The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-21

MIR. BerEh's Blunder.
In the two hundred and ninth stanza of the
first canto of "Don Juan," Byron remarlSs;--
"For fear some prudsh reader should grow skittish,
I've DrlDed my graldmothers review-the Brltish,
and it is notorious that when this canto was
published the proprietors of the British Quar-
terly were entrapped into the enormous blunder
of coming out with card solemnly asserting
that they had received no bribe from Lord
Byron or "any other man."
Quite as ridiculous blunder is that which
has just been perpetrated by Mr.. Bergh, the
celebrated President of the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Animals, in his having
brought a libel suit against the New York Sun
day Courier for playful but somewhat coarse
burlesque description of his personal appearance,
habits, and mode of life. Theibel suit has sub
jected Mr.. Bergh to infinitely more ridicule than
the libel alone-if il was a libel-could ever
have DONE and he has found himself to be
afflicted with greater degree of cuticular at
tenuation than most men who have reached his
time of life. Blythe by, 1 hope the expression
slime of life" is not libello1s. If so, you may
confidently expect that, when the Sunday
Courier business is settled, there will be suit
brought against THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
"PunchIneIlo.o
1t is officially announced that PunchineuO,
the new pictorial and satirical weekly, will
positively make its appearance to-day, and 1
presume that by the time you reading this
/ shall be reading that 1t will aim to be witty,
humorous and satirical in its illustrations as
well as in its written matter. If there Is any
failure at all it will probably be in the pictorial
department. Somehow or other our artists are
not so witty as we might wish them to be. We
have here in New York any quantity of men who
can write smartly but comparatively very few
who can make their sense of fun serviceable to
them as draughtsmen. Unless these sprightly
artists are forthcoming, there is little chance
that Punchinello will prove to be what Punch
was but what it has not been for many long
week. believe Mast is to furnish some contri-
buttons.
The Late George Wakeman.
If smart juvenile journalists do not get much
printed adulation during their lives they do
directly the grave has closed over them. None
have better deserved the respect and commenda-
ton of the public whom they served than the
late George Wakeman, who died early on Satur-
day morning at his home in Harlem. He was
still young, not having completed his thirtieth
year, and had half finished preparations for q
course of public lectures. Without holding a
position of great prominence, he yet filled a
very fair field, and transacted many of the more
useful duties in graceful manner. AS maya
Zinist he was less noticeable original writer
than as pleasing and playful stringer-together
of he thoughts of others. In some respects,
his mind was a literary junk-shop, stored with
all sorts of odds and ends, shelved away in such
order, however, that, so to speak, he could find
then in the dark and make use of them at any
moment. In private life, too, he was blame
less nan, filling his part with modesty which
is rare indeed in this Age of Cheek. OF late he
was irregular contributor to the GALAXY, where
his art and taste as a compiler of curious saws
and aIhorisms was very happily made use of.
The Last of "Hamet.o
Mr. 3ooth appeared, for the last time for the
present as "Hamlet" on Saturday afternoon, hay
ing played the part between seventy and eighty
times. ae will appear tonight as "Sir Giles
Oyerrach," in A Ne,D Way TO Pay Old Debts,
and reoeat the character tomorrow and We'd
nesday evenings. On Thursday and Friday
evenins. and at the Saturday matinee, he per-
forms 'Jlaude Melnotte." How the women will
rush to ee that! am informed that Mr.. Booth
is pink-nted as much as ever by certain ladies,
the expression of whose admiration is restrained
by no suh trihe as the little fact of his being
married toa woman who rejoices in his faithful
love.
MaJor Leland's Masher.
All the World knows by this time that Mr..
George Wiles editor of the Spirit of the Times,
was recently assaulted by Major Leland and
more or less lamaged. In an editorial which
appeared in tie Spirit of the Times, when issued
last Friday, M, Wilkes darkly intlmated that he
was biding hi time, and that Major Leland
would discover hat he would have to settle yet,
and would not b permitted to go unpunished.
Whether this IMPLICATION has anything to do
with what occurId on Saturday night can only,
of course. be latter of suspicion; but at 8
o'clock that eveing, while passing through
Prince street, nearIercer, after having left the
Metropolitan HotelMajor Leland was attacked
by an individual of very ruffian-like appear
ance, and who is gehrally believed to be pro-
fessional 'masher." At any rate he mashed
Major Leland, cut hislpper lip badly knocked
several of his teeth ou and in the vernacular
of the street, put hid on him." In return,
Major Leland, who is'y no means wanting in
personal courage, fred our times at the william,
and endeavored to 'hea him off," His shots
did not take effect, andihe attacker escaped
and his whereabouts is atlnknown as Collector
Baileys.
''This world is fu OF beauty
AS other wordAbove;
And If we did ouruty
1t might be full UoVe."