HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1927-09-08, Page 3Material Being 'Collected
For New Scottish Dictionary
Committee, Which Appeals f or Assistance, Hopes to Pro. -
vide Continuous History of Words
Aberdeen.—'rhe Scottish dialects
committee has issued a statement 111
which it says that since 1908 it has
been engaged in collecting material
for a new Scottish dictionary; . The
stage has now been reached when an
appeal must be made to Scottish
patriots and Scottish societies all the,
world over for financial help to com-
plete this undertaking.
The cli'ctio'uary is after the model
of the new English dictionary and of
the English Dialect Dictionary. As
Dr, Craigie of Chicago University is
working at a Dictionary of Older
Scots, the committee proposes to
start its work with an approximate
date of 1700, briefly, incorporating in
its volumes the generalresults of. Dr.
Craigie's investigating so as to ex-
bibit, as far as possible, a continuous
history of each word.
Such a dictionary would show the
variants of all Scottish words in ex-
istence after 1700 with the typical
forms in the older language; give in
scientific form the ascertained pro-
nunciation of 'all existing words 'with
dialect variations; treat of their ety-
mology on the basis of historic fact
and in accordance with the methods
and results of modern philological
science; give (a) a brief summary of
the meanings of each word prior to
1700, and (b) from 1700 onward the
development in meaning as shown by
a series of quotations from Scottish
literature, public records, and living
speech,
An valuabblo Scottish material now
scattered in different dictionaries,
word collections, and dialect studies
will sooner or later be gathered into
one comprehensive work. It will
make a valuable contribution to tang -
Usti and comparative philology and
should command the enthusiastic sup-
port of all Scottish scholars„ The
committee's appeal, however, is not
to scholars -alone but to all Scotsmen
or descendants of• SEotsmen who have
a living interest in the language and
literature. A great proportion of the
work is being done by voluntary labor
and a scheme is being carried out to
co-ordinate the services ot a large
number of voluntary readers,
The local press is being invited to
help in collecting words, meanings,
and idioms, and the aim of the com-
mittee is to lay the foundation of the
new dictionary on the Labors of many
willing workers of all classes of the
community so as to make the under-
taking truly national. Part of the
cost of the schemer is being defrayed
by grants from the Carnegie Trust
(£20 for 1925-26 and 230 for 1926-
27).
OUR MINERAL WEALTH
New Canadian National Rail-
ways' Publication Deals
With Deposits From Coast
to Coast Across Dominion
Montreal.—'?While the world is re-
cording a decrease in the production
of gold, Canada is gradually showing
an increase and is rapidly reaching
second place as a source of supply,
it is stated in a new publication cover-
ing mines and mineral resources of
the Dominion of Canada, now being
issued by C. Price -Green, F.R.G.S,.,
Commissioner, Departznent of Natural
Resources for the Canadian National
Railways. The booklet, which is now
available for distribution, deals ex-
tensively with the mineral resources
of the Dominion, both metallic and
non-metallic, and points out that:
"The value of our mineral production.
has risen from loss than 23 million
dollars to over 241 million in 1926;
our waterpower development, the
potent force behind our mining, pulp
and paper and general industrial de-
velopment, has risen from a few
thousand horse power to 4,556,000
h.p.; the export of pulp and paper,
:from practically nothing to 173 mil-
lion; and our foreign trade from 221
million dolars to over 2,000 million,
representing the largest per capita
export in the world. Many other ex-
amples could be given, but these alone
explain why Canada's progress is in-
spiring so much confidence in invest-
ors at home and abroad."
Dealing with the pre -Cambrian
Shield, which stretches from Labra-
dor almost to the basin of the Mac-
kenzie, the in troduction to the book-
let states: "The major portion of this
country is unsurveyed and un.pros-
petted; still sufficient is now known
o fits geological structure to provide
evidence of its latent wealth. The
copper -gold deposits of Northwestern
Quebec; the nickel -copper mines of
Sudbury; the silver of Cobalt, South
Lorrain, Miller Lake and Gowganda;
the gold of Porcupine, Kirkland Lake
and areas contiguous in the Provinces
of Manitoba and Quebec; the iron,
gold, silver and other ores of Thunder
Bay and Rainy River miffing dis-
tricts; copper, gold and various other
minerals in The Pas district of Mani-
toba, all give some idea of what the
future holds in store for Canada, with-
in the folds of this great region—the
greatest single exposure of pre -Cam-
brian rock in the world—greater than
all others combined In view of what
is said in the foregoing as to the na-
ture of the formation of the Archean
Shield, it is, indeed, probable that
phenomenal discoveries will continue
to be made from time to time. It
must be borne in mind that at present
only a minimum of work has been
done by men who have, mohe or less,
rapidly 'covered the country contigu-
ous to its waterways."
Opening of the Canadian
Rockies to Motorists
Among the long -closed regions of
wonder and romance into which a way
has at last been found are the Cana-
dian Rockies. Each year the door
opens a little farther, until now a
good part of the most beautiful sec-
tions of these glorious ranges is with-
in the motorist's reach. Theopening
this year of The Kicking Horse Trail,
linking up Yoho National Park by mo-
tor with the outside world, marks the
fulfilment of one more .daring engiu-
eering conception.
"This is Edison Speaking" Heard -
on Phonograph's Half Century
Inventor Repeats Over Radio "Mary Had a Little Lamb,"
First Message of Talking Machine
Llewellyn Park, N.J.---Fifty years
have elapsed shoe Thomas A. Edison
recited the words, "Mary had a little
lamb" into the transmitter of bis first
phonograph, Recently on the front
of his home here, amid a distinguished
gathering, he recited the sante words
fate a microphone, which carried them
to millions of "listeners in" all over
the laird.
Besides being the fiftieth anniver-
sary of the invention of the phono-
graph, it was• Mr. Edtson's first time
"on the air."
"How do you like talking over the
radio?" he was asked, or rather the
question as well as a number of others
Was written for him to read.
"I don't like it," be said. Mr. Edison
seemed somewhat las at ease as he
stepped before the micraphou e, or sev-
eral microphones, which had been
placed in front of a stand by Station
WOR.
"This Is Edison Speaking"
"This is Edison speaking," he said
in a low voice, then repeated it a trifle
louder: "This is Edison speaking."
Their he drew back a little and look-
ed
ooked at the strange little disk in front
of bine with a tiuizz1eal expression and
con tlnusd:
"The first words I said to the orig-
inal model phonograph was a lithe
poera that went,
Mary had a little lei.mb -
Its fleece was wbite ate snow,
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb wag, sure to go.
That wasp the inventor's • story, and
as he finished the backed away froth
the microphone, waving his hand in a
manner which eeeianed to indlent-et
"Well, I'm glad theta', over," and sat
down.
Tben he told 'reportene and guests
how the idea of the phonograph carne
to him.
All He Hand to Cis
"1 ivaS working roe a tele'arh tram
matter employing a disk like the
phonograph record disk," he said.
"The -dots and dashes were indented
on a paper disk. 13y speeding up the
disk unduly the dots and dashes pro.
duced musical sounds, so all I brad to
do was to substitute a diaphragm with
a point to record voices."
Reporters then submitted a ques-
tionnaire, following the usual method
of interviewing the inventor. Asked
what he thought of the next presi-
dential campaign, Mr. Edison replied:
"I don't do any thinking on that
subject." -'
Asked about Mr. Coolidge's state-
ment declining to be a candidate in
1928, Mr. Edison answered: "If
things carne to a block, bbey may force
him to run,"
Mr. Edison said he would not fol-
low Henry L'ord's 'example and take
an airplane ride. He had never been
up in the air, he eatd. The recent
transatlantic flight he characterized
as "stunts which always follow pio-
neering in new things."
"What do you believe ate phone -
graph has contributed to eivilization?"
he was asked.
"It bas niade lire a little more at-
braotive:: and expeci.i'ted business trans-
action"
"Which of your inventions, in your
opinion, has' contributed most to the
comfort of humanity?"
"Incandescent Nights, and power eys-
tenie with moving picturesa good
second,"
Roses Froin a tittle GIN
One of the pretty features of the
celebration vate3 the p'resent'ation of a
bunch of 50 yellow roses' by Betty At-
well; email daughter of cue of the Edi-
son salesmen in' 13betea Stooping
over, Mr, Edison patted the :little girl%
curia' head and wan rewarded with a
smile that indicated tht she was alto•
gather delighted With the whole Pett
rorreatee,
Adult Education.
Students of child psychology have
ever been impressed with the pia
ticity of children's minds. They are
50 easily and quickly molded, an
they retain with such firmness th
stamp of others' influence. Adults, o
the other hand, have been thought o
as fixed in the lines of their ehildhoo
and youth, William James said
"Outside their own business, the idea
gained by men before they are 25 ar
practically the only ideas theyshe
have in their lives. They cannot ge
anything new;"
Recent studies of the capacity o
grown ped$le to acquire knowledg
and fresh skill indicate the scrappin
of an old notion. A booklet issued b
the American Library Association 1
filled with such a variety of proof
that adults can learn, and moreove
that they are eager to do so, that en
thusiasm about the possibilities brim
over. One of the most interesting re
ports is that of Professor E. L. Thorn
dike, of Teachers College, Colunibi
University. During the past ew
years he has conducted experiment
with two groups, one averaging in age
42, the other 22. Both were compared
with a group of children. The adults
were taught to write with the wrong
hand, to operate the typewriter, and
there were classes in algebra, science
foreign languages, &c. For all thes
groups there were classes in readin
spelling, arithmetic and other ele
mentary school subjects. In general
both adult groups Learned more rapid-
ly than the children. The older group
of adults learned almost as rapidly as
the younger roughly, about five -
sixths as fast. The conclusion is that
ability to learn increases until about
20, when it remains stationary fete*time, and then declines very gradual-
ly. No one under 50 should be -deter-
red from trying to learn something
new by the fear of being too old, and
even after 50 the decline is so slow
that the attempt to Iearn is still well
worth while.
Not lack of ability, but lack of op-
portunity or desire to learn, now ap-
pears to be the reasonable explana-
tion why adutta so seldom learn a new
language or a now trade. Both op-
portunity and desire have greatly in-
creased everywhere in this country
in recent years. Which one causes
the other, if they are cause and ef-
fect, cannot • be decided, so closely
have they moved together along a ris-
ing plane. Correspondence schools
are a of the general development.
Perhaps they have somewhat stimu-
lated the yearning for higher educa-
tion, certainly they have taken ad-
vantage of it, The Public Library of
Newark reports that about ten thous-
and young people in that city, mostly
men between 20 and 32 years of age,
pay yearly more than $200,000 to conrespondeuce schools. These young
men have had little formal education
and are mostly working at trades not
requiring great skill. They aro keen-
ly aware of the handicap of ignor-
ance, and enthusiasm and the simplic-
ity of the first lessons carry them on
until the fourth and fifth, which are
apparently made very difficult for the
purpose of discouraging the purchaser
of the course. He has paid in advance
for ten or twenty lessons, but seldom
takes more than three. Newark in-
vestigators say that "less than 10 per
cent, complete the courses for which
they pay."
The Newark Library is bent on giv-
ing thede would-be learners help. It
cannot take the place of au honest
correspondence school, with its spe-
cial textbooks, lessons in series and
checking up of students' papers. But
t is making out lists of books suit-
able for students of technical sub-
ectS, and the advisers are prepared
to give personal advice to student -
workers who want to "]earn to do be-
er work and to get better pay." Last
year a rhinion books, hot novels, were
oared to Newarkers.
Personal contact between borrowers
nd the library staff in any town
Mute to an interesting :phase of lib-
rary work The librarian of the Ban -
or Public Library observed that a.
emarkabie'increase in the reading of
oetry among adult borrowers bad
ken place. It was explained by the
act that the two assistants ail charge
tiring the busiest hours of the day
ailan unusual knowledge and in -
Brest in that department of 'itera-
tive., They had fired their clients
ith a like ardor. I]xehange of 'ser-
ene' lettere in thinly settled rural
istricts gives the isolated student a
huller incentive. The librarian of
issoula, Mont., had been sending
ooks by parcel i est to a homestead -
rat fatally in the mountains niitety
ilea away. It is ' worth while to
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111
With the steady advance of Rouyn
mining securities it is of interest to
note the process of Ruoyn towards
real eityhood.. It provides a remark-
able example of civic evolution.. Not
so long ago a mere outport of civili-
zation, this thriving community, the
centre of the exploitation of northern
Quebec's mineral wealth, may to -day
be favorabbly compared in point of
thorough municipal organization and
public convenience with any com-
munity of its size in the old -establish-
ed parts of the province of Quebec.
Above is a general view of the town
together with the huge smelter, so-
called the "Horne," a notable engin-
eering achievement, the immense
chimney of which rises to a height ot
432 feet.
quote from a letter written by the
homesteader's wife, for it reflects the
happiness of thousands of others who
are finding delight in reaching out for
knowledge. She first acknowledged
receipt of nine's "History ot Eng-
lish Literature" and Arnold's "Essays
in Criticism," which were supplemen-
tary •reading is a correspondence
school course she was taking. Infor-
mation of other study follows:
My husband wishes to thank you
for the many informative books he
has had on forestry, geology, soils and
the birds and animals of this particu-
lar region. We have extended our
horizon and look forward to many
happy hours to come, where formerly
we dreaded the winters. Surety no
better place could be found for quiet
study of deep subjects.
It is a long letter, with accounts of
neighbors who have come ten or fit -
teen miles to "study the book on Pre-
cious 'stones and minerals," or "to
study the Alpine flower book," pre-
paratory to identifying the flora of the
near -by glacier. The entire letter,
like the entire subject of adult edu-
cation, may be drawn to a point in
one sentence of hers—"It is to renew
one's youth:
•
•
A 'Thorough Cook.
Size—"I5 your wife a thorough
cook?"
He—"Very—gets boiling road and
roasts everybody in the house every
time she has to prepare a meal.
Cantonese Military header, General
Chang ra-KwoL
Declares Dutch
GENERAL MOTORS
GOLD MINE
TO LUCKY FEW
An original l.uyestnrrent of 100,
shares of General Motors stock Ig'
worth froze, 41,430,000 to over $2,000,4
000,
Rad the purchaser of 100 shares of:
the original .stock in 1808 for _$10,0001
retained his holdings and exercised,
the various rights offered, his cash,
investment at present would be $99,
500. His holdings would be 7,260
shares', and the total value of his in,
vestment at the recent high of 230%
would have been $2,028,538. Included
in this total is $350,309 of cash divid
ends received and $1,078,230 as mar'
ket value of the investment, Had the
purchaser failed to exercise the right;
offered, his holdings would be 5,04,
shares and the total value of the $10,
000 investment $1,430,442, includini
$265,216 of dividends received and
1,165,226 market value of his hold
legs.
The plan to issue new shares fol
Sister Lan iva, a each present share outstanding is the
ninthchange in eommon-share capi.
tal structure since .originally forme
in 1908. It is the eighth change sine
General Motors was listed on the Ne
York Stock Exchange sixteen years
ago. When the original New Jerse
company was listed in 1911 there were]
outstanding 158,223 shares of $100 pa
value common. Initial transaction wel
the exchange was 51%.
Public Service
Leeds Yorkshire Post (Cons.): Time,
may come when the Dominions wills
exceed in wealth and power the Moth
er Country, Tho next slaty years
!may be as eventful as the last sixty)
years. Acity 'on the St. Lawrence
may rival the city on the Thames. But
the triumph of the Dominions will
bring no bitterness to Englishmen at
home. They share too keenly in the
prosperity of the Dominious and there
is scarcely a man or woman in Eng
land who does not speak with pride'
of some relative who is seeking hist
career in scene part of the British Enn
pire. It is, perhaps, easier for the
dweller on a small island than for the
cultivator on a vast semi -continent to
to think imperially; for he has to look
fa'r afield for his food and \.cows him-
self to be dependent upon the Do-
minions. Whatever be the future of
the Dominions, let us hopo that they
will not forget the essential duty of
cultivating a public spirit. Public
service has :without doubt saved Eng.
land from disaster, and there may
come a crisis to any one of the Do-
minions which can only be surmount-
ed
urmounted by public loyalty and sacrifice:
Public service fs a sound corrective. '
Tomato Cannery Waste Used
To Remove Stains on Clothes
More Like English of %A11
Continental Tongues,
Authority States
Authorities writing in a Scottish
Journal of recent issue have declared
that of all languages Dutch is the
most like English, according to infor-
mation received at the consul in Mont-'
real for the Netherlands.
It is literally true that "Old English
is Dutch," says the authority, even if
"Dutch courage" as conceived in Eng-
land is no token of valor in the Neth-
erlands. Though it is a most obscure
language, besides which "Russian and
Presian and Turkish and Sanskrit are
everyday studies," Dutch is "the half-
sister of our native tongue," says the
Scottish Educational Journal. The
land of cocoa, windmills, dykes and
clog -shoes has given us our words
"yacht," sloop," "field" and many
others of shipping familiarity, says
the authority.
He quotes a sentence regarding a
ship collision and another regarding
an excursion train trip, to show the
ease with which even unscholastic
People may read Dutch. "Het Engel -
eche stoomschip is gisteren in botsing
gekomen met eon Spaansch scliip.
Het Spaansch is gozonken." Also:
"i3oekt hier uwe passage near Can-
ada.
anada. Extra treinen near Hengelo."
to .3
� ry
---r
He—Let me take you out where it's
deeper?'
She—"No. I prefer to hug the
shore."
Tomato -cannery waste, formerly
discarded, has been discovered to bo
worth 6 cents a gallon in Italy. where
laundries now utilize it to remove
stains from linen, .particularly collars.
says "Popular Mechanics 1Viagazine."
The clothes are soaked in vats of the
diluted cannery by-product for an
hour, by which time the stains are so
thoroughly loosened that they can be
washed out with little soap and prac.
tically no rubbing.
ANTIPODES STUDIES STATES
Delegation Is Impressed Wit h Cordial Relations Between
Employer a nd Employee
Houston. Texas.—Purposing to in-
quire into relations between emplorer
and employee throughout the United
States, to study American efficiency
in industrial management and to in-
vestigate the efficiency in the person-
nel of manufacturing plants, 14 mem-
bers of the Australian industrial dele-
gation were in Houston for inspee-
tiou trips of all the major industries
in this region.
"All of the key industries in Aus-
tralia are run on a basis of appren-
ticeship," said C. J. Menden, chair-
man of the delegation and secretary
of the Australian Society of Engin-
eers. "The Society of Engineers num-
bers 8000 members, and every mem-
ber is apprenticed to his trade at the
age of 16. Five years must bo served
in satisfactory manner before full
membership may be procured. This
system holds true in our major indus-
tries."
Labor in all the basic industries of
Australia is virtually 100 per cent.
unionized, declared Mr. Menden.
Strikes and lockouts are unknown,
he continued, for the law provides for
arbitration in all labor disputes. If
the matter cannot be adjusted to the
astisfaction of the employer and his
employees, it is settled by a court of
three judges. The decision of this
court is final. A Vino of 250 a clay is
assessed against the union for each.
day a strike continues after the
court's decision or against the em-
ployer in case of a lockout.
American Wanted There
"Our group is studying the relation-
chip between industrialist and em-
fld lee, hot between capitalist and lo -
borer," explained Mr. Mundeu. "We
have been forcibly impressed by the
Splendid relations that exist between
the ;two parties Tho mnanufecturers'
of this country are to bo envied.,
"With our 6,500,000 population in
Australia, the interior of our country
is virtually unscratched. 'tot nearly
every mineral known to -day :i found
there. We watt Americans who can
establish secondary industries and as,
silt in building tip our vast tinile-
veloped territories. We intend to
take back with us the key to Ameri-
lean progress that we may develop
along similar lines."
E. A. Doyle, member of the deke-
l!gation and representative of the Aus-
Itralian press, complimented tbo high
standards of journalism in America,
but regretted the dearth of European
news. Mr. Doyle observed that pro-
vincialism tended to characterize
American newspapers..
"In glancing over your newspapers,
I have found few articles owned from
Australia, yet Australia is one ot
America's largest trade countries," he
said. American-made automobiles far
outnumber those from other court -
tries in Australia, and 90 per cent. et
the elation picture Sims exhibited In
Australia come from Hollywood. I
could cite many other instances
where American-made products aro
preferred above other foreign com-
modities,"
Cotton Growing increases.
One labor problem which has been
a puzzle in the southern United
States is non-existent in Australia, ac-
cording to M. P. Campbell, another
member of the delegation and presi-
dent of the Queensland Chamber of
Manufacturers, Brisbane. Discussing
the similarity in climatic and soil ccu-
ditions of Queensland and Texas, Mr.'
Campbell said "the cotton-picking
season in Queensland lasts as long as
seven months. For this reason, tho
farmer can easily handle the gather.
beg of his cropwithout Mein addl-
tional- labor. mple time is afforded
hint to pick laic cotton, and there is
no danger of overmaturity or adverse
weather conditions,
"While cotton growing is still in its
infancy, the .possibilities for develop.
moat are favorable. Good cotton
Wei May be procured for as little as
20 shlliegs—about $4 -per acre. On
the uplands; cotton may to grown as
either an annual 01 a perennial crop,
Profitable yields have been obtained
from the same planting for as long as;
three years, and many tanners grow
annual and perennial crops simtlitro.
ousiy.." «,,10. -