a

NO. 5

HEREDITY OF MAJOR HIGGINSON. organize an Oratorio Society in Salem. Henry Lee Higginson, b. in New Henry's musical capacity is especially York City, November 18, 1834, spent a Lee trait; his mother was a lover his later childhood in Boston, went of music (p. 13). to Europe at 17 years for a year of Higginson was fond of giving. In lectures and music, because weak eyes his earliest letter (at 11 years) he did not permit continued study at Har-writes his brother that he has received vard. Again studied music in Europe 2 sticks of candy which he is forwardwhen 22 to 26 years old. Entered Civil War in 1861 and was incapacitated in action at Aldie, Va., June, 1863. After failures in the oil fields and in cotton planting he entered his father's firm of Lee, Higginson and Co., of Boston, at 33 years, and remained in it until his death. He grew wealthy in the stock brokerage business and private investments, but gave away a large part of his income in hundreds of benefactions of which the largest was his support for over 35 years of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He made gifts of land (soldiers' field) and a club building to Harvard College During the World War he was an active propagandist for preparedness. The entrance of the United States into the war greatly affected his polyglot (largely German) orchestra, continued support of which his failing health obliged him to relinquish. He died November, 1919.

Higginson was, first of all, possessed of a keen sense of music. At 1:

years he writes of his aunt's music box; at 17 to 18 he steeped himself in the opera in Europe and in the next few years concluded that music was his main interest in life; but a permanent injury to his arm prevented him from becoming a professional musician. This prime interest determined the Symphony orchestra, as a simila interest led his cousin Francis Lee to

66

ing to his brother. At Paris, when 19,
he shopped industriously for gifts to
bring home. Like his father he re-
membered anniversaries of every kind
and wrote messages of remembrance.
In addition to his gifts to Harvard he
founded Harvard fellowship at
Princeton, and gave to a multitude of
other colleges. He gave so much to in-
dividuals and causes as almost to im-
poverish himself. As his uncle said:
'You are full of benevolence inherited
from your father and mother." He
gave of his friendship, especially to
men. "To his true comrades he was
like a lover." Hence his gift of land
to commemorate his soldier friends,
and his fondness for social clubs.
Higginson had the family honesty, in
act and speech; traditions which were
the basis of his financial success in the
brokerage business. Higginson had
a mercurial cyclothymic Lee tempera-
ment, generally lively, even explosive,
sometimes somber; and a certain shy-
ness such as his mother's father had.
Indiscriminate praise pained him so
that many of his gifts were secret; he
shunned public speaking and was no
orator; but his terse soldierlike
phrases and his strong emotions and
life-long convictions made his speeches:
interesting and effective.

Bliss Perry: 1921. Life and Letters
of Henry Lee Higginson. Boston: At-
lantic Monthly Press.
557 pp.

OUTLAW AND FRIEND.

was crushed and amazed." When,

Al Jennings was born in Tazewell after he had played in a cheap theater, Co., Virginia, Nov. 25, 1863, while his the manager refused to recognize his mother was fleeing from her burning services and pay him, the 11-year-old home, a sacrifice to war. He lost his boy fired a pistol at him. Unintended mother when about 10 years old; and slights by his friend, O. Henry, in shortly thereafter left his drunken New York led him to pack up to leave father, becoming a nomad. At 11 he the city. His feebleness of inhibition shot at a man, while in a fit of passion, made him quick to kill, in self-defense, wandered with tramps and became a or to get himself out of a tight place. cowboy. At 14, he killed a man who In accordance with popular traditions had murdered his friend. Three this "hair-trigger" temperament was months later he got drunk, shot up a associated in his case with bright red saloon, killed the proprietor and was hair. The source of this temperament imprisoned but later released to his and their flash-reactions is not told in father's custody. Four years later be the book. They came out of the loins had finished a law course; but in Okla- of Tazewell Co., Virginia, to whose homa, when his brother was murdered, mountains many of the British couhe became an outlaw. He helped rob victs sent to Virginia in the eighteenth a train twice, and, with $30,000, es- century retreated. caped to Honduras. There he met William S. Porter (0. Henry) with whom he was long associated. dance in Mexico City he killed a Spanish-Mexican to save Porter's life and both fled to California where, after breaking a bank, he was caught and sent to the Ohio penitentiary for life. Here O. Henry was later incarcerated. Pardoned by President McKinley, he took up the practice of law in Oklahoma and was restored to citizenship by Roosevelt.

Jennings was a criminal.

At

His love of self-assertion lay at the bottom of his revenge. When those he loved, who belonged to him, were murdered, then he would not rest uutil his loss was expiated. Jim Stanton, who had befriended him, was murdered; within a year Al had killed Stanton's murderer. Al's brother, Ed, was murdered and the murderers were set free. One resolution now controlled Jennings-kill the murderers. The attempt finally brought him to the penitentiary.

What The lack of inhibitions was accommade him such? First of all was a [panied by an ability of self-expression, feebleness of inhibition. There was a genial output of affection, that made insufficient rein on his instincts; to Jennings beloved by those who craved resent was sometimes to kill. There friendship, whether on the ranch, at was, deep down in his nature, a desire a dance in Galveston, exiled in Mexico, for self-assertion, at any cost. The in the state penitentiary, in New York first time he got drunk, he shot up a City with O. Henry. This genial capacsaloon, "just to let them know I waз3 ity for affection secured his release there." When his drunken father re- from confinement and his subsequent sented Al's attempt to pull him out success in business. It was in his of his drunken sleep and struck Al, the father also, who was living as a pauson resented the act. "I threw my- per, and put up his doctor's shingle. self on the sandbar and beat the "His reputation grew and he became ground in a fury of resentment. I quite a figure in the town-was elected

district attorney." Later in Oklahoma ulation.

This is further limited to he was appointed judge. the married persons within the reWith something of a nomadic tend-productive ages, and still further to ency, with an early loosening of home the fertile couples within this narties, with feeble inhibitions and strong, rowed range, and still further by the primitive, basal instincts of self-esteem actual fecundity of this narrowest and of fight often made obvious by group. While all of this is generally drink; with an ease of expression of important eugenically, it is not of words and of affection, a boy reared the greatest eugenical significance, with the roughest of men would tend unless also the matter of differential to have an output like that of Al fecundity by race, and family stocks Jennings. classified on the basis of specific talent, is considered.

Al Jennings: Through the Shadows with O. Henry. N. Y.: H. K. Fly Co. 320 pp.

66

BEAUTY AND THE RACE. Darwin's work on Sexual Selection in Man" has had many successors.

The statistics of this first limiting element in national reproduction-the marital condition of the population (on January 1, 1920)—were announced by the United States Bureau

There has just been published by the of the Census on January 26, 1922.

Professor of Experimental Psychology in the Johns Hopkins University a small book on the same subject. The author considers that beauty has a vast eugenics significance and develops this theme. He thinks that stature is of prime importance. He discusses also features, hair, fat, complexion, muscular tone and poise. The author considers also inbreeding and incest and the selection of male parents.

This announcement, in part, states:

"The total male population of the United States on the census date, 53,900,431, included 36,920,663 men aud boys 15 years of age and over. Of the latter number, 12,967,565 were single, 21,849,266 were married, 1,768,308 were widowed, 235,284 were divorced, and for the remaining 110,240 the marital condition was not ascertained by the enumerators."

"The total number of females in the United States, 51,810,189, included 35,177,515 women and girls 15 years of age and over. Of the latter number, 9,616,902 were single, 21,318,933 were married, 3,917,625 were widowed, 273,304 were divorced, and for the remaining 50,751 the marital condition was not reported. The difference of 530,333 between the numbers of married men and of married women was due principally to the presence in the United States of many foreignborn married men who had left their wives in the countries of their former residence."

held on June 10th at the Eugenics 12. The Importance of the Work of

Record Office, at Cold Spring Harbor,
Long Island. It is suggested that
members leave Pennsylvania Station,
New York, at 9:09 A.M., arriving at 13.
Cold Spring Harbor at 10:24. They
will be met and conducted to the place
of meeting. During the noon recess,
lunch will be served. At the close of
the program and business meeting,
the visiting members will be escorted
to the 4:46 P.M. train, which arrives
at Pennsylvania Station at 6:02.

The nounced:

following program is an

the Bureau of Deportation from the Standpoint of Eugenics in America. Dr. Spencer L. Dawes. Deportation Systems of the Several States. Harry H. Laughlin.

With the exception of the presidential address, papers will be limited to fifteen minutes.

Besides the formal papers, members of the Association will be given an opportunity to explain the nature of their investigations during the past year.

President's Address-Heredity and Also, there will be a business meetthe Endocrine Glands. Dr. Lewing which will hear the reports of the ellys F. Barker. Treasurer and Auditor, will act on the

1. The Endocrinopathic Background of recommendations of the Executive a Psychoneurosis. Dr. Edith R. Committee, will elect officers for the Spaulding. year 1922-1923, and will transact other business offered by members.

2. Endocrine Therapy in Feeblemindedness. Dr. H. W. Potter.

3. The Effects of Vasectomy. Dr. Harry Benjamin.

Program Committee: H. H. Laughlin, Chairman, C. B. Davenport, A. J. Rosanoff.