The Portland daily press., 1879-02-08

L dpd UTedI ripe, UcCduo6 uc WAS OIu, very
feshy and a great smoker.
Tradition says thai he hsd made his fortunes
10 the Indies, and was an honest merchant and
man of kind and genial teDper. Returned
rom the Indies he built beautiful mansion
fn which he gathered and arranged in the form
OF q museum all the models OF pipes which
ever existed under the sun, in all countries
and all ages, from those used by the ancient
,avages in smoking hemp TO the superb sea-
foam meerschaum with amber mouth piece
ornamented with band. and figures in gold
The museum was open TO all strangers, and
Mr.. Van Klaas after having shown his vast
knowedge of smoking and smokers to his
visitors, filed their pockets with cigars and
tobacco, and presented them with caia-
iogue OF the museum bound in velvet Mr.,
Van Klaas smoked g OF. of tobacco daily and
died at the advanced age of ninety-eieht
years. He died as he bad lived, good
smoker. A few days before the end OF his
ninety eighth year he had presentiment that
it would be his last. He sent for his notary
who like himself was devotee, and without
any preamble said, my dear notary, refill
your pipe and mine; I am going to de-" The
ootary refilled and lighted the pipes. and Mr..
Van Klaas dictated bis will, which has since
become celebrated all over Holland.
Alter disposing OF the greater part of his
wealth to relatives, friends and charities he
dictated the following articles:
II wish that all the famous smokers of the
kingdom be invited to my funeral by all
possible means-journals, private letters and
circulars.
Eacn smoker who accepts the invitation
shall receive as gift ten pounds of tobacco
and two pipes, on which will be engraved INV
name, coat of arms and the date of my death.
The poor of the city who follow nv coffin
shall receive at each anniversary of nv
death package of tobacco-with this condi-
tion upon all: they shall smoke incessantly
during the service.
My body shall be enclosed in casket lined
with the cedar OF my old cigar boxes; on one
side shall be placed box of French tobacco
and package Of old Holland; at my side my
iavorite pipe and box of matches--for who
knows what may happenp
The cortege having placed the casket in
the grave will pass round it as they leave,
thro wing into!it the ashes from their pipes."
The last wishes of Mr.. Van Klaas were
executed to the very letter. His burial was
magDficent-veiied in a cloud of smoke
The poor blessed his memory, and all the
country resounded with bis praise-as to-day
1t echoes his renown.
Fitting pendant to the story of Papa
Great Pipe is this moving lament, found by
the Professor somewhere in his multifarious
reading:
"Amis prenez lie deuil! Bourbon de Notre Dame.
Informe tout Paris dc mes caIamtes;
Journaux eoropeens, annoncez aux cites
Latreux coup don't lie sort Went datterrer mon anne.
Que plut6t n'a-t-il prs ma fortune ou ma femme!
Ces bieas, sans grands regrets je les aurai qutes
Mans non; dams ses desseins ongtemvs p.emednes,
Ii salt tr0p bien les maux qui m abatlent Pinfamel
Depuis six mols enters. je ne Ia quittais pas;
four e> jUurs je voyti- embec res appas;
DE consoiations ee etait toujours plelne;
Pour son pere un bon s n'aurait pu meux souffrlr.
Il nest pas lie malbeur qui suspasse ma peine:-
On m case ma pipe, il me resie a mourir.''
--ArgOsy, welcome as flowers In Nav,
sends this:
Argosy was very much delighted with
Yoriek's sketch OF Alfred, the Sleepy Hollow
OF Maine, aud thanks our new Goldsmith Tor
the very delightful revisitation of the deserted
village. Argosy has been there too, aud
while he feels that renewal OF the subject
would be akin 10 returning the dusty violia
of Paganini, yet he essays few scratches
over the strings just to hear the vibration.
What he wishes to say refers to the fiat
metropolis of Sir Ferdinando Gorges which
should become, 10 his minds eye, the COM
mercial center of the western world aud set
like queen on the headlaDds near the
uOulu vi Luz 1 Ork TlVer. Inc SlLuaLlO0 was
desirable, being majestic swell of land that
was and is noted landmark for seamen,
commanding view of the ocean coast from
Cape Ann to Cape Elizabeth. Sir Ferdi-
nando lent all bis energies to his pet scheme,
laid out the city with checker-board regularity,
and out of population OF $50 or 300, be
managed to find IL patriotic, sacrificing cti-
zens, who were elected Aldermen, the first
Mayor, his cousin, Thomas Gorges, be-
ing appointed by himself with nepo-
tismic despotism. The paper city was
magn ficent thing, according to the
proposed p an, but like certain other affairs
of later lunatic origin it did not fulfill expec-
taton, and SIR Ferdinando heaved sigh and
called it York. The story of Agamenlicus is
pretty one, and considerable valuable ma
teral is await ng the novelist who shall quit
for brief moment his paper doll blondes and
fashion plate heroes and give us delightful
tals of the good old colony days. In Long
fellows last volume of Poems of Places de-
voted to New England, is this anonymous
poem on the city by the sea.