Looking Back: An Autobiography - free ebook by Merrick Abner Richardson

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Looking Back: An Autobiography

Merrick Abner Richardson

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LOOKING BACK

LOOKING BACK

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY By Merrick Abner Richardson AUTHOR OF "JIM HALL AND THE RICHARDSONS", "EIGHT DAYS OUT", "MINA FAUST", "ROSE LIND", "PERSONALITY OF THE SOUL", "CHICAGO'S BLACK SHEEP", "TWILIGHT REFLECTIONS." Privately Printed CHICAGO: MCMXVII Copyright 1917 By Merrick Abner Richardson...

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PREFACE

PREFACE

My spare time, only, is occupied in literary efforts. I never allow them to interfere with either my business or social life. In composing, in a mysterious way, I comprehend the companionship of my imaginary friends as vividly as I do the material associates of life. To me imagination is the counterpart or result of inspiration, while inspiration is light thrown upon the unrevealed. The image may be the result of known or unknown cause, but the mystery does not blot out the actual existence of t

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WOBURN

WOBURN

Through a swamp on the west, called Cat Bird Glen, ran a trout brook to the meadows below. Beyond this woodland glen lay an upland plain, held by the Indians as a camping ground, which the Richardsons concluded they might, through the persuasion of powder and bullets, be able to occupy and leave the parent church at Charlestown to mourn their departure. Accordingly about twenty families, including the Richardsons, took possession of the site, dug their cellars, and built primitive homes together

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MY GRANDMOTHER'S STORY

MY GRANDMOTHER'S STORY

James was arrested soon after, but escaped from Salem jail and, under the name of Jim Hall, lived in Connecticut for several years. Later, under his right name, he married Winnie Richardson, a Stafford Street girl, and they settled near Brattleborough, Vermont, where grandmother's father, Amos Burroughs, was born. After James died, her grandmother Winnie came to West Stafford to live with them. She died before grandma was born and was buried in the family lot near their house. Her gravestone was

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RECORDS

RECORDS

The records of those New England pioneers are dim, as the Puritans considered church members only, as persons. Boston records (Woburn), as we have seen, seem to extol Ezekiel. Theopolis according to his will, must have been a financial success. The Stafford Street records, I was informed by Mrs. Larned, who now lives on the old homestead, were kept in their family from the beginning until lately, when they became such a source of annoyance from ancestor seekers, like myself, that they sent them

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OLD HOMESTEAD

OLD HOMESTEAD

With my interesting nieces, Joe and Lina Newell, one bright summer day, I visited the ancient homes of the Stafford Street, Conn., Richardsons. E. Y. Fisk and his son now possess the historical property. The son from Springfield, who was haying there at the time, invited us and all the other Richardson tribe to come and camp on the homestead grounds, sit on the old walls, gaze over the western mountains and even coquet with the star Venus evenings, all of which look now the same as when our ance

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LOVE SPATS

LOVE SPATS

"Thanks, Jim, I'm glad you like it; do you know I have worked on it ever since you went away? I was so worried about you I had to work or ride old Dan, to keep from going wild. Several times I rode down to the Springs, followed the trail around the west bend way up to old Wabbaquassett, around to the eastern highlands from where I gazed across the pretty waves, hoping to see you coming, but saw only Nipmunk maidens sporting in their canoes." "Then, if I had never come back, Winnie, I suppose you

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CASCO BAY

CASCO BAY

On my twenty-first birthday I married Fanny Shepherd, a beautiful blue-eyed girl of eighteen, when we, with father, moved into our new quarters, and as Mr. Stubbs had proposed taking me in as a partner, we looked forward to a happy and prosperous life. Father's affectionate acts and words to Fanny caused her to love him and, when we were blessed with a little baby boy, our happiness was complete, but, oh, how little did I dream of the dark storm that was gathering on yonder horizon, whose distan

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DEACON HOBBS

DEACON HOBBS

Deacon Hobbs, returning in March, from Salem, stated in open church that he had learned that George Burroughs was not a regularly ordained minister, even if he once had been, and if he received spiritual aid, as he claimed, it was not the spirit of God, but that of the devil. He advised all members to beware of wolves in sheep clothing. Father replied: "'An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit.' Look to the right and left, Deacon Hobbs, and view the two hundred members working in the Master's

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THE ARREST

THE ARREST

On May 4, 1692, father, Fanny and myself were at the table with the baby boy in father's arms, he saying that it did not seem to him that the whole family was there unless he had the baby on his knee. As dear Fanny was joking him about feeding a baby two weeks old, two officers stepped into the room and read a warrant to him. It was for the arrest of George Burroughs as being suspected of being in complicity with the Devil. The warrant was dated Boston, April 30th, 1692. (See Boston Records.) Wi

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THE MARTYRS

THE MARTYRS

The public records of the execution of the Salem martyrs were: June 10, 1692. Bridget Bishop. July 19, 1692. Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes, Lizzie Howe, Rebecca Nurse, Susanna Martin. August 19, 1692. George Burroughs, John Proctor, George Jacobs, John Willard, Martha Carrier. September 19, 1692. Giles Corey. September 22, 1692. Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott, Wilmot Reed, Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker. Abel Pike, John Richardson, Mary Parsons, Annie Hibbins, Marg

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THE ESCAPE

THE ESCAPE

The evening after father's execution I started for Casco Bay, and on arriving at a tavern about ten miles out, I found two officers awaiting me. I was at once taken back to the same prison and placed in a cell to await my turn on gallows hill. The jailer, whom I had know when a boy, said his orders were to give me bread and water once a day. He was a man about my size, but I knew that I was stronger than he; besides in a struggle for life, I believed my guardian angel would increase my power. I

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PAUL DIMOCK

PAUL DIMOCK

Stubbs and the boy now trudged around the store waiting on customers until about 10 o'clock, when Paul Dimock came in and engaged Stubbs in an undertone, but being directly over my head, I could hear all. "I have learned," said Dimock, "that two detectives are stopping at Deacon Hobbs', and have been several days, and no one knows who they are looking for." "You see, Paul," said Stubbs, "that Hobbs was instrumental in Brother Burroughs' arrest, and I have been told his daughter, Abigail, swore a

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SUSAN BEAVER

SUSAN BEAVER

The reader will remember that Susan Beaver was talking when the deacon came in, and now stood listening to his subterfuge, and Dimock's stinging insinuations. As I remember Susan, she was short, stout, with black eyes, glistening teeth, and quick movements. She tried to keep silent, but now her cup of wrath was full, and reached the high-water mark, where danger could not restrain the break, and she broke: "Deacon Hobbs, you miserable old liar, I saw the detectives in your house myself. Maybe th

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REVENGE

REVENGE

At night I came down and went to the grave. The distant stars seemed to be shedding their soft light on a lonely world, while the moon about setting cast her ghastly beams among the chestnut trees, making the scene, oh, so lonely, in that silent little graveyard. Out upon the cold waters of the bay I could see the silver waves glisten in the moonlight among the familiar bayous, which I should never see again, while far beyond the bosom of the great Atlantic seemed to heave a sigh of grief at my

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ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS

ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS

About noon, the first day out, I met three Indians and we took lunch together, they furnishing bear meat and I cheese and crackers, which I had borrowed from Stubbs. After this I trudged on, following an old trail in a westerly direction, hoping to find Indians who could give me shelter for the night, but finding none, I started a fire at dark to scare the wolves away and prepared to stay in the woods alone. As darkness came on and my fire lit up the woods, I was lonely and yearned for a friend,

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HUNTING FOR BABY

HUNTING FOR BABY

"We do not know, but think it was an angel from heaven, and every one is glad." "Why were they glad?" "Oh, because he killed the minister. That was last year, and I was not here." "How did he do it?" "Well, he did not kill him, but he got some folks down in Salem to come up and arrest him and they hanged him." "Did he kill anyone else?" "Yes, he killed James Burroughs and Fanny, too, so Mr. Shepherd says." "Who were they?" "James was the minister's son and Fanny was his wife. I live with the She

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MULDOON

MULDOON

One day while I was working with an Irishman named Muldoon, the proprietor, Mr. Benjamin, came along, leading his little daughter, who, pointing to Muldoon, said, "Papa, what makes you hire paddies? I do not like them." Muldoon resented the innocent prattle, and turning to Benjamin, said: "Will ye allow that wee bit of a brat to spake that way of a gintleman?" "You are no gentleman to call a child a brat, and if you answer back I'll discharge you at once." Pat tugged away in silence and when Ben

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OUR WABBAQUASSETT MOUNTAIN HOME

OUR WABBAQUASSETT MOUNTAIN HOME

John, my Grandfather Richardson, son of Uriah, built his home on the east side of the Devil's Hopyard, while Abner, one of John Dimock's ten sons, built his home on the west side. John Richardson raised a family of boys, John, Warren, Collins, Marvin, Orson, and one girl, Fanny, while Abner Dimock raised a family of girls, Lovey, Manerva, Luna, Hannah, Arminia, Abigail, and one boy, Abner. Warren Richardson crossed the Hopyard, wooed and won Luna Dimock, and they built their nest near Wabbaquass

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WOODCHUCK IN THE WALL

WOODCHUCK IN THE WALL

Recently when my son Arthur and myself with our families were touring with automobile over the Alleghanies, up the sea-shore, and over the Green Mountains, we spent several days at the Lake, with many old-timers who came to meet us, when they coaxed me to tell the woodchuck story, which ran as follows: Bow-wow-wow is heard on the hillside across the little meadow from our old farm house. We boys, Gordon and I, drop our hoes and run, for we knew by the sound that old Skip had a woodchuck in the w

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FIRST DAY

FIRST DAY

"They find by the conglomerate condition of the azoic rock that after the gaseous confusion of the elements had subsided, it sort of settled into one boiling mass of mixed elements. Then the heavier elements, gold, mercury, lead and the like, condensed and formed a center of attraction, while the more rare elements, such as oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, formed a floating band around it, then, as the Bible states, darkness must have been upon the face of the deep until the lighter elements raref

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SECOND DAY

SECOND DAY

"This day, in which the firmament was formed, is wonderful in that it was preparation for the day when the land should appear, as it would need rain to make the vegetation grow. Man's highest imagination cannot grasp or conceive the wonders of this strange scheme. It really meant condensing part of the water to become liquid, or seas, and raising part to become clouds, or rain, as we now find them. So again the two accounts agree as to the second day....

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THIRD DAY

THIRD DAY

"Seas and land appear. This Bible account exactly agrees with the carboniferous and crustacean births which followed on through the ages, when vegetation grew in such abundance that its decay, when submerged by eruptions, laid the foundations for our coal and oil fields....

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FOURTH DAY

FOURTH DAY

"While the former days occupied millions of years each, this day was not a duration of time, not even one moment. It was simply an illustration of the then present conditions. Had we been on earth at that time we would have seen all the heavenly bodies and their movements just as this Bible account describes, and as we see them now....

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FIFTH DAY

FIFTH DAY

"As the fourth Bible day did not include time to produce geological changes, the two ages divonian, or fish, and amphibious, or reptilian, ages exactly fit in to make up the fifth day. "Could we have visited the earth when it first became solid with the sea floating over it, we would have seen at the bottom of the sea animals of the oyster family beginning to live in their shells, which later they took up and carried around on their backs, and now we call them turtles. We know they were there, f

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SIXTH DAY

SIXTH DAY

"God made cattle and all other big walking things, and all the creeping things. "The family of largest animals are called Dinosaur. Their fossil bones are found in the Rocky Mountains. They must have lived there on the plains before the upheavel of the mountains. Some of them were about one hundred feet long and twenty-five feet high. In New Jersey, geologists have dug up the fossil bones of an animal they call the Iguanodon, a sort of frog with a snake tail; when he sat up his head was about th

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HUSKING BEE

HUSKING BEE

One of my earliest recollections is of hearing mother telling a neighbor housewife about the prayer meeting up at Uncle Sam's. Mother was a great tease, and to see her act out Aunt Lovey in this particular case was enough to make the bushes laugh. In order to picture the scene at the prayer meeting, I will give one of mother's escapades by the way of contrast between Lovey, Uncle Sam's wife, and her wide-awake sisters, of which mother was accused of being the ring leader in many daring acts. The

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PRAYER MEETING AT UNCLE SAM'S

PRAYER MEETING AT UNCLE SAM'S

Lovey married Samuel Harwood. They built their home on Chestnut Hill, where they raised a fine family. Monroe was their youngest son, who figured very seriously in the catastrophy I am about to relate. Uncle Sam and Aunt Lovey were both strictly religious, but did not agree as to the mode of procedure. She threw her whole religious weight on the sixth verse of the sixth chapter of Matthew, while he was a roaring Methodist. Together they attended church on Sunday, but Lovey never attended the wee

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GOLDEN DAYS

GOLDEN DAYS

Oh, those golden days when with indulgent parents we gathered around the table of plenty. There we romped in the orchards, woods and meadows, among the wild flowers and through the shady dells, where we chased the rabbits and squirrels, hunting the shy nests of birds, watching the pretty fish in the crystal stream, as they darted about showing their silver sides. The side hills teemed with wild fruit, shadberries, checkerberries, cherries, grapes, strawberries, etc. Wild birds were in abundance

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THE WILD SEXTON STEER

THE WILD SEXTON STEER

One day in the spring of 1855, when all the folks were away except Gordon and myself, we felt somewhat elated that we were running the farm on our own hook, so we conjured up a little fun. Our long barnyard opened with bars towards the house across the center to separate the cattle from the sheep. Here, just for sport, when no one was around, we would put up two or three bars and then chase the cattle, one by one, and see them jump over. We had a ferocious wild steer, we called Sexton, which wou

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COUNTRY BOYS IN TOWN

COUNTRY BOYS IN TOWN

My boyhood days were spent in what might be termed, the upper strata of the last stages of the tallow candle age. Mother dipped candles each fall to light us through the year. Whale oil was also used, but a little later coal oil from Pennsylvania came into vogue. In order to obtain whale oil, vessels for that purpose were sent out from New Bedford, New London, New York and other harbors along the northern Atlantic Coast. Accordingly, four of us youngsters, my brother Collins, Lucius Aborn, Lyman

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AS A YANKEE TIN PEDDLER

AS A YANKEE TIN PEDDLER

At the Methodist Church just south of Wabbaquassett there were revivals each winter and with other I experienced religion, but mine, even though serious, sort of struck in and did not break out again for several years. At the age of nineteen I had become sort of terror to my enemies, for I was quick, strong and fearless. One night I had my usual warning dream, of trouble ahead, and the next day I nearly killed a man as fearless as myself. The following day when I caught my father weeping I resol

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THE THOMPSON FAMILY.

THE THOMPSON FAMILY.

From Watertown, I worked East, where I fell in with a family by the name of Thompson, who owned a large stock-raising farm in the foot hills of Mount Seward, not far from North Elba, the Adirondack home of John Brown. My experience with the Thompsons left a vivid impression on my memory which never grows dim. As I remember them Mr. Thompson was short, heavy set, blue eyed, fair complexion, with a physiognomy indicating that he seldom suffered defeat. He was usually thoughtful and serious, but wh

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NEAR HARPER'S FERRY.

NEAR HARPER'S FERRY.

Anna, Brown's oldest daughter by his second wife, returned from Maryland about the last of October, 1859, when at her father's request she sent for me and gave me all the particulars concerning their rendezvous at the Kennedy Farm and their contemplated raid on Hall's Rifle Works at Harper's Ferry. The next day, after promising my pets, my wife and Vida, that I would not join the mutineers, as Vida liked to call them, I left for Washington, and was soon in consultation with John Brown in the att

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THE DEAD APPEAR

THE DEAD APPEAR

Near the time set for the execution of Mr. Brown we were all nervous, especially our Vida and Sarah Brown; they were about ready to fly, and what happened, Vida must tell it herself. "Oh, no, papa; you're telling the story; keep right on." Well, as I have said, we knew that the three Brown boys, Watson, Owen and Oliver, were dead and the father was to be executed December 2d, and we were running back and forth to the Elba Farm all the time, trying to help the women to bear up under this trying o

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VIDA'S DARING EXPLOIT

VIDA'S DARING EXPLOIT

We were unable to get Owen ready for the night ride until the second evening, when Vida declared her intention to accompany us as far as Jobe's Hill, seventeen miles down the mountain. "For," said she, "when Mr. Brown is clear from the Adirondack region, he can make his way in comparative safety to Utica, or if he is going to Ohio, he can follow the lake shore to Rochester. Now do not say no, Papa, for I am not afraid; they will never catch Old Jim while I am on his back. Besides, a lady riding

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OWEN BROWN'S STORY

OWEN BROWN'S STORY

"Soon after you left us at the Kennedy Farm we were startled by the rumor that the authorities were about to come down upon us, so we decided to seize the arsenal Sunday night. "Father routed us out earlier than usual for our family worship on Sunday morning, and all of us knelt together for the last time. "Now Oliver and Watson are dead, father is to be hanged tomorrow, I am a fugitive with a large reward over me and most of the others are either dead or soon will be. "We left Kennedy Farm at d

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AFTER THE MIST HAD CLEARED AWAY

AFTER THE MIST HAD CLEARED AWAY

Forty-six years have passed since the sixteen year old Vida played her part so well in the strange drama of freedom's birth, and now, in an automobile tour to the coast of Maine with my wife, Mary Prickett, and our sixteen year old Vida, who to me, is a veritable imprint of the afore-characterized Vida Thompson. I again travel the winding roads of the old Adirondack Mountains. We visit the John Brown farm, sit in his easy chair, and climb the great rock which silently stands sentinel where, in t

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YANKEE HORSEMEN GO WEST

YANKEE HORSEMEN GO WEST

The following year, 1865, it appears Gordon and I were not satisfied to let well enough alone, so we gave up our lucrative business for something more leisurely, by going into Batavia, New York, as fruit dealers. We had a stack of money and pitched right in, buying up whole orchards and paying approximately 40 per cent down, and when apples declined from $8.00 to $5.00 per barrel we had hardly enough money left to get out of town with, but our brother, Collins, loaned us all we needed and we str

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HORSE JOCKIES

HORSE JOCKIES

We had now abandoned our tin peddling business except as a means of settling expense bills, and had become successful horse dealers. Our fine horses gave us a sort of prestige and welcome in traveling over the country. Our lookout for bargains was always in unmanageable young horses, which usually became docile through kind treatment. Of the three brothers, Collins was the best judge of a horse, while Gordon and I were close buyers. Our method was to trade for or buy unmanageable young sound hor

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LANDED IN CHICAGO

LANDED IN CHICAGO

In the fall, Collins and Gordon returned to Connecticut, while I, having spent much time in the South, laid up in Cleveland for the winter. They returned to Cleveland in the spring, when at the solicitation of our dear wives we decided to dispose of as many of our teams as possible during the summer and locate permanently in some large city, which we did, and in the fall of 1868, with about 100 horses and seventy-five men, we landed in Chicago. We purchased the northwest corner of Canal and Lake

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DR. THOMAS

DR. THOMAS

Thomas' ideas moulded my thoughts into lines of truth. He was a good man, a profound scholar and deep thinker, but lived before his time. The following I copy from his thoughts: THE ORIGIN AND DESTINY OF MAN BY H. W. THOMAS, D.D. We say that this is the 12th day of December. We say that this is the year 1870. We say that it is the Sabbath evening, and that we are gathered here in the house of worship. We say that we look into each other's faces, and that you hear my words. But is this a dream, o

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EARLY CHICAGO

EARLY CHICAGO

Chicago, then about 300,000 inhabitants, was virtually in the hands of the gang. The heelers from the assessors' office boldly reduced the valuation on property to those who stood their assessments for what they called electioneering purposes, while raising the assessment on those who refused to bribe, until the burden on the honest taxpayer became griveous to bear. Cases are said to be on record where two vacant lots lying side by side were assessed, one five times as much as the other, and tha

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HORSE RACING IN CHICAGO

HORSE RACING IN CHICAGO

Mr. Billings, the original West Side gas monopolist, had a pacer which could go on the street 2:40 or better, and my brother Gordon drove Tom, the silver-tailed trotter, who could crowd 2:30 very close. Billings lived on Lake Street, near Union Park, while we lived farther west, and we used to race horses nearly every day. One noon, on going home to lunch, Billings tackled us on Washington Street for a race. Tom drawing us two was a little handicapped, so it made the race about an even thing. Bi

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HOPEFUL AND RARUS

HOPEFUL AND RARUS

On the sportsman's track, adjoining ours on the west, national events took place. The race between Hopeful and Rarus was the most exciting of anything which ever took place in those days. About 60,000 people gathered to see the race. The blooded Rarus was a tall six-year-old bay trotter of national fame, from Beldom Brothers' stock farm in California. Hopeful was a chubby little white pacer, from a farm on the New England hills. He was twenty-two years old, and had never been on a race track unt

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CHICAGO PIETY

CHICAGO PIETY

Jim Sackley, an Irishman of merited renown, was living in the neighborhood of Lake Street and Western Avenue, when we arrived in Chicago. He had been a sort of self-appointed constable of the town of Cicero, which he said included all the territory west of Western Avenue. Thompson Brothers at the time were running a general store on Lake Street and, as they were politically inclined, their store seemed to be a gathering place for the worthy aspirants of the neighborhood. One evening Gordon and I

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PUBLIC CONVEYANCE

PUBLIC CONVEYANCE

During those days the Chicago Street Railway Company suffered much through what might be called growing pain. The Randolph Street cars turned at Union Park over onto Lake Street, as far as Robey, and there they stopped during the busy hours of morning and evening, only running to their barns on Western Avenue, when they were not in a hurry. Their excuse for not running all their cars to Western Avenue was that they could not afford to carry passengers so far for five cents, as hay was $5.00 a to

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MY ATHLETIC EXPLOITS

MY ATHLETIC EXPLOITS

I mention with pride the physical strength and agility with which I was born, and which sustains me still. Equestrianship came into vogue in western cities in about 1885, and was kept up until bicycles came out. At one period I kept four saddle horses for the use of my family. Like other horse fanciers, I carried it to the extreme. For over two years, summer and winter, wet or dry, I mounted my pet horse, Deacon, at four o'clock in the morning, and rode ten to thirty miles before breakfast. I al

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MY FIRST HUNDRED MILE RUN

MY FIRST HUNDRED MILE RUN

My son, Arthur, then famous as one of the long distance riders of the west, got up a party of about twenty aspirants to take over the 100-mile Elgin and Aurora course at a breakneck speed. I was not fitted for such a run, but I fell in and we were all off at about five o'clock in the morning. The wind blew almost a gale in our faces and before we reached Elgin all had dropped out but Walton Aborn, Jim Carroll, Billy Push, Arthur and myself. Down the Fox River Arthur increased the pace to that ex

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ARTHUR'S AND WALTON'S LONG RUN

ARTHUR'S AND WALTON'S LONG RUN

The next summer Arthur and Walton made their famous ride through to Crystal Lake, Conn. Here is an outline of their exploit, which was considered a great achievement, considering the rainy weather and the rough roads they encountered between Chicago and Toledo and between Silver Creek and Memphis, N. Y. Here I reproduce the letters which Arthur sent back while on the road: Perrysburg, Ohio, June 17, 1896. Dear Father:— Walton and I were very much surprised at the end of our first day's ride at M

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THE SECOND RACE

THE SECOND RACE

i212 MYSELF IN THE LEAD UP THE FOX RIVER ON THE FAMOUS 100 MILE RUN. The morning was fair and hot when 140 of us lined up, of which I was the oldest by about twenty years. At the word "go" we ran in a bunch about two miles, when I pulled out, and then the race really began. At Austin Avenue I increased my speed to Twelfth Street, when I slowed down and allowed the fast bunch to pass, and when they turned west on Twenty-second, as I knew they would, I ran straight ahead through Clyde to the old H

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THE FOREST.

THE FOREST.

At the landing, the Indians set about to prepare us breakfast of hot no-cake and coffee. The coffee is from burned wild rice, and the no-cake corresponds to our corn bread. They pound the dry corn in a mortar with a pestle and make and fry them. The guide and I filled up on about ten cakes and a quart of coffee each, but Archibald refused, whispering to me that the dishes smelled of bear's oil; besides, the excitement had taken away his appetite. Archibald then said: "That old Indian says they l

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MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM A BEAR

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM A BEAR

After travelling about three miles, which seemed like twenty, we rested on a log, when I began rehearsing the sights and scenes of the day. I said that if compelled to stay in the woods all night, we ought to consider it a day well spent, but failing to receive a hearty response, I switched off into a more lively subject by exclaiming, as I pointed into the woods, "See! See! There is a bear behind that log." The ruse worked all right until I proposed we rush in and capture him, when Archibald de

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MY EDUCATION

MY EDUCATION

In returning to my mental endeavors, I gladly confess that before I had passed out of my teens, my lack of a common school education caused me deep regret, but I braced myself bravely against adversity and soon found myself working evenings over the very rudiments of language which I had spurned in the old Birch School House. After my marriage to Mary Hoyt, she took me in hand and together evenings we read "The Hoosier School Master," "Belle of Ores Islands," "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and many other

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THE ANCIENT CITADEL

THE ANCIENT CITADEL

At the fort we crossed the chasm on the stone debris of an ancient dam, when we began hunting for the man-eating rock. We searched in the grass, about four feet tall, and found it in about the center of the field, half buried in the earth. It was chipped and defaced all over. Originally it must have measured about three by nine feet, and would weigh several tons. As far as I saw there were no other rocks on the surface of the island. It is roughly carved out to receive the head, arm, legs and bo

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SOUTH SEA ISLANDS AND AUSTRALIA

SOUTH SEA ISLANDS AND AUSTRALIA

In a few weeks I found myself taking in the South Sea Islands, admiring the pretty lagoons, those tiny inner-ocean retreats, where the glistening sandy beach is strewn with miniature shells cozily protected by the surrounding palm groves, upon whose outer shore the mighty waves come pounding in only to recede without disturbing the finny tribes who never venture outside of these inland tiny lagoons. At Apia, in the Samoa group, where lies the body of Robert L. Stevenson, I wondered not at his ch

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NEW GUINEA

NEW GUINEA

Copy of diary when in Torres Straits and New Guinea, 1899: April 6. Arrived at Cooktown on Japanese steamer Kusuga Maru and leave on schooner Shilo for New Guinea next day. April 8. York Island, only three white men besides Captain Mosly, live here. The captain tells sympathetic stories about the storm of March 3, when he saw the ship his son was on go down. He thinks about 200 men from pearl hunting crafts were lost in the storm. April 9. At sea, bound for Fly River. Hot as tophet, but a stiff

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COCHIN CHINA

COCHIN CHINA

Of the nineteen million inhabitants over one million are priests. It takes three hundred of them to do the praying in the one temple here in Bangkok. This is where the eagles, three feet tall, gather from the mountains to devour the bodies of the dead who had not left money enough to pay the priests for the cremation ceremony. The present king has five hundred wives, seventy-five sons and seven white elephants on his hands, and yet he is not happy. It was from here that General Grant went into t

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MESOPOTAMIA

MESOPOTAMIA

After visiting the interior of Japan, China, Anam, Siam, Ceylon, India, Persia, Arabia, I found myself, in the evening of November 2, 1899, at Bagdad, Turkey, in close communion with our American consul, Rudolph Hurner, who had held that position from the United States to Mesopotamia for about thirty years. Bagdad is about 400 miles from the Persian gulf, and is now the largest Mesopotamian city of the old Babylonian empire, whose kings once caused the world to wince. Mesopotamia, like the valle

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RUD HURNER

RUD HURNER

"Now, Mr. Richardson," said Consul Hurner, as in the twilight we stood in his tropical garden, which overlooks the Tigris River, "you had better take my advice and not go beyond Hille. It is better to take the course of other travelers. Go to the border of civilization and then get some well-informed native to give you particulars, which you can polish up and call it experience, like the assumed traveler in the Star and Crescent, who boxed our dead in coffins, a custom unknown here. "I have repr

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OFF FOR BABYLON

OFF FOR BABYLON

At four o'clock in the morning, November 6, 1899, we crossed the Tigris River in a tropical downpour, and struck out for the ruins of Babylon. About nine o'clock we halted for breakfast, where the hotel reminded me of a blacksmith shop, with several fireplaces and no roof. The plan in that country is for wayfarers to furnish their own food, cook it themselves, and when they can find the landlord, pay about one-third cent each for the accommodation, while the lodging is free anywhere on the groun

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ON THE EUPHRATES

ON THE EUPHRATES

While gliding down the fourth Bible river, the Euphrates, the moon came up and seemed to turn its soft face upon the silence and as I began singing "Old Black Joe," the jackals along the shore joined in, possibly thinking by my voice that we were all descendants from one father. All were soon asleep but the oarsmen and myself, and I became lonesome as I thought of the days of the Aecadian priesthood, the Babylonian kings, Ezekiel and his people, Alexander the Great, who died here, all felled by

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ON THE SHAT-EL-CHEBAR

ON THE SHAT-EL-CHEBAR

At Chuffel our trouble began. The Sheik would not let us stay over night in the town, we had no tent, even if we had dared to sleep in the open, and the next city, Koofa, was open only to Mohammedans, on their way to Nazzip with their dead. I began to laugh, which provoked even Moses, but we soon found relief in a man with one wall eye, minus a hat, shoes or pants, who with his helpers was accustomed to conduct funeral parties down the Chebar River to Koofa. He held us up for the enormous sum of

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KOOFA, ARABIA

KOOFA, ARABIA

At the mud landing, more than fifty had assembled, each hoping to earn a half-penny by carrying a corpse up the hill where, according to tradition, the Prophet Ezekiel had probably walked on his bare feet many times, for Koofa was a city on the west bank of the Shat-El-Chebar, long before Abraham left this region for the land of Canaan. When all was ready for the funeral march and Shammo had been loaded with the luggage, which consisted of pillows, blankets and cooking utensils, his face actuall

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THE SHEIK OF KOOFA

THE SHEIK OF KOOFA

Soon a guard of about twenty appeared and started with Moses and myself to consult the Sheik; while all the town, men, women and children, ran on either side of us, eager to get a glimpse of my pants, as, apparently, neither sex had ever seen before, or much less, donned such tight-fitting garments. After walking probably a mile we entered a dark alley, where, on one of the side walls, our escort began pounding and crying out until a gruff voice, which came as through a tube back of us, answered

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WILD, YET BEAUTIFUL

WILD, YET BEAUTIFUL

At sunrise, leaving Shammo to care for the luggage, we mounted spirited horses selected for us, and with an escort of about one hundred cavalry picked our way, Indian file, up through the lane-like streets of Koofa until we reached the summit, from which we had a view of the surrounding country, especially ancient Nazzip, now called both Nazzip and Me-Schwab, which lay on a rise of ground before us, just far enough away to conceal its grossness. The morning sun at our backs cast its golden rays

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NAZZIP

NAZZIP

On entering through the gates we found ourselves in an open space of probably twenty-five acres, with high walls on the north, east and south, apparently set aside for plays, prayers, public trade or exchange and, possibly, a place of protection for Bedouin rovers. It was a pretty place, and when at certain hours the priest calls out his Allah song from the tower, to see hundreds of people drop on their knees and faces in the attitude of worship is a sight long to be remembered. Our quarters, or

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THE MAN I HAD SEEN BEFORE

THE MAN I HAD SEEN BEFORE

While the officers were conducting us through the town I noticed a dark fellow, whom I had somewhere seen before, following us and laughing at my jokes, which were spoken to Moses mostly in English. When I spoke to him he feigned not to understand English, and began drawing me out of the few Arabic words which I had learned, at which he laughed and said he could speak ten tongues, including English. He said he knew all about me, but I had forgotten him. I then had Moses question him, but could g

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REAL BEDOUINS AFTER US

REAL BEDOUINS AFTER US

I concluded that this ruse was being given to intimidate me, but later we experienced something more serious. The road between Nazzip and Karbilla is supposed to be more safe than the Koofa route, as it is guarded by squads of Turkish cavalry. At noon we changed horses and ate barley cakes for dinner, cooked by slapping the dough on the inside of a heated cement barrel. When we were ready to start again we could not find out why we did not go. We had now recrossed the desert and descended from t

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JONA AND HIS WIVES

JONA AND HIS WIVES

"I did." "Did you see me?" "No." "On your return to the steamer did you assist two Mohammedan women?" "I did. Americans always assist the ladies." "Did you go ashore at Bahrein, Arabia?" I said, "Yes, that is where S. M. Zwemer, a missionary from the Dutch Reform Church of Holland, Michigan, rode with us on donkeys to Riggeb-Gem, that ruin more ancient than Babylon." "On the return to the steamer did you assist those women again?" "I did, I stood in the water to my hips and assisted each from th

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THE RECHABITES

THE RECHABITES

"We styled ourselves Rechabites because we lived in open air, drank no wine and mingled with no other tribes. We descended from Adam through the Kenites. Our rendezvous at the time of David was at Jabes, but in the days of Jeremiah we came to Tadmor, where we assembled yearly to pay tithes for over a thousand years. "Now we are dispersed throughout the Orient, and pay no tithes, yet we hold sacred our peaceful attitude toward strangers, our education as scribes, our nomad life and our abhorrence

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THE ABANDONED CASTLE

THE ABANDONED CASTLE

Jona, as I expected, found the castle, but no relative in Tadmor; nor anyone who had ever heard who built or occupied the Fort-Castle on the rocks overlooking the city. I then questioned him again as to whether there had ever been such a family tradition concerning Mary Magdalene as he had related, to which he stoutly maintained there had been, and that Mary Magdalene, the fair Galilean Goddess whose life was interwoven into the family of Jesus of Nazareth, had once been a bright feature in the

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MARY MAGDALENE

MARY MAGDALENE

While the orb of day is kissing a fond adieu to the Syrina highland which overlooks the great city Tandmor with its two million inhabitants, two sojourners from the far East, with their usual escort, turn in beside the fast flowing stream of hot water which still gushed forth from under the once beautiful city of the desert. The fleet and pack animals gently kneel to be relieved of their burden, for even the patient ships of the desert become weary on their long journeys over the trackless, sand

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DINA OF ENDOR

DINA OF ENDOR

While a group of fishermen, who occupied a large black tent, were enlisting followers to the cause and one, called Peter, was exhorting the throng, a woman of the Hebrew tongue was overheard talking to a group of strangers, to whom she said: "I am from Endor, my name is Dina and I have been floating in this great religious wave for more than a year; and I am truly convinced that God, through Jesus, is visiting His people, but why does Jesus not avoid those strangers who are noting down every wor

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THE HOME OF MAGDALENE

THE HOME OF MAGDALENE

"Magdalene, why are you so restless, and why gazing so intently at the stormy sea; has anything crossed your path, dear?" "Oh, Aunt Susanna, I was just watching the tumbling waves of Old Galilee and I envy them the peace they enjoy, for soon they will lie down to sleep, but there is no rest for your poor, wayward Magdalene." "You are not bad, Mary, your beauty has made you gay and your vanity presses hard upon your virtue, but you have never stooped. All you require is time and patience." "Time,

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JOHN AND MAGDALENE

JOHN AND MAGDALENE

Aunt Susanna fluttered some at John's approach, for, although a daily playmate with Magdalene, he seldom appeared in their garden now. "I am glad to see you, John. You used to run in, when a boy, and why do you not come oftener now?" John laughingly replied, while greeting Magdalene, "Since I have become so big that Lena cannot box me around handy, I thought the enjoyment of my presence, especially for her—" "Now, John," broke in Magdalene, as she solidly planked herself on the couch beside him,

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RUTH

RUTH

Aunt Susanna and John listened that they might recognize the voice when Magdalene exclaimed, "Oh, Ruth—Ruth, you dear sweet girl, why did you keep me waiting so long?" And Ruth after embracing Magdalene ran and kissed Aunt Susanna and then with a low courtsey begged John to pardon her rudeness, for which John complied and said, "I saw you with your folks today, but I did not dare approach for you all looked so nervous that I feared a break-down." Ruth turned a distant glance as the large tears t

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DARKNESS OVER GALILEE

DARKNESS OVER GALILEE

John has returned home; Jesus is asleep in the home of Simon's mother-in-law; Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her children, save Jesus and Ruth, are sleeping under their little open tent shelter on the pebbled beach. Every lodging in Tiberias, Magdala, Bethsaida and Capernaum is occupied by strangers, while more than ten thousand souls overcome by fatigue have tonight lopped down in groups here and there upon the shore of the renowned inland lake, the Sea of Galilee. The evening star has disappea

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SURPRISE FOR THE PHARISEES

SURPRISE FOR THE PHARISEES

When evening came, a rich Pharisee, knowing that Jesus was having no time to either eat or sleep, and he himself desirous to hear and see him, invited him to his spacious apartments to dine, where he had assembled his friends. As Jesus approached the entrance, Ruth and Magdalene ran spat upon him, when he, taking Magdalene by the hand, smiled and said, "Mary." Then kissed Ruth and passed in as Simon's guest. The recognition of Magdalene had been noticed by Simon and a dark scowl knit his brow, a

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COUNCIL OF THE DISCIPLES

COUNCIL OF THE DISCIPLES

When they arrived at the apostle's tent, Magdalene, in her impulsive manner, ran to Peter, and placing her hand on his shoulder, for a long time engaged him in earnest conversation. No one was more pleased than Peter, whom she had scorned for years, and he was glad to forget all and forgive the dashing maid whom he had often designated as Tornado Mag of Galilee. After the evening meal, which the women had prepared and practically provided, reports were received and commented upon. Thomas overhea

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TURN OF THE TIDE

TURN OF THE TIDE

Months have passed and again we find Jesus at the home of Peter's mother-in-law in Capernaum. Magdalene and Ruth are serving the women who are lodging at the home of Aunt Susanna. The homes of John, Philip and Matthew are all overcrowded, for the Lord's earthly career is now at its zenith, but tomorrow the doubtful will return home, the venomous will conspire to destroy, while the faithful will try to induce Jesus not to go down to Jerusalem. The next day Jesus, standing in the synagogue, cried,

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MAGDALENE'S HEROIC PLEA

MAGDALENE'S HEROIC PLEA

Evening lowers its dark mantel over the faithful, as they gather at the home of Aunt Susanna again to discuss and consider the conditions. "Where is Jesus?" his mother inquired. "He is walking on the shore," replied John. "He requested to be alone." Trembling and pale, Mary, the mother of Jesus, stood and looked down upon the Galilean shore as she murmured, "Oh, how peaceful." Then closing her eyes she continued, "Oh, that this generation was passed." Then Magdalene assisted her to a divan and w

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THE EXODUS

THE EXODUS

Before sunrise next morning the little party had passed Jezreel and by noon arrived at Dothan, where they decided to camp until the following morning. Here they viewed the traditional pit into which Joseph had been cast the day his brothers had sold him into Egypt. As twilight came on, a party was seen approaching from the north, which proved to be a band of his followers who, having become alarmed, had followed them with the hope of persuading Jesus to return to Nazareth. Among them was Cleopha

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WAITING BY THE JORDAN

WAITING BY THE JORDAN

When back on the west side of the Jordan, Jesus with the women from Galilee and the twelve disciples turned south for the night, into the well known palm grove, while the crowd hastened to Jericho for bread. After supper he with his mother and Magdalene strolled south to the shore of the Dead Sea, where he, while reclining his head on his mother's knee and Magdalene smoothing his hair, fell asleep. John, who was following, now stole in with pillows and blankets, and soon Jesus and the two women

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IN COUNCIL AT JERICHO

IN COUNCIL AT JERICHO

Evening found Jesus comfortably situated in Jericho, while his near friends gathered in secret to plan for the morrow. A dim oil lamp lit up the stable-like enclosure, where the dejected and sorrowful had assembled. Peter's speech, as usual, was lengthy and to the effect that as Jesus was determined to face his enemies at Jerusalem, it would be cowardly to abandon him, but if worse came to worse and Jesus was seized, they might be able to scatter so that the officers would not recognize them. Jo

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ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM

ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM

Nicodemus, who had been listening to Magdalene, now ordered his servants to conduct her and the Mother of Jesus to his tent, where Jesus had been resting since dark. Here the fair Jewess, who had struggled so hard to encourage the men, now seemed to lose nerve at the impending gloom until Jesus took her by the hand, when she fell asleep. The following morning she was conveyed by the servants of Nicodemus to the half-way inn, and the next day to Bethany, where she was nursed by Mary, the sister o

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ADULTERY

ADULTERY

For several days there seemed to have been a lull in the persecution, to which Martha ascribed the smoldering of a diabolical plot, until one morning, while Jesus was engaged in conversation with several Rabbinical doctors, a group entered the temple consisting of twelve Fathers, attired in priestly garb, together with a squatty old publican from Joppa. They were followed by a middle-aged woman, who was in charge of four executioners; she at intervals falling on her knees imploring mercy and beg

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MAGDALENE PLEADING WITH JESUS

MAGDALENE PLEADING WITH JESUS

While standing there, Magdalene came, and kneeling before Jesus pleaded with him that he go home with her to Galilee, never again to return to Jerusalem. The scene of the frail creature pleading for the life of Jesus, together with the environment and condition, was so touching that all gave way to their feelings, even brawny old Judas wiped away the bitter tears with the sleeve of his soiled garment, for all had learned to love Magdalene, the once haughty maid of the West Shore, who, as Peter n

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AT THE HOME OF MARY AND MARTHA

AT THE HOME OF MARY AND MARTHA

As the women moved over the hill they were met by one who came to again sound the alarm that the brigands were nearing Bethany, but on learning what had taken place and seeing the feeble condition of Magdalene, he with Martha, made a saddle of their hands and with Magdalene's arms, one around the neck of each, they carried her down the stony path. Later in the evening Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathaea and other men and women of the faith came in to try to cheer the anxious and divert their minds f

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A NAUGHTY MAID

A NAUGHTY MAID

"Well," she began, "as I have told you before, Jesus always manifested an interest in me, by mentioning my virtues and indulging me in so many ways. However, naughty as I was, he was still my friend and called me Mary. Many a time, when I was a little tot, I have cried myself to sleep with both arms around his neck. "How well I remember one evening when I had become so big that he could not fondle me any more, how he stood between me and prison, and how severely he admonished me when it was all

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LAZARUS RESTORED

LAZARUS RESTORED

The following morning the party returned to the home of the Galileans, leaving Lazarus very sick. A few days later news was received from Jericho that Jesus and his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem. Then when Martha went out to meet Jesus the mysterious dialogue took place concerning the death of Lazarus which caused great commotion, for all thought Lazarus dead, even though Jesus had said, "This sickness is not unto death—Lazarus sleepeth." Now many believed on Jesus, causing the high pri

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CONSPIRACY TO MURDER JESUS

CONSPIRACY TO MURDER JESUS

The next day Jesus and his followers again entered the temple, and after the noon hour retired across the brook up in to the renowned Olive Orchard, which overlooks Jerusalem. Among the throng which followed them was Caiaphas, who the previous day had convened the chief rulers into his palace, when he advocated decoying Jesus from his friends and murdering him, which was opposed by the more conservative, who said it would cause an uproar among the people. Again in the evening Caiaphas assembled

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THE MOB FALL UPON JESUS

THE MOB FALL UPON JESUS

The following evening Joseph and Nicodemus, together with the Galileans and Bethany friends, having become anxious that Jesus and his disciples remained so late in the city, began a search. Finding all the gates closed for the night, they stopped before the gate beautiful and clamoured for admittance, but received no response. Nicodemus, realizing the move as unusual, becomes alarmed and communed in low tones with the group thus: "I fear Caiaphas has assembled his family at the Sanhedrim and con

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MAGDALENE BEFORE CAIAPHAS

MAGDALENE BEFORE CAIAPHAS

While Jesus, still bound, was held in the dim hall of the court of Annas, the priests, elders and captains of the mob, blindfolded him, then spit upon and beat him, which so grieved Magdalene that Judas persuaded Nicodemus to take Magdalene before Caiaphas, where the Sanhedrim was stealthily convening. Kneeling before the astounded assembly, Magdalene craved an audience, which was reluctantly granted by Caiaphas, saying as he did so, that his act was through courtesy for Nicodemus. Nicodemus now

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JESUS BEFORE PILATE

JESUS BEFORE PILATE

"Was Christ to come to the Gentiles?" "So he preaches, but he blasphemes, saying, 'I came forth from God.'" "Can a man so arouse the world unless God be with him?" As Pilate was speaking, he was interrupted by a servant, who announced that Pilate's wife awaited him in the hall. The old Roman scowled, murmured "unusual," then said, "Admit the fair lady." "Pilate, oh, Pilate, thou art on the edge of an eternal brink." "My fair one"—— "Listen, oh, listen," she continued, kneeling at his feet. "When

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THE CRUCIFIXION

THE CRUCIFIXION

When the soldiers arrived at Calvary with Jesus, thousands had gathered on the hill, hoping, still, to witness some further miracle. Following Jesus, on the way, were his friends, weeping bitterly, which wailing was taken up by the throng on the hill. Near the brow, his strength failed and he fell on his hands and knees, when one of the executioners struck him a heavy blow, but he could not rise until the cross was removed. When able to stand, he turned to the crowd and said, "Daughters of Jerus

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THE RESURRECTION

THE RESURRECTION

Feigning rest, she listened until heavy breathing assured her that all were sleeping, when softly she stole away into the silent night, and while it was yet dark glided through Gethsemane to Calvary. While kneeling at the tomb a strange influence aroused her, and, turning, she saw Jesus. First she started back, then springing wildly forward, cried, "Jesus, oh, Jesus," as she extended both hands, strangely to awake and find that the vision had passed. The mother of Jesus and the other Mary arrive

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MAGDALENE HERSELF AGAIN

MAGDALENE HERSELF AGAIN

When restored to consciousness she looked wonderingly about her, and then smiling in her bright, girlish way, said to John, "When, where and how did I die?" When told she had not died she inquired: "Was I alive when Jesus came to me?" and being told she was, she continued, "He says tell the disciples to meet him in Galilee, and that I must see Ruth before I come to him; and tell her all about this—is she here? Oh no; what a goose I am; she is at home, way up in Galilee—way up in Galilee," she re

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RUTH COMES TO MEET MAGDALENE

RUTH COMES TO MEET MAGDALENE

When Joseph learned that Magdalene wished to see Ruth he started a courier on a fleet beast, with orders to take four relays and make sure to reach Nazareth before sunset. When they arrived at Nazareth they found all in commotion, for the report had come that Jesus had raised from the dead; that Mary Magdalene was dying and had called for Ruth to come to Jerusalem. Jerome, the tanner, made ready his fleet mule for Ruth, while the men mounted brisk horses, and soon Ruth, Jude and the guide hasten

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JOSEPH'S LAST INTERVIEW

JOSEPH'S LAST INTERVIEW

After Joseph had started the courier to Nazareth he provided a litter with four stalwart men and four relays to carry Magdalene, if possible, to meet Ruth. He also sent several camels for Mary the mother of Jesus, and the other women, with an animal each for Nicodemus and John, and four beasts of burden with attending servants, while the disciples, on foot, followed the train. Magdalene, although unable to retain food or stimulants, could talk with apparent ease, and when informed that Joseph di

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MAGDALENE'S LAST NIGHT WITH JOHN

MAGDALENE'S LAST NIGHT WITH JOHN

Gentle hands carried Magdalene's wasted form over the Judean hills, camping for the night near Bethel. She, being troubled for breath, chose to rest on a litter beneath a wide, spreading olive tree rather than accept the hospitality of the large tent Joseph had sent for them. After the usual nursing, and she had been bolstered up with huge cushions, she was able to talk, and again became buoyant. Nicodemus, Mary and John each volunteered to sit by her side, but she chose John, saying: "Aunt Mary

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LAST GOOD-BYE

LAST GOOD-BYE

At sunrise, after assuring Magdalene that Ruth was on the way from Nazareth, the little group took up their weary journey, moving north until they descended into a deep valley where a clear stream from the hills meanders through the woody dell which was called by the patriarchs, Eden's Vale. Here Magdalene implored them to stay and bathe her parched lips and fevered brow in the cool waters from the hills of Shiloh. Soon she fell into a doze from whence she, at intervals, would awake and call for

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THE PRICKETT HOME

THE PRICKETT HOME

Goshen, Ind., May 18, 1902. My dear M. A.: I will now reply to yours, received a few days ago. Yes, I hope our wedding day will be bright and sunny, and that sunshine and affection may be with us as we journey together. I have never seen a mountain, and if I appear green to your people when we reach Connecticut, you must excuse me. I am feeling somewhat depressed this evening, for my sister Minerva and I have been over to Solomon's Creek today, visiting our old home on the farm. The enclosed is

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OURSELVES

OURSELVES

We are strange beings; our journey through life is a wonderful career. Through unfolding years of childhood, later literary pursuits and life experience, we hasten forward, aspiring to reach our day-dream fancies. When about forty we seem to rest, reflect and soliloquize: "Who am I; what am I; where from; where bound; why do I enjoy, and why do I weep? How all these unseen emotions if my feelings are not controlled by an invisible person who knows, thinks and dictates?" Reason and science teach

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WILLIAM JAMES, OF HARVARD

WILLIAM JAMES, OF HARVARD

For information concerning these mysteries we turn to public instructors of our country and Europe, and find that the higher branches of education are controlled by men who teach that man has no soul, or invisible guide. What we call soul action is nothing more than reflex action from brain compound, aroused by external stimuli. A sample of these teachings can be found in the works of William James, Professor of Psychology in Harvard University of Cambridge, Mass., from where agnostic youths ret

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GLADSTONE

GLADSTONE

In memory, of childhood days, we apparently go back and view the scenes again, but if we really did go back we would see them as they are and not as they were, so we must give up that theory. The most prevalent materialistic doctrine is that memory is an impression of the occurrences stamped on the brain. This theory when turned upon itself plainly establishes the invisible soul as the being who discerns the impressions. The most modern atheistic theory is that memory is not a retained impressio

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EVENING OF MY LIFE DAY

EVENING OF MY LIFE DAY

Years have passed since my cycling days and yet I am strong and athletic. My daughter Minnie and her husband, Dr. B. H. Chamberlain, with their only boy Hiland, have lately sold their home on Washington boulevard and are not yet settled again. Arthur and Jessie, with three children, Marvin and the twins, Jean and Willard, have an elegant home on Keystone avenue, Rivert Forest. He owns the Inland Whitelead Co., which is a large concern. Alberta and her husband, George Carlson, with their three br

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FIFTY-FOUR MILES' HIKE

FIFTY-FOUR MILES' HIKE

The latest excitement in our neighborhood has been the exploit of myself and my son Arthur, with several other aspirants, attempting without training, to walk to Channel Lake, fifty-four miles, in one day. Our plan was for the men to leave Oak Park at sundown and walk in the dark thirty miles, and the ladies leave home, in automobile, at 3:30 in the morning, then all take breakfast together at Libertyville, from where the ladies would accompany the men on the last twenty-four miles. The evening

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BACK HOME

BACK HOME

The following evening a few of our immediate friends gathered to congratulate us, among whom were two of Vida's college chums, (Bob) Barbary Beaver and (Peter) Fannie Peterson, who with our Weiders made an interesting trio of entertainers. Really, when Bob was acting "When Angelina Johnson Came Swinging Down the Line," one could see the pretty colored girl, right from the cotton fields, shaking her heels to the tune of the "Old Virginia Reel." Peter singing "Maggie, Maggie, the Cows Are in the C

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