Atlanta Georgian and news. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1912, May 25, 1907, Image 24

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r THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1907. ItHHIHIttHIHHHI STORIES AND ANECDOTES OP INTEREST TO LITTLE MEN CONDUCTED BY PETER PAN. BOYHOOD OF A 8CULPT0R. On Jamestown Island, In the James river, the little spot where the first Virginia colony struck Its first roots 300 years ago, there will be unveiled In September a statue ot Captain John Smith, the English soldier, gentleman and adventurer, who was the most prominent of the early Virginia col onists and Is generally looked upon as our first American hero. This statue of John Smith Is the first ever put up to his memory. It Is the work of Mr. William Coupcr, and Is be ing erected by the Socioty for the Pres ervation of Virginia Antiquities. This society has done.much to preserve the memory of the heroic men and women who have helped to make Virginia one of the proudest and noblest states In our Union. 'Mr. Couper himself Is a Virginian. One evening, when he was but a lad, he was sluing at the supper table of his • father’s home listening to his father tell about some prominent sculptor and cameo cutter of the day. The talk was of some cameos he hod cut out ot conch shells, of their great beauty and delicacy. Not only did the figures and faces have great charm, but the very cheeks had a lifelike flush on them. It was not only beautiful, but almost marvelous. The boy listened attentively and rea soned the matter out .to himself. To him this fact of the flush on the cheeks ot the cameos did not seem so wonder ful. In carving a face on a conch shell, if he were doing It, he would simply leave the pink of the shell to represent the flush on the cheeks. Sure, ly that was not so very difficult. He looked up brightly. "Why, I could do that!” he said. Perhaps the lad’s father thought him n little boastful, a little too sure of himself, and so It .may have been a little severely that he answered i "Well, my son, suppose, then, that you do It.” . The boy had not meant to boast, but his father's answer put him on his met tle. He had told his father he could do this thing; and he would do It. His brother had a conch shell. This he begged the next day, and set to work to make a cameo. But the sur face was so hard and slippery, and a penknife would make little or no Im pression on it. He finally got the de sign «f a head drawn on It. But how could the hard shell be cut? He must have some kind of tools. He went to a blacksmith near by and got him to make him a few crude tools to work with. Even with these the task of cutting the shell was very difficult. The lad worked and worked with patience and determination. There was plenty of discouragement, but he stuck to his task. At last the head he had been trying to carve seemed to take on quite a good deal of beauty. He had done what he said he would do, and he took the work to his futher and laid It down without a word, for him to see. His father took It up and looked at It. "Did you do this,, my son?" The boy nodded. His father looked at It more critically. "Well,” he said at last, turning and looking at the lad approvingly, "you did do It, didn't you? I like It so much that I think I will take It down to the jeweler’s and have It mounted for your mother." From that time on It was of no use to try to dissuade him. His mind and his heart and his good boyish deter- •mlnatlon were all set on this thing. It was not! long before he left Virginia for New York, with the definite purpose of studying art there. He studied at the Cooper Institute for quite a while, but his talent and progress were such, and he showed such a will to work hard and earnestly, that his father came to him with the good news one day that arrangements had been made for him to go to Germany to study. There the boy worked harder than ever, carrying his splendid American pluck and purpose with him. From Germany he went later to Italy to study with a prominent sculptor there. He planned to remain only three months In Italy, hut before he left It twenty-three years had passed by. In that time many changes had come. He had worked hard and had won good success for himself. He had fallen In love with and married the daughter of the sculp, tor with whom he studied. The lad who had started out with only a conch shell, a few crude Instruments and a boy’s will and determination was a man now prominent among the promi nent sculptors of his day. He had three sons of bis own now. As they grew Into young boyhood the recollec tion of his own boyhood was strong In him. American Ideals, American train ing, American surroundings, had made his boyhood the fine, plucky, ambitious thing It had been, and he wanted his sons to have an American home and American surroundings, too. Bo he re turned once more to his own land. It Is here In America today that he Works, here that he has mo.l, 1. ,! th.- "John Smith" and many other pieces that make us proud to claim him among our foremost American sculp tor*.—Laura Spencer Portor. ANCHOS’S RELIGIOUS HABITS Last week I told you of two goats I once knew, and of the tragi a end which overtook one of them, because of hie arrogant and uncontrolled temper. In telling of the goats I referred to their companion, a seriously minded little dog, who was known and loved in that family of boys and girls as "Sancho." The young master of Sancho had a tender, loyal heart, and always looked after his dog’s welfare, after the manner of normal boys. Now, Sancho was not a thoroughbred. He rauld not boast of a lineage worth talking about He had never heard of ’registered” dogs, and Indifferent to family lines, and made no claims upon a past to establish a social prestige among the dogs of the neighborhood. Hut Sancho was a comely animal, rather small, ot a light brown color, and was docile and intelligent. His little master never made a.trip on pleasure or duty bent that Sancho did not trot cheerfully at his heels. He recognized the fact that he was essential to the happiness of the boy to whom he be longed and was never known to betray this boy’s trust or his confidence. Sancho hud only one habit which brought down upon his faithful head the condemnation of the older members of the family, namely, his propensity to attend Sunday school with the chlldrea. Sancho grew up In this family, seeing them pay proper regard and deference to the observance of Sunday by attend ing religious services, beginning with the Sunday school. Now, this little dog never bothered about studying the lessons on Saturday for Sunday; he only sat quietly by his master looking wistfully up Into his face as he conned his tasks and strug gled manfully with the Ten Command ments. But Sancho knew what all this prep aration meant nnd was ready for Sun day school bright and early next morn ing when the children appeared, all looking so fresh and sweet In their pretty clothes. Sancho would go out for a short conference with the black and white goat and evidently they would agree as to their plans for the day. One Sunday Sancho grew tired of waiting outside the church door for his little master and decided to peep Into the big room, and, It possible, td hurry the children home, where flowers and trees, birds and beautiful sunshine were going to waste, while they were shut up amid pews and with four great walls closing them in. , I So the little dog wandered Into the church, peered' under the pews In searching tor bis master, and, not find ing him, walked timorously up to the chancel and with serious mien began an Investigation of the sacred precincts. This action failed to meet the approval of the superintendent of the Sunday school, who boasted of an Irish ances try, nnd guve evidence of his lineage in u quick, Impulsive temper. So on one side of the chancel rail stood the su perintendent with uplifted chair giving battle to Sancho, who, with furious bark, on the other side of the railing, resented this Interference with his tour ot Investigation. Of course the madder the superintendent and Sancho became the more hilarious were the children In the pews, until the brawny arm of the PRECOCIOUS BABE MAY BE A PAINTER This bright looking and precocious young Atlantan Is the son of Mr. nnd Mrs. George A. Kaplan, of 8G South Pryor street At the close of bis first year's existence, the little chap had displayed an Inherent talent for pencil work and his chubby fingers can now grasp a pencil in a knowing way. 11• has already executed a number of ea. balistic designs which the fomi father declares show unmistakable marks of genius, and as Kaplan Senior Is rccog. nixed as a capital portralteur, hit Judgment In such matters must be ac cepted. sexton quelled the disturbance by lift ing Sancho by the nape of his neck out of the church. Sancho returned home in disgrace, and orders were given by the "powers that be” that never more was Sancho to attend Sunday school. On one or two Sundays the little dog was shut up until the children were well on their way to church, but after that, as surely os Sunday rolled around, Sancho would be missing from I hr home, and the most careful and vigor ous search would fall to discover his whereabouts. After the children were several blocks from home Sancho would noiselessly appear in their midst, and, looking up Into his little master’s face, would plead for Indulgence. And so Sancho found his way to Sunday school week after week, because somehow he had learned when Sunday come and wus never visible about the home until he trotted faithfully back with the little boy os he returned from church. San cho never explained his method of com putation; Indeed; he did not discuss the matter lit all. Hit simply continued to go to Sunday school In his own way by Intricate and dovlous paths, but he went all the same, and was always wise enough to wait outside the church door until the sendees were over. He and the superintendent were im placable foes for all time. Even tho softening Influence ot religion failed to heal the breach, brought about by San- cho’s first tour of Invtstlgatlon. In that Sunday school room. PETER PAN. GREATEST WARSHIP,S IN WORLD. Congress at the last session author ised the construction of two 20,000-ton battleships. Full details of the plans and specifications are not given to the public, but It Is known that they will be twlp vessels, more formidable than the British Dreadnought, and with a speed of twenty-one knots. While congress only asked for the submission of plans for a ship superior to the Dreadnought, the navy department considered the new Japanese and Italian monsters as well. Some details are given In the current Harper’s Weekly. It Is certain that the twin ships will each carry, ten, and possibly twelve, 12-Inch guns, and a secondary battery of fourteen S-Inch rapid-fire guns, four 3-pound saluting guns, four 1-pound semi-automatic guns, two 3-Inch field pieces, two 30- callber machine guns, and two sub merged torpedo tubes. MOVING PICTURES ALLURE RECRUITS. The navy department has experi enced so much difficulty In securing the enlistment of desirable men for the navy, that schemes to show the service In Its most attractive forms have been resorted to. During the winter months, ■ays Harper’s Weekly, a recruiting ship touched the South Atlantic ports, and even went to non-scacoast towns which could be reached with the vessel, to, Illustrate the life of the sailor obourd. A more recent Idea os an Incentive Is about to be Introduced, and consists of an exhibition of naval scenes by means of moving pictures. As many as ten thousand feet of blograph films have been made from a large number of pictures, taken on board th,' ships of the Atlantic Heel, while at Gnantanomo, Cuba, and some fifty subjects dealing with the life of the bluejacket will bo Illustrated. It Is planned to send the blographs with traveling recruiting parties, ac companied by electricians to operate the machines, throughout tho Interior middle West, and give exhibitions In connection with lectures to be delivered as a means of advertising tho ad van tagee of enlistment. BAD BOY’8 FEAR. ALL BAD boy* are much afraid Of goblins In the air; They think they fly about at night. And peep In everywhere. They think that goblins, great and small. Do hide beneath the bed: And whUo boys sleep do sally forth To poke them In the head. And pull their hair and punch their ' eyes. And twist their very toes; And Jerk their knees right out of joint Well, p’rhaps they do!—Who knows? But fact It It, and proven, too. That GOOD boys never fear; They know that goblins don't exist. And, therefor^ can't come neaj; THE HOSPICE OF ST. BERNARD. In all probability the most famous breed of dog known Is the St Ber nard. Certain It Is that none other la so noted in song and story, and de servedly so, for the life of tho St. Ber nard, in his home In the Swiss Alps, Is spent for others. Ills dally round of duties calls for deeds that among hu man beings would be known as brav ery of the highest type. In Switzerland nine months In the year snow covers the countryside. Every trace of vegetation, every sign of life disappears; only an occasional eagle whirling aloft in the falling snow may be heard as he utters his shrill cry. Tho gaunt fir trees, that sway with the wind, shifting masses of-snow and dark, murky sky ore all that can be seen. Now and then a huge ava lanche of snow and Ice slips from Its moorings and crashes down tho moun tainside, crushing, burying, destroying everything In Its path. Many a traveler sets out on his journey through this veritable house of death and Is never seen or M-ard of again. Deplorable as these accidents are, their number has been lessened to a great extent by the presence In the midst of this disastrous spot of the world- known hospice of St. Bernard. In 923, one Bernardln do Mcnthon of Savoy con ceived the Idea of building a shelter "i- stopping place for those who were compelled to visit this portion of tho country In the dangerous season. The simple motto of tho founder, "Inasmuch as yc have done It unto these the least of my brethren ye have done It onto me,” gives us a proper understanding ot the aim and object of the founder in establishing his hospice and an Idea of the fife led by the present occupants. The hospice Itself (from which, by the way, we get our English words “hotels" and '“hospitals,” is as hlgh.up as It was possible to get a building and Is n great stone structure grown old and gray. At .the foot of the mountain Is another tiny offlce-llke place wherein are Installed telephones and other con veniences. and where, when travelers arc starting out to make the ascent, word Is sent to the hospice so that when a certain time has elapsed and the travelers have failed to appear, search Is at once made for them. A separate building has lately been put up for visitors, and here almost every distinguished person of modern times tins staid somo part of the year ' with the monks In charge. Each monk has his cell off tp himself. They spend their spare moments In the study ot astronomy, natural sctencs, history or something of that character. Theirs Is a life of seclusion and self-denial and of such rigorousness that few are able to remain any length of time at tho hosplre before their health has failed and they are transferred to some hos pice In a milder climate. Although great people have been their guests, tho chief of their visitors are the laboring class, who set out to cross the Alps in search of work. Many reach the hospice almost starved and frozen; some nro brought In dying; others are found by the faithful dogs only after life has departed. The present dogs aro larger than those first brought to tha hospice and equally os clever. Of tho old breed, brought by St. Bernard himself, all have died out, the hist having Inst their lives only a few years ago In response call for aid during a blinding snow storm. So keen is the scent of the St. Ber nard that he can track a man three days aftt r he has passed, and for this reason they arc of more service than a person would be In organizing a searching party. Moreover, they aro ablo to endure freezing weather, in a most remarkable manner. They re fuse to give up when - me ,,n the runt, and they aro possessed of wonderful stongth, so that they are able to drag a body some distance out of danger. —IF— you don’t look pleasant we can’t get a good picture of you. EDWARDS, 120 WHITEHALL STREET. PHONE 1400. ATLANTA 8CH00L OF TELEGRAPHY. Under the Direction of tho Long-Established SOUTHERn SMORTHfind ttruonra ca '—s' 1,200 petitions yearly; « tynewritlng ma. chines; 8 teachers; eatsbllshcil 43 years. Cat. S^free. Address BUKO* President, Atlanta, On.