The New York Times from New York, New York • Page 41

T3B NEW YORE TIMES. SUNDAY. JANUARY ICtL GEN, CHRISTMAS. A DUMAS HERO LIFE How a Visit to an Oculist Changed Him from a Humdrum New Orleans Engineer to an Adventurer and Soldier of Fortune in Honduras. LEE jA-T Tli CpfUl of Honduras, TerurfrIp EN.

LEB ChRIHTMAB. IBS bmi spectacular figure in central America to-day. became a soldier of fortune bKUN be could net a red from a green switch mm. Born fn Livingston Parish. Louisiana, Christmas grew up nursing a well-ground-e4 ambition to become an engineer on one of the sight-driver passenger engines of the Illinois Central Railroad, and almost succeeded.

At that time the road was developing the fast express banana train business out of Now Orleans. The tojui ptlotod by Christmas draw many of these train. One day the osa-tneers on the Now Or-leans Division were ordered to report to a fw Orleans oculist for examination. The boys war In nappy mood. It wm merely a now bit of rod Up which th old man had devised, oo thoy thought.

anJ thoy liked the old man." Oirlntmas cam In lata and took up hit position at tho cad or tho lino. Caaoy, Carroll, and tha othor boys got their 0. K. allpo and 'hurried "away. Then oame Chrlstmes's turn.

Tho first test was enough. II had lost tits sense of color and could not toll a danrer light from a clear traok light. In an Instant both hope aid th ambition of a lifetime faded away could never hold tho throttle of an eight-driver passenger engine, or of any other angina, Mtn, and Christmas turned to tba nearby window to hide his emotion. Down below were th tops of th lower olldlngs and below these the crowded streets. He saw many men whose occupations had not flown out of a window as Mr had Just don.

He leaned a bit. Th drop was eheer fifty feet to the atone pavement, a hard landing, to be sura, but. oh! so certain. Why not? Th oculist who had watched tha man closely spoke to him. He turned.

Th vision of th pavement below gone. Christmas changed his mind and left the building. Ho had much to think of. How could a oolor-bllnd engineer make a living Where should he turn first? walked away I FAMOUS AQUARIUM TO BE ENLARGED Plans Ready for a Much Larger Structure Needed to Accommodate the Ever NEW TORK Is to have a new Aquarium, to th largest and best quipped Institution of th kind In th world. This was announced by Madison Grant.

Chairman of th Executive Committee, at the annual meeting of the Now York Zoological Society last week when It was stated that th city would be asked this Spring for a bond Issue for th erection of a new building, absolutely necessary to accommodate the crowds which pour Into th present bunding, packing It to the walla While It has not been officially stated. It Is understood that th city will be asked for a total of about 11.000.000. to be appropriated In Installments as needed. In addition to the cramped quarters for visitor, th tank space has been found to be Inadequate to meet the ambitions of the Zoological Society. To Invest the proposed enlarged Institution with the best ideas which hav been worked out In similar institutions In th larg cltls of th world, ths Director, Dr.

Charles H. TowDsond. will be sent abroad In a few weeks to Inspect the aquariums In Europe. Every worthy new development Is to Introduced In th Institution her. The last twelvs months hav been devoted to a very careful revision of the praaminary plans for tha proposed en-lertoment, and many preliminary questions as to the general contour of tha tenons hav been practically settled.

TUy hav been submitted to tho authorities ta a preliminary manner, and hav eo far only wtth favorable comment. Advantage will also be taken of th nlqua opportunity to establish on of th tmtest xUtlng biological laboratories In aonaactlon therewith. Mr. J. Stewart Bar-y has been engaged as th architect by th society, and th accompanying plans and elevations were prepared by him.

and tare been approved by th society. Owing to th enormous amount of spac lest In th present old building on account th thick walls and bomb-broot oom-Hrtmenta, the amouiit of space actually avsJlabi for th work of th Aquarium as Mw stands Is a very small percentage the amount of area covered by th KQdlag. Th' much needed additional Jaee vJi- acquired by th removal of treat thick walls and bomb-proof and by adding two stories to heigh; of the present structure. This tll provide 1.0D3 running feet of glass. hlea Is practically three time th preset capacity, giving approximately 882 flke.

These tanks will be on th main and th two galleries running around entire Interior. They will be lighted aw above, which will produce oondl-ons nearer those existing In nature, and ujerofor much better for th welfare of exhibit. The llghC coming down wougn th water and th glass fronts, throws th exhibition In bold relief, and th opportunity of producing Jattful and startling effects for th spo standing In comparative darkness. two galleries will be connected with main floor and with each other by rradient as woU as four flights Abroad and easy stairs. By this arrange-th problem of handling th enorm-crowds on thre levels, without the of elevatorst has been solved.

tta main floor provision has been for thre larg floor tanks and nt iaaller tanks, all of which are larg tot from the congested streets. Th vote of th harbor called him. It led away somewhere. Th aroma of bananas caught hte nostrils. A steamer preparing to sail attracted him.

He walked aboard and leaned over th a rail. An hour later, when th ship was Well on her way. th purser touched Christmas on th shoulder and asked for bis tlaScet, Christmas In turn lnautred as to what part of th world th ship Was going and paid th amesed purser a far to tha first port of cell. It happened ta be Puerto Cortes, Honduras, A fresh revolution had just broken out In Honduras. 'Both side needed recruits, and soldiers of fortune from th States were in greater demand than supply.

Manuel Bonllla found Christmas first. And this is why Chrlstmaa became Manuel's best friend and PoUoarpo BoniUa's worst enemy. New Orleans draws tha Oratral American exile aa tha Great Whit War drawe th actor out of a Job. It tha bom of th original Junta. There are colonies of them her, and tha newcomers find a warm and sympathetic welcome.

They hav their favorite cafes, wher tha sins of their enemies are rehearsed and wher th Ways and Means Committee of aeon particular sot of out works ceaselessly to get them In again. Hera th big plans are hatched. Newspaper Row long ago learned to watch the sjnfe tables, not th news cables, for signs of frasU trouble. New Orleans being th goal and plaoa of hibernation for the Central American exile, and also th nearest North American large port, is th-logical point 'for th soldier of fortune, with an eye on the little republlo to the southward, to drop In on, as at least one of the little countries Is always available as a seen of activity for the Incipient Napoleon. Many a Cuban campaign against the mother country was planned tn a certain eaf 8 not far below Canal Street.

In the early fifties William Walker Journeyed down tha Mississippi River from Tennessee, and as a reporter on on of th New Orleans newspapers got In Increasing Throngs of On entering tha-building through th thre larg arched openings, and passing through a commodious lobby with all of th necessary coat rooms, retiring rooms, lavatories, emergency rooms, and offices adjacent, the visitor arrives In on vast room, lighted through th roof, which will be built almost entirely of glass. It Is proposed to erect over this room a building on thre sides of a court, th two ends of th wings connected on the front by a colonnade. This Interior court, which throws light down Into th centre of the main Aquarium below, and which, taken In connection with the colonnsde across the front, will be treated with open air aquatlo exhibits, will be In a sens a garden or patio. It Is proposed to use the top of the great fortification walls facing th sea, which have a thickness of fourteen feet, as an open air promenade, giving to th people additional breathing spac and a magnificent view of th bay. Thin promenade is reached by staircases built on th outside of the building.

Th roof of this building lends itself to a beautiful treatment as a roof garden, and might easily be made an attractive feature for the people of that section of th city. Castle Garden. bundtng which the Aquarium now occupies and will continue to occupy, is on of th most picturesque structures in th city. Th general government erected it tn 180T. when tha site was about 800 yards from tha mala land, a part of Battery Park having slnos bean made by filling up th spao between th shore at that time and tha Island.

Tha structure was first known as Castle Clinton and was a fortress, which accounts for Its walls of fourteen feet In thickness, supposed at th time to bomb-proof. Gen. Lee Christmas, Fortune. touch with som of th Central American exiles and became a soldier of forruna Tba history of his remarkable career aa a bold flUbuster, both In Central America and In Lower California, wher attempted to found th Pactrio Bepubllo, and ultimately his. capture by th commander of tha British warship Icarus and his death by court-martial at th hands of th Honduran Government in 1800, reads Kke a romance.

There have been many William Walkers who hav played leading roles tn Central American affair. Lee Christmas is a typical soldier of fortune, hot thus far his best ortune has Visitors. Fifteen years after Its completion fts necessity as a means of defense passed away, and th Federal authorities ceded it to the city In 1822. Two years later It was leased to private Individuals aa a place of amusement, and Its floor was laid out elaborately as an Indoor garden. A stage was ereoted at ths north side, concerts were given and refreshments were sold to the audience as In caa of tha lass formal musical hall entertainments of ths present time.

Th capacity at that tim was 8,000 people accommodated In comfort, but as many as 10,000 hav been known to crowd Into it at a pinch. In th thirties It became a playhouse, and In 1847 th Havana Opera Company began an engagement thera, singing such operas as graant, "Norma," and "La Boimambula. Signer Ardlti, PattTs conductor, was tha musical director, and Slgnorlna Detusoo the prima donna. A. later event, however, made Castl Garden famous as a place of amusement.

This was th appearance thera of Jenny Lind tn a concert on Sept. 11. 1830, under th management' of P. T. Barnum.

To this, and to th fact that th city has welcomed ther such distinguished persons as tha Marquis da Lafayette, when ha returned to America tn 1824. Gen. Andrew Jackson, tn 1S32, and President John Tyler la ISO, th building owes Its claim to historical Importaaoe and Interest. Castle Oasden's career as a theatre ended In Mmjs, 1853, whan the tmndlng was turned fnto a depot for ths reception of immigrant. In 18TO Its Interior was destroyed by fire, but tha thick walls remained tntaot, and tha Interior was soon reconstructed.

It was turned over to the Park Department and converted Into an aquarium about twenty years ago. PROPOSED PLAN FOR i rrsr 1 JVvA'W Aj-' i Miguel R. Devils, President of Honduras. corns from his ability to get out of dangerous situations with breath left In his body. On his arrival at Puerto Cortes.

Honduras, he plunged Into Manuel Bo-nllla's revolution against PoUcarpo Bonllla with great seat and energy, and won fame and promotion. Eventually he beoam Chief of Polios of Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, also holding the rank of Brigadier General In the army, and so officiated as both Jailer and as a trial Judge when PoUcarpo Bonllla tried on various charges brought against him by the successful revolutionists. Having espoused Manuel Bonilla's cause, Manuel's enemies were his enemlea, as PoUoarpo Bonllla learned to his sor- THE NEW AQUARIUM AT THE BATTERY. Soldlersj Omrdln; DaCkm PoUcarpo was soon found gnfitr and sentenoed to imprisonment, wher he remained until early tn Z908, when, tt was thought, his power had been forever broken, PoUcarpo then became' aa axils and moved across tha border toto Salvador. Things become awfully uH fa Honduras for a white man when there Is no revolution under way, and Christmas soon began to look around.

Hs still held his commission tn the army. At that time President Castro needed some recruits In the shape of able-bodied American soldiers of fortune, and negotiations were opened between Christmas and tha little dictator of Venesuela. In the meantime Christmas moved to Puerto Cortes and began earning a living as train dispatcher for the Honduras Railroad. But before the negotiations that were intended to attach him to Castro were completed, the revolution In Honduras promoted by Zelaya broke out. and Christmas gave up his Job sad went to the front.

Things became lively and tha soldier of fortune' was again in his glory. But his friend Manuel BoniUa's armies were defeated, and Christmas fell Into the hands of his enemlea He became a prisoner of the Nlcaraguans tn Tegucigalpa, aad realized that ha would ta serrfsnosd to death. A few mornings later he was not sur prised when he was marched eat ana told he would be "stood up against the walL" There were old sooree to be settled, and he expected no mercy, aad so he had planned to hurl Insult at his enemies la the true Latin way Just before th firing squad got down to business. On being asked If he had anything to say before th order to fir was given, replied: "Tea I do not want my body burled. want It to remain on top of th ground." This strange request ex- Ttted th curiosity of his enemies, and they Inquired why.

This was the very question he had planned to Induce hts Jailers to ask, and ha hissed back: Because want the bustards to eat me and then scatter my remains all over every on of you." This Insult, terrfbl to th ears of th Nlcaraguans, so angered and enraged them that they decided to retaliate with som Strang and extraordinary punishment on Christmas before they killed him. but could not agree among themselves as to what form It should take. Boms wanted to punch out his eye. Others wanted to peel his skin off i small strips. They wrangled, then quarreled, and lost time and while they wrangled a party of Honduran arrived, fell upon them, drove them away, and rescued the hard-pressed soldier of fortune.

Christmas has been shot and badly wounded several times. One he stabbed by a party of his enemies who Train nrtnr Revolution. tried to assassinate him. But being a strong man and temperate tn his hublts, his wounds healed quickly, leering him none the worse. When Davila became dictator tn Honduras Christmas could no longer live there, and moved Into Guatemala, earning a living as-a promoter, and when the promoting business became dull, working a railroad engineer.

But ell or tne time his eye was on Honduras, and the desire to get back there with the winning party was constantly uppermost in his mind. The Honduran treasury is. banxrupr. but its natural resources are the wonder of aU Central America. Its Presidents could not dissipate the natural resources bAcaus thev are undeveloped.

During the past twenty years the Uttle republic has been torn by revolutions and It has always been a case of to the victor be longs the spoils. Throusrhout the troublous times the two Bonllla, PoUcarpo and Manuel, have played stellar roles In peace, which was brief, and In war, which was frequent They do not belong to the same family, nor are they related, even distantly. Once they were close friends, but nearly a generation ago a love affair bsoke up the friendship. It appears that Polfcarpo Bonllla Is of purs Castl 11 an descent, while Manuel Bonllla. Is of swarthy complexion, and Is said to be part Indian, xnis ainer-ence the family trees did not Interfere with the friendship of the two men until they began to pay court to two sisters.

Th suits of ths two lovers prospered and th wedding bells were about ta ring when PoUcarpo decided that did not desire mixed blood In his family, and placed tha facts before th othor of th two young ladles. Bh agreed with PoUcarpo and broke up th match between her younger daughter and Manuel. Manuel swore vengeance. Manuel lost so time tn going Into voluntary exile in Salvador. Salvador harbored many Honduran malcontents, and th revolution that put President Sierra tn power and PoUcarpo In Jail was quickly organised.

Sierra lasted only a little whn. Ut' was succeeded by Benor Arias, who managed to hold the sinecure Just three months, Manuel Bonllla at th head of a strong force putting htm out of business In short order. Manuel then beoam President, and It Is said did more to upbuild his country than had been don by all his predecessors He Is credited wtth being a good sol- dler and posoeealng som of th qualities of statesmanship, all of which he turned to account tn behalf of Honduras. Th tariffs war reduced and th people war relieved of some of th burden of heavy taxation they had long suffered uer. Puerto Cortes, the) PrlnclDal Quiff Port of Hondarsa.

Peace continued several years. At the end of seven years Manuel was driven out. despite his many friends In Honduras. Foil car po BoniUa stirred up trouble for himself by permitting his friend. President Zelaya of Nicaragua, to claim sovereignty over a large strip of Honduran territory on the Nlcaraguan border.

On becoming President. Manuel Bonllla reasserted Honduran sovereignty over this strip. This act complicated Central American politics, because Zelaya had given the disputed territory to a Pittsburg syndicate In the shape of a concession. King Alfonso of Spain was named ss arbitrator and decided In favor of Honduras. This turned the concession holders against Zelaya.

and ths matter was laid before the Cntted States Government, kianuel Bonllla did not want the Washington authorities to begin stirring up things, and attempted to adjust matters with the Pittsburg people. Zelaya, Poll-carpo's friend, stood in the way, and Manuel decided to eliminate him from the situation. Here Is where PoUcarpo Bonllla again broke Into the game. He had been re leased from the Tegucigalpa prison In 1008 on the understanding he would leav th country and keep out of its affairs. Naturally, he turned to his friend Zelaya, and the two hatched a revolution to overthrow Manuel and replace policarpo la power.

Marrarf promptly prepared for trouble and sent a near friend up to ths States on the first fruit steamer to buy munitions of For the purpose he gavs his friend a New Tork draft for a substantial amount, but th money never went for the purpose intended. Th Nlcaraguan Army, tinder command of Oen. Estrada, now President of Nicaragua, but then commandant at Bluefietds, captured the coast towns and began a march to the Interior. In the meantime. BonUia was making a desperate resist -anc to an army which had crossed the border from Nicaragua, and at the critical moment, wiille ralylng upon th assistance of a large force of allle from Salvador, the allies refused to face the Nlo-araguans and revolutionists, with ths result that Bonilla's army deserted and he fled to Amapala.

whence he finally mads his way to Mexico, and thence to Bolls. British Honduras, where for three years hs played the rOIe of a peaceful plantar. Zelaya's plan was to put a temporary President In power and then have a "popular election, which was to choose PoUcarpo Bonllla. This provisional President was Davila. and ha spoiled Zelaya's plans, for, once In office, Zelaya could not get him out without starting a new revolu tion.

Sine then both of th Bonllla have been awaiting the psychological momesk to strut a blow and displace Davila. This developed for Manuel Bonllla after Zelaya had been ousted from Nicaragua by Secretary Knox's famous diplomat! note. A source ef contention arose la Honduras over what Is known as ths Morgan lion." This is a proposition to put the financed mt the country on a stable basis, ths New Tork banking firm to advance 1 30.000,000 for the purpose. Honduras is staggering under a debt of near 1 100,000,000, due almost entirely to th Honduras Railroad, sixty miles long, planned originally as a traasooa-tinental line, but In operation only from Puerto Cortes to El Plmlente. The bonds and accumulated interest are owing largely to British people, but It Is understood that a compromise can easily be arranged, which will eliminate the foreign creditors.

Last June Manuel Bonllla had his plans all made for a revolution, aad two filibustering expeditions met him st GJovar'e Beef, sixty miles from BUze. aad they aalled wtth high hopes to Puerto Cortes. The expedition proved a failure for two reasons. Oen. Maria.

BoniUa's leader fas Puerto Cortes, got drunk the night before the expedition was to arrive started a revolt on his own hook, was killed, and the Government found on his body all the plans of ths revolutionists, Including ths names of some SOO leaders who were to operate wtth the revolutionists at Puerto Cortes. San Co lbs, and ether points. The Govern went Immediately arrested most of the revolutionists, many of then PSlSA lUUr laL.