Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-05-24
M General
Personal.


Mrs. HURD of Ipswich, ninety-four years
old, and Mrs. f. Adams Jewett of George
town, ninety-two years old, attended the ses-
sions Of the Essex conference at Georgetown,
Massachusetts,, last Tuesday.
JOSH Billings and wife left their home
for the Glen house, May Sth, in their private
carriage, drawn by their famous team,
" Tom and jerry" over which John Slater,
called the best "whip" on the road, will
hold the reins. They expect to accomplish
the four hundred miles in six weeks.
EIGHTY clerks whom Secretary Chandler
directed 10 be dropped from the rolls of the
navy department were, il is learned, persons
who held sinecure places and who had been
placed there by former secretaries at the re-
quest of politicians. Mr.. Chandler starts well
it remains to be seen how he will continue.
. THE latest Joke about King Kalakaua of
the Sandwich Islands is that he cannot help
being good man. The reason assigned is
that his ancestors ate so much missionary
in their time that it worked into their sys-
tenn and was transmitted to their descend
snts. Missionaries who are eaten are, after
all, not wasted, it would appear.
The president told Mrs. Mason on Thurs.
day that he had great sympathy for her, and
the petitions for the pardon of her husband
would be laid before the cabinet. Mrs. Ma
son was very much affected by the pres-
dents words and was 30 overcome with emo.
tion that she could not speak. The general
impression is that Mason's sentence will
soon be mitigated.
A YOUNG medical student at Bowdoin
college once asked Professor Cleveland if
there were not some more recent works on
anatomy than those in the college library.
Young man." said the Professor, measur-
ing the entire mental calibre of the youthful
scholar at one glance, there have been very
few bones added to the human body during
the last ten years"
IT is said that James Gordon Bennett had
under consideration plans for another Arc
tic expedition when the news was received
of The finding of the dead bodies of DE Long
and his party. The contemplated expedi-
tion was TO have been on a much larger
scale than that of the Jeanette, and was to
have been under the direction of both army
and navy officers.
THE following-named distinguished or
noted Americans are over 20 years Of age :
Thurlow Weed, So; Charles O'Connor, Is !;
David Dudley Field, II; Charles Francis
Adams, John G. Whittier and jefferson Da-
Wis, each "A Oliver Wendell Holmes, 70 !;
jeremiah s. Black, Robert Toombs and
Phineas I. Barnum, 70; Wendell Phillips,
II Judah p. Benjamin, Alexander II. Ste
phens and Horatio Seymour, 20.
SOME magnificent lace worn at the Duke
of Albany's recent wedding by the Princess
Beatrice has strange history. She was, in
girlish curiosity, few years ago turning out
an old cabinet in the Queens apartments,
and came on parcel of extremely old laces.
Among them was the suit in which she
appeared at the wedding. On being repaired
and cleaned, it proved to be almost priceless I;
connoisseurs say it is worth 100000.
Mrs. Don CAMERON is described by a
correspondent of the Boston Traveller as a
young beauty of the most delicate type,
neither blonde nor brunette, but nicely COM
bining the charms of both. "This young
lady of twenty" continues the correspondent,
"has married gentleman whose daughters
are older than she is, but her sweet and
gentle dignity charms every one. She ap-
pears in the streets with a Gainesborough
hat and nodding plumes, like the beautiful
Duchess of Devonshire. But in the evening
she appears with simple dress, low-necked
and short-sleeyed, looking very young, and
wearing no jewels.
SPEAKING of the recent royal wedding,
London World says The American min
lister, Mr.. Russell Lowell was only invited
to the banquet in the evening, not to the
actual ceremony. The etiquette of courts
is inscrutable, or | might wonder why the
representative of such country as Turkey
occupied the place of honor, while he of the
| United States was left out in the cold. As
diplomatic agent, the representative OF
| America is ten times as important as the
| Turkish Ambassador, and, as an individual
the excellent NJ. Musurus would hardly
compare himself with the author of the
Biglow Papers, The small fry of Den
mark, Belgium, and Portugal were, of course
| invited as representing connections of the
Coburgs but if the French Republic be
represented, why not the United States ?"
Miss BLANCHE ROOSEVELT gives the fol
lowing as Longfellows account of his visit
" by command to Queen Victoria "' An
| imposing lady in black, with flowing dra
perry, came quickly forward to greet me. II
was her Majesty Queen Victoria. She ex.
tended her hand, and | offered to take it.
| What interrupted, did you not bend
and offer to kiss it 2 NO., said he, timidly
6 | was not then familiar or acquainted with
court etiquette, as | am now. She offered
me her hand evidently to shake, and shook
it. why said |, you must have Mortified
her. Il presume l did, said he, simply
{ Now | think of it, she was disconnected,
suppose for that reason, but she rallied gra
ciously, and asked me about America and
myself. She explained; I'VE speak Of
America first because you are Americas
poet. Tennyson is ours 'Tennyson is
the worlds poet, madam said |, bowling
gravely. She smiled in gratifed acquies
cence and continued You are very gener
GUS. Her Majesty was then pleased to con
verse on general topics, but persistently got
back to the subject of myself felt she
was piqued about something at first, and
her last words were: I'VE shall not forget
you, adding with laugh, Why, even al
my servants read your poems r." The poet
then glanced up, and with an almost com
ical expression he said "What do you
think she meant by it? | was nonplussed
and to-day, although many years have
passed, | am undecided as to what hel
Maiesty's real meaning was"
| A LETTER from Madrid to the Missouri
Republican tells this story of gentleman
who is probably to Spain what Edwin Bootf
is to America. The matador is the head Of
the toros players. He acquires reputation
and salary value in proportion to his de
veloping skill, and finally comes to star il
| Just as do the comedians and opera people
elsewhere. The great matador of the day
is Cordovian by name Lagartijo. Ht
works the principal Spanish plazas, but his
services are retained for the capital on al
great holidays. He is reputed to be tenn
perate, very industrious, very saving, and
as consequence, very wealthy. He wa
pointed out to me one day on the sidewalk
at Madrid-a slender man, a little over tn,
common height, perfect form, dark com
plexion, and having the eye of hawk. Hi
| age is given at forty-two years, but he look
not over thirty-three or thirty-four. He il
said TO be wonder of litheness and nerve
and some marvellous stories are told abou
his performances. This is one of them Al
a combat held at Madrid on a great holiday
two or three years ago, when the amphi
theatre was crowded TO its utmost, the bul
had been turned over by the bandilleros Il
Lagartijo, who, for some reason not ap
parent, prolonged his play unusually. H'
touched his brute enemy repeatedly with the
point of his sword, waved the red flag per
plexingly against his very eyes, and owe
and over again skipped back and forward
and hither and thither until the bull had be
come fairly crazed with worry, pain anC
rage. The matador had at last described {
great circle and stopped. The bull started
madly and in a straight line for him, wher
Lagartijo, by sudden inspiration-mes
meric intuition of power, likely-threw on,
foot firmly in advance, placed his fla,
quickly out of sight behind him with hi
| left hand and holding the sword aloft Will