for the outcome. All hands were summoned at four o'clock in the morning.
Soon the anchors of the German ship were drawn up. Leary shortened his
anchors. At last the German vessel with a rush started out of the
harbor. Leary's anchors were up in a jiffy. He didn't stop to take in
the hawser holding his ship to a pier by the stern. He fastened one end
of the rope to a buoy and threw it overboard. Leary was pointed straight
out to sea. The German Captain had to make a turn to get out. By the
time the _Adler_ reached the entrance to the harbor the _Adams_ was
close behind. The Germans saw the real situation at once. There was
great excitement on board both vessels, but the Germans would not
compromise themselves by turning back.
As the two ships, which were about equally matched in size and in
fighting strength, reached the open sea, Leary was in the rear only a
few hundred yards. The German vessel took a wide turn, and headed for
the point of attack. Day was breaking then. Leary made a short turn
close to the coral reefs, and cut in between the German and the shore.
His boat lapped the stern of the German vessel, only about three hundred
yards away. Suddenly the orders to clear for action were heard
throughout the American ship. All preparations had been made for this,
and with despatch the decks were cleared, ammunition was brought up, and
the guns were loaded. The Germans saw what was going on, and they
cleared for action also. Then the two ships went down the coast, dipping
to the swells, and stripped for war. It was a trying occasion, and both
commanders knew what tremendous results were dependent upon the outcome
of their actions that day. Steadily the ships held their course. When
they approached the point where the forts were situated, the German ship
slowed up and dropped anchor. Leary did the same. It was broad daylight
now. Soon a boat was lowered from the German ship, and some German
officials were sent ashore under a guard. Then it was that Leary ordered
one of his boats cleared away to carry this note of warning to the
Captain of the German ship, which Leary had written on the way down and
after both ships had cleared for action:
[Illustration: "I AM HERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTECTING THE SAME."]
"I have the honor to inform you that having received information
that American property in the Latogo vicinity of Laulii, Lotoanuu,
and Solo Solo is liable to be invaded this day, _I am here for the
purpose of protecting the same_, and I hope that the friendly
relations existing between our respective governments may prevent
the occasion from causing any complaint."
The American officer was rowed over to the German ship and gave the note
to the officer of the deck, and returned without waiting for any reply.
Then the crews of the two vessels stood by their guns for hours waiting
for developments. Leary's note was polite and firm; but when such a note
is sent from the commander of one war-ship to the commander of another
war-ship, and when the decks of both ships are cleared for action, it
can mean but one thing--war. Leary meant that no shot should go over his
deck into the settlement on shore. For several hours the two ships lay
at anchor, with the crews waiting to spring at each other. Soon after
noon the Germans got under way again, and made a long detour down the
coast, with the Americans close behind, and still ready for battle. Then
slowly the German vessel turned about and steamed for Apia Harbor. Leary
followed with his ship. Both came to anchor in the places from which
they had started early in the day, and that incident, laden with
frightful possibilities for two great nations, was ended.
Leary was ordered home soon afterward, and it is known that he received
the personal thanks from our officials in the highest seats of
government. The strangest part of the affair, however, is the fact that
no official notice was ever taken of his splendid determination to
uphold the honor of the American flag. Leary's friends say that he has
not so much as a piece of paper to show from the Navy Department that he
ever stood up for the honor of the flag in so signal a manner in Samoa.
Congress passes votes of thanks to men who are conspicuous in saving
life on the high seas. Congress never passed a vote of thanks to Leary.
I need not go into the reasons for this apparent neglect. If republics
are ungrateful, it may be said that Leary never asked for any such
action, nor even desired it. He had performed his sworn duty, and that
was sufficient for him. He was probably the youngest officer in the navy
ever called upon to perform such a responsible task, and if there seemed
to be envy on the part of those older and of higher rank in the service,
"Dick" Leary went his way modestly, and asked for no public recognition
of his services.
His native State, however, Maryland, could not let such a display of
patriotism go unrewarded, and the Legislature voted him a handsome gold
watch. It was presented to him in the presence of a brilliant company at
the State Capitol. The national government kept silent officially,
however, and that silence has never been broken.
Leary probably cares least of all for this apparent oversight. It has
been given to few officers in the American navy to write,
"I AM HERE _for the purpose of protecting the same_." (American
property.)
That is Leary's reward. It is enough for him to know that he did his
duty, and that the people respect him for it. As Americans, we are proud
of certain sentiments uttered by those who have worn our country's
uniform in time of war. "Don't give up the ship!" still rings in the
ears of all patriotic citizens. "If any man hauls down the flag, shoot
him on the spot!" still inspires and thrills us. With these, and other
sentiments like them, I wish to write Leary's declaration,
"I AM HERE _for the purpose of protecting the same_."
WOOD-CARVING.
BY J. HARRY ADAMS.
A knowledge of drawing and modelling will be very helpful to the young
carver, as the outline of ornament can be readily drawn, while to carve
objects from wood the art of modelling form is most desirable and
essential to obtain a satisfactory result.
If the beginner possesses a knowledge of form acquired by drawing and
modelling, then the art of wood-carving can be readily and quickly
mastered; but even if these advantages should be lacking, it is possible
that considerable progress can be made by those who will follow the
instructions given on these pages.
The most important feature of carving is the ability to sharpen and
maintain the little tools, and when this is mastered, more than half the
difficulty has been overcome. Carving-tools can be purchased at most any
large hardware store, and as there are a great many shapes and styles of
edges to select from, a few suggestions will give a clear idea of
necessary ones to begin with.
At the start a numerous assortment of tools will not be necessary, as
the flat-work will meet with the best success at the hands of the
beginner. Six or eight chisels will constitute a good set, and those
shown in Fig. 3 will answer very well.
No. 1 is a plain flat chisel with a straight edge, commonly called a
firmer. No. 2 is a flat one also, with an angle or oblique edge, and
commonly called a skew firmer. Nos. 3 and 4 are flat and extra flat
gouges, while No. 5 is an ordinary gouge with a half-circular sweep. No.
6 is a grounder, or bent back ground tool, and is very useful for
reaching when a flat tool cannot. No. 7 is a "quick gouge," in the form
of a U, and No. 8 is a V gouge, a very handy tool for cutting the veins
in leaves and in "chip-carving."
A flannel or felt case should be made for the tools, so they may be
kept nicely. The case can be made to roll up, and provided with pockets
into which the tools are slipped.
The stones needed on which to sharpen the tools will be an ordinary flat
oil-stone, and two Turkey or Arkansas slips six or eight inches long,
having the shape of those shown in Fig. 2, A and B. C is the flat stone,
and every boy who carries a good pocket-knife should be provided with
one on which to sharpen the blades.
The other tools necessary to complete the kit will be several clamps
similar to the one shown in Fig. 2; also a glue-pot, and a fret-saw like
the one depicted in Fig. 2.
The boy who possesses a bracket or jig saw, however, will not need the
fret-saw, as more and better work can be done with it than with the hand
affair.
A carver's bench on which to work is of course the greatest necessity;
but if it is not possible to get one, a good wooden-top kitchen table
will answer very well.
The proper kind of a bench gives greater facility for working; it is
more convenient and solid, and as the height is better than that of an
ordinary table, the carver works under more pleasant conditions.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.--A DESIGN FOR WOOD-CARVING.]
The boy who is handy with tools can make a good bench in a short time,
and the design of one is shown in Fig. 5 that can easily be made from
wood of the necessary kind that is free from knots and sappy places. The
top should measure four feet long, two feet wide, and should be one inch
and a half in thickness; it can be of yellow pine, ash, or oak, and the
wood must be well seasoned. The framework must be well made, and the
cross-pieces and braces securely mortised together, or firmly screwed to
the uprights or legs, which can be of yellow pine or ash two inches
square.
The top of the bench should be three feet and three inches high from the
floor; and to one side of the bench a carpenter's vise may be attached,
as shown in the figure.
The first essential to good clean cutting is that the tools shall be
absolutely sharp and in a workmanlike condition. It is often the case
that amateurs' tools are in such a state that no professional carver
could produce satisfactory results, so that in every instance the
condition of the tools governs the finished work.
The variety of carving-tools is so limited, that if the difficulties of
sharpening a firmer and gouge are mastered, the task is practically
ended.
If the tools should be unusually dull, they must first be ground on a
grindstone. It should be remembered that carvers' tools are sharpened on
both sides, and not only on one, like the carpenters' chisels. After
grinding, the tools must be sharpened on the oil-stone or slips before
they are ready for use. The firmers can be sharpened on the oil-stone
laid flat on the bench, but the gouges must be held in the hand in order
to sharpen the inside curve with a slip. The outer curve can be
sharpened on the flat oil-stone.
Great care must be taken to give the tools a finished and smooth edge,
and when they have reached the proper degree of sharpness it will be an
easy matter to cut across the grain of white pine, leaving a furrow that
is very smooth and almost polished.
In the use of the oil-stone and slips, neat's-foot oil or a good thin
machine oil should be employed. Water must not be used, as it would
spoil the stones and not produce the sharp edge on the tools.
The finest stones are the best for use, and although they take longer to
produce the keen edge, the sharpest tools are made with them, and they
will be found the most satisfactory in the end. Avoid grit and dust on
the stones, and before using them they should be wiped off with an oiled
rag.
For gouges of the various sweeps the slip shown in Fig. 2A will be
necessary, but for the V gouges the triangular one, Fig. 2B, is the
right one to use. The stone, Fig. 2C, can be used to sharpen the
firmers.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.--CLAMP, SAW, AND CHISEL STONES.]
The beginner must not consider any pains too great to make himself a
thorough master of the tools, and to keep a perfect edge on all of them.
It is necessary, when using them, to exercise care to prevent any
unpleasant cut that would be the result of carelessness. Undivided
attention and a little common-sense are necessary at all times.
The tools being in proper condition, the next step is to acquire a
knowledge of the best methods of handling them so as to produce any
desired result. It will require some time and practice to become
thoroughly familiar with the manner in which tools are handled, and, if
it is possible, it would be well to watch some carver at work. The
chisels should always be held with one hand on the handle and two
fingers of the other hand near the edge of the tool. This is to give
sufficient pressure at the end to keep it down to the wood, while the
hand on the handle gives the necessary push to make the tool cut.
[Illustration: FIG. 3.--CHISELS.]
Of the woods that are adapted to carve in there are a great many, but
perhaps yellow pine, walnut, or mahogany will be found most desirable,
as they are easily cut, and do not split as some of the softer and
harder woods.
[Illustration: FIG. 4.--A SAMPLE Of WOOD-CARVING.
1. The Drawn Design. 2. The Preliminary Stage. 3. The Finished Carving.]
To begin with, it is best to work out a simple pattern that can be
followed easily and without a great deal of dexterity in handling the
tools. Get a piece of yellow pine one inch thick, eight inches wide, and
sixteen long.
On a piece of smooth paper draw one-half of a pattern similar to the one
shown in Fig. 4, and on a piece of tracing-paper copy the design. Over
the face of the wood lay a sheet of transfer-paper with the black
surface down, and on it the tracing-paper, and go over all the lines
with a lead-pencil, bearing down on the point so that the lines will be
transferred to the wood. Repeat it at the other end, so that as a result
the piece of wood will have the pattern.
To one corner of the bench clamp the piece of wood with three or four of
the clamps shown in Fig. 2. Do not place the clamp directly on the wood,
but place between the jaw and the pine a piece of heavy card-board or
another piece of thin wood, to prevent the clamp from bruising the
surface of the yellow pine. With a small wooden mallet and a firmer
chisel begin to cut down into the face of the wood on the lines until
they have all been cut. Then with the gouges and grounding tool cut away
the surface not a part of the pattern to a depth of an eighth of an inch
or more, until a result is obtained similar to that shown in the second
cut of Fig. 4.
The entire design and edge will now be in relief, but its surface will
be flat and entirely void of any "feeling." With the flat, extra flat,
and plain gouges begin to carve some life in the ornament. A little
practice will soon enable you to observe which parts should be high, the
others that should be low, and the surfaces that can be left neutral or
between high and low relief.
This part of carving is termed "life," or "feeling," and it is this
quality that lends the beauty to the finest wood-carvings. The work when
completed should have the appearance of the third cut in Fig. 4, and if
nicely done it should be a credit to any beginner. The effect of this
panel can be had also by applied carving, which is a very simple and
less tedious process.
The design is transferred to a thin piece of wood, and cut out with the
fret or jig saw. The pieces are then glued in position on a thick piece
of wood, and the feeling carved in a similar manner as described. The
former method is called carving in the solid, while the latter is known
as applied carving.
Such pieces of carving can be used as panels to small drawers, to
cabinets, and to form the sides and covers of useful little boxes, etc.
If these simple suggestions are carefully followed, the inventive boy
should be able to design some very pretty patterns that can be carved
nicely in any desirable wood that is not too hard.
When flat, or relief, carving has been mastered, it would be well to
attempt something in figure or bold work, such as animals, fruit, or
heads, on all sides of which some careful study and good work can be
done. It will be some time, however, before the amateur can successfully
accomplish good results, so that for some time the flat-work should be
practised, and as improvement is noticed the ornament can be undercut to
lend it a richness and boldness.
Chip-carving, or engraving, is a simple but effective manner of
ornamenting flat surfaces, and some very pretty results can be obtained
in a little while with the gouges and V tools, also the spade chisel and
veiner. There is no grounding out in chip-carving, as the pattern is
produced by chipping out the figure itself.
Fig. 1 is a simple pattern of a vine and leaves; the stem is engraved
with the V chisel, and with a small firmer the leaves are cut. Two
curved incisions will cut the leaf, and the angle through the centre
describes the main vein. The chipping can be shallow or deep, as a
matter of choice, but more effect can be had by cutting fairly deep.
To finish wood-work in most any color, it is possible to obtain stains
at a paint or hardware store, and over the stained surface, when dry,
several thin coats of hard oil or furniture varnish can be applied. The
back and edges of a carved panel should always be painted to protect it
from moisture and dampness, and in this manner warping and splitting are
avoided. Some pieces of carving only need oiling with raw linseed oil,
while others may be varnished. A favorite mode of darkening oak in
France and England before it is varnished is to expose it to the fumes
of ammonia, or to paint ammonia on with a brush until the desired
antique shade is obtained; this, however, is not so satisfactory as the
colors resulting from the use of prepared stains that can be purchased.
[Illustration: FIG. 5.--A PRACTICAL WORKBENCH.]
[Illustration: INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORT]
Although golf has been played for several years at Lawrenceville, it is
only within the past year that the game has established itself on an
equal footing of popularity with the other sports of the school. As soon
as the students' interest in the game became apparent, however, the
authorities, following their custom with regard to all departments of
the school, engaged an instructor to take charge of those who desired to
become proficient. They secured the services of Mr. James Swan, who was
superintendent at the St. Andrew's Club last year and at the Shinnecock
Club the year before. His first work on going to Lawrenceville was to
select a site for the course and to lay out links.
As there are over two hundred acres in the school property, he was able
to take up some thirty or forty acres directly north of the school
buildings for this purpose, and when the course has been completely
arranged, it will doubtless be one of the best short courses in the
country. At present there have been only six holes laid out, although
probably next year this number will be increased to nine. For the
requirements of the players now, however, these links give just about
the amount of ground that can be covered in the afternoon from the close
of school exercises until the recreation hour ends.
At Lawrenceville every student is required to devote a certain time each
day to out-door exercise, and each boy is allowed to choose the sport
that suits him best. About one hundred have decided to play golf in
preference to other required exercise, and already some of them have
developed good form, notably Griggs, Drake, Childs, Hutchings, and
Little. Doubtless one of the reasons for this favorable development is
that the players are required to study the rules carefully, and each one
follows the game under the supervision of the instructor, who allows no
loose form or slouch play.
THE LAWRENCEVILLE GOLF LINKS.
[Illustration: ONE STROKE FROM THE FIFTH HOLE.]
[Illustration: AT THE FIRST HOLE.]
The start of the course, as it is at present laid out, is made from the
first tee over comparatively level ground for 175 yards, starting near
the fence that divides the central school property from the land which
lies north of it. The barbed-wire fence which crosses this links forms
an undesirable obstacle, but it will be removed in the spring and
replaced by a short bunker.
The second tee begins the next link in a northerly direction, in a
parallel line with the country road, or the Old King's Highway. This
road is the one which was traversed for several decades by the
mail-stages from New York to Washington. The ground sinks some eight
feet at a distance of 140 yards in this second link of 304 yards, ending
with a running brook some nine feet wide. The ground from the brook to
the second hole rises slightly.
From the third tee to the third hole, a distance of 282 yards, the
ground falls and rises considerably, the brook in this link proving a
difficult hazard, as the south side of the bank is several feet higher
than the north side. The rise from the brook to the third hole is but a
light one. From the fourth tee to the fourth hole, 187 yards, the drive
is comparatively good, the brook proving an insignificant hazard to the
good driver, but a troublesome one to the beginner who, "topping" the
ball, finds that here, as perhaps at no other part in the course, a
resort must be made to "dropping" the ball. Indeed to the novice the
fourth hole is a trial to the temper.
[Illustration: THE LAWRENCEVILLE SCHOOL GOLF LINKS.]
To the right of the third hole stands a farm-house; the course leading
to the fourth hole might be across the miniature pond indicated in the
plot plan. The ground falls gradually to the brook from the fifth tee,
241 yards, and beyond the brook the ground rises abruptly some 15 feet.
The last link, 326 yards long, is the longest in the course, and is one
of the most trying. At present it leads over a low hay-stack, which will
be removed shortly, and before the hole is reached a bunker must be
encountered. The fields are traversed pretty completely in making the
course, 1-1/4 miles in length, and the sixth hole brings the player
almost home.
The course has been made several times by the instructor in 27 strokes,
and a few of the better players among the boys in 36 strokes, Griggs in
29. The majority of the boys, however, content themselves with some
number between 40 and 50. In the course of a few months some twenty or
thirty of the boys will be singled out and given more specific
instructions, so that the tournaments to be held in the spring may be
well played.
The announcement which came to us from New Haven some few days since,
that the Hillhouse High-School would not put a track-athletic team into
the field this year, brings up the question again of uniting the various
athletic associations of the State. The football association of the
Connecticut schools is a different organization from the track-athletic
association, although both are made up of about the same schools. The
football association is financially prosperous--in fact it came out some
$400 to the good this year after paying all expenses, and this money is
now doubtless drawing interest in the savings-bank.
The track-athletic association, however, is not so great a success from
a financial point of view, and is now in debt, or, if not, it has been
until very recently. This state of affairs is probably due to the fact
that the expenses of a track-athletic meeting are heavy, and there is
only one meeting a year, to which the small admission-fees charged are
not sufficient to defray all the expenses.
On the other hand, there is a great popular interest in football in
Connecticut, and the money contributed by spectators at the principal
championship games is very much in excess of the requirements of the
association. Perhaps, too, so far as track athletics are concerned,
there has been a little mismanagement. The spring games of 1895 were
very successfully managed, and proved a financial success, but the
association was in heavy debt previous to that date, and the profits of
1895 went to make good some of the deficiencies of previous occasions.
In 1896, however, the managers of the games were incompetent, and the
meeting proved a financial failure. The games were not properly
advertised in New Haven, where they were held, and on the day of the
meeting there were more spectators present from Hartford than there were
from the home city. Furthermore, the managers were extravagant in the
purchase of prize cups, and when they came to figure up their accounts
there was a deficit.