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The Commoner.
RJPRIL 3, 1903.
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than any other action. The motinnlent will be
suitably lettered, and may be considered to in
part repay tbo donor of the farm for his charity.
A STRANGE STORY OP THE FIDELITY
shown by a dog to a horse is related by the
Philadelphia correspondent of the St Louis Re
public, in this way: "Standing guard, over a
starving horse and ministering to thd steed in its
brute way, a large Newfoundland dog yesterday:
refused to permit any one to approach its help
Jess charge. When Agent Cantrell -of the Wom
an's Society to Prevent Cruelty to" Animals, and
Policeman Penn of Roxborough, approached the
horse to kill it, the dog jumped at them and at
first drove them away. So long as the men re
mained at a distance the dog lay quietly near th'J
horse, at times tenderly licking its head. The
horse lay in a big field near the Andorra Nurser
ies, at the upper end of the. Wissahickon drive. It
is said to have been left there for several days
without food or drink or attention, save tor that
of its dumb companion, the dog. The Newfound
land was finally induced by friendly overtures to
allow the men to reach the horse and end its
misery. .But when the carcass was placed in a
large Wagon the canine followed it and was only
separated from the body by force."
T' HE AUTHORITIES OF MONTREAL CLAIM
to have discovered important documents
bearing upon the Alaskan boundary dispute. They
say they have found two atlases published in
1823 and in 1824 and that these establish beyond
doubt that the Lynn canal which the United
States claims, is in fact the property of Canada.
The books have been forwarded to London and
will be introduced before the boundary commis
sion. ONE OF THE HAPPIEST MEN IN THE
country today is Rev. William W. Waddell,
a missionary who represented the Presbyterian
board at Bahia, Brazil. Brazilian physicians in
formed Mr. Waddell that ho was afflicted with
cancer and advised him to take the next steam
ship for New "fcork in order to obtain treatment
at a well equipped hospital. Mr. Waddell hur
ried on board a steamer and traveled 4,000 mile3
in search of relief from a dread disease. Going to
the Presbyterian hospital, the missionary was de
lighted to learn that the Brazilian physicians had
.made a. mistake and vwas told by the surgeon in
charge that all he needed., was a dentist. He had
.been suffering from an ulcerated tooth. The ser
vices of a dentist were secured and with this
simple treatment, the missionary's peace of mind
was restored.
& J?
ALTHOUGH VENEZUELA IS NOT IN
possession of a very large amount of ready
money, the country has great resources. A writer
in Pearson's Magazine says that "one of nature's
most generous endowments to Venezuela is rub
ber, for which the demand of the world is in
creasing, while the resources are by no "means
keeping pace with civilization's needs. With the
wants of the world increasing in such enormous
strides, it is only a question of time when the
producing of rubber must bo undertaken upon a
largo scale and under regular methods of plant
ing, culture and harvesting, Venezuela offers here
a rich field to enterprise; for, rudimentary as are
the methods or the present, they produced 440,000
pounds from the Rio Negro and Orinoco valley3
alone one year ago. Explorers in the upper
reaches of the Orinoco and Rio Negro have re
ported that there are available about six million
rubber trees, counting only those within a certain
distance of navigable water. Every tree is good
for about five pounds of crude rubber per annum,
making the possible annual output of the two
valleys 30,000,000 pounds. At present it is no
more than 400,000 pounds. If the tree survives the
attacks of inexperienced or improvident gatherers
in its youth, it is good for a century of. produc
tivity. AT THE AGE OF NINETY-SIX, M. LEKOUVEJ
known as the grand old man of France, and
head of the academy of letters, passed away. He
was the author of "Adrienne Ieconvereur" and for
half a' century the autocrat of the French drama.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY A Wo
man has applied' for admission to the Eng
lish bar. A.London correspondent for the Chi
cago Tribune says: "The applicant, whose name
is not divulged, seeks admission to Gray's Inn,
one of the four inns of the court The benchers
are surprised that such applications have not been
- made before, m view of the fact that women
practice law in the Unitod States and Franco.
The court will consider the request during April,
and the result is awaited with interest An ap
plication miido by a woman for admission to tho
Scottish bar in 1900 was refused. Tho four Inna
of court are Middle Temple, Innor Temple, Lin
coln's Inn; and Gray's Inn. These inns aro gov
erned by benchers, under whoso superintendence
lie the admission and education of students for the
bar, tho calling of barristers, and tho regulation
of tho profession,"
a
THE PRESIDENT OF HAMLINE UNIVER
slty, a Methodist institution at St. Paul,
has' undertaken a gigantic task by seeking to re
form tho college yell. President Brldgman has
placed a ban upon tho words ''Dickens" and "bet."
He has insisted that "oily smoke" bo substituted
for "holy smoke" which he characterizes as pro
fane. One of tlje college rhymes ran, "What in
Dickens is the matter with us?" President Brldg
man has directed that this be altered so that it
shall read "What in the world's the matter with
us?" Hamline has long prided Itself upon this
college yell: "Boom, get a rat trap, bigger than
a cat trap! Boom, get a rat trap, bigger than a
cat trap, boom! Cannibal, cannibal, zib, boom,
bah! Hamline, Hamline, rah, rah, rah!" Presi
dent Brldgman has directed that this yell bo
abolished.
THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS
has issued a statement showing that tho
export trade of the United States during February,
1903, was the largest of any February in the his
tory of our commerce. It is further shown that
the exports of the three months ending with
February were larger than thoso of the corre
sponding period of any previous year. It is esti
mated that tho imports of the United States dur
ing the present fiscal year will exceed $1,000,
000,000, and that tho exports will amount to at
least $1,400,000,000. During February tho exports
amounted to $125,502,105. This is $12,000,000 in
excess of any preceding February and more than
double the exports of February, 1893, in which
month the total exports were $59,931,984. For
the three months ending with February, 1903, the
exports amounted to $407,52G,200. For the corre
sponding period of 1893, the exports amounted to
$215,151,471. Tho bureau of statistics explains
that these increases are due in part to the fact
that the new corn crop was rapidly entering tho
markets of the world with which tho United
States was able to make but small contribution
last year. In February, 1903, the corn exports
amounted to 13,000,000 bushels while in February,
1902, they amounted to little more than 1,000,000
bushels. The marked gain is also shown In cotton
exports, in February, 1903, these exports amounted
to $37,423,317. In February, 1902, they amounted
to $24,768,762. In February, 1903, 410,594,793
pounds of cotton were exported. In February,
1902, 296,814,507 pounds were exported. Tho aver
age price of cotton per pound In February, 1903,
was 9.3 cents, while in February, 1902fi it was
8.3 cents.
A TABULATED STATEMENT OF THE INVEN
tions of Thomas A. Edison lias been made
by the chief divisions of issue and gazette of pat
ents office. In this statement it appears that Mr.
Edison has obtained 791 patents on his many in
ventions. This is the largest number of patents
ever issued to a single individual. Of this num
ber 711 patents were issued prior to 1895; 3 pat
ents were issued in 1896; 2 in 1897; 8 in 1898; 3
in 1899; 16 in 1900; 23 in'1901; 19 in 1902, and so.
far in 1903 G patents have been issued to Mr.
Edison.
PUBLIC INTEREST IN CANALS IS VERY
great now that tho United States Is to un
dertake the construction of the Panama canal. A
writer in the Washington Times says: "Tho
oldest and the most important ship canal is that
of Suez, begun in 1856 and completed in 1869.
It is 100 miles in length and cost $93,000,000. ' In
1892 $10,000,000 was expended to widen it Ships
are allowed to pass through It at a speed of five
and one-third miles, per hour, so that its whole
length can bo traversed in eighteen and one-half
hours. Night navigation is made possible by elec
tric lights, which were introduced in 1887. Tho
tolls are eight shillings per ton. In 1870 486 ships
passed through the canal; in 1880, 2,025; in 1900,
3,441. In tho year 1899 221,348 passengers were
transported. In 1887 the Emperor William canal,
to connect the North sea with the Baltic, was be
gun, and the canal was opened in 1895. Its cost
was $40,000,000. Its receipts do not cover ex
penses. Still another canal connecting .the North
sea with the Baltic was opened in 1900. Its cost
was $6,000,000. Tho Manchester ship canal coat
$85,000,000. Amsterdam is connected with the
sea by a ship canal opened in 1845, and Rotter
dam is likowiso connected with deep water by a
canal opened in 1866. Tho Gulf of Corinth canal
was finished in 1893, It cost about $5,000,000."
THE ORIGIN AND MEANING OF SURNAMES
is treated in an interesting way by Lucy C.
Sayles writing in tho Connecticut Magazine. Thla
writer says that in primitive times men and
women boasted of but ono cognomen, as witnessed
in Biblical records. It was not until tho eleventh,
twelfth, thirteenth or even fourteenth century that
surnames became really stationary. Tho word wan
formerly written sirname. Williamson and Stev
onson would naturally bo sir or sire names, equiv
alent to son of William and of Steven. In the sarao
way tho peoplo of Russia affix tho termination of
wltz, as Pletrowltz, son of Peter, tho Poles em
ploying sky in tho Bame way, Paderowsky. Among
tho Saxons wo find tho ending "ing" denotes de
scent; to this origin aro duo such names as
Browning, Willing, Dering, etc.; tho patronymic
syllablo Mac was used in similar manner; and in
Ireland tho O signified grandson, as O'Sullivan.
Tho Welsh often put the father's name in tho
possessivo case, as George William's, or, as it
is now written, Williams. To this origin may bo
traced many names ending in s. Tho Greoks boro
a single name given tho tenth day after birth,
and usually expressing some admirable feature,
as Sophron, tho wise. Tho Romans were much
less dignified than the Greoks; names wero de
rived from ordinary employments, as Porclus,
swineherd; or from some porsoual peculiarity, as
Naso, long-nosed.
TT IS POINTED-OUT BY THIS SAME AUTHOR
1 ity that history tolls us that the early dwell
ers upon earth erected their shelters upon shores
of lakes, along the banks of rivers or close by tho
sea, from which source so much of their food wa3
drawn. And so today, tho connection being ob
vious, we have such names as Fisher, Hook, Bate,
Sholes, Dolphin, Eels, Conger, Salmon, Bass, Cod
man, Pike, Roach, Herring and Crabb, all of them
good English names. Trades and occupations
have given names to more Inhabitants of the
earth than any other causo, as, for example, the
innumerable family of Smith, derived from tho
Anglo-Saxon smiten, to smite, originally Includ
ing wheelwrights, carpenters, masons, etc.
THAT WE ARE INDEBTED TO TRADE FOR
many names such as the' Tayldrs, Carpen
ters, Bakers, Masons, Brewers, Slaters, Sawyers,
Chandlers, and Coliers is an interesting fact
pointed out by this writer. She explains that it Is
said a Sussex family by the name of Webb has
carried on the trade of weaving since the thir
teenth century. Spencer is from dispensator or
stoward, Grosvenor from gros voneur, grand
huntsman. With these wo might mention names
from signs of inns, as Will at the Bull and Georgo
at the Whltehorse, which wore afterwards simpli
fied into Will Bull and Georgo Whltehorse. From
wood is derived Atwood, Bywood, Underwood,
Nethenvood, etc. Jenner is an old form of joiner,
Milner of miller, Bannister Is the keeper of a
bath. Wo find the name Pilcher means "a maker
of pilches, a warm kind of upper garment, tho
great coat of the fourteenth century." Crocker
means a maker of pottery, from the word
"crock," which In provincial dialect signifies a
largo jar. Ward Indicates a keeper, as Durward,
doorkeeper; Hayward or Hereward, keeper of tho
town cattle; Woodward, forest keeper; Mlllward,
keeper of a mill; Kenv7ard, dog keeper. Former
ly, If one dwell upon a hill, he would style him
self Attehll or Athill; if near a moor, Attmore.
Wo find color and complexion have given rise to
many surnames, as Black, Blackman, Brown and
Redman. Tho color of the hair must also have
been considered, as we find innumerable Black
heads, Greys, Redheads and Whiteheads. The
form of the head added a few Longheads, Broad
heads, etc. Not from the head alone have names
been taken; Longfellow, Tallman, Prettyman,
Freeman, Pullman and Pennyman conjure up for
us length, height and pennies. The termination
kin is a diminutive, Timpkin meaning. little Tim.
THE SIBERIAN RAILWAY COMMISSION Re
cently Issued a statement showing that tk9
Siberian railway, 3,700 miles in length, has during
tho past ten years cost $192,300,000. This does not
include tho sum of $47,160,000 which was the sum
of the appropriation to reinforce the railway's
means of transport Aside from these expendi
tures, it is reported that the commission has ap
propriated $5,100,000 for river and harbor im
provements, $15,320,000 for colonization purposes
and $2,500,000 for incidental expenses.