Evening star., 1886-08-14
A SOCIETY MYTH.
Adventures Of Col. q. Dulany Fairfax. .ol
Baltimore.

From the Baltimore American.
Ihe next time you see the statement in any
paper that Col. G. Dulany Fairfax, of Balti-
more, Is listening TO what the wild waves at
Atlantic City are saying, don't you believe it.
Col. c. Dulany Fairfax is a myth, and a first
class myth at that In fact, by the use of this
name, some fun-loving citizen of Baltimore
has been having lot of innocent amusement,
and has enjoyed many a hearty laugh, no
doubt, at the statements he has seen published
about his protege. For Iully two years now
Col. Fairfax has been travelling around In the
summer resort columns of the different
papers at rate to which a lightning express
day and you would find a little personal
like this:
Colonel c. Dulany Fairfax, of Baltimore. is
Springs"
This seems all right, but two or three days
alter you would find, perhaps, in the American
Colonel c. Dulany Fairfax, of Baltimore. ia
enjoying himself in the surf at Long Branch"
IA nhen en- few days later up he would bob again,
ana IN some other paper you would learn that
colonel z. Dulany Fairfax, of Baltimore, is
occupying his cottage at Newport"
by sending postal cards containing them to the
different newspaper offices. No one questioned
their accuracy, and they were published. On
his appearance in the New York World AS a
contributor of ten cents to the fund for the
tripute 70 Gladstone. Yesterday morning
bright and early, postal card was received ut
this Office stating that Col. c. Dulany FairIax X
and Z. D. Fairfax, jr., were at Cresson Springs.
The postal card was pOstmarked Baltimore. and
was put in the post office at D. IN. on Friday
Then, in the NeUs of yesterday afternoon an
peared summer resort note to the effect that
Col Z. Dulany Fairfax and wife, with several
other Baltimoreans, are registered at the Grand
Union, Saratoga.
1t was about two years ago that COL c. Duany
Fairfax came into prominence. A welI-knOwn
citizen of this town lost valuable dog and ad
vertised for it, offering reward for us return
He received letter, signed by COL c. Dulanv
Fairfax, stating that he mad found the dOg and
that 1t could be recovered at such and such a
number on I'd street, i'll THE Belt" Inquiry
residents at this house were three maiden
ladies, who had been there ever since the house
was built. No such man as Col. c. Dulany
Fairfax ever lived there. Inquiry was then
made as TO whether there was any such man in
Baltimore as c. Dulany Fairfax. The publisher
of a directory, in which the name of G. ID Fair
lax was given, stated that just before the direc-
tory went to press he received a postal card ex-
planning that as COL Fairfax was not at home
when directory canvasser called, 1t was yery
probable that his name was not obtained
Colonel Fairfax was very snx xious that his
street as his residence. From that time to this
| the colonel has been enjoying himself at the
seaside or In the mountains in summer or in
the far south In the winter, or has been giving
| good advice TO people who have lost valuables
| or making appointments at mythical places
In tact, the colonel seems to enjoy life hugely,
| and, though he has led few men Off or on wild
| goose chases most OF his jokes have been very
harmless ones.
Some people think that the mythical colonel
Is the Invention OF the fertile brain OF promi.
nent club man. Whoever the inventor is, it is
time he gave Col. e. DuIany Fairfax rest.
To Test Whether Life is quite Extinct.
From the Medical and Surgical Reporter
There are two simple tests by which we can
always convince on rselves whether q person Is
| really dead or not. One test Is the same that
has been crowned with q prize by the French
government, which had for years offered q
large reward for the discovery of any method
always applicable, always reliable and one
that may pc practiced by the most ignorant
The method OF determining actual death
which was considered by the French govern.
ment as being worthy Of the reward Is the fol.
| lowing: When the fingers OF person who is
supposed 10 be dead are fully extended but
| kept near together, and If placed in front OF a
candle light in q dark room a peculiar bright
color, due " the capillary circulation will be
visible where the fingers touch each other II
| there Is any life left. This test has thus Tar
proved the most reliable The other is based
upon the we'll known fact that the muscles OF q
human being will never respond for q longer
time 70 the strongest electrical current than IOr
An hour and q half after death, while as long as
life lasts, may its evidences be ever SO little
the contractility OF the muscles, 1T not affected
| by some forms of paraly ysis-and In cases thus
| affected, when death seems to occur, 1t always
| IL real-remains.