Chums No. 785, Vol. XVI — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Srr Evetxyn Woop says that experience has shown him that the most valuable gift is not cleverness, but ability to work with persever- auce and determination. —-¥— Mr. Frank Dicxsrx, the famous pamter, was educated at a private school in Blooms- bury until he was sixteen. Before he was seventeen he qualified for the Royal Academy schools. Dela cles Mr. S. R. Crocxrrr, the novelist, is very fond of astronomy, and his study in his Scottish home is fitted up as an observatory. He generally gets up in time to watch the sun rise, and then works on to breakfast time with his typewriter. oo Soot Mr. Hpwarp Terry was in the City before he decided, at the age of nineteen, to go on to the stage. In his first pantomime engage- ment he wrote all the songs, half the libretto, and played the chief part at a salary of less than a pound a week. He played eighteen new parts a week, and wrote comic songs which he sang himself. —_—xk— Krive Epwarp made his first speech in puolic when he was ten years of age. He was Mea Newcastle with Queen Victoria, and thanke some member of the Corporation for presenting him with a handsome paper-cutter. His first official speech as Prince of Wales, however, was delivered at Shorncliffe when he was eighteen, just before he set sail for Canada. a as Mr. H. W. Lucy, the well-known he Sepia’ was intended at first for commercial life, and he says that if his parents’ wishes had been carried out he would be now a very indifferent clerk in the hide and valonia business. He decided that he preferred newspaper work, and after teaching fisnsels shorthand, he looked out for an opening on the Press. He an- swered advertisement after advertisement for months, until at last his chance came. Ae ae Marx Twarn is said to have written an amusing letter to Mr. Carnegie, the million- aire, some time back, in which he asked him for a contribution of one dollar and fifty cents from his enormous income. ‘‘When I was a oung man,’’ he said, ‘my mother gave me a ymn-book, which I faithfully used. It is now, thanks to my efforts, worn out, and I think it should be replaced, and you are the man to do it”’ He added, however, an anxious post- script, saying: ‘‘Don’t send the hymn-book ; send the one dollar and fifty cents. —*x— Dr. Macnamara, M.P., speaking at the dis- tribution of prizes to boys of the training-ship Exmouth, invited them to make an acrostic motto from the word “Prize,” a motto which they could follow there and in after life. “What stands for the first letter, ‘P’?” he asked, and a number of boys shouted, “ Punctual.” The other letters were treated in the same way, and then a small boy came forward by request, and gave the whole result, *Punctual, regular, industrious, zealous, en- thusiastic.” “Yes,” said Dr. Macnamara, “those are the essential qualities for men or boys.” Lee Dr. Joserm Joacnim, the great violinist, who died recently, was born of Jewish parents near Presburg, in Hungary. He had a small fiddle of his own before he was five years old, and three years later performed at a private con- cert, astonishing everyone by his powers. In- deed, one paper wrote: ‘This clever boy will one day create an epoch in the art world, and it will be gratifying to us to have been the first to pode i atl to the spread of his fame.” Joachim came to London in his thirteenth year. He was then a gawky lad, with a grim, short- sighted expression on his thick, somewhat heavy features. CHUMS. Down the Pipe. si ity sol FEW years ago a fire occurred ea +8 Sotne as a Saaediing school, and as the ri case was well alight before if was yeesite si the pupils had to seek some other mea escape, ‘ ; The companion to an elderly on ney was reading the newspaper report of te na to her, which stated that several boys escap down a water-pipe at the back of the hone At this statement the old lady exclaime i “But how thin the poor dears must have been!” Up-to-date. i . In Moscow (says a traveller) I saw a little eae crying miserably one afternoon. He nn slowly down one of the principal streets, an his howls and gestures of despair soon brought a big crowd around him. ; “What is the matter, my child? What troubles you?” everyone said. The boy paused finally. He looked at the crowd which he had caused to assemble. Then, lifting up his voice, he shouted in a shrill treble: “I am lost. Will somebody please take me home to Ivan Troubetapoy, the chazapion clothier, who has just got ia his new stock of winter overcoats, suits, neckties, shirts, hats, and umbrellas, which he will sell cheaper than any one else in the city.” For Winter Months. In the autumn (a naturalist recently said) the birds and beasts of the countryside occupy themselves in preparing their supplies of winter clothes and bedding just as human beings would do. And by their winter clothes (he continued) I do not mean merely the extra thick suits of fur or feather, but all kinds of artificial rugs and blankets, which they manufacture themselves. Take, first, the water rats, which are famous blanket makers. They fill their lairs in autumn with sheets of the grey vegetable down that grows on various plants in the marshes and by the banks of rivers and brooks. Their beds are often composed of the soft heads of reeds that have been dried and ripened by the autumn sun, with rushes and vegetable down for bed- elethes, Then there are the field mice, which make their winter beds with layers of dried grass and dead leaves. They are also fond of a few stray feathers and moss, but most of all they prize the white fluff of a kind of grass which makes for them a luxurious mattress. Curiously enough, they do not care for sheep’s wool or the hair of any animal, warm as it would be. Weasels, on the other hand, despise feathers, and are partial to hay and also a ried thistles (a prickly sort of bed one would_ suppose), They hunt for wool or hair, and, when they have collected sufficient, weave it up with the hay into a very snug bed. MORE PRIZES FOR CHUMS ABROAD. | ho connection with our recent “Map” Comnetition, we made a special offer of Twexty Haypsome VoLunes for the best Maps sent by readers resident outside the British Isles, the ages of the competitors being, of course, taken into consideration. We were gratified by the large number of really excellent Maps received from abroad; and to mark our anpreciation of so much meritorious work, we are awarding Twanty-rive Votumxs instead of the Twenty promised, Here is the list of winners:— 25 HANDSOME VOLUMES, §. Ratherfoord, 87, Berea Road, Bertrams, Johannesburg, Trans- vaal; N. D, Griffin, Wellington, New Zealand; 3. L. Rao, Mari- Spey 9 Be High School, Mysore, India; GC. L, udsou, 898, Punt Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia; H. W. Hurst, Mouat Vernon, 2, Mul Street, Cape Town, South Africa; WB. Baker, 5, Chureh Streot, Montreal, Canada; BE. Clarke, Helvidere Streot, Perth, West Australia; D. Waylen, 47, Rue Galilde, Paris: W, a, Bromehead, P.O. Box 413, Bulawayo, Rhodesia, South Africa: N. Whittock, 288 Fourth Avenue W. Gale Al fe Naidu, M. M. H. School, Mysore, India; J. Turner, Marden Payneham, South Australia; F. Eokel, 87, Wi Spain, Trinidad, B.W.1,; BE. M, Koch, Victoria Terrace. Station, Calcutta, India; H. A. Osborn, mariteburg, Natal; J. W, Althorpe, 214, York Street, Sw Australia; H. B. Pereira, 250, Bow Bazaar Street, Ca! RL cry, Rhodes Avenue, Mowbray, Cape Oolony; J. Oosthugen, Vogolstruisleegte, Cape Colony; A. Hendry, Gordon Road, Masgicl, Otago, New Zealand; 8.A, Wijavatilake, Dj armaraja College, Kandy Ceylon; J. Mortimer, $%, Simith Strest. iti Melbourne Australia ; Marison, 3, Market Street, Stelienboach, Ena Halton eee os Moe sd THROUGH THE HOLE IN TE D (A Long Complete Story) 2 «“ TT is all very well to say that I are petit (Ts over all India, can tell what goes on m these palaces of native princes, who art least little bit less cruel than——" ce “Wark! What bh that? Jeff ceased his: discourse, — stares over the camp fire with his listened intently, but the on reached their ears were the far-aw the wolf pack hunting, and the whi ten-foot jungle grass that fringed a “You are nervous to-night,’” laugh “Nervous or not,” answered “I’ve an uncomfortable sensation being tracked. We are in forbidde) now, and the Maharajah of Pumpor be pleased.” . “Pleased? If Shere Vihara gets and learns what we are in his terr I'm afraid our lives will not be worth head.” i Hal looked apprehensively into the then drew a little closer to the fire. there was a good deal of truth in his words. The Maharajah, who was noto1 certain infamous cruelties which the” ment had politely suggested had stopped, detested the British rule, tained a deadly hatred for his snz loyalty was a thing very much to be and it had long been suspected that planning mischief. He was a ver: rince, and the matter called for delicacy of treatment. Captain Dick the father of Jeff and Hal, had made a to penetrate the Maharajah’s court in the of a Hindoo. It was an undertaking f with peril, for the prince would have no E pean within ten miles of his palace, “You may go,” the officer was told; “but. you do not come back it is understood that» cannot £° and demand you with a couple guns. You take your life in your hands, The ie ia went—to learn what he co the treachery of Shere Vihara and his dai coceraeeiie : < av was six months back. No ne heard of the officer, and at last Jeff pt determined to enter the forbidden territory an attempt to ascertain what had become their father. Just now, by their camp fire, th were considering on what bold motive might enter the palace itself, at «., Disguise ,18 Out of the question,” said Ji and as-——” He completed the sentence a howl of “Murder!” and reeled forward, mis op Pir fire by a hair’s-breadth. meone hit me between the der gasped Jeff, snatching at his Baaicn , Both boys bly gi a few feet into the sur rounding gloom, but could see nothing. They had built their fire at the foot of a tall tree, and there was a natural clearing for half ae dozen yards round. It was hard to understan, how anyone could have approached, dealt the ok ogy modes off without being seen, oa u mus ave i i it Pet suggested Ha, e imagined it, old fellow, 4 » indeed!” cried Jeff, with an ag casm. “Let me hit you on the back wi ‘the sch of a peeling vam, and then tell you that lmnagined it! my spine isn’ injured for all time" ee At that moment Hal interrupted with a tag of fright. There was a sound like the fa : of a steam hammer, and Hal shot f and went down heavily. In an instant he was on his feet, staring round wildly, “It—it hit met” he cried. “What on ——