dor James J. Gerard from Berlin and handing passports to German Ambassador Bernstorff at Washington.

Feb. 4 (1824)-Congress adopted a resolution offering a ship to Marquis de Lafayette to bring him to America, year 1824. He accepted and arrived at New York on Aug. 15 of that year.

Feb. 4 (1861)-Convention of seven Southern states met at Montgomery, Ala., to organize the government of the Confederate States of America, year 1861.

Feb. 4 (1887)-The Interstate Commerce Commission was established, year 1887. Shelby M. Cullom of Illinois was the first chairman.

Feb. 5 (1631)-Roger Williams, founder of Rhode. Island, arrived in America at Boston, year 1631. He was the first leader of the principle of religious toleration in the American colonies.

Feb. 5 (1918)-Steamship Tuscania, carrying 119 officers and 2,037 men of the United States army bound to Europe for service in the German War, was torpedoed off the north coast of Ireland by a German submarine at nightfall, year 1918. The ship sank. The total loss was 183. This was the first troop ship carrying United States soldiers that was torpedoed by the Germans.

Feb. 6 (1756)-Aaron Burr born at Newark, N. J., year 1756; died at Port Richmond, Staten Island, N. Y., Sept. 14, 1836; buried at Princeton, N. J. Founder of what came to be known as the "political machine" in American politics. A man of brilliant talent, whose career stands out as a great and sad disappointment. In the Presidential election of 1800, he received 73 electoral votes; Jefferson received 73, and John Adams 65. The House of Representatives, on the 36th ballot, elected Jefferson as President, and Burr as Vice President. On July 11, 1804, Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Duelling was not then classed by law as criminal. He planned to establish a new empire, or else a republic in Texas or Mexico. For this he was charged

with treason, tried and acquitted. But overwhelming public opinion condemned him. He went to Europe, was distrusted by all governments and forced to wander, and was reduced to poverty. He returned to America in 1812, almost penniless. He settled in New York and practised law there for the remainder of his life, distrusted and feared by the public and by leading public men, yet idolized by some who succumbed to his extraordinary fascination.

Feb. 6 (1778)-The Treaty of Alliance with France. was signed at Paris on this date in the year 1778. The American agents and signers were Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane and Arthur Lee. On the part of France, the signer was Count de Vergennes, minister of foreign affairs under King Louis XVI. The American victory at Saratoga in October of the preceding year was the most potent influence in bringing about the treaty. (See "Saratoga," Oct. 7.)

Feb. 7 (1892)-Long distance telephone opened between New York and Chicago, year 1892. John Elbridge Hudson was then president of the American Bell telephone company.

Feb. 8 (1793)—Congress fixed the salary of the President at $25,000 per annum, year 1793.

Feb. 8 (1820)—William Tecumseh Sherman, soldier, born at Lancaster, Ohio, year 1820; died at New York, Feb. 14, 1891. Under Grant, he was the foremost general of the Union armies in the Civil War.

Feb. 8 (1861)-Congress of the Confederate States of America organized its government; it elected Jefferson Davis of Mississippi provisional president, and Alexander Stephens of Georgia provisional vice-president, year 1861. The acts of the Congress were later ratified by popular vote in each of the seceding states.

Feb. 9 (1773)-William Henry Harrison ninth President of the United States, born at Berkeley, Va., year 1773; died at Washington, April 4, 1841, aged 68

years. He was nominated for President by the Whig party in 1840, and elected. Electoral vote (26 States): Harrison, 234; Van Buren (Dem.), 48; James G. Birney (Liberal), 11. Inaugurated Mar. 4, 1841. One month later he died of pneumonia. He was colloquially known as "Tippecanoe" because of the battle at Tippecanoe, Ind., in 1811, when he commanded the U. S. army that annihilated the Indian force of Tecumseh and his brother "The Prophet."

Feb. 9 (1799)-Naval battle between the U. S. S. frigate Constellation and the French frigate Insurgente near the island of Martinique, West Indies, year 1799. An American victory. The battle lasted about one hour and fifteen minutes. The Insurgente was badly damaged and surrendered. The French loss was 70 men killed and wounded; the American lost 2 killed and 3 wounded. This was the most important battle in the pseudo war between the United States and France.

Feb. 9 (1814)-Samuel Jones Tilden born at New Lebanon, Conn., year 1814; died at his country home, "Greystone," near Yonkers, N. Y., Aug. 4, 1886. Was nominated for President by the Democratic party in 1876. Tilden received a popular plurality of 251,000 votes over Hayes, the Republican candidate, in the 37 states, but the electoral vote of Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina was claimed by both parties. Congress appointed an "Electoral Commission" of fifteen members to canvass the vote. This commission reported, on March 2, 1877, that Mr. Hayes had received 185 electoral votes and Mr. Tilden 184 electoral votes. So Mr. Hayes was inaugurated President three days later, on March 5th. In that year, March 4th fell on Sunday. (See March 4.)

Feb. 9 (1870)-Weather Bureau was established by Congress, year 1870.

Feb. 10 (1763)-First treaty of Paris signed, year 1763. End of the Old French and Indian War (lasted 1754 to 1763). Canada was ceded by France to England.

Feb. 11 (1735)-Daniel Boone, pioneer, born in Bucks County, Pa., year 1735; died at Charette, Mo., Sept. 26, 1820. Leader of the pioneers who settled Kentucky.

Feb. 11 (1847)-Thomas A. Edison, inventor, born at Milan, Ohio, year 1847.

Feb. 12 (1733)-Gen. James Oglethorpe and thirtyfive families from England, Ireland and Scotland, landed from the ship Ann at the site of Savannah, and settled the Colony of Georgia, year 1733.

BIRTHDAY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

February 12, 1809

In 1859, at the beginning of the campaign by Mr. Lincoln's friends in Illinois to nominate him for the presidency, in response to their urging, he, Mr. Lincoln, wrote a short autobiography of himself, which begins as follows:

"I was born February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families-second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks, some of whom now reside in Adams, and others in Macon counties, Illinois. My paternal grandfather, Abraham Lincoln, emigrated from Rockingham County, Va., to Kentucky, about 1781 or 2 where, a year or two later, he was killed by Indians, not in battle, but by stealth, when he was laboring to open a farm in the forest. His ancestors, who were Quakers, went to Virginia from Berks County, Pennsylvania. An effort to identify them with the New England family of the same name ended in nothing more definite than a similarity of Christian names in both families, such as Enoch, Levi, Mordecai, Solomon, Abraham and the like."

Lincoln's story of his life is one of the most modest autobiographies ever written by a great man.

He tells, "when I came of age, I did not know much. Still, somehow I could read, write and cipher to the Rule of Three; but that was all."

He was raised to farm work, in Kentucky, until he was 21 years old. Then he removed to Macon County, Illinois, and continued farm work. Next year he got a place as a clerk in a general country store at Salem, Illinois. When the Black Hawk Indian war broke out he was elected a captain of volunteers and went through the campaign. At the end of the war, he ran for the legislature of Illinois, but was beaten- "the only time I was ever beaten by the people," he remarks. He ran again, and was elected, and reelected twice-serving three terms at Springfield, the capital. During the period he studied law. From this time onward, he steadily rose, as a lawyer and orator. He closed his autobiography with the following: "If any personal description of me is thought desirable, it may be said, I am, in height, six feet four inches, nearly; lean in flesh, weighing on an average one hundred and eighty pounds; dark complexion, with coarse black hair, and gray eyes-no other marks or brands recollected."

He omitted to record the important fact that he married in 1842, Miss Mary Todd. Four children were born, of whom only the oldest, Robert Todd Lincoln, lived to maturity.

He did not consider it necessary to refer to the other great fact that he was a candidate for the U. S. Senate against Stephen A. Douglas, in 1858, and in this contest, had met his opponent in a series of seven debates during September and October, on the question of Slavery. This is the most famous debating contest in our history. Though Lincoln received more popular votes than Douglas-125,430 to 121,609, he was defeated, because of peculiarities in apportionment of the legislative districts. This campaign made him the leader of the anti-slavery, or rather the anti-secession cause in the nation.