Uncle Sam to Record ;
INDIAN
At
T
HE Unltoil Slates government
hno recontly undertaken to do
something that a groat many pco
plo have boon declaring for years
pnBt ought to bo dono. This Is to
record and porpetuato tho tribal
music of tho American Indians.
All ovor tho world pcoplo of ev
ery nationality havo of lato years
bcon striving to perpetuate tho
folk songs of tbo different races
that Inhabit tho globe, becauso It
has corno to bo rocogntzod that
theso primitive songs which havo
flcldom bcon written but havo simply boon hand
d down from ono Generation to nnothor con
etltuto an Invaluablo link with tho past.
In tho caso of our Indians, however, In great
or degroo perhaps than with any other prim
itlvo peoplo, Is there need for quick work If tho
old songs and ancient music Is to bo chronlclod
for tho benefit of futuro generations who will
know tho Indian only from books and pictures.
Tho Indian music alllco to tho folk songs of Euro
pean nations, which havo boon brought to tho
foro In rocont years, affords moBt Interesting side
lights on tho peoples In whoso lives It has so
long played' a part and what Is yet moro Im
portant many of tho old Indian songs havo a
historical ulgnlflcanco or nt least expression to
traditions so Interesting and pootlc and beauti
ful thnt It would bo nothing short of a calam
ity wcro they to bo lost.
Aside, however, from tho fact that tho Indians
of North Amorlca Is a vanishing raco and that
tholr muslo Is passing with thorn thoro Is yot an
other Incontlvo to urgo onorgctlc work now thnt
this musical research has boon undertaken In
earnest, This extra spur lies In tho fact that
A TYPCAL MDJAM yJLLAtt M Tf
there. Is a tremendous wealth of Indian 'music to
bo studied and chronlclod In pormancnt form,
each Individual trlbo having had from time Im
memorial Its distinctive songs and chants. A
man who Is attempting to compllo a comploto pic
torial record of tho Indians has already spent
twenty years In tho, work nnd It Is likely that
as much tlmq will bo required if thoro Is to bo
mirrored for tho benefit, of futuro generations tho
dlstlnctlvo music of nil tho various tribes.
Private Individuals, musicians or scientists, havo
from tlmo to tlmo in tho past mado effort dn a
small 'way to porpetuato American Indian music
and while thoy dosorvo credit for what they,
,have accomplished It Is an undertaking which
through its sheer magnitude, If for no other rea
son, nocds tho resources of tho' national govern
ment. That It la pro-omlnontly a government func
tion Is llkowlso attested by tho fact that It has
promlso of buccosb only when prosecuted through
.tho organized channols of Intergourso with tho
'Indians, channels which onablo fodoral officials
to get Into, tho confidence of tho moro Intellectual .
men of nil tho various tribos in a degroo that
would aenrcoly bo posslblo except In tho caso of
an Individual who lived for many years among
tho Indlanu whoso secrets ho sought.
Tho governmental study and perpetuation of
Indian muslo Is bolng conducted .undor tho aus
pices of tho Smithsonian Institution and National
Museum at Washington. Tho buroau of Ethnol
ogy is tho particular branch of this groat seat
of research which has tho Indian muslo investi
gation In charge Probably tho most interesting
phase of tho wholo undertaking Is thnt which
has to do with tho activities of Miss Francos
Densmora. Miss Densmoro, who Is an accom
plished student of muslo, has spent much tlmo
among tbo Chlppewas and other trlboa whoso
muslo Is at ouco notuhlo and roprosentntlvo and
lias recorded ub many as two hundred Songs bo
longing to u slnglo trlbo.
Oddly onough tho phonogrnph has boon tho
chief moans of capturing tho songs of tho for
est. Thoro Is no system of written muslo among
most of tho tribes and tho phonograph was hit
upon as tho only posslblo means of providing
tho means of studying tho music carotully and
lclsuroly, As may bo surmised It was nuythtng
but in caBV task to Induco somo of tho moro su
perstitious of the rod men to sing Into tho straugo
machine or to Induco them to ovon permit tho
recording apparatus to bo sot up within earshot
of their camp ttres when thoro was In progress
those ceremonial rltoa nnd dances which call up
tho musical lore of tho savagoB,
Finally, after much perseverance, however, at
Indian ngoncloa and olsowhoro, tho music hunters
have succooded In making n creditable beginning
In securing tho priceless phonograph rocorda of
Indian musta. In tho casa of ono or two tribos
tho song collection of "canned music" Is prac
tically complete. After rocords of Indian songs
or muslo aro socured thoy nro transcribed In pi
ano scoro and studied Bclantlucally, Moamvhlto
tho collection of records will bo kopt on file for
tho bonoilt of tho musical students of futuro
generations who will find It a prtcoloBS boon to
hear tho Indian music na originally rondorod.
Tho rosearcho3 which havo boon mad o ahow that
Indian muslo is as complex as Is tho tribal llfo
of tho original Americans, An accompaniment of
Bong la provided for every publlo coromony aB'
well as for ovory Important act In tho carcor of nn
Individual. The muslo of each coromony hns Its
peculiar rhythm, aB havo also tho olassos of pongs
which pertain to Individual acts such as fasting
mud prayer, hunting, courtship, tho playiug of
.games and tho facing nt defying of death. An
Ilndlau or a person thoroughly vorsod In Indian
musical lore can do
torralno tho class of
a song by means of
tho rhythm of tho
music.
From a technical
musical tandpoint,
tho Indian music Is
very similar to tho
form of our own mu
sic. Tho compaBs
of tho songs varlos
from ono to three
octavos and somo of
tho songs havo no
words, although this
dooB not Boom to Ira
pair tholr doflnlto meaning. Thoro Is much
chorus singing among tho Indians -nnd In somo
tribos thoro nro choirs of picked singers who aro
paid for tholr sorvlcos when thoy appear at
any formal ceremonies. It may surprlso many
rcadora to learn that Bomo of tho Indlun com
munities aro so koen for muslo that thoy ovon
hold musical contostB. A favorlto form of com
petition Books to dotormlrie which Blngor or group
or slngors can make tho best showing In ropro
duclng a song with accuracy after having hoard
It but onco.
Th'o Indian songs aro tho proporty of clans, so
cieties nnd 'ndlvlduals and tho rights of own
ership nro rigidly onforcod. In many Instances
tho privilege of singing any ludlvidually-owned
Bong must bo purchasod from the composer and
In tho caso of tho 3ongs of clans not only Is tho
right to sing tho tnolodlos restricted to members
of tho clan but each clan has special ofllccrs to
Insure tho oxact transmission and rondltton of
tholr songs, a fine bolng Imposed upon any mem
ber who makes a mistake In singing. Indian
women havo composed many of tho best of tho
Indian songs, Including lullabies, spinning and
grinding songs nnd tho songs of Inspiration and
oncouragemont Intended to bo sung to tho war
riors sotting out for battle.
It Is usually dtfllcult for a listener of another
raco to catch an Indian song owing to tho con
flicting nolso duo, In a groat part, to tho boating
of tho drums. Thoro Is usually a difference In
ttmo, tho drum beats bolng designed to govern
bodily movements and mark tho stops of tho
ceromonlnl dancors, wheroas tho song voices tho
emotion of tho appeal. Tho drums may bo boatcn
In 2-4 tlmo and tho song bo In 3-4 time or tho
beat bo In G-8 tlmo against a melody in 3-4 tlmo,
or tho cnttro song may bo sung to a rapid tremolo
beating of tho drum. Tho officials who havo been
making n study at Indian music aro enthusiastic
ovor Its possibilities. They declare that not only
doos tho Hold afford rich opportunities for tho
study of tho growth of musical form, but tho
Indian songs themselves offer to tho present-day
composor a woa'lth of molodtc and rhythmic move
ments constituting a source of Inspiration equal
to that which has boon supplied by tho folk songs
of Europe and vastly more serviceable In tho
development of a dlstlnctlvo Araorlcnn "school"
of music,
Scales That Would Weigh a Thought
Sir William HaniBay, the distinguished English
aclontlst, Iiob Invontod n pair of scales dollcato
enough, literally, to wolgh a thought. Tholr rec
ord so fnr Is ono sovon-mllllonth of nn ounco,
which Is considerably lighter than most thoughts
usually aro. Tho Scalos aro kopt undor Sir Wil
liam's own laboratory In n small subterranean
chambor.
Tho room Is kopt In soml-darknoss. So deli
cate nro theso wonderful scales that tholr bal
unco Is disturbed by tho alteration of temporaturo
caused by tho turning on of an eloctrlo light nt
tho otnor ond of tho room, Tho operator has to
lonvo thorn" for an hour In darknoss aftor he has
tiptoed from tho roof, so that his footfall should
not sot up any vibration nnd then road thorn
swiftly, before any chango in tho tomporaturo has
had tlmo to artoct them.
Hanging by ono end of tho beam of tho scales
by a strand of sllliti fibre, bo slondor that It la
scarcely posslblo to soo It Is a tray. Upon this Is
placed n minute glass tubo. Imprisoned In tho
tubo Is a whlft or xenon, a gas dlscovorod by Sir
William HnmBay. Tho movomont or tho scales
when tho tubo is droppod upon them Is so slight
that It cannot bo detected at all by tho eye. Dut
tho movement Is mado to swing from sldo to sldo
a tiny mirror, upon which n beam of light Is
focuased. Tho rosult Is that a shitting point or
light is thrown upon a graduated black scale six
foot away Tho wolght of tho tubo, with tho goa
in it, Is then recorded by the movement of this
pin-point of light on tho scato.
Then comes tho interesting tost. Tho gas Is re
leased from tho tubo, which la weighed ngatn. It
Ib now found to weigh a two hundred and fifty
thousandth of a milligramme, or a seven thou
sand millionth of an ounce, less than it did when
tho gas was in it. Thoroforo, tho wolght or this
whiff or gas was n seven thousand millionth or nn
ounco.
Tho smallest object that can bo picked up with
tho most dultcato forcopa Is a pleco or aluminum
wlro far thinner than n human hair, n twonty
fifth ot nn inch In length, which wolghs a four
toon hundred thousandth or nn ounco. It can
scarcely bo soon, and it Is difficult to detect wheth
er It Is rostlng on tho acnloa or not, A section
ot aluminum wlro weighing an elghty-rour hun
dred thousandth or an ounco can bo proparod. But
it la only vlslblo in a microscope. For this reason
woighta or loss than a fourteen hundred thou
sandth or an ounco havo to bo registered In gases.
IMfnM.MN.ho.),.-
SECRETARY TO KING GEORGE
Forty years In ono Job Is not a bad. .
record, yet this can bo claimed by
Lord Knollys, King George's private
secretary, whoso retirement Is now
Imminent He began his duties with
tho late king when Prlnco or Wales
and has been the secretary or his son
and successor. Ho originally Intend
ed to glvo up his arduous duties at tho,
death or tho lato king, and.lt was well
understood that ho merely stayed on.
in ordor to "train In" Sir Arthur
Blgge, upon whoso shouldors tho re
sponslbllltles or tho royal Becrotary
sblp will now rail. ,
Such a post requires not only hard
work, but a keon knowledge of tho
world, combined with tact, Judgment,
decision and memory. It has been
Bald of Lord Knollys that no ono could'
hope to undertake his task with a
tltho or tho success which now at
taches to It
Tho royal correspondonco nlono
would frighten tho average man.
About 500 lotters n dny aro addressed to tho king, and the majority or theso
aro attended to by Lord Knollyo, assisted by tho under secretaries. No cor
respondence Is moro varied than that received by tho king. It Is a peculiar
ity or tho English court that no matter on what Bubject you address the oc
cupant or the throno, you almost Invariably got a roplyt
However, Lord Knollys Is far from being mcroly a letter-writing ma
chlno, for this constitutes quite a small part of his work4 Ho haB to keep,
tho king Informed of all tho engagements, to arrange his Journeys, to keep
him posted In all that Is going on In the outer world, and to havo at his
finger onds the Important news or the day.
Apart from his secretarial duties Lord Knollys was an lntlmato personal
friend of tho late king, and perhaps no ono appreciated the dead monarch's
real generosity and kindness or heart as did his privato secretary.
MILLIONAIRE'S WIFE BROKE
Mrs. Theodore Perry Shonts, moth
er or a duchess and wlf5 or nn Ameri
can millionaire, recently round herself
In Paris unable to lcavo hor apart
ment, which she must vacato at once,
according to the leaBe, on account of
not having money to pay tho usual
charges made when a tenant quits.
Mrs. Shonts rented an apartment on
tho Avenuo Hocho several yerira ago
at an annual rental of $3,500, exclusive
of taxes and other chargo3 which
would run tho figures much higher.
Obeying nn urgent, Imperative sum
mons from her husband to roturn to
America, sho gavo notlco that she
would not renew tho leaso whon tho
tlmo expired.
Tho difficulty with her husband
caused him to stop sondlng tho usual
remittances and when a bill for $400
was presented by tho landlord to pay
for damages dono to tho apartment
during tho term ot tho leaso, Mrs.
Shonts round herself without money
ana unable to pay tho amount. H. G. Archibald, her attorney, taking com
passion upon Mrs. Shonts In her predicament, advnnced tho necessary money
nnd drew on Thcodoro Shonts to reimburse himself. His draft was returned
unpaid, with tho notation by Shonts that ho sent money to his family when
ho wished, nnd "did not want any Interference from outside parties."
For some tlmo tho Shonts havo boon estranged, duo, U Is alleged, to Mrs.
Shonts' deslro to mix with Europoan nobility and to Uvo abroad. Since It bo
canio known that. Mr. Shonts had Btopped supplying his wire with means It
was rumorod that sho had threatened to sue ror divorce. Mrs. Shonts denies
the latter allegation. ,
A WIRY LITTLE AMBASSADOR
James Bryco, ambassador ot Great
Britain to tho United States, Is ono
ot tho youngeBt old men In ofllclal cir
cles In Washington. He Is past 70,
and yot ho Is as active, physically
and mentally, as though ho wore 20
years younger. In the winter whon
other men go about with throats muf
fled up and overcoats buttoned snug
ly about them, Ambassador Bryce Is
frequently soon walking briskly down
Connecticut avonuo with no wrap out
sjde his frock coat. Cold has no ter
rors for him and he stands tho heat
equally as well. Some time ago ho
had an appolntmont with Secretary
Knox at tho state department about
noon, and at that hour tho thermome
ter hovered about 100 and mounting
hlghor. But on tho stroke of tho hour
in bustled Mr. Bryco, looking cool as
a cucumber, ready for buslnes and
apparently not worried ovor tho op
pressive temperature that wilted peo
plo gonerally. Mr. Bryco Is Just as
actlvo mentally ns ho Is physically and he Is Interested In everything. No
subjoct Is too large or too small to attract Ills notice and In this manner ho
has collected a tromendous fund of information upon every conceivable topic.
CHOSEN RULER OF THE ELKS
John P. Sullivan of Now Orleans
was chosen grand exalted ruler or tho
Ordor or Elks at Atlantic City, N. J.
He is a member or Now Orleans
lodge No. 30. Shortly after ho Joined
tho lodge ho was elected esteemod lec
turing knight Whllo holding that 'of
flco he gained tho name ot "Thanatop
8ls" Sullivan, becauso of his magnifi
cent volco and his mode of delivering
Brynnt'B poem. 1
Tho third yoar of his membership
Sullivan waB elected exalted ruler ot
tho lodgo, and on tho night ot his In
stallation ho doolared -that it was his
ambition to got a new homo tor No,
30. There was not a dollar In the
exchequer nnd tho membership wns
about 700. At tho end of Sullivan's
second year as exalted ruler of tho
lodgo New Orleans lodgo had a 'homo
that is second to none in tho country,
and a membership in excesB of 1,700.
Sullivan is a man ot magnificent
physique, standing six feet thrco
luetics in his stocking feet, nnd wolghs 250. He was a West Point cadot,
but left .tho military academy to study law. When tho Spanish-American
war broke out, Sullivan, who was lloutonant colonel of the Washington Field
Artillery, volunteered with his command to go to tho front When the war
was over ho resumed his law practlco at Now Orleans.