The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1878-05-25

sons, and had as his patrimony +" lands
on the Hudson extending twenty miles
south of Albany and twenty miles east
and west of the Hudson River" The
land formed the major part Of the Van
Rensselaer, patent, which was the first
grant of real estate given after the ces-
sion of New York to Great Britain.
Nevertheless, all the Patroon's male de-
scendants died poor.
THE statement telegraphed from San
Francisco that the late William s. o.
Brien was worth only S6, OO0, 600 is dis
credited at New York. Aleading bank
er estimates his wealth at $4,000, 900
at least. He says that within q year the
bonanza kings have bought &c, OOO, 900
of Government bonds, of which O'Bricn
held 81 ,OOO, 900, that O'Brien's interest
in the Bank of Nevada amounted to
$4,000, 900, and his mining property to
S6,0OO,OOO or S7,000,0O0, that he also
owned large amount of real estate, his
residence alene being worth quarter
of q million. 1t is surmised that he ad-
ministered upon his Government bonds
before his death, and that they will not
appear in the settlement of his estate.
The object of misrepresenting the value
of the estate is probably desire to keep
from the public the knowledge of the
immense accumulation of property by
the bonanza kings.
A GOURD CLUB has been established
in New York with some 200 members.
The member who produces the biggest
gourd of his own planting takes the
Presidency. Jerry Thomas, a. saloon
keeper, obtains office this year with a
gourd 80 inches long and shaped like an
Indian club; other officials qualified by
showing snake-shaped gourds of great
length and slenderness, carnuted gourds
like double barreled bOomerangs,g ourds
with leopard spots, and shaped like
French loaves, and gourds resembling
yager's huntingdon. A throne-chair
composed entirely of gourds has been
designed, and will be completed as soon
as the gourds have been selected and
matched. The legs will be formed of
I" Hercules clubs" with curved backs
and arms, made of trained snake-gourds,
and ornamental headings of small
gourds of the lemon, apple, and pear
shapes. A figure of Atlas is also being
constructed, the world resting on his
shoulders being represented by an enor-
nous pumpkin-gourd.
EsoP, the poet, paid $4,000 for a
single party. Caiigula paid the same
price for q supper. They drank old
wines worth 800 an ounce, and roasted
pigs over fires made of nuts and raisins.
The bedsteads of Heliogabalus were of
pure silver and gold. Eighty thousand
dollars were necessary to keep up the
dignity of a Roman Senator. Cicero
and Pompejus once paid visit to Luz
cullus. Nobody was at home. They
helped themselves, and it cost Lucullus
$4,000. The capacity of Rome's thea
tiers was fabulous. The wooden theater
of Sharurus had $4,000 seats; the Coli
scum 81 900 seats; besides %, 900 stand
ing-places. Rome had then between
three and four million inhabitants. The
circus Maximus had room for 386, 900
spectators. There we're at that time 900
public Earthquakes. In the fifth GEN.
tvry, after Rome was plundered by the
Germans and Vandals, Zacharias, his
torian, reports from Rome S84 streets,
80 golden statues, 1897 palaces, 49,
O52 fountains, 2,7S5 bronze statues of
emperors and officers, % colossal horse
statues, Al theaters, 1880 perfume
stores and 2,291 prisons. Thebans had
paid for income duty in one year &c.
OOO, 200. Alexandria had library of
zoe, 900 volumes, at time when manu-
scripts were rare and costly. Athens
had the Theater of Bacchus, capable of
holding $4,000 people.