Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-28

English journalists are generalIy cohpieso
failures as speech makers. Archibald Forbes.
at the dinner given to him by the press
made q miserable bungle of an attempt 10
acknowledge the compliment. Thackeray
couldn't speak impromptu. Douglass Jer-
rold, 30 witty when sitting at table. was an
idiot on his legs. Once at She held. when
suddenly presented with some -nemento OF
his visit by dcputatinn of workingmen. he
couldn't find six words to acknowledge the
gift. Years ago. when q lot OF the Punch
men went down to Boston, in Lincolnshire,
to help their friend Ingram, at his election.
the whole town was covered with sstonish-
ment to find that Mark Lemon and his
humorous colleagues couldn't make speech
among them. On the other .hand. Charles
Dickens was good talker. and George
Augustus Sala and Tom Taylor can rattle
Fl really line speeches.
Mayor Bryant, of San Francisco. rather
ambiguously says in his recent annual mes
sage that persons residing outside OF the
city and county, and even men who no
longer live in this world. no doubt vote at
elections here, and the law is such that the
fraud cannot be proved and punished" Ii
is patriotic community where even the
dead men insist upon the right OF suffrage
james Gordon Bennett is reported to be
engaged to handsome young french
Countess, residing in Paris.
Perhaps the most remarkable coincidence
ever known has taken place in Allentown,
Pa, where live Mr. and Mrs Barney Ward.
who have been man and wife since 1867. On
the Ith OF July, 1870. their first child was
born a second was born July 4 ISL. and
third was born July 4, 1872. Every sue
ceeding 4,h of July has been celebrated
by Mrs. Wards presenting to her husband
a fine, healthy child, and now the Ward
family contains eight children, born within
as many years. and all on the 4th of July.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bliss N. Davis, of Danviile,
celebrated their golden wedding. the other
day. The children could not all be present.
two sons being in New York. one in Cali
fornia, one in Now Orleans and daughter
in Wisconsin. Mr.. and Mrs. Davis have
resided in Danville Tor twenty-seyen years.
during which time Mr. Davis has been con
SANITY before the public as a lawyer OF
large and successful practice. He has been
present at the opening of one hundred
terms OF the Caledonia county court, and
present at fifty sessions of the Supreme
court, record hardly to be equa lied in the
State.
The Women's State Christian temper
ance union of Massachusetts, have at much
length expressed to Mr.. IL. o. Houghton
their pain ard regret at the wine on the
tables at the Whittier feast and other
women are finding fault in print because no
ladies were present. As general thing we
should say that when a man gave dinner
he could invite whom he pleased.
Adiutant General John Robertson has
prepared history Of the Flags OF Michi-
gan" which includes an account OF all the
standards presented to regiments from that
State during the war. and traces. as far as
possible. their trials and reverses. The
mortuary record accompanying the work
shows that 1885 Michigan soldiers laid
down their lives for the Union.
ice-Presiien Wheeler paid short visit
to his former pastor. the Rev. DR.. John
Herrick, at South Hadley. Mass last week,
leaving for home Friday. President Seelye.
of Amherst, WAS DR.. Herrick's guest at the
same time.
On Wednesday evening, says the Chicago
Times, the great mutual friend,' Francis
d. Moulton, appeared before the butter,
cheese and egg men to make speech on
salt. lie appeared and acted precisely as a
Chicago man when he is drunk. and the
audience shouted him down. On yesterday
he reappeared before the same body and
undertook to apologize for his behavior on
the previous evening. declaring that he was
not drunk On this occasion, the same Pc
culiarities OF conduct were noticeable. and
again the audience made so much disturb
ance that he was obliged to leave. In the
evening Times reporter called On him at
his room. No. l4l, Grand Pacific. and found
him in bed with his head swathed in wet
towels Mr.. Moulton assured the scribe
that he was not drunk on either occasion,
but that his eccentric behavior was natural
to him.
Worcestershire Press" The New York
Herald says that Gail Hamilton never
strikes twice in the same place. Good res-
son why the place is gone after she has
struck once"