to arrange matters so that the games will not interfere
with school-work. There is no reason why they should interfere with
school-work if properly managed.
The objection has been made that the national games added one more
occasion to the many that already take up the time of the schoolboy
athletes. This is perhaps true for the present; but I doubt if next year
or thereafter it would be the case, because as soon as the schools
become convinced that the national games are to be the most important of
the year so far as scholastic athletics are concerned, the games of the
several interscholastic associations will take a secondary position, and
the school games of the institutions making up the interscholastic
associations will fall into a third stage of importance, and probably
fall away entirely. In other words, instead of having a series of school
games leading up to the interscholastic games of the several leagues in
various parts of the country, the schoolboy athletes will look upon
their interscholastic meeting as a sort of trial heat for the national
games instead of, as they have heretofore, a final heat to decide the
supremacy of their own association.
The mere fact that at the national games the best athletes of the great
centres will be pitted against one another is sufficient to make that
occasion the most interesting and, beyond any question, the most
important of the year. I do not believe that there should be so many
track-athletic meetings as there have been in the past; I mean that I
think it is a poor plan to have scholastic meetings open to members of
schools belonging to the Interscholastic League, for the result soon
comes to be that each scholastic meeting is practically an
interscholastic event, and this may easily be seen by looking at the
list of entries at these various scholastic games.
The best plan is to have each league hold its meeting, pick the first
two men for a team to represent that league at the national games, and
then let the national games be the decisive contest in track athletics
for the year.
"TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL."--ILLUSTRATED.--8VO, CLOTH, ORNAMENTAL,
$1.25.
THE GRADUATE.
* * * * *
A TRIBUTE.
Pa says his mother used to make
The finest pies he ever see,
But those my dear old mommie makes
Are plenty good enough for me.
Indeed, I like 'em all so much,
It wouldn't fill me with dismay
If some big tyrant made me eat
A dozen slices every day.
* * * * *
ONE OF LINCOLN'S KIND ACTS.
One summer morning, shortly after the close of the civil war, the not
unusual sight in Washington of an old veteran hobbling along could have
been seen on a shady path that led from the Executive Mansion to the War
Office. The old man was in pain, and the pale sunken cheeks and vague
far-away stare in his eyes betokened a short-lived existence. He halted
a moment, and then slowly approached a tall gentleman who was walking
thoughtfully along. "Good-morning, sir. I'm an old soldier, and would
like to ask your advice."
The gentleman turned, and, smiling kindly, invited the poor old veteran
to a seat under a shady tree. There he listened to the man's story of
how he had fought for the Union, and was severely wounded,
incapacitating him for other work in life, and begged directions how to
apply for back pay due him and a pension, offering his papers for
examination.
The gentleman looked over the papers, and then took out a card and wrote
directions on it, also a few words to the Pension Bureau, desiring that
speedy attention be given to the applicant, and handed it to him.
The old soldier looked at it, and, with tears in his eyes, thanked the
tall gentleman, who, with a sad look, bade him good luck and hurried up
the walk. Slowly the soldier read the card again, and then turned it
over to read the name of the owner. More tears welled in his eyes when
he knew whom he had addressed himself to, and his lips muttered: "I am
glad I fought for him and the country, for he never forgets. God bless
Abraham Lincoln!"
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In the next issue, published
Tuesday, February 23, 1897,
HARPER'S
ROUND TABLE
will begin a new serial story, to
be continued for twenty consecutive
weeks, entitled
THE
PAINTED
DESERT
BY
KIRK MUNROE
Author of "Snow-Shoes and
Sledges," "Rick Dale," etc.
_Five Cents a Copy_
_Two Dollars a Year_
* * * * *
Address
HARPER & BROTHERS
Publishers, New York
QUESTIONS FOR YOUNG MEN.
ON COURTESY TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.
Somebody once said that you could tell how civilized a nation was at any
one time by learning how that nation treated its women at that
particular period. You go to some of the towns in Europe to-day, and you
find women doing the hard labor, drawing carts beside dogs, carrying
bundles and heavy articles about. Go among savages in Africa, and you
find women doing the hard labor of life, the men reserving for
themselves the hunting, the loafing, and the fighting. As nations grow
more civilized, the women become more the objects of care and
solicitude, and in England and the United States to-day they are treated
with an amount of forethought and attention never known before. And yet
even in America to-day many a young man, who would instantly deny any
charge of discourtesy to a lady, will do little things, half
unconsciously, that are neither courteous nor becoming a gentleman.
This comment does not refer to such acts as taking off one's hat to
every woman or girl one knows, nor to any of the ordinary acts of
politeness. Such are understood in these days. It does refer, however,
to slight matters that mark the man or boy who knows what good manners
are, and who invariably bears himself well in the presence of others.
Such a boy never speaks to a girl or woman, if she is standing, without
rising himself. I saw at a large restaurant, a short time ago, a man
approach three women and three men who were eating supper. No one of the
three men knew the fourth personally, but as he approached and spoke to
a friend among the women, all three arose, and remained standing until
the new-comer was gone. It was not a mark of courtesy to the fourth man.
It was a signification to the three ladies that for the time being the
new arrival was allowed the privilege of speaking to any of them if they
chose to invite it. That is merely an example of a small point, which,
perhaps, was not necessary, but the action not only pleased the women,
but certainly stamped the men as gentlemen.
Many a boy fails to rise from his chair when his mother enters the room,
while he would get up at once if a stranger entered, and one would
suppose that his mother, who is more to him than the rest of womankind
put together, should, to say the least, have from him the same marks of
courtesy as strangers. In fact, you can tell a boy's character pretty
accurately by the way in which he treats his mother; for as a mother has
probably done and will do more for her son than any other woman--with
perhaps one exception--will ever do, so he ought, in return, to treat
her as his most valuable possession. His courtesy, his chivalrous and
knightly bearing towards her are never thrown away.
She sees it all, and thinks more of it than any one else, and he need
never fear that his thoughtfulness is thrown away. Perhaps,
occasionally, such conduct may to a certain extent go unnoticed by some
other women, but by his mother never.
In the same way one's conduct to one's sister is a test of good
breeding. Sisters are not mothers, by any means, but still they demand
courtesy from their brothers. Perhaps a sister can be pretty hard to get
on with at times, but nevertheless she is a woman, and she can do
certain things without any fear of retaliation, because the nobility of
the man in the boy is bound to respect the woman in his sister.
Let her tease and tantalize, but remember that the best way to cure her
is to treat her so like a lady who could never descend to such methods
that she will soon be forced to stop in order to live up to the
character you have given her. Mothers come first, therefore, over all
the world, and sisters next. Treat them as carefully, with as much
thoughtfulness, as you do anything else in your life, and with even more
care, and then we can discuss the rest of womankind.
* * * * *
LINCOLN AND THE POOR WIDOW.
The 12th of February, Abraham Lincoln's birthday, brings to our thoughts
stronger than ever reminiscences of this noble man's life. Hundreds of
books have recorded and will perpetuate his good deeds for centuries to
come; but it is a pleasure to read now and then of some little act of
kindness that will stand alone illustrating the breadth of this man's
sympathies and the nobility of his character. During all that dreadful
period when the civil war was ravaging the country Lincoln held the
reins of the government, and although worn out with unceasing toil, he
never neglected an opportunity to help those who suffered.
One day a poor woman, whose tears had worn furrows down her cheeks,
gained an audience with Lincoln, and in a few words related the sad tale
of her husband, who had fought in the Union army only to lose his life,
and of her three boys who were then fighting. She requested the
discharge of her eldest boy, that she might have some one to support
her. Lincoln's heart responded to the appeal, and he replied,
"Certainly, if you have given us all, and your prop has been taken away,
you are justly entitled to one of your boys."
The poor woman went away light of heart, only to return later, tearfully
begging the release of her second son. The discharge of the first son
had come too late. He was killed before it reached him. Sadly Lincoln
sat down and wrote the requisite order for the release of the second
son, and rising, handed the paper to the afflicted woman, saying, "Now
you have one and I have one of the two boys left; that is no more than
right." Weeping with joy, the poor mother blessed Lincoln, and hurried
out to send her precious order.
* * * * *
WILFRID'S WISH.
The wild fantastic snow-drifts
Upon the orchard hill
Look like a lot of billows
Asleep and lying still.
I wish they'd take to rolling,
And then, wind-buffeted,
I'd be a jolly sailor
Upon my scarlet sled.
R. K. M.
* * * * *
DISCOVERY OF COPPERPLATE ENGRAVING.
Every one has noticed on his visiting-card the extremely delicate lines
of his name, and most every one knows that they are produced by printing
from an engraved copperplate. Like many other things of use and beauty,
this art of copperplate engraving was discovered through the merest
accident, by the goldsmiths of Florence, in the fifteenth century. It is
a historical fact, however, that, one day, an engraver on gold, wishing
to take a proof of his work, made the usual sulphur cast, and then
filled up the lines with lamp-black, thus enabling him to see exactly
how his work looked. While occupied in doing this it occurred to him
that possibly the same results could be obtained by filling up the
original engraving with lamp-black instead of making an impression of
it, and filling up that. Struck with the idea, he put it into practical
use, and with a little damp paper succeeded in getting a fair impression
from the engraving. The discovery was communicated to other workers in
this art, and they hailed it with joy, as it saved all the arduous
trouble of making sulphur casts, but they never saw the full value of
the discovery, and consequently the art of plate-engraving lay for
almost a century before its true import was discovered and brought out
in all its great and beautiful results. To-day collectors of
plate-engravings rave over the crude results of earlier times, and
search the world for examples of these early masters to add to their
collections. Many of these collections have been presented to museums,
where they may be seen and appreciated by the people.
[Illustration: STAMPS]
This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin
collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question
on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address
Editor Stamp Department.
Almost every mail brings me a batch of inquiries as to which stamps are
sure to advance in value in the near future, and asking advice as to
buying up a quantity of certain stamps. To all such inquirers I would
say that collecting stamps for pleasure and speculating in stamps for
profit are entirely distinct things. HARPER'S ROUND TABLE is not
concerned about speculators. They may make money or lose it, as the case
may be, but collectors asking advice or information in the making up of
an album are always welcome. Of course philatelists rejoice when they
find that a stamp bought ten years ago for 25c. is now worth $25, and
that a collection on which a $100 had been spent in ten years is now
worth $1000. That is simply our common humanity. But the true
philatelist rejoices less in the money value of his collection than in
the fact that he possesses complete sets of certain countries, has
beautiful copies, or unusual shades of common stamps, etc.
Thirty-five years ago collecting began in the U.S. Almost every boy had
access to the family letters or those of some business house. The great
ambition of every boy was to get more kinds than any other boy of his
acquaintance could boast. Stamps had little value, and many a rare
stamp has been traded for an absolutely worthless common stamp. For
instance, the writer had literally hundreds of 18 kreuzer Würtembergs
in strips of three, four, or five copies, and hundreds of Western
Australia--sixpences and shillings. These were all exchanged for 20 or
25 centimes, French; 1d, 2d, 4d, and 6d, English; 1, 3, 6, and 9
kreuzer, German, etc.--an exchange of diamonds for pebbles, according to
the present stamp standards. And yet I sometimes think we early
collectors got a great deal more pleasure from our stamps than the
present army of collectors. Even when we got to know that some stamps
were scarcer than others the speculative element was not predominant.
G. A. HALL.--Any U.S. printed in two colors in which the centre is
reversed is valuable.
R. WOSTOM.--The Danish coin is no longer current, and is worth
bullion only. The 5c. piece can be bought for 10c.
R. S. CHASE.--You have not allowed time enough for your Japanese
correspondent. It takes three and sometimes four months to exchange
letters in ordinary course.
N. WELFARE.--The Samoan Express is a reprint. The post-card is
worth face only.
E. KJAN.--See advertising columns for stamps or albums.
FRANCIS PAUL, 95 Nott Ave., Long Island City, wants to exchange
U.S. unused stamps for foreign unused stamps.
N. G. VAN CISE.--The U.S. stamps are printed in sheets of 200 or
400, and are cut apart after printing. The guide lines are printed
heavily to show where to cut.
G. W. B.--Many of the 1869 blue 3c. stamp can be found with very
faint marks of grill, and some with none at all. The rare reprints
are on a different paper, and are distinguished by paper only. The
New Zealand revenue stamps can be used for postage, but I fancy
very few high values are really used for that purpose. _Caveat
emptor._
PHILATUS.
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_Just Published:_
SHORT STORIES OF ROMANTIC ADVENTURE
The Last Recruit of Clare's
Being Passages from the Memoirs of Anthony Dillon, Chevalier of St.
Louis, and Late Colonel of Clare's Regiment in the Service of France. By
S. R. KEIGHTLEY. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.50.
The connecting link of interest in these short stories of romantic
adventure is the personality of a certain Anthony Dillon, late of
Lord Clare's famous regiment. Mr. Dillon is an Irishman and a
soldier of fortune, and inclined to be garrulous and even
magniloquent at times, but for all that he tells his stories well.
His creator, Dr. Keightley, has already done good work in the field
of historical fiction.
* * * * *
IN THE
Alaskan Gold-Mine Camps
* * * * *
By KIRK MUNROE
Snow-Shoes and Sledges
Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.
This story deals directly with life in the famous Camp Forty-Mile.
* * * * *
The Fur-Seal's Tooth
("Snow-Shoes and Sledges" is a sequel to this.) A Story of Alaskan
Adventure. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.
* * * * *
HARPER & BROTHERS, Publishers, New York
[Illustration]
THE POLITE GHOST
Once there was a ghost--there were ghosts once--who thought to see the
world of men, women, and animals of by-gone days.
Possessing the power of annihilating space, both of yards and years,
this ghost called upon a weird thing, who said, after its surprise at
being disturbed had partly passed:
"A feathered biped(1) I am known to be,
But gifted with the power of English speech;
Uttering again and many times again
The saddest words within a mortal's reach.
A grim dark thing of evil omen, I,
Repeating evermore my doleful cry."
"Quite too grewsome even for me," said the ghost, as he entered a camp
of Brabacons(2). The sentinel, surprised at the strange voice, asked,
"Who goes there?" And the ghost, not being able to reply "friend," and
too polite to lie, vanished, and soon knocked at the door of the Pope of
Rome(3) who, tradition says, kicked the crown off a German emperor's
head, to show his power to make and unmake kings. The door being opened,
the ghost disappeared to call on the King of France(4) who once
navigated the Ohio River on a flat-boat and gave his name as Smith.
"Too vulgar royalty for me," said the ghost to himself, too well bred to
show his contempt. Turning to go he stubbed his toe--yes, this ghost had
a real toe--he stubbed his great toe against something. Picking it up he
found it to be the first book(5) to have its pages numbered. "That will
do," he said, under his breath, "to give to the 'Sword Hunters'(6). It
will be such a good joke on them, for it tells bigger lies than they
can."