Woman's World

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 121, 15 October 1914, Page 6

Woman's World

MISTKKSS OF MILLIONS ROMANCE OF KRUPP WAR FACTORY.

Bertha Krupp, mistress of the world's greatest war factory, is the world's richest W(;iuun. iler income, prior to the outbreak of the war, was estimated at one and a-half milliona sterling. When rre.drich Krupp died, leaving no son to carry on the management of this vast business, he directed in his will that the property should pass into the possession of his eldest daughter, Bertha, to be managed as a joint stock company by a board of six in number, and it was thus that Bertha Krupp became the world's greatest heiress. In 1906 Fraulcin Krupp married, and her husband, who also assumed the name of Krupp, became president of the board. The story of the growth of this gigantic enterprise is interesting. The original little Krupp workshop is still preserved at Essen, where, 104 years ago, Fi.-sdri'/h 'Krupp, great-grandfather of Bertha Krupp, tried to make cast steel, Die secret of which was guarded in England. His experiments at first were a failure. Persevering, however, he managed to produce an inferior quality of east steel, hut found that the demand was not sufficient to keep the ] works going.

Freidrich Krupp died in IS'26, a disappointed man, but before he died lie confided to his fourteen-year-old son, Alfred, the secret of making cast steel. The boy left school and worked at the crucibles, and the attention of the world was first drawn to his work at the great Exhibition of 1851, when ho showed a huge cast steel ingot and a 6-pounder cannon of cast steel. This secured fame, and in 1801 Prussia adopted Krupp'* breech-loading cannon-guns, which were largely used in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. But although it was Alfred Krupp who thus laid tho foundation of this great firm, it was his son Freidrich who developed it on modern lines, and who extended it until it became the world's greatest war-factory. Some idea of the manner in which he developed the works may be gathered from the fact that during his management the number of men employed rose from about 20,000 to 47,000 in 1901, a year before he died. The works to-day employ something like 70,000 pcoyle. It is somewhat difficult to estimate their extent, for apart from the steel wo.ks and coal mines at Essen, there are iron ore mines, foundries, shipbuilding yards and steel works in other parts of Germany. Little ,did Freidrich Krupp dream, when telling his son the secret of making cast steel, that his little forge would grow into the giant works of to-day; still less did he'dream that this great enterprise, which has a share capital of nine millions sterling, would come under the sole control of one woman!

FROM THE MAGAZINES. Mrs. Jenkins informed her husband one morning that she expected a party of guests that afternoon. Immediately Mr Jenkins arose and put all the umbrellas away, much to his wife's astonishment. "Why, Walter, do you fear my guests will steal your umbrellas!" she a deed in an injured tone. "No," said Walter, as he closed the cupboard door; "I'm afraid they'll recognise them."—Windsor.

"I seem to remember that lady. Who is she?" ''.She was my typist last year." 'Sim's Why did she leave yon';" ''She was too conscientious for me. Or.e day f proposed to her, and what do you think she did? She took clown ail that 1 said in shorthand and brought it, nicely typewritten, for me to sign."—Pearson's.

"Have you any children?" demanded the landlord. "Yes," replied the wouldbe tenant, solemnly, "six—all in the cemetery." "Belter there than here," said the landlord consolingly, and proceeded to execute the desired lease. In due time the children returned from the cemetery, whither they had been sent to play.—fiood Health.

At a certain college in the north of Knglaiid the male students were not permitted to visit the resident lady boarders. One day a male student was caught in the act of doing so. and was courtmartialled. The headmaster, addressing him, said: "Well, Mr. lilank, the penalty for the first oll'enee is 5(1 cents, for the sicond 2.50 dollars, for tiie third f> dollars, ami so on up to l.'i dollar-,." In solemn tones the trespasser said; "How much would a season ticket cost?" —The Arjjonaut.

A carpenter sent to make some repairs in a private 'house entered the apartments of the lady of the hou.se with his apprcntife and hegan to work. "Mary," the lady paid to .her maid, "see that my jewel-ease is locked up at onec!" The carpenter understood. He removed iiis watch and chain from his vest in a significant manner and handed them to his apprentice. "John," said lie, "take these right back to the shop. H seems that this house isn't safe."—Harper's.

A young man the other day was talking to his best girl: "I visited that West End palmist this afternoon, and she told ma I'd marry a brunette," he remarked. The girl, who was very fair, said thoughtfully: "Did she say when the marriage would take place*" "Yc«; in three months." "Well, I can easily be a lirunettc in that time, dear," said she with a shy smile.—The Royal.

| A Lancashire cotton manufacturer had l»ccn showing an American visitor roHnd

.Manchester, and after they had seen most of the principal places of interest In suggested that they should have some refreshment. As they were entering the hotel the Lancashire man made the horrible discovery that he had left his purse at home, and as he felt it his duty to pay all expenses, he found himself placed in rather an awkward predicament. Eventually lie came across a stray sixpence in his trousers pocket; but even then, as can well be imagined, tie was very anxious about what 'his American friend was about to order. He ook the bull by the horns, however, and asked, quite unconcernedly. "Well, what are we having?" "1 guess we'll have champagne," came the ready reply. "Ah, you've guessed wrong!'' said the man of cotton, feeling very much relieved. ••It's beer!"— Strand.

John Thompson was a good husband, l)Ut be possessed a weakness for constantly teasing bis wife about dress. One day he found her sitting by the window. "Watching the styles Emmy?" he asked. "Xow, John, give me credit for having thoughts higher than dresses now and then," she answered. "Then you must be thinkin' of a new hat," he retorted.—Lippincott's.

I know an English lady who married an officer of high rank in the German army. Some years ago she divorced him and later married an officer in the British Army. She has a daughter by her first husband, and the daughter remains in her custody. She has a daughter by her second husband, and now the fathers of the two children are both at the front. The two little girls say tlieir prayers together every night. But while Evelyn says, ".Please God, don't let Sybil's daddy kill my daddy," Sybil says, "Please God, don't let Evelyn's daddy kill my daddy."—Dagonet, in EngliSi Keferee.

If you have an interest in books you probably sometimes read the "ReccivI ed M lists given in the daily papers. Xow and then a title gets misprinted, which is not wonderful, considering-the speed at which a daily paper is produced. The other day a London paper acknowledged Archbishop Cunningham's book, "Christianity and Economic Science." It called it, however, "Christianity and Economic Si'ence," which was a nice printer's rebuke to—well, the economists!— The Bookman.