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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1912-8-29, Page 6ASA INVENTOR'S GOOD LUCK FROM TEN DOLLARS A WEEK` TO MILLIONAIRE. IUs Peisistenee Overcame all Dila citifies and Meda Rim a Rich Man. Recently there was given to t public the atony of Johnson, th owner of the Victor talking m ohine, the man who took the squeak out of the phonograph, and, inc dentally, rose from a job at $10 week to control of a oorporatio that does $30,000,00 worth of bus mess a year, Eldridge R. 3ohnso worked in a shop in 1898 that sol phonographs, at a time when th Edison invention was the talk of th day. The first phonographs an doubtedly reproduced the huma voice, or, rather, they burlesqu it. After the novelty of the thi died away the first-claes singers a musicians refused to make record for. it, since the squeaking a grinding of the machine spoiled t effect of their voices, and a dolls a night cafe singer would seem jus as good on the phonograph as Caruso. Many attempts were mad to perfect the instrument, but th squeak remained. Johnson, w was a mechanic in a little store, realized that if the squeak coul be taken out of the machine hi fortune was made. THE $10 A WEEK MACHINIST The firm that employed pun failed, and he next went West He failed to make good, and with the last dollar in his posseseion he bought a ticket for the East again, and arrived with half a dollar in his pocket in Philadelphia, and with his trunk, vv'bioh contained hia tools, unpaid for. Johnson, however, had a friend who would always answer signals, of distress, and he went to him in his trouble. It happened that the friend was not muoh bet- ter "fixed" than Johnson, but he mustered enough money to ransom the trunk, and then he suggested that they should go into partner- ship. They had nothing to lose by any venture, and so they opened a little machine shop in Camden, New Jersey. The understanding was that Johnson should draw $10 a week, if there was that much in the trea- sury, and that his partner, who. was supposed to be the financier of the firm, should have whatever was left up to $10. As a matter of fact Johnson always outdrew his partner. JOHNSON'S INVENTIONS. e a n a d e 0 ed ng n an he a e ho d • The firm did the ordinary machine chop trade, and Johnson used his spare time as an inventor. He pat- ented several articles, all of which promised to make a fortune in short order. One was an oil burner, that seemed to be on the point of making them millionaires. They sold as many of these devices as they could manufacture, and their customers said that they were the best ever put on the market. Unfortunately, the oil burners did not last. After they were in use for a couple of months they began to give trouble. People demanded their money back, and the firm ceased to manufacture them. However, the oil burner enabled the partners to get about 81,000 ahead, which was considered more capital than they had ever amassed before. Johnson figured that it would keep him while he de- voted his attention to the phono- graph, and his partner as willing to see their joint capital thus ex- pended, although he had no hope that anyone would ever be able to take the squeak out of the phono- graph. THE SQUEAK ELIMINATED. For months the young inventor toiled with the phonograph, but ex- periment after experiment failed. Finally, one day he summoned his partner, and said :— "I have it at last." Then they put on a record, and cure enough the squeak had been almost eliminated. Immedi- ately the partner bought a ticket for Europe, leaving Johnson to stay at home and develop hia invention. He went to the British firm manufac- turing the phonographs and demon- strated his device. The firm there- upon offered Johnsonhis own price. for the European rights. What he was paid has not been divulged, but it was a huge sum of money, and the British firm has more than re- cuped itself, since in the past few years the sales of the talking ma- chines have reached remarkable pro- portions, The firm had the good luck early in the day to stumble up- on the trade mark that everyone remembers, the dog listening to his master's voice coming from. the horn, and expecting his master ev- ery wery : minute to step out. HIS MASTER'S VOICE. The artist who drew thisicture offered it to a London firm that was by far the largest dealer in talk- ing machines. The board of direc- tors, however, did nob look favor- ably upon it, and so the disappoint- ed artist was handed his sketch back. The manager, however, was -Sorry for him, and said that 'there Wife a talking machine company f, round the corner that alight buy it, The firm 110,pponed to be the ane that had bought the British rights to the Johnson invention, It was bought on the spot, and since has become one of the hest -known trade -marks in the world, From the day that Johnson took the squeak out of the talking machine and sold the European rights to his invention the firm has seen nothing but prosperity, The only trouble has been to know what sort of fac- tory to build. Before one factory would be up the demands for the machines would make a larger fax - tory neoeseary, and at the present time the establishment covers fif- teen acres of floor space. In ten years the sales have increased from $3,000,000 to $30,000,000, and in fourteen years a man who was a penniless machinist has become the head of one of the great industries of the United States, MAKING SAFE INVESTMENTS WHY BOND HOUSES SELL BONDS 1N• STEAD OF HOLDING THEM. They are Dealers In Bonds Just as the Grocer Deals in Groceries—Their Money Is Made In a Quick Turnover—Salesmen Just as Necessary In a Bond Business 85 111 a Wholesale crooner Business. The articles contributed by "Investor" are for the sole purpose of gelding pros peones ineeators, and. if possible. of env ing them from losing money through placing it in "wild -cat" enterprises. Tho impartial and reliable character of the information may be relied upon. The writer of these articles and the publisher of tbfe paper have no interests to serve in connection with this matter other than those of the reader. -my "Investor,') Some people wonder "If bonds are so good, why do bond dealers want to sell theme" Moreover, 1f this new issue of stook they see advertised is so likely to increase to value, why don't they hold it and then sell it. Now, in the first place, bond dealers, and those who handle new stook issues (I would call them promoters had not that word oome into disrepute as a result of its oonneotion with mining stook flotn.- tion) are merely dealers, as their name implies. A grocer buys preserved fruit and sells it to his customers. He makes his profit on that transaction and by turning over enough preserved fruit in the rear he makes it pay him to handle it. If at that same time he knew that the fruit crop was a poor one and that he would probably have to sell his pre- serves higher the next year, would he be likely to hold his in his storeroom in order to make a greater profit? Not if he was with. While be was holding his present supply he would probably loose a chance of turning over his stook three or four times, and that turnover would be muoh more satisfaotory than hold- ing on the chance of the epeoulative pro. Moreover. a bond dealer is not an in. vaster. The expense of handling bonds is very great and the profit relatively very small—the percentage La far less than that which the grooer makes on his purchases from the wholesaler. And though the grocer may think very his, of the vryshlifsnheps�ndjst very foolish up shop him kept his supply of geode on his shelve, to use for his own food, even though he had sumoient to last him the balance of his life. There is, however, a very important reason why most grocers couldn't do this, and that is because their businese ie done on credit. They buy from the wholesaler and borrow money from the bank to do so, repaying the bank when they have sold the goods. (Of course, in some eases they get credit from the wholesaler, but in that ease they really borrow from him). The bond dealer does the same thing. He buys a million dol. lar isaue of bonds and borrows money from his banker to pay for it, paying off. the banker when the bonds are sold. It would be unwise, indeed, to criticize him for attempting to sell his bonds. Well, if your bonds are good why do you have to send men out to sell them,' asked one man once of a hoed salesman. Why don't you just advertise them in 'the papers. If they are so good the inves- tors will buy them." A good many peo- ple do buy bonds from reading newspaper advertisements, but in the present day it is so difficult for people to tell the good from the bad in advertisements that they seldom buy from what is advertised unless they know the houae offering the bonds. It requires a personal interview with most investors to get their business, just as no wholesale grocer would trust to a news- paper advertisement to get the country a,otly. orders. It is same gets the most business gets the greatest salary, and so he has to "hustle." It isn't be. cause they can't Bell bonds in Toronto that they seek you out in the country, bat because they want your business and your neighbor's. The more buelnese they get the quicker the turnover and conse- quently often they can afford to sell bonds at a less profit than a house whose busineee is smaller and whose turnover is elewer. That is why it pays to send out salesmen. 8 THOUGHTS THAT ELEVATE. Never fear to do what you think is right; even though you fear othersmay think it wrong. The secret of life is not to do what one likes, but to try to like that which one has to do; and one does like it ---in time, The object of true education is not merely to make people do the right things, but enjoy the right things; not merely pure, but to love purity; not merely just, but to hun- ger and thirst after justice. There are two things about which we ought not to fret about—things which we can help and things which we cannot. If you can help why do you not apply the remedyI If you cannot you may as well surren- der et once. There are lives of wearisome mo- notony which a word of kindness can relieve. There is suffering which words of sympathy can make more endurable, and often, even in the midst of wealth and luxury, there are those who listen and long in vain for some expression of dis- interested kindness. Speak to those while, they can hear and be helped by you. If you have a quick temper spare an effort to conquer it. Losing one's temper means losing peace of spirit, losing control over .self, los- ing clearness of thought, losing, grasp of the eituation, and usually losing the reaped of bystanders. This is all outside of the central fact that anger is a sin, 'Yet foolish people speak of "only losing one's emper" se if it were nothing, LADY ABERDEEN. Well remembered in Canada, who is now doing a great work for Ireland's poor, leading an army of 20,000 Irish women in a progres- sive movement to fight dirt and disease in the poorer sections of the Island. Lord Aberdeen is Lord -Lieutenant of Ireland, FAMOUS MO S U BELLSF 0 UiSTORY WHERE THE FOUR LARGEST ARE TO BE FOUND. Sacrifice of a Japanese Maiden Gave to Boll a Matchless Tone. There is a legend that in the old- en time an emperor of Japan de- sired for his largest temple a bell of tone and power unequalled in all the world. He called a belhnaker, and, in the fashion of Oriental auto- crats, he made the condition that it the bell failed in his requirements the life of the artisan would be the forfeit. This condition was over- heard in terror by the bellmaker's maiden daughter, During a sleep- less night a god appeared to the daughter, with the statement that the blood of a virgin mingled with the metal would most certainly pro- duce a matchlef,s bell. The next day as the metal was about to be poured into the mould the daughter leaped into the molten mass, thus mingling her blood with the metal. The resultant bell was of far-reach- ing tone and of a sweetness never before realized, and it greatly pleased the emperor, of course. It is said the bells as now used in church were the invention of Paul- us, bishop of Nola, in Campania, some time IN THE FOURTH CENTURY. Up to that time the monks were summoned to devotion by rapping on their floors with a hammer. In the fourteenth century bells very largely took the place of clocks, the hours of the day and night being divided and the people notified thereof by the striking of the hour on the bell. Bells have not always been round, despite their shape to- day. The oldest bells often were of quadrangular form, made of thin plates hammered and riveted toge- ther. In Switzerland there is still preserved at the monastery of Saint Gall the four-sided bell of the Irish missionary of that name, who lived in the seventh century. Perhaps the most famous bell in the world is the first great bell in Moscow, nowstanding in a square in that city, and so large that it is used ail a chapel. This bell was oast in 1738, but was in the earth for more a than 1001 years, being raised in 836 by the Emperor Nich- olas, It is nearly twenty feet high. has a circumference of 60 feet, is two and feet thick e a weighs almost 200 tons. The second Moscow bell, Believed to be the largest bell in the world actually ie. use, weighs 128 tons. Another very large bell is in the grounds of an old temple in Osaka, Japan. This one was cast in 1903 to perpetuate the memory of a cer- tain Prince Shotuka, who lived nearly 1,300 years ago. It is formed largely from contributions of all sorts made by pious persons throughout the country, in its makeup being included the frames of no less than 150,000 ancient cop- per mirrors, THE GREAT SHOTUKA BELL is 26 feet high, 48 feet in circum- ference, 18 feet in diameter., 1 foot 7 inches thick, weighing 114 tons, Still another large bell hangs in the Buddhist monastery near Clan- ton. It is 18 feet high and 46 feet in circumference, being east in solid bronze. This is ono of the eight monster bolls east by command of the Emperor Yung Lo, about A,D, 1400, It is said to have cost the lives ot''eight men, who were killed in theoa t £ ong. T rocess casting. he en - p tire outside is covered with inscrip- tions in embossed Chinese charac- ters about half an inch in length, covering even the top piece from which it swings, the total number of letters being 48,000. The largest bell in England is Big Ben of West- minster, weighing between thirteen and fourteen tons. A curious story is connected with the bells of Messingham Church, England. It is related that a long time ago a traveller passing through Messingham noticed three men sitting on a stile in the church- yard and calling out, "Come to church, Thompson 1" "Come to church, Brown!" "Come to church, Wilkins!" And so on. Greatly surprised, the traveller asked what it meant. He was told the place, having no bells, they called the folk to church in this way. The traveller remarked that it was a pity so fine a church should be without bells, and at the same time asked the men if they could make three for the church if he would pay for them himself. They readily agreed to do this. By trade the three men were a tinker, a car- penter and a shoemaker. When next the traveller passed that way he found the three men ringing three bells, which said, "TING, TONK, PLUFF," being made respectively of tin, wood and leather. The first real peal of bells or chimes in England was sent by Pope Calixtus III. to King's College, Cambridge, and for 300 years this was the largest peal in the country. Peals came into general use about the beginning of the year 1500, when sets of eight bells were hong in many of the leading churches. When first introduced chime belle were rung by a number of men, each grasping a rope from one par- ticular bell and striking it at the precise moment the leader pointed a finger at him for a signal. . King Henry VIII. despoiled many churches of bells to -be sold for their value as metal. Curious things aro reported to have happened when these bells were removed. Itis a remarkable fact that Sir Miles Par- tridge, who, at dice, won the bells of Saint Paul's. from the Icing, was shortly afterwards hanged on Tow- er Hill, At Yarmouth ships carry- ing t'he bells to foreign ports foun- dered and sank. The wreaking of a vessel carrying fourteen bells of Jersey at the edtranoo of the Saint Malo harbor gave rise to the tale that when the wind blows the drowned bells are heard pealing. 1 easose+,se OUR SEPTEMBER LIST OF INVESTMENT N T SECURITIES S now in press. We Will be glad to forward copy on applicat ion, CANADA SECURITIES CORPORATION LTD. Dominion Express Bldg„ Montreal MoKlnnen Building, - Toronto 14 Cornhlll, - - London, Eng. sitinapliW FOR MA6SiNG SCRAP, 'Ifs INTI DISINFECTING SINKS. CLOSETS, D RAINS, ETC. SOLD EVERYWHERE REFUSE SUBSTITUTES TORONTO CORRESPONDENCE WHAT le TRANSPIRING AT THE HUB OF THE PROVINCE. Dr. J. 0. Orr and the Canadian National Exhibition—The Meredith Falnny— Dr. Hasting's Regulations. For fifty weeks in the year Dr. J. O. Orr is a private citizen: for the remaining two weeks he beoomoe a public institu• tion, Those two weeks are, of course, the period of the Canadian National Exhi• bition, of which he is the General Mana- ger. Dr. Orr is not a Doctor by courtesy. He has not been honored with a D. D. from a theological college or with an L.L.D. from a university, although he has been appointed a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Toronto by the Provincial Government, an appointment whish at the time provoked considerable comment. Dr. Orr earned bis title like any other M. D., by putting in five years plugging at the Medical College. But it is a long time since be has practised medicine. He had in him always the inetinote of the showman. He has the aapacity for attracting crowds and for entertaining them, and so it same about naturally that when there came a vaoanoy in the management of the Ex- hibition, and when the same exhibition had fallen upon evil days, the Board of Directors, searching for some one witb a genius for the show business, should let their choice fall upon the active doctor. THE D00TOR's JOB. Managing the big show is not such a hard business now as it was ten years ago. It goes with its own momentum now. So many various organizations have taken hold of various departments, plsdg• lag their prestage to make ago of them that there would be a pretty good show now if there was no central management at all. But there is still plenty of work for an active manager. If there is to be a growth there must bo improvement in all departments. and what is even more important, there must be fresh novelties of .a more or lees spectacular nature. These are the hardest things in the world to get. Another great showman. P. T. Barnum, declared that the public, likes to be fooled. This ie scarcely true now- adays. The public wants its money's worth. If it is going to be fooled. it wane to be fooled in a real sennet way. It won't stand for fakes, and the feet is that about fifty per tient of the "special attractions" which try to got space at exhibitions are fakes. It's up to the doc- tor to separate the fakes from the "square deals," and when he makes a mistake there is a howl from the public. Every year in the "private citizen" period of hie life Dr. Orr spends several weeks in the Old Country, and some of the meet interesting attraotions of re• cant years have resulted from those vis- its, The exhibition has been able to en - Hat the sympathy of such man aa Earl Grey, who provides the Doctor with let - tore of introduction when he goes abroad, and in this way he gots oloso to the peo- ple who can give him the things he wants. If the Doctor could some time only give an exhibition of old world Red Tape," he would be happy. THE DOCTOR AND ART. A lot of time is spent, too, in getting in touch with people who have valuable Paintings which they are willing to loan for the art exhibit. Pew of these are to be had on this continent, but Europe has them by the car load, if one only knows how to go about getting them. On the subject of paintings tbere is a cordite'. oue feud on between the Doctor and the Artists Association. The artists think the pictures that are put in the Exhibition gallery ought to be high class artists• dally. The Doctor doesn't object to high art, but if he can't get with it some sub• Jed that has a strong popular appeal he doesn't give a hang for high art. For example, it has been found from long experience that battle scenes and pretty women are the subjects that make the people come and look. But your connois- seur might find more high art in some quiet landscape with a few sheep in the foreground. The Doctor Lets the artiste have their own way to some extent—he late them stick up their landscapes and sheen over in the corner—but he takes pains to see that kis battle scenes and pretty women stand right out on the middle of the wall. BOARD HAS FINAL SAY. While Dr. Orr is the active manager, and is expected to supply the motive pow- er in initiating and sane judgment in making recommendations, he has the ad- vice, and 1s under tho direction, of a Board of Directors which includes many leading citirens. `During fair time the Board meets daily, sometimes several times on one day, and throughout the year it keeps in close touch with the plans under way. Ail these men give their time without remuneration, leaving in mind only the welfare of the pity and whatever personal honor and glory that may come incidentally. The prepent Provident, Mr. J. G. Kent, has been preceded by euofl men as Mr, George H.Gooderham, M.P.P., Mr. W. K. McNaught;' 1I.P.P., and Mr. W. K. George. The Board of Direotore is elected by the Exhibition Association which meets once a year, and is composed of representatives of various organize. tions, but dominated largely by the To- ronto City Council, Board of Trade and Manufacturers' Association. -While there is room for orifitiie e sm of th method of representation it .the aseoafation, there remaining in it a suspicion of the system of pocket boroughs, it must be admitted that the results t have ua at aired h e been t bad. A HURRY IIP APPOINTMENT. The almost unseemly haste with which the City Pennoil rushed through the ap- pointment of Mr. T. G. Meredith as dor• poratlon Counsel th succession to Mr. H. L. Drayton has given rias to no line Min. wont. Needlese to say, theta is many -a Toronto lawyer' who dorso not relish the idea of a $10,000 a year plum going to an outsider (for Mr. Meredith hails from LOW don) and who think that they aro just 70 Capable 02 handling the job as he: is, They, point out that Mr. Meredith, 1n his London praotioo has never been called up. on to handle oasoe of the imporianed that he will be required to deaf w',1, as To. ronto'e Corporation Coined,, and that his appointment with just a leap 01 the dark, At the same time the Meredith family has generale, in mental capaolty, proved equal to any job they have undertaken. A family that tine produced Ono Chief audio, ono ordinary Justice and a Bank manager ought to be able to provide a Cone/anima Counsel for Toronto. In Pana ilv elal1 y the Meredith family resembles the Oeley.:. At the same title it ie not altogether unnatural" that there should ease been come OemInent about T, G,'e speedy appointment. It calls attention to the fact that while Bir William Mere- dith never attained oMce as Pritne Minis- ter of Ontario be is to -day one of the most influential men in it. This remark is, by the way, because Sir William may not have known anything about the city counsel appointment. SIR JAME8 AND SIR WILLIAM. In Provincial matters, however, it is doubtful if Sir James Whitney has a higher regard for anyone's opinion than for that of bis predecessor in the leader • ship of the Conservative party. Loyalty to old friends is one of 51r James' most likeable qualities, and his loyalty to Sir William Meredith bas manifested itself more than ones. Toronto may and that an alliance with the Meredith family may not be unprofitable, oven if it dose cost $10,000 per annum, DR. BASTING'S CAMPAIGN. Dr. Hastings, who for the past year has been the city's Medioal officer of Health, continues to keep in the limeligbt. Titat le not to say that he is a self -advertiser, but he keeps himself talked about by reason of hie enthusiasm for his work, which le a vastly different thing. He bas made of the health office of the city a live institution and has brought It into closer contact with the daily livee of the people than perhaps 007 other depart- ment of government, municipal, provin- oial or federal. He has just oouoluded a vigorous swat the fly campaign, thereby arousing the interest of everyhousekcop- er in town. Ile has boeu insisting on covered garbage tins for every house, and has demanded that the fruit dealore who make elaborate sidewalk displays must keep fruit covered over. He has been protesting against noises tie being ,nand- ous to public health and has even gene eo far as to advise against the keeping of any early -crowing roosters within the city limits. He has suocended in making outside closets made illegal, a sweeping order which affects about one-quarter of the homes in the city. He has abolished the common drinking cup at public Souna tains and is installing a typo of foun- tain that can be used without a sup. IS THE DOCTOR FUSSY. And perme haps,e hal is over care eful. is fussy. the mac who is reopousible for the general health of a modern city has quite a caro on his shoulders and he realizes the ca- tastrophe to the shape of epidemic that always hangs over any one of the big centres - of population as other people don't. However, moat people give the M. H. 0. credit for doing something." The criticism which he probably feels is that which is coming from the work- ing people. A good many of his innova- tions, while making for the general com- fort and health of the city, moan conetd- erable expense to the poorer people. New garbage tins, forexample, are an item. The abolition of roosters outs off a source of revenue for many more. Covering up fruit brought a big protest from the small merchants, while the installation of in- side closets has brought an expense that thousands of families can ill afford, though it has brought a rich barveet to the plumbers. PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS QUIET. One of the dullest places in Toronto these August days are the offices at the Parliament Buildings. The staff are de- ppleted by reason of holidays. The min. teters are often away and business is pretty nearly at a standstill. The only excitement is paused by the motor bus loads of American tourists who make hourly pilgrimages to the seat of provin- cial government. They troup through the corridors, look at tho maps and the paint - Inge on the walls, peep in at open doors, and if they are ingood humor tip the guide who hoe shown them through. But 1t is a very vague notion of Canadian institutions that many of them gget. There are frequent inquiries if the Icing over comes here, and this year a great many fair tourists asked to see the Duke of Oonuaught.. 8 A DOG'S SAGACITY. With reference to the "homing" instinct of dogs the following strictly accurate story of my little terrier may prove interesting : I live in a village 21 miles from Lon- don. My dog was born and bred in Sussex, where he lived, until he came to me, and except for the train journey to London he had ne- ver been there. Having to leave home for a few weeks I tools my dog to the home of a friend in a thickly populated suburb of London. After three days a careless maid afforded him means of escape through the hall door. For four days he seemed to have completely disappeared, and then he was found in a half- starved condition on the doorstep of our home. I took .him to London by rail,. with three changes, and it as wevident from th scull c tson of his feet, that he had returned by, road, How the faithful little chap threaded hie way out of the tangle of streets into the country and then knew in which direction to travel is a mystery, `—et--� TURN YOUR TIME INTO MONEY • There is a firm in 'Detente who give hitm areas of men and women an opportunity to earn from $0,0.00 to $1,000,00 every year with but little effort, This firm mainline - times reliable family remedies, beautiful toilet preparations and many nennJsary household goods, such as baking powder, washing compounds, stove, furniture and metal polishes in all over one hundred preparations that aver, home ue a every. day. Just ono perseu iu Oath locality can secure extensive right free to distribute these propnrations to 'their neighbors, They pay 110 per cont. commission to, their agents. Dont Sou think 'yon better crease your income? If no, write The ilatio_atimtly, Co, Dept, 20 Morrill Build. ing, 'Toronto, Onf., for full particulars. Twelve milliong_ allons of beer are annually consumed in Italy, ,prong p001 people tlte]'e are 101018 deaths from measlrsthan firoln any other infectious disease, • THE MAST TRYING OF LISLE TERRORS AND ANXIETIES OF A DIAMOND MEIICHANT. Ever on the Look -out and Never Free From the Fear of Soule Terrible Happening. The other day a small news para- graph appeared in mane papers, stating that a diamond merohant'a agent had been the victim of a ole - ver theft, and had lost some thou- sands of pounds' worth of unset diamonds in oonsetiuenoe, says Lon- don Anawolos. Although the information was given little prominence, it was of great importance to the diamond reerohants of Hatton Garden.. for not one of them but lives in dread of a similar happening. London ie the head of the biggest diamond trade in the world, and there are at least a hundred man who walk about the streets with thousands of pounds' worth of precious stones in their possession. Occasionally, some of these men have in their pockets diamonds whose value would make a man wealthy for life, Then, while Lon- don is the great diamond mart of the world, curiously enough the world's great centra for the cutting of diamonds is Amsterdam. Hence precious stones, of fabulous value in the aggregate, are constantly being carried between London and the large Dutch city. KEEN VIGILANCE. Here, then, are afforded great chances for the thief, and the dia- mond merchant's agent is aware of this fact. The bank clerks who car- ry money from bank to bank have only short distances to travel, as a rule, along fixed routes; but the diamond agent has to be over on the look -out, and is never free from the fear of some terrible happen- ing. The agent is not provided with an armed guard, nor followed by de- tectives, Hence he knows he might be trapped if ever he lets his vigi- lance sleep. There is not a dark place or lonely part that he has to pass where he is not aware that he may be attacked and robbed of hie treasure. Consequently, he always travels along the most frequented routes. Then he has merely to face the sly thief, and not the murderous one. A sufficient guard is keen vigilance, though even that might fail, as re- cent cases have shown. Imagine the state of mind of a diamond merchant, who day after day possesses the feeling that some particular thief is watching him and keeping him under eye at every movement. A thief who has made himself aware of the facts may know that shah a merchant always carries a rich booty upon him, and so he may track the merchant month after month, in hopes that a chance may come. THE SIGHT OF A SHADOW. The merchant may know that he is being watched, and so as weeks pass into months, and month fol- lows month, the anxiety begins to tell upon his nerves. Be begins to fear the simplest things, until at last his mind itself may become al- most unliiuged under the strain. A diamond guardian thus may be possessed of the nameless horror for years. With many of them, however, vigilance and suspicion become se- cond nature. The sight of a sha- dow in a hotel may mean an alter- cation in the agent's' plane. It is a remarkable fact, and one re- dounding to the credit of the agent, that very few oases are known of embezzlement. Yet the reward would be rich indeed if the agent could get clear away from this country, There have been cases of cleverly planned bogus robberies,, but they have been very few, SOME QUEER SCHOOLS, Nowadays there are schools of all sorts. Not only do institutions where carious subjects are taught abound in Great Britain, but, they are to be found abroad as well. In St. Petersburg, for example, there is an institution where young men training for service as police m.ako a special study of the tools heed by professional thieves. 'There is a class devoted solely to the study of forgery, with y, w th paxtiatlla,r refect encs to the falsifying of signatures on passports. At Monte Carlo a School for croupiers is conducted. During the summer month's aspir- is a school for the instruction of ants for the cysts of croupier learn the operations of the gaming - tables. Each pupil must, from time to time, while others are imperson- sting players and making wagers, conduct Ilia ;game and learn' how instantly to pay out .the winning stakes. Six menthe' tuition. l gen- erally necessary. In Brussels there gravediggers. All candidates for appointment as sextons throtigho_iit Belgium must pass an examination at this�acheol before they can oh - appointment employment as grave -diggers, . A 'piece of camphor burnt over a candle will effeetlrallydrive away winged pests,