Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-19
THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER.
Bits of Gossip, Comment and Curious In
formation.


Ing and gave this reason: 'if there is no
God it is exceedingly foolish, and if there
is it is desperately wicked"
The Masonic fraternity is very strong in
Mexico, despite the Catholic tendencies, of
the people and government. The official
newspaper organ of the order is now in
its sixth year.
The Yale statistics for the class of 'S5
show that the average expenditure for the
course of four years per man has been
S3262. Thirty-siX have spent over $1,000 u
year, while several with scholarship as
slstauce and earnings, have not spent that
amount in four Yeas. Altogether that
class has earned Sl6,770 since entering,
seven having made over $1,000 apiece.
! a few days ago an old farmer while on
his way home from Diaz Creek, small
village on the New Jersey shore, saw
what he supposed was Il cloud of smoke,
but watching it carefully until it came
/ over him he was aStOnished TO lind That 1t
was a cloud of nearly Il quarter Of mile
/ long of the largest kind Of mosquitoes. 1t
was headed in IL northly direction, and
was supposed to have come from the ease
ern shore OF Maryland or Delaware.
"The praires of the West are great
| places for wind" sad Il telegraph opera
tor to a Chicago HCrdid man. II used to
have station out in Nebraska, right out
on the open prairie, and the way the wind
blew there was IL caution. But is was Il
| lucky wind for me. AT Il station about
| thirteen miles west my girl lived, and, us |
had no Sunday trains or business OF any
kind, | used to 90 up there and stay
| over Sunday But Il living horse from
Saturday night To Monday morning cost
me too much money and so | rugged up Il
sail on an old tie-Car. All had 10 do Sat
urday night was to hoist my SAL, push
that tle-car out on the main track, and III
less than an hour | was at my journey 5
end. For more than a year | went to see
my girl every saturday night 10y means of
that sail car Pretty sleek, wasn't it ~
Yes, pretty sleek. But do you mean to
say that the wind blew in the same direct
ton every saturday night during all that
time ~ "Ol course | don't" "Well, how
| did you manage 1t those nights when 1t
blew in the other direction ~ Easy
enough. had another girl at u station
fifteen miles east"
A London doctor has published some GU
rious comparative statistics on the long
evity of public and professional men. He
found that the average age at death of the
twenty-five most prominent American
statesmen during the last 100 years was
sixty niue. The average of an equal mum
Der OF English statesmen was seventy
yearS-practlcally the same. He thought
the latter did more work at an advanced
age. The difference in favor of English
as compared with American political life
| was brought out by comparing the ages
at death of members of the British parlla
ment with those of the United States Con
greSS who died between 1860 and 1884. OF
our Senators, fifty nine gave an average
of siXty-one years; LAG Representatives
for both was fifty eight. The l2l mem
bers of parliament averaged siXty-eigh
years at death.
One of the most interesting places il
Philadelphia is the private Office of Mr.
George W. Childs III the Public Ledger
building. 1t is of a unique beauty, ever
magniticence, among newspaper bushes:
quarters. "A door of heavy oak, swung OF
brass hinges, opens into the apartment
Light is admitted through windows o
ground and stained glass. The genera
idea in the architectural treatment of tn,
room is to reproduce the Queen Anne
style. a wainscot of oak, seven feet Si>
inches high, heavily panelled, is carried
around the room. There is large iii e
place, with a large mantel. Fine carving
of original design abounds, and the perloC
initiated is revived in all the beauty o
tiles, swinging crane, andirons and othe
. ldIuWdTc dDOlll inc HTtpliCt / he Hul!tl
in the glass screen tell the history of The
arts of printing and book making. In fac
there is SO much that is beautiful anC
striking that II list alone would be impos
ing. AS a museum of bric-a brac ant
curlos, and even as an art gallery, the ofic
Is marvel. Very many OF the rare anC
artistic objects here were presented to Mr.
Childs by friends living in all parts of TIN
world. Some of Mr.. Childs's successes il
the way of clock hunting are shown here
The harp that was once Tom Moore's i
here, and many other articles that ha'
. been the personal belongings of numerou
I men and women distinguished in art, lit
| erature or politics, and gifts from some o
them are met at every turn. There Is
cabinet filled with cereanic wonders, an
a the privileged guest, especially if lady
I bears away one of these rs IA reminder {
an hour or two of rare enjoyment.
: The New York journal Of CommcrC
: has been asked the following question
> "A friend of mine recently married wa
>, called upon to pay the expenses of tn
4 wedding supper given by the parents {
S the bride. Is there any rule of etiQuett
/ that would make it obligatory upon hin
to do SO, or is it all customary ?" Tn
G JOurndl replies as follows:
A man might very well choose to pay
bill sent to him under such circumstances
/ rather than TO mar the honeymoon wit
d any unpleaSantness which might sprin
y out of refusal, but there appears to be Il
n rule of etiquette that obliges him to hone
t the demand 1t is not customary for til
y groom to be called on to pay such expense
e The question was submitted to the hea
l. of a catering establishment in high reput
$ and he answered the question prompt.
d that the brides parents were "A
ways expected to pay the hi
for entertainment. In all h
i experience he had never known the grool
II to be called on for such charge but one,
= and in that case it had been specially T.
:, quested by the lady The caterers bill
J. rendered to the brides parents also fir
t quently includes the charge for awnin,
!, carpet and men to call carriages at churc
e weddings, but usually these latter requi
/ ties are supplied by the sexton of II
e church and paid for by the groom, III
S sexton of a church which is regarded as
e leader of fashion confirmed this statemer
e and said that the groom paid the churc
) expenses generally, including the orgal
e lists fee. The business is sometim,
& transacted by the groom in person, bl