The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-15
ABOUT PEOPLE AND THINGS.

Secretary Bayard refused to commission as minister
to L.ayti, is writing an historical novel.
THE wives of literary fellers' should revere Vie.
tor Hugo's memory. The first money he ever received
as a writer he expended in the purchase of a cash
mere shawl for his wife.
ERNEST RENAS remarked the other day to some
friends that such men as Victor Hugo came into the
world by a special decree from above, whereas the
rest of US, ;" he said, come by a collective order for a
batch"
''THE Baroness's Young Man proposes to represent
in the next Parliament, in the Tory interest, the his
toric constituency of Westminster. for which her
father, Sir Francis Burdett, was the famous Radical
member.
The original George Harris of Mrs. Stoves Uncle
Toms Cabin is lecturing in Detroit. He was born in
1917, and credits himself with many of the incidents
from which Mrs. Stowe has woven her story. His
mother was a slave.
NINE. DU BARRY's tastes were extravagant as well
as good. 1T is on record that she paid to Gouthiere.
the celebrated furniture artist, a sum equal to $75.-
900 for furniture and decoration for her villas at
Luciennes and Versailles.
IT is announced in Boston that as soon as the final
settlement of the affairs of the publishing firm of
James R. Osgood & Co. is made, Mr.. Osgood will re-
move to New York, where he has been offered a posi-
tOA WAL AAdIpOr IObiSI
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS and a lady partner
opened the ball given by the Staten Island Vocal
Society. Though now in his sixties, Curtis can go
through an old-fashioned cotillion as well as most of
the young folks, but when you put him into the ger
man he is a failure.
DIR. GRIssoM. of the Raleigh Insane Asylum, says
in a special report that, owing to a diminished appro-
priation OF the last Legislature. his patients are
allowed but three and three .tenths cents for each
meal, "a sum less than the smallest amount charged
in the cheapest possible soup-houses for outdoor pau
pers.
THE ideal Christian community would seem to be in
Iowa, where, under one pastor, Presbyterians, Bap-
lists, Congregationalists and others are tremendously
working together. The Sunday.school superintend-
emit and two of the Bible class teachers are Baptists.
one of the elders is a Congregationalist, and another
is a Lutheran.
WATER can be boiled in a piece of paper. Take a
piece of paper and fold it up as schools boys do, into
a square box without a lid. Hang this up to a walking
stick by four threads, and support the stick on books
or other convenient props. Then a lamp or taper must
be placed under this dainty cauldron. In q few mo-
ments the water will boil.
THE publisher Of London It'd Bits, which enjoys
a weekly circulation of 200, 900, has established an
accident insurance bureau Of his own by guarantee.
ing to pay $500 to the next of kin of any person who
is killed in a railway accident, provided a copy of the
current issue of It'd Bits is found upon him or her at
the time of the accident,
LIGHTHOUSE flowers are rare in New Orleans. be.
cause the winters are so short it wouldn't pay to Guild
and keep up expensive greenhouses. When the
Northern visitor orders a hot-house bouquet he is
astonished at the announcement that he must wait until
it can be ordered from Louisville, Cincinnati, or New
York. In midwinter there are no flowers ia the city.
WALNUT, once so much IN demand for furniture,
has lost its prominence, and dealers in wood report a
large falling of in the demand. Mahogany is coming
again into its old-time prominence, and Boston dealers
say that. the demand is increasing daily. Stained
cherry is much used for limitations of mahogany in
furniture, but this wood in it's natural color is hand
some enough, and is at present very popular.
PAUL PINKHAM of Millbridge, Me-, a blind man,
has followed the lobster business for ten years. His
boat is guided by his wife, but he hauls his traps,
takes out his Holsters and puts on the bait, as quickly
as if he could see. He has caught a ton a week for
three weeks. Mr.. Pinkham makes his own traps and
builds his own boats. In the ~blueberry season he
picks berries for the local canning factory nearly as
fast as those who can see.