The News-Herald from Franklin, Pennsylvania • Page 12

THE NEWS-HERALD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1926. JOSEPH C. SIBLEY'S CAREER ONE REPLETE WITH ACTIVITY PAGh TWELVE HON. JOSEPH C. SIBLEY ILWAYS MAINTAINED A LIVELY INTEREST WISE COUNSELLOR AND REAL FRIEND IS GONE at the hip joints, take away both arms at the shoulder, my eyes from their sockets, my ears, my nose he can take one lobe or more of my liver, and yet he has not touched the essential Ego.

He may continue, and carve from my body every ounce of adipose tissue; he may remove my stomach and thirty or more feet of my intestines, and I may still survive, and so far he has utterly failed to touch my spirit or in any way prevent its freedom of will. He may go further and take the left hemisphere of my brain, thereby making sieech inarticulate, but he has not, B. BORLAND. IN HIS FELLOW-MAN cessful valve oil ever produced from petroleum stocks. Both of these oils after a lapse of over 50 years are still considered the' standard of excellence.

v. i 1 5 JOSEPH CROCKEB, SIBLEY. One of the foremost citizens of northwestern Pennsylvania, news of whose death at his home, River Ridge, came as a shock to many friends. He was 76 years of age, and had served five terms as Congressman. The photograph reproduced above was taken at the time Mr.

Sibley was in his prime, about 20 years ago. ONE CAN WORSHIP GOD WELL IN FIELDS AND FORESTS, HE BELIEVED By JAMES The passing of Joseph Crocker Sibley is in the nature of a personal bereavement to me, for, ever since I was a boy, he was the wise counselor and considerate and thoughtful friend, giving mo advice in my younger years that proved of inestimable value and the consolation and sympathy more precious than gold in times of stress in later years. His friendship I prized as one of my choicest possessions. I believe I can say I was intimately acquainted with "Uncle Joe." It is true I had not seen him so much iu late years, but I heard from him quite often by letter. I knew his mind and heart and am In a position to say I don't know of another man who ever lived in Franklin who was so broad In his munificences or so charitable to nil mankind.

I have heard him say more than once in the last dozen years that he held no bitterness in his heart toward any person. His Benefactions Were Many. His benefactions were many no one knows outside his immediate family how broad they were. No good canst; appealed, to him iu vain. Ho was not so much of a follower as a louder aud any good thing he started himself could not grow too large for him.

All his employees will testify to his largeness of heart and how considerate he was of them at all times and under all circumstances. Although he has not been active iu our community life since his retirement to River Ridge Farm he will be sadly missed in Frauk-lln for many years to come. Mr. Sibley was a great reader and therefore a profound scholar. It was only a couple of years ago, when I had one of my periodical visits with him that were always an inspiration to me, that he told me Mrs.

Sibley was reading several chapters of ancient history to him each evening at that time. It was his custom to rise at 6 o'clock, then attend to his correspondence and go over farm matters with Mr. Hanna, in the middle of the afternoon take a rest, and after the dinner hour Sibley would read to him until time i retire. In this manner did he spend the latter years of his life. Gave Paper a Boost.

It is fitting and proper that I should tell again at this time why I considered myself under a big debt of gratitude to' him, as related in my 45th anniversary number of The News-Herald. One day early in January, 1S79, after an opposition paper run by printers had gotten the upper hand of The Evening News, the paper failed to make its appearance. Mr. Sibley, who even before that time had been friendly to me, sent for me and asked for the cause of the paper's non-appearance. I informed him that our supply of paper was exhausted; that the treasury was empty, and that I did not wish to incur any debts, xnen ne ioiu me he was going to be a candidate for Mayor on the Republican ticket, and would like to have the papers support.

He agreed to stand good for all expenses of the paper for one month, paying me a fair salary, and also engaging the services of a first-class printer. In three weeks our opposition wem down, and at the end of a month's time The Evening News was on its feet and headed on the road to prosperity. It cost Mr. Sibley nothing, as the re ceipts more than covered the expenses, and demonstrated tnat au we euier-prlse needed was some of the right kind of encouragement. Whatever success I may have achieved in the newspaper world, is due, in a great measure, to his friendship and his advice and encouragement.

Oftentimes, when the way looked dark and uncertain, a cheery letter or word of praise from him made things all right again. Was Splendid Congressman. I do-not intend to go into his political career. I will state as my candid opinion, however, that he was the best Representative the District ever had in Congress. It will be recalled that, from the time of his first election to the last, he always gave the Congressman's salary to organizations in the district.

The first time was in 1893, when he turned over $10,000, the salary for two years, to the Farmers' Alliance, Granges and labor unions in Erie and Crawford counties. The letter announcing the gift was characteristic -of the man, as well as this interview given to an Erie newspaper at the time "I had determined, before my election, and so expressed myself, that if elected I would uot touch my salary. Some one suggested that in this action I might have some deep, dark design, but, if I know my own heart, I was prompted by nothing of that nature. So far as I am concerned, I didn't get this position for the salary. I cap get a larger salary in other business if I want it.

I don't need the money and I prefer not to use it, but to give my services to the people outright." Campaign Trip Uescrilied. I was one of the half-dozen who accompanied Mr. Sibley on the last campaigning trip for Congress he ever made, in June, 1910. Reports being nesses permit, I desire to make my rule of action. "To mv mind, after reading over and over aaain the 'Four Gospels' and eliminating all that Matthew or Mark T.nto or John or any other human, no matter how good he may have been, take only what Jesus the uanst saiu trv tn internret His words and works and the escape from 'doubting castle' is easy.

To give to us me re-elation clearly that God was a lloviug Father, full of compassion, douiiuiuss in mercy. Not some uire anu ureau-ful Aspect to be feared for the fury Mrh ho would execute His judg ments, but a Father of infinite Love Who knoweth all tnings oi wnicn we tand in need before we ask Him and Who will withhold no good thing from those who ask Him. The Christ also taught as the corollary the fact that oii man are brothers and that every man in trouble is our brother and our neighbor and entitled to our consideration, and, so far as in our power, to our assistance. He taught us that we had no right to sit in judgment upon our fellow man, and told us that with current iu Mercer county that his health would not permit him to servo if he was nominated and elected, ha decided to pay a visit there to show how unfounded were these rumors, lie engaged a sieeial car for the trip, made a few clays before the date of the primaries, which made stops at Mercer, Sharon, Greenville and Grove City, although the only speech he made was from the end of the car to the workmen in the yard of the Carnegie steel plant in Greenville, at the noon hour, permission to run his car into the yard having been given through Hon. Alex.

McDowell, of Sharon, then Clerk of the House of Representatives. The speech was in Mr. Sibley's best vein and delivered with his usual energy, arousing the men to a great pitch of enthusiasm. Mr. Sibley was nominated, but mouth or so later, after his health had begun to break and his eyesight to fail, he declined the nomination.

I was also a member of the parly on a three-day trip through the county in October, which was his last campaign trip in Venango county, preceding the last time he was elected to Congress. On the third day, when was riding in his car, he told me of an experience with Theodore Roosevelt, that was very interesting. The President, among his other recommendations to Congress, asks' as a part of his program, 'permission for the construction of two battleships, and Congress was disposed to grant him only one. On the day of which, the bill was to come to a vote the President sent for Speaker Cannon to canvass the situation, when he was told the two-battleship program could not carry without the assistance of Democratic votes, and-that the only man in the House who might swing some of these was Joe Sibley. The latter was then summoned post-haste, and when the "President said "Mr.

Sibley, I will consider my administration a failure if I am not granted permission to build two battleships," Mr. Sibley said he would return to the House and endeavor to line up the necessary votes. On so reporting to the Speaker, the latter asked him where he was going to get them. "On the Democratic side," he replied. Wins a President's Gratitude.

Having formerly sat in the House as a Democrat, Mr. Sibley had many warm personal friends among the members of that political faith." He immediately circulated among them and received promises from 21 of them, if my memory serves me correctly, to support the bill. He also reported this to Cannon, who asked: "Are you sure they will keep their promises "Every mother's son of them," he said, And when the bill came to a vote, later that night, every one of them with but a single exception, and he was absent, voted as they agreed, and the measure was carried. The next day the. President agaia sent for Mr.

Sibley, throwing his arms about his neck as he entered the office and exclaiming: "Mr. Sibley, you have saved my administration from failure and you can have anything within my power to give!" "There is nothing I care to ask Mr. President," replied Mr. Sibley "I am perfectly satisfied to kuow that I have been of service to you." And, during that same talk, Mr. Sibley prophesied it would not be many years before Roosevelt would wreck the Republican party.

Showed Interest in Sports. Mr. Sibley, when he was in the business of raising horses and in horsn- racing, as a side issue, was held- in the hlehest esteem by the horsemen of the country because of his high qualities of sportsmanship. He did not attend many baseball games, but always had the success of the Franklin club at heart. After the famous 5-to-2 vic tory over Oil City on August 23, Mr.

Sibley so enthused that went out. the next day" and raised $1,000 with which to place an enclosure about the Buffalo street grounds, in 1907, when L. L. Jaeklin, of Kane, wa niHiiaeine the Franklin club, then in the Interstate League, a number of rainy clays had so diminished nis financial resources that the fans decided to put on a booster game for him. rilnfinir the admission at one dol lar.

Mr. Sibley came into my office and told me to print some boy booster badges on ribbon and that he would nnv a dollar for every boy wearing one at the game. There were only' 2S0 boys present when it was piayea, tuu i costing Mr. Sibley $280, but he would V- have paid $2,800 just as cheerfully. Staunch Friend of Farmer.

The farmers of Venango county owe a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. Sibley, as they never had a better friend than in him. I do not believe there would be a dissenting -voice to that statement. Their cattle have been improved because of and there was never anything helpful to them on his farm to which they were not welcome. And, by the way, everything raised on River Ridge Farm, outside the needs of those living thre, has been given away.

It is really an experiii.ental farm, two of the main things on which Mr. Sibley prided himself being the quality and size of his asparagus and artichokes. what judgment we judged, we. should be judged and with what measure mete it shall be measured us again aud so on all through this great -mes sage of His. It is in the parables and in the miracles one continuous and harmonious doctrine of love and duty which is to be rendered in service to others.

Dear Jim, if. you will once rwul His message with this thought held reverently iu your heart, you will find many questions answered that have bothered far greater men than you or and perhaps repay you for the trouble this long and tiresome letter has caused you, if you have already read so far. "I have tried to give some patient, if not great, thought to some of the modem aspects of what has been desig-i. nated 'The conflict betweeu science and and can find none that bother greatly you. or me.

"In conclusion, as all preachers say Everything is all right, I trust, for this world and the better one to come, and the first is, and eternally will remain, the best assurance of the ond." so far, reached the rea'l one. The vivi section ists have recently demonstrated that the heart may be removed from its sac, and that by the use of a force-pump life may be indefinitely sustained, and if they made mo the sub ject of this experiment, in addition to all their other surgical experiments, their scalpel would fail to have reached me. Tear down the tenement, piece by piece, us men may will, and they make it so unpleasant, so uncomfortable, I shall move out, but in all this wreck of the material they have been unable to destroy the -spiritual man who once upon a time dwelt therein and found it a pleasing place of habitation. Believed in Evolution. "Personally, I am a believer in the doctrine of evolution and lind my faith in God no wise lessened in the thought that in this, as in all His observable works, there has been no haste or hurry, but through all the long ages His work is constantly coming into perfection, and that those changes, through movements so slow as to be iniperceivable to-the eye of man, are invariably from the lower toward the higher forms of life.

"There is no great beauty in a kernel of corn, but the corn, when buried, and the grown stalk, with its waving blades and its silken tassels, is a thing of beauty. An acorn is not of particular appeal, but when it grows Into the stately oak it has much of grandeur and glory in its being. Which one of us does not shrink wljen the common caterpillar traverses a path across our own? Yet when the same caterpillar has gone through its transformation men eagerly pursue it and some regard it as the most divinely beautiful of all God's creations in animate life, man only excepted. "Why should we believe or affirm that all progress has ceased? Is it incompatible with truth to cherish the belief that God is still caring for us and perfecting His work in us until, iu the geological years of development, we shall more and more approach the Divine pattern, both physically and spiritually? "One other and perhaps the stronger confirmation of our belief in the doc trine of the future life, has for many years been urged by the world's great thinkers: the universal belief in a fu ture state after death by all the peoples, of all the ages, and iu all climes that death does not end all. The fragments of pottery found in the ruins of almost prehistoric cities bear record of that belief.

The cuneform inscriptions from Babylon, and the pic ture paintings and the papyrus records from the most ancient tombs in Egypt, all convey to us the same assent, to the doctrine. The explorers who penetrate the most remote and wildest countries whose people are but little, If any, removed from barbaric savagery, find, if even in a crude way, an acceptance of this great belief. This universal acceptance through all the ages wherein the history of man is recorded seems to justify our conviction that it is a Divinely imparted truth and by right to be accepted with almost the same assurance as any of the varied phenomena of life which we are able to discern, but in nowise able to explain or even slightly to comprehend. It to me seems to be simillar to some of the great 'life and death' cases that come before our courts wherein circumstantial evidence may be considered as entitled to as great weight and as much to be considered in arriving at a just verdict as would be given to direct testimony. "The inward mentor in the bosom of every man, which we call conscience and which we have habituated ourselves to follow its guidance, rarely or never deceives us; whispers to each and all of us who are genuinely truth-seekers that this belief is to command not alone our respect, but to a very considerable degree become one of the mainsprings controlling human action.

Saw God in Nature. "It may be thought by some who know but little concerning my relig-ous beliefs that I have drifted so far from orthodoxy that 'anathema mar- auatha' should be my portion. While I love the man, none the less I pity him who is still waiting for the message that God is not to be worshipped alone in the temples built by human hands, but by the thickness of the roof is that much farther from us. May the dear Lord let His blessing rest upon all earthly temples erected iu His honor, together with all who worship Hira therein. Am I to be chided if preferring to worship under that roof which His fingers have laid and which covers all above me? Shall some who fail to see Him in the fields and forests; in the flowers end the running brook who can not hear His whispers in the rustling leaves; in the passing winds; or His footsteps in the rolling thunder, sit in harsh judgment on those of us who fondly fancy we can do so? "Don't misunderstand me: I firmly believe that we should, at stated times, unite in our worship of the only and living God, but the impres'sion which we too often are liable to carry away with us is that this is the only place wherein our worship is to be offered, and that when we have passed out the doors we have also passed out of His presence.

"Dear Jimmie, it sometimes seems to me that hungry men and women who are starving for 'The Bread of Life' are getting too much husks stripped off from musty creeds and theological dogmas; too much of what some good man of the past has said about it, and not anywhere nearly enough what the Master said about it. 'The feet and the hands of the Master forever hidden from view' with hairs split over some doctrines concerning which the Master never uttered a word. Outlines Own Creed. "I read in my Testament that God is Love, and I give to this statement my unqualified belief. If you reverse the statement, you simply utter the identically same thing in saying Love is God.

To the embodiment aud the exemplification of that Love iu the flesh Christ came, and for that wondrous truth Christ died. This is my Credo, and so far as the human weak- Taught Country School as a Youth, Studied Diligently Took Active Part in Oil Business When It Was Developing. ACTIVE AS A CONGRESSMAN 'Hn. Jnronh Crocker Sibley, whose death ceiS'red at River Ridge, at- 0, clock Wednesday morning, wag inn sdii of Dr. Joseph Crocker and Lucy 4 Klvira (Babooek) Sibley.

He was horn In Friendship, county, A'ew "York, on February IS, 1850. A a boy he was strong, active and and like all other normal, healthy boys, fond of play. His father In training boys to work and 'to assume and early assigned him numerous tasks suitable to his rears and ability; It is noteworthy that in school he learned his lessons with ereat ease, and that when eix years old he was as far a ad vanced in his books as the a vera age child of twice his age. His mother, as well as his father, "had been a school teacher and often encouraged him to devote himself to his studies. He had a taste for readying and his mother frequently related pardonable pride that when nine years old he had on his own initiative read through a two-volume history of the life and campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte.

This love for reading was marked characteristic -of Mr. Sibley throughout his life. He was for tiinate In being endowed with a reteo tive memory for facts, circumstances, ideas and even for exact words. If bis memory for faces had been strong, be would in after years as a man in public life have been 'equipped far 'beyond the measure of "many others who hate also been no-tably successful. It was in his boyhood days greatly to his advantage that he lived in small country towns and that he was often brought into contact with nature on bis father's ifarm and on farms belonging to uncles.

When be was nine years old fnmilv removed from Bath, Steu- ben county, New York, to Boston, Erie county, New Tork. As was to be expected, the new boy in the village was at first -set upon by those of his own i -size and age, and when be had success-. fully defended himself from their at-f. tempted drubbings he was- then compelled to do the best he could for hlm-self in rough-and-tumble struggles with "the elder brothers of those whom he j'hnd worsted. The final outcome was that it was generally agreed that the newcomer was.

made, of the right ina of material and could safely be ad- mitted to the inner circles of the royal court of Boyville. Dr. Sibloy noticed the ability of the boy to make money and -encouraged J. his sense of responsibility and his pride in ownership by giving him one sor more farm animals for his own. I When the boy was 12 years ''Id was entrusted by his father with the sale in Buffalo of a drove of cattle from the farm which was located about 20 miles away.

The business was attended to in as satisfactory a man-' as it could have been done by one 1 ol mature years. i Father Died in 1866. The death of Dr. Joseph C. Sibley Occurred in 1806, when his son Joseph C.

was 16. The boy had previously attended district schools, a German school and tbe academies" at Spring-V ville, N. and Friendship, N. Y. He nominally -continued to be a student at the Friendship academy for a year or two longer, but during one winter be taught country bo that practically bis student days were over some time before he was 18.

The be bad made, together with bis fondness for books, was sufficient to cause him to become in later years a of extensive learning. Probably 'not one in a hundred of college graduates ever attains, even many years subsequent to graduation, the knowledge of history, law, diplomacy, "economics and general "liter-1 ature which Mr. Sibley, by judicious use of his leisure time, acquired. In fact, if Mr. Sibley bad not been fav-vored through inheritance with strong vitality -and if he had not in his earlier years strengthened his nervous system as well as his muscular system by plenty of manual labor and of outdoor sports, such as hunting, fishing, baseball, riding and driving, it is doubtful if he would have as he grew older, the courage to.uhdertake or the ability to assimilate the authors that he so continuously and diligently studied.

When, on account of limited funds, he finally, decided that it was best for him to give up a college course, to which he had looked forward, he had considerable difficulty in deciding what business, trade or profession he should take up. He clerked for awhile in a country dry goods store. At one time he thought of becoming a physician, and while a clerk in a drug store began the reading of medicine. So numerous were his talents that it is likely that he could have made a success in any one of half a dozen lines of worthy endeavor. On the death of his father he had chosen his brother-in-law, Charles Miller (in later years 'major general of the National Guard of Pennsylvania) as his guardian.

From the inception of this guardianship until 10 or. 12 years ago the business interests of Joseph C. Sibley and Charles Miller were closely identified. His first employment in Franklin was as a clerk in the drygoods store of Miller Coon. This was in 1869.

For two years prior to 1873 Mr. Sibley was agent at Chicago for the Galena Oil Works of Franklin. He lost all his effects and came near losing his life at the time that onicago was devestated by its great fire. The beginning of Mr. Sibley's noteworthy success in business may be said to date from 1S73, when, having returned to Franklin, he began marketing for railway use a signal oil compounded by him which was superior in illuminating power, in safety and in cold toc unv that had ever been pre- vimslv in use.

About this time, the Signal Oil Works was formed, with Mr. Sibley as president. A few years ter he compounded also the first suc When the Galena-Signal Oil Co. was formed, about 1902, General Miller was made president and Mr. Sibley chairman of the board of directors.

Was Mayor at Age of 29. When he was 29 years old, Mr. Sib ley was, after an exciting contest, elected on a progressive platform may or of the city of Franklin. Old residents state that he was the first man in the history of the city who had been elected to the office before he had attained the age of 30. The noted stock farm enterprise of Miller Sibley was inaugurated in 18S2.

By insisting on importance of constitution and in cattle; by calling attention to the best type for milk, cheese and butter; by emphasizing the necessity for proper feed and care and, especially, by demonstrating in great competitive contests the correctness and practical value of the propositions which he had advocated, Mr. Sibley has rendered inestimable service not only to the dairy and livestock interests of the country, but also to the general publie, consumers of animal products, as well. In the era for high prices for trotting horses, Miller Sibley owned as many as 250 head. St. Bel, purchased.

by Mr. Sibley for $10,000, could show when not in training a gait of 2:02. Fifty thousand dollars was offered and refused for him. He was regarded by horsemen as the best son of the famous Electioneer. On the very day that St.

Bel was have been shipped from, Franklin, to Independence, to. take a low record, he was seized with a spell of indigestion, which resulted in his death the day following. Many of his get were noted race horses." Conductor, another son of Electioneer, was purchased for $7,500. A short time later, after he had won a hard-fought race in Chicago, he was sold for $35,000. It was not uncommon at Prospect Hill Stock Farm to sell young colts and fillies for from $5,000 to $10,000 each.

Won Against Big Odds. Mr. Sibley first became a figure of national importance in 1892, when be was nominated for Congress from the 26th Pennsylvania district, though he a resident of the 27th. At the outset it looked as if the chances were against him as his Republican opponent had a regular party majority of over 5,000 behind him, and had aiso an extensive acquaintance throughout the two counties of Erie and Crawford, which constituted the district. Moreover, the Republican nominee had wealth, business alliances and church connections which were supposed render him an unusually strong Mr.

Sibley was supported by the Democrats, the Prohibitionists and members of the Peoples' party, ele ments which left much to be desired in the matter of organization and In the unity of interests. A more strenuous or amusing campaign would be hard to imagine. Mr. Sibley worked heroically, sometimes delivering as many as six addresses a day, and succeeded in arousing the highest enthusiasm. It was at once recognized that he was a reasoner, a wit a man of affairs, an orator, and, best of all, a strong, cour ageous man with a big heart and helpful The roorbacks started against him were easily refuted ani merely served to win new friends and to make the old ones more zealous in his behalf.

The election returns showed that he had not only overcome the big hostile majority with which at the start he had been handicapped, but also that, he had piled up for himself the' surprising plurality of 3,387 over, his principal competitor, a total majority of 3,295. Four times subsequently Mr. Sibley was elected to Congress, twice from the 27th Pennsylvania district and twice from the 28th. At the close of his fifth term Mr. Sibley declined a renomination, stating that he desired "to retire from public life.

However, four years later, in 1910, yielding to the urgent appeals of hundreds of his former constituents of the 28th district, he consented to become again a candidate. In March, shortly after the announcement of his candidacy had appeared, Mr. Sibley un derwent in a Washington hospital an operation for the removal of cataract. About the same time he had a recur rence in aggravated form of an organic trouble of the heart from which, without his being aware of the real difficulty he had been a sufferer for about two years previous. Mr.

Sibley's condition became so serious that for weeks doctors and nurses feared that the end might come at any mo ment. With the exception of two days when he went by train to two or three places in Mercer he was practically unable to give any assistance or advice whatever as to the conduct of the campaign. In fact, for a considerable portion of the time he was in absolute ignorance of anything that was being done in his behalf. Nevertheless, at the primaries in June he won the nomination for a sixth term. He was assured by party managers and friends in various parts of the district that his majority at the November election would be the largest he had ever received.

However, as the heart disease, instead of improving as he had hoped, became more and more a fixed certainty, he resigned the nomination, feeling that if elected he could not properly attend to the duties that would devolve upon him. On Many Congressional Committees. While Mr. Sibley was a member of the House of Representatives, few were more active and few had a wider acquaintance or wielded more influence. He was a ready debater, well fortified with facts, and stated them in an interesting and effective way.

Many of his efforts were Lstened to by immense audiences and he was often the recipient of congratulations from practically all of his colleagues. During his first term he was a member of the committee on appropriations. He was also for several terms on the committee on postofflces and post roads. In this capacity he did much to you may find them of some interest. These considerations may have been given by Noah in the Ark.) Creators Must Survive Creation.

"Man is the master of matter. He molds, forms and fashions it at his will. The work of man's fingers remains long centuries after mau has perished, and if seems illogical that the created shall survive and the creator perish. At times some of us have, iu our slumbers, when the body is as Inert as in death itself, made long Journeys to distant climes; have seen visions of rare and wondrous beauty; have solved problems accurately, which In our waking hours were beyond our capacity have sung songs the melody and the. rhythmic beauty of which Jong lingered in our memory.

In all these. sleeping forays the spirit within us was as independent of the physical body as If it did not exist. "To my mind the body is only the tenement house in which, for some little time, the spirit of man finds domicile. Whenever the domicile commences to crumble, the foundations shaky, the chimneys tottering, the windows broken, the roof tumbling in, and, in spite of all our efforts and those of the most skillful workmen, it no longer suffices" to afford us adequate protection against the storms that rage about us, we move from the worn-out tenement into suitable for all the requirements of life. The tenement decays and crumbles, but its decay has in no manner affected the tenant, excepting that the decay prompted him to the more speedy departure from the tenement that could no longer be repaired, into that one requiring no repairs and perfectly suited to all of our needs.

me it is a pleasing fancy that those who have loved me, as they view the ruins of the old domicile which was so long the scene of many happy gatherings, will not make the mistake of thinking that because tbe old house is gone into the elements the owner no longer survives. Some of those who have known me will know that I have simply changed location, and that for the purpose of being able to give to them a more fitting reception in a mansion whose each and every appointment is suited to all that is necessary for our perfect happiness. "In the development of modern science, as applied to surgery, the skillful operator can, taking time between his operations, remove both my legs Remarkable Letter to James B. Borland Explains his Creed, a Confident' and Convincing Hppe in 'a Future Life. RIGHT NOW By JAMES B.

BORLAND. "Everything is all right, I trust, for this world and the better one to come, and the first is, and eternally will remain, the best' assurance -of the sec-' ond." Those were the closing words of a letter Mr. Sibley wrote to me in renlv to.one of-condolence at the time of the death of his son-in-law, in 1917, In wnicn ne expressed his faith In God and his belief in a future life. The letter, the result of several days' laborious labor on the typewriter by himself, and which, he said, was almost his hrst offense upon the ma chine, I consider the most beautiful of all the many fine ones he wrote to me, the most of them during his prolonged invalidism, after, dilating upon tne cieep waters through which we must pass sooner or later, went on to "It seems to me to be a great 'thine to be able to recognize the blows come to us not in hatred, but are given in love, by the Master Workman Who never makes any have fortunately come to that place in life where death no longer seems some fearsome thing, but where I can recognize that, of all the angels Which swell the heavenly train, the death angel is man's kindliest and trnest friend; not either to be commanded to hasten, or bidden to delay his approach. To die is' as orderly a pro cess as is our birth, and neither event controlled toy us.

Outside Divine revelation there is but little if any proof that death does not end all; in fact, many deny the existence of any proof that death does not end all. During my long illness the subject has occupied much of my thought, and, while there has come to me no absolutely convincing proofs, there have come to me facts which will support the contention that death does not end afll. As I have never known another to use these considerations, and so far as 1 am aware have never heretofore been presented favor rural free delivery, which has proven such a boon to all farmers wherever it has been put in use. He was chairman of the committee on manufacturers and a memlifir of the committee on insular affairs. Mr.

Sibley believed in looking at all questions from the standpoint of com mon sense, of patriotism and humanity, regardless of. the dictates of poli ticians and party managers. Party names with him counted for but little. As a matter of fact, he was classed in Congress as a Democrat prior to 1900 after that time, as a Republican. As early as 1S95 he boldly declared that the tariff should no longer be regarded as the plaything of political parties, but should be put into the hands of a commission composed of able and patriotic financiers, who should consider it as the greatest practical business problem with which citizens and the government are called upon to deal.

Under President Taft a beginning was made in this direction. Several measures advocated by Mr. Sibley many years ago and which received scant recognition then, are now generally approved and are likely to become the law of the land. One of these was that of changing the presidential term from four to six years and making the holder ineligible to re-election. A bill to this effect was introduced by Mr.

'Sibley in two or three different congresses, but was uot pressed in the judgment of his colleagues, the -time was not then ripe. Mr. Sibley always desired to do justice to the laboring man and to the one whose condition in life Is hard. He, therefore, was an early advocate of the cause of bl-metallism. When the world's stock of eold began greatly to increase through the discovery of new lields and the improvement of the processes for extracting the ore, he ceased to be a champion of the free coinage of silver.

While hoping for the day to come when nations shall learu the art of war no more, Mr. Sibley was not so childish and impracticable as to suppose that the day was already here. He, therefore, regarded it as the plain duty of the representatives of the people to provide a navy adequate in strength to protect our coasts and to insure the continuance of our welfare and our national independence. Nor did he, like too many others, shrink from this country's bearing the burdens and performing the obligations which the war with Spain imposed upon us. Toward those who had risked their lives in defense of the nation, Mr.

Sibley held that the government should maintain a liberal attitude. He was disgusted with parsimonious and red tape methods which so often prevented the payment of ensions to which soldiers were entitled and of claims which were just and should have been accorded recognition. Largely through Mr. Sibley's efforts legislation was enacted which removed technicalities which had too long debarred many a i Continued on next page)..