Atlanta Georgian and news. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1912, May 25, 1907, Image 32

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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1907. HOW GEORGIA'S LIBRARY WAS SAVED FROM FLAMES OF SHERMANS INVADERS Dr. R. J. Massey Ren ders Great Service to His State. "Great emergencies make great men." Is an adage as old as time Itself, and no great emergency has produced greater heroes than those who came to the forefront In the days of tho Civil'war. History has recorded many valorous deeds which were performed on fields of battle during tho crash of shot and shell and tho frcnxlcd charges of op posing forces, but tho honor of per forming one of the ifiost courageous acts of the Civil war and of rendering to Georgia, as a part of the Confed eracy. a most Invaluable servlco, with out the Inspiration of martial music or the "battle Are,” has been left to Dr. It. J. Massey, who was In chargo of tho surgical department of the Confederacy at Mllledgeville when Sherman invaded Georgia. The specific service which Dr. Mas sey rendered Georgia was that of sav ing the state library at Mllledgeville from destruction' by Sherman's fire eating and Are-llghting army, and as a result, a bill will be Introduced at the next legislature asking that the stato of Georgia appropriate a specified sum to Dr. Massey In recognition of his heroic service. In War Time. When Sherman's army reached the Georgia eapltol, which was then lo cated at Mllledgeville, Brown's Hospi tal had not been removed, for lack of time. Upon the announcement that tho Northern general and his army wrt» approaching, the state legislature, anil every one else who could get away, beat an Inglorious retreat. Many of the patients who were in the hos- pltdl. and who were in Dr. Massey's charge, also found that they had gained unusual strength and departed for oth er parts. There were, however, about sixty pa tients In the hospital who found their physical strength weaker than their de sire, and who were compelled to re- mnln behind. Dr. Massey, who was under orders from Surgeon General Sgut, In charge of Hood's medical department, remain ed at his post in chargo of his pa tients, and was on the ground when Sherman’s advance guard arrived at Mllledgeville. Colonel Hawley, of the Federal army, was In charge of the advance DR. R. J. MASSEY It was Dr. Massey who prevented the destruction of the old state li brary at Milledgeville, and saved Georgia a loss which could not have been replaced. " — guard. Soonjtfter his arrival he recog nised In Dr. Massey an unusuully bravo and determined man and a strong friendship grew up between them. As a result of this friendship, Dr. Massey was furnished with a guard for his hospital and was given the freedom of tho Federal lines. How Library Was Saved. It was during Colonel Hawley's oc cupation of Mlllcdgevlllo that Dr. Mas sey saved tho stato library from de struction. Tho story of how this was done Is best told In tho doctor’s own words: "Upon one of my visits to Colonel Hawley's ofllce, I saw quite a number of soldiers In the library committing most wanton destruction of the books. In-order that they should with double certainty be rendered of no value, they would take tho finest and most costly volumes, and after tearing out many leaves from tho middlo of the books with their knives or swords, would take books and papers by the armful and make bonfires of them on tho eapltol grounds. "Colonel Hawley was standing look ing on when I came up. He saw that I was pained at witnessing such wan ton destruction of so many valuable books and papers. He asked me If there w'as any book In tho lot that I wanted; If so, to pick It out and he would give It to me. 'I asked him If ho would give me the privilege of taking away whatever books I wanted. To this ho readily assented saying: ‘I will give you the whole library If you want It* - "I then took out sevcrhl armfuls, when Colonel Hawley told me to get the man and wng<m belonging to the . hospital and haul away the books by tho load. I at once called tho man with the wagon and had hauled away threo loads of books and papers, when Colo nel Hawley said: Saved All the Rest. ■Doctor. I will not put you to tho trouble; I'll put you in possession. Take It and do as you please with It* I thanked him and said: "'Colonel, I nm powerless and can't stop these men. I can't keep them out unless you give mo men to guard tho place, as I am doing at the hospital. Can't I take two men from the hospital guard and place them here!' To which he replied: "'No: I will glvo you two.extra men, day and night. If you will only come twice a day and once at night to Mi toil these men do their duty, and when wo are gono tho books arc yours, to do ns you please with them.' "He did so, and as long as Sherman's army remained I had two guards at tho state library day and night, and my Impression Is that not another book was destroyed after that.” Dr. Massoy Is growing old In years, and the bill which will bo Introduced at the next session of the legislature will be a belated but laudable effort to reward a loyal Georgian for a loyal act at a time of need. JOESEPH CHAMBERLAIN DOWN AND DU llis Political Career Now Over For Good. Is By RAOUL DE SAINT RENE. Paris, May 25.—Joseph Chamber lain's political career Is over for good. It Is only the wreck of the once vig orous and dominating figure that Is trying to win back health at valescure, his retreat In the south of France. He has aged dreadfully, and the famous monocle Is replaced by u pair of spec tacles. The ex-minister crawls pain fully about, hanging on the arm of his devoted wife (nee Endlcott, of Bos ton). It Is feared his mental powers are also failing. He sits listless for hours nt a time, and can only bear to have the newspaper read to him tor half an hour each day. Sometimes he falls Into a dose In tho middle of the read ing. The biggest balloon dver seen took part In a race from l*arls, and was beaten by a balloon one-tenth Its sixe. The monster balloon was of 14(,000 cubic feet capacity and the little one 14,000 feet. Ten persons. Including Santos Du mont, were carried In the car of the big balloon, which was called D*Aigle. Only one aeronaut traveled In Its tiny com petitor, the Mlcromegos. The Micromegas traveled 200 miles, but the giant balloon covered only half that distance. The cooks and help In the Paris res taurant kitchens havo Joined their brothers, the waiters, In striking. They ask for their weekly day of rest, which. In spite of the law. has not yet been accorded to them, lime to sit dawn to two meals a day Instead of standing while they snatch a mouthful now and then, and a periodical disinfecting of the kitchens. * As this point of disinfecting was In sisted upon by several of them. It was asked wluit n*«v meant. At this the men laughed, and said, "You think that is a strange request, don't you? But if you had to work in some of the kitchens you would know what.lt’Is. Some of the kitchens. Indeed many of them, are underground, and have to be Illuminated all day by gas, and the air Is bad for the health, but besides this we are sometimes overrun by cock roaches, which ate a great nuisance. “We have great difficulty In keeping them down so that they shall not get Into the food and disgust the custom ers." This'new addition to the ranks of the strikers has caused a great deal of inconvenience to tha restaurant keep, era, and as some of them have in their youth been either cooks or head wait ers they know how to put on the aprons again and get to work themselves. Still the strike la a nuisance, both to customers and restaurant keepers, and tho menus at some of the restau-, rants have become more than simple. Of course at the best cafes and restau rants this Is not the case, for there things are better arranged, und new men are willing to. work in place of those who left, and places vacant are filled up as they occur. In consequence of the nomber of thefts which have been committed re cently at the Paris postofflees. It has been decided by the postal authorities to adopt a dllferent box for those now In use. A number of models were submitted, and one of them was accepted. This box offers every guarantee for safety. Two of these boxes are In use As an ex periment and should they prove suc cessful they will bo placed at all the Parisian postofflees. Tho flap of this box can be opened only by pressing a spring, which works automatically, and which Is connected with a trap door nt the bottom of the box. When the letter has fallen Into the box and tho spring released, the letter fails Into a receptacle below and tho trap door closes again. Beards are to be fssblonstdc npnln, after a qiurter of a century of tsboo. The clean, shaven era among London's glided youth Is giving place to the cult of the heard. AMERICAN VISITORS ARE SPENDING MONEY and fashionable young men are withholding tho rasor from their chin*. The correct form of board la not the “Crimean cheat-protector" which reigned forty or- fifty years ago, hut a small close- trimmed cflthotlc-looklng.adornment parted In thtf center. The beard cult la making headway In ipltc of the campaign of ridicule which Frank Richardson, the humorous writer, who 4s himself a man of fashion, Is carry* Inc on igalnnt whiskers In every form. It Is said to havo originated with a young man who let his board grow during nu Illness, and on recovering found that it was rather an adornment than otherwise. • The beard la much affected by tho young aristocrats who, play at business on the stock exchange,' but army officers are de- barred by the king’s regulations from so disguising themselves. The healthfulncss of mad flats Is tho latest medical discovery. The district, nround Boston, a low-lying region on tl const of Lincolnshire, is remarkable foi sen deposits of mud and for the longevity of Its inhabitants. j none village, Marcham-le-Fcn, IsJk vcrltn- nd nono- village! icaltU re- London Jewelers Reaping Rich Harvest From Tourists. !■!■» ■•mnniiinity of t• 11url: 111*> cennrinus. whllo a neighboring Frctstonsblre, Is developing Intafa 1 An amusing case has been beard In the Iiondon courts, coding In an award of $1,250 damages against Lady Itoso Drummond Clarke, for slander. The plaintiff was a young man who calls himself “Due Do- Plenenf," but until jcfio-ntly was a railroad clerk, earning $<00 a year. The. ‘•duke,*' whoso name Is Otway Cnffo, says he was Introduced to Lady Clarke at a fashionable skating rink In the West End. The lady, who was 60 years old and a widow, proposed marriage to him. and after he had refused began persecuting him with outrageous postal cards and slandering him In conversation with various people. This annoyance and the damage to his repnta- to an ancient aristocratic French family. Some months ago ho was In court again, charged with firing a revolver at Robert Pltaroy Boltin, an electrical engineer. This affair, which arooo over a girl, took place on tho parade at Brighton, and Coffe e*- raped with being “bound over to keep the peace.” x (By RICHARD ABERCORN. London, May 25.—This, tho record ‘‘Amer ican” season for London, Is already pro viding a rich harvest for West Knd shop keepers. NniitfaM toil are noticeable among the shopping crowds In Bond street. Regent street and Oxford street; moro than $5,000 was spent In. two hours by four small parties of Americans who visited the UooA street shops. ''jewelers and tailors are the tradesmen most patronised by Americans In London. They buy pearl necklace*. Jeweled watches and brooches, and especially diamonds. •‘Americans,” says n Bond street Jeweler, **aro very fond or diamonds from Loudon: they think they get a better assortment here.” London tailors make special efforts to at* tract American custom, knowing that the visitor from the Htates will probably pay the beat prices and give large orders. Eng lish leather trunks aro also sold In large quantities to Americans. American plays and players havo cap tured the London stage this season. There were never so many New York actors and actresses in London before, and British playgoers have welcomed them as some thing new and attractive. Miss Julia Marlowe, W. EL 8othern and their company from the Lyric theater. New York, havo made their season at the Wal dorf a triumph. Although It was an Initial mistake to open with "The Sunken Bell,” which no one could undcrtstiimi, they havo made ample compensation with their charm ing performance In Shakespearean plays. At the Waldorf’s twin theater, tho Aid- wycllt another American company, with Robert Edcson and Mary Boland as stars, is showing London a picture of American col lege life In “Strongheart,” and people aro already Interested In tho question of "fthoufd the Indian marry tho girl?” “Mrs. Wlgrs of the Cabbage Patch” Is drawing great audiences to Terry’s theater. Although the rustic types presented aro entirety new and strango to London, play- . goers here can not help being Impressed by the careful character studies of the actors and aufr4‘.ss«*s. Ixtodonera aro Interested to l«-arn that Mrs. Madge Carr Cook Is an