How Sousa Got His Name

Someone has "discovered" how John Philip Sousa got his name. The story comes from Washington, where the musician was born and educated. Originally, it is said, his name was John Philip So. When he entered the employ of the government as leader of the Marine band he proudly appended the initials "U. S. A." for United States army, so that his full signature read "John Philip, So, U. S. A." A stranger, congratulating him upon a performance of the band, addressed him as "Mr. John Philip Sousa," and his name has been Sousa ever since.

A Good One on Irving

Mrs. Roger A. Pryor tells a story of Washington Irving, whom she knew as a very old man. "One would never think him old," she says, "so keen and alert was he, but for his trick of suddenly falling asleep for a minute or two in the middle of a conversation. A whisper, 'sh-h-h,' would pass from one to another, 'Mr. Irving is asleep'; and in a moment he would wake up, rub his hands and exclaim, 'Well, as we were saying,' taking up the conversation just where he had left it."

He Got His Interview

In New York recently a reporter made several vain attempts to see J. Pierpont Morgan, both at his office and his residence. Finally his opportunity came. He was interviewing another financier and, incidentally, came into possession of the latter's card. He kept it, then, going to Morgan's residence, sent in his own card in company with that of the financier. The ruse was successful and he was shown into Morgan's presence. When the reporter had stated his reason for the call the financier said: "Do you know, young man, that at least ten reporters have tried to see me today with reference to this question? I have declined to see all of them." The reporter smiled and replied: "Yes, sir, I know that, for I was the whole ten." He got his interview.

The Traveler's Returns" Johnny Poe, of the "Tiger Poes, of Maryland and Princeton," is the authority for a brand-new "return-trip" story, which, he says, was played out in the Baltimore Station of the Pennsylvania Road between the ticket agent and a very provident colored man. The latter had asked what it would cost to send a corpse out to Birmingham, Alabama.

"The same as we charge an adult live person," was the reply.

The negro studied a moment and then asked, "Say, Boss, whut wuld hit cost fer a retu'n ticket?"

"A return?" queried the surprised official. "We don't usually sell returns in such cases, but, if you really want one, it would be thirtytwo dollars-just as it would for a live adult. But why in the world do you want a return for a corpse?"

"Well, suh," explained the colored man, "hit's dis a-way: I's bin a-wonderin' wheder hit wouldn't be cheaper to took hit down dar, an' let all de folks hab a look, an' den bring hit back, rudder dan hab 'em all up hyar aboa'din' on me fer a week."-Lippincott's.

Story of a Bad Pen

Senator Pettus of Alabama was writing with a noisy, spluttering pen. Laying the pen down, he smiled and said:

"Once I was spending the evening with a friend of mine in Selma. We sat in the dining room, and from the kitchen came a dreadful scratching sound.

"'Martha,' said my friend to the maid, 'what is that scratching in the kitchen? It must be the dog trying to get in.'

""Huh!' said Martha, 'dat's no dwag scratchin' de do.' Dat's de cook writin' a love letter to her honeysuckle.'"

-From the Boston Herald.

When Stanley Worked in a Cellar

Henry M. Stanley sometimes, but not often, spoke to me of his life as a boy, says a writer in "Scribner's." I remember, in 1890, when we were staying in Cincinnati together, his asking me one afternoon to go for a walk with him. He took me through obscure back streets and down dirty alleys until we reached a wharf on the banks of the Ohio River. He stopped at the bottom of a street which ran steeply down to the river, and pointed out a lad who was rolling a large cask of tallow from a cellar down to the wharf. He said: "I have brought you here because I wanted to show you this place. It was in this street that I worked I was doing exactly the same as a boy. work as that lad, and, if I mistake not, that is the same cellar in which I worked."

THE BEGGAR WOMAN

PROF. NORMAN C. SCHLICHTER.

There was once a great famine In the land. One cold, windy day came a poor ill-clad woman into the little village, and asked for a gift. No one knew her as she went about with a shawl pulled over her head to protect herself as best she could from the thick snow

flakes which fell. In her right hand she held a long staff, and on her arm hung a basket. At most of the houses she was given a poor little bit of this or that out of the. window, and from one rich home she was sent empty handed with stinging words of scorn. One very poor peasant, however, invited her into the room, and after warming her, gave her a large piece of fresh cake which his wife had just baked. This was the last house that she visited.

On the following day all the people who had been visited by the beggar received an invitation to come to the castle nearby for supper. They were all very much surprised,

F. W. Biebinger, Pres.

for it was by no means usual for villagers to visit the castle.

When supper time came the people filed into the great hall of the castle, and there they saw a table laden with the richest of provisions and costly plate; and another large table with many plates, on each of which was a piece of hard bread, a cold potato, or a handful of meal. On one plate lay nothing.

Straightway the lady of the castle came into the room, and said, "I was your ill-clad beggar. I was anxious at this time, when the poor are in such pinched circumstances, to test your spirit of charity. These two poor people gave me as much as they could. They shall eat with me this evening at this small table; and every day I intend to give them a piece of gold. All the others may take back the gifts you gave so grudgingly, and as you go home think that you will perhaps some future day be treated likewise in the world to come."

NEW EQUIPMENT FOR THE ROCK

ISLAND.

It has just been announced that to provide for the increased volume of traffic on Rock Island lines, a large amount of new equip ment will be delivered, during the month of March, on orders placed several months ago. It is indicative of the industrial and commercial prosperity of Rock Island states that, even before the receipt of the new equipment, it has been found necessary to place another large order for delivery in the early summer.

The rolling stock which will be placed in service this month includes twenty new pattern passenger cars from the Pullman shops, which embody so many comfort-contributing devices that they make a distinct advance in day passenger equipment. This new depar ture will come as a surprise to the western traveling public. Ten of the cars will be seventy foot chair cars, furnished with sixtyfour twin reclining chairs, seating as many people. The interior finish is Mexican mahogany; decoration is olive green, with plain green lines and the chairs are upholstered in green. The cars are equipped for lighting both by Pintsch gas and electricity and are fitted with electric fans, for ventilation and cooling.

The other ten cars are seventy-foot vestibuled coaches, with seating capacity for eighty. The seats are upholstered in maroon plush; otherwise the decorations are the same as in double plate glass windows and are equipped the chair cars. All the cars have very large with Pullman standard six-wheel trucks.

The Rock Island received, during March, 65 new locomotives of various kinds, including twenty Pacific type passenger, ten Atlantic type passenger, fifteen freight and twenty switch engines. An additional order for fifty locomotives will be placed in the near future, for delivery in the summer.

This new equipment, which is to be added to from time to time, places the Rock Island in the front rank among western railroads in the matter of transportation facilities. The foresight manifested in thus meeting, and adequately providing for, the exigencies of increased traffic, is characteristic of the progressive policy of the Rock Island management.

TWO RIGHTS OF CHILDHOOD

BY MARION G. OGDEN.

It would seem as though the right to learn experimentally the result of his mistakes, and the equal right to be helped and guided into a position where he need not repeat them, were the natural heritage of every child. What a world of trouble would be saved to probation officers and to many other people as well, if these two rights of childhood were only observed and guarded! The fond mother who finds fault with her boy from morning till night, pronouncing him useless and hopeless and then savagely turns an hurls her wrath upon anyone else who ventures to correct him, is too common a figure to need special portrayal. Would that every such mother might for the small part of a minute see herself in her true relation to the whole difficulty! She is not only incapable of teaching her child to avoid his blunders, but when in the natural order of events, the child would learn from circumstance, she must needs also step in and hinder the course of natural law. She takes upon herself the defensive attitude, and declares the whole world amiss for bringing about the results that had formed the basis of her threats. And the child; what is he to think? His real welfare seems to have dropped quite out of the question. Therefore the probation officer.

Small Joe is a school-boy. Perhaps because he is not faith

ful; perhaps because he is not really equal to his task, or is for some reason misfit, he is a poor scholar, and at home he is constantly reminded of the fact. He is scolded, threatened, warned of failure, until life becomes a burden, but it is all of no avail, and when the end of the year comes he fails, and is told at school that he must repeat his work. This event has been foretold and the child would accept it without question. Outward cause and result are plain before him. Now if someone will step in and patiently, kindly, study the source of difficulty and remove it, the experience will not be in vain. A boy who has done poor work, be the cause what it may, cannot go on to higher planes until he has learned to do good work on the low ones. This is a broad lesson whose significance extends far beyond the limits of childhood.

But Joe's parents have no mind to let him learn life's lessons in this unsatisfactory manner. With all their threats they never intended that his advancement and the family pride should suffer in this way. Joe must go on a grade whether or no. "His examinations may not have been fair; he will do better work; he must do better work." And so, if they have their way, the lesson, life's lesson, is utterly lost and poor Joe is pushed into farther failure and farther moral perplexity. If unconsciously, he looks for a fixed guiding motive on the part of his parents, he searches in vain. Their wish is their guiding motive, but it is not fixed.

"Consistency, thou art a jewel."

A TRIP VIA

Chesapeake & Ohio Ry.

IS A PERPETUAL PANORAMA

The scenery along the entire route is entrancing, surpassing in variety, beauty and grandeur anything to be seen east of the Rocky Mountains. The 160 miles beside the beautiful Ohio, on whose surface steamers and odd craft are sighted every few minutes, are succeeded by miles of graceful curves along the banks of the Big Kanawha, and then come the canons of the New River with their awful wildness and grandeur; the gentle Greenbrier with its pastoral loveliness; the heart of the Alleghenies with its matchless beauty of scenery; the famous Springs Resorts; the renowned Shenandoah Val ley; the towering Blue Ridge; the wonderful panorama of the Piedmont Valley; the famous battlefields of the late war; and the surf of the Atlantic at Old Point, or the beauty and interest of Washington-just as one's destination may be.

Stop-over will be allowed at Covington, Va., where branch train is taken for Hot Springs on all first-class one-way tickets and on return portions of all round-trip tickets. When ready to resume journey ticket agent at Hot Springs will exchange tickets which have expired. A Delightful Sea Trip to and from New York Via the Old Dominion Steamship Co. Magnificent steamers sail from Old Point Comfort at 4:30 p. m. daily except Sunday, and from Norfolk at 7 p. m. daily except Sunday, arriving at New York next afternoon about 3 p. m.

I. P. SPINING, N. W. P. A., C. & O. RY. 238 Clark St., Chicago.