The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-09-22
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR.

Commander-in-C Chief Rea Of the Grand
Army Of the Republic thinks that there Is
more work than glory connected with his
place. During the last official year he has
held court on 200 days, travelled 1000 miles,
slept for 50 nights In sleeping cars, and de-
livered 1903 speeches.
On the Continent Of Europe everything is
subordinated to the immense military ma
neuvres. Practically half the Princes Of
Europe are playing at mimic warfare.
Those who have no armies OF their own are
visiting the camps Of those who have.
Never before has such a colossal massing Of
troops occurred in time Of peace.
You can now drop nickel In the slot and
get your life insured. An English accident
insurance company has put machines for
this purpose In New York city here and
there along Broadway. In one Of the ferry
houses there is dr0p-a-coin device which
saturates your handkerchief with perfume
for cent, and the latest weighing machine
plays an operate air and prints your weight
on a card, all for nickel.
A Boston newspaper explains that Mr..
Thurman is "The Old Roman" by inheri-
lance. taking the title from his uncle, Gov
William Allen Of Ohio. who first won the
title by his fondness for Roman history, and
the frequency with which he quoted from 1t
in HIS political speeches. Mr.. Thurman has
not Inherited certain other less dignlfed
titles Of Gov. Allen, who was sometimes
len" "Fog-horn Allen" and toward the last
of his life, after he had suffered the humllia-
ton Of defeat "Old Bill Allen"
The necessity under which royal person
ages feel themselves Of marrying only among
their own class frequently entails an exceed
ingly involved family relation. The newly
made Duchess Of Aosta who has married the
brother Of the King Of Italy. for instance,
thereby becoming the wife Of an elderly uncle,
finds herself the sister-in-law, aunt and step
mother OF q miscellaneous assortment Of
uncles and cousins. Indeed, should she be
blessed with children, she will be thslr own
first cousin. One does not need TO look
further than at facts OF this kind TO under
stand why kings are generally so stupid and
princesses so hemely. 1
A despatch to the New York Sun says that
a wonderful cloud of butterflies crossed the
Pawcatuck river, above Westerly. r. l.. a
few days ago. 1t was going from Rhode
Island over into Connecticut. II filed the
air like snowflakes many hundred feet high,
and the flight seemed to be endless, stretch
ing eastward as far as eye could reach. The
butterflies were of all kinds and sizes they
were gOrgeously painted, yellow, brown and
black, and notified with bird s-eye spots,
and in their flight through. the golden sun
shine suggested the idea Of q rainbow that
had fallen to earth and was trailing Its shiv-
cred particles across the land.
DIR. Schliemann's excavations at Mycen1
are being theoretically carried on, and are
bringing to light many objects Of great
archaeological and anthropological interest.
The town is surrounded by tombs cut In
Homer. They average 40 square yards in
size, and the dead were laid in them with
out covering, instead Of being eremated as
In H0mer's time. A late discovery includes
glass. crystal, and ivory work, and en-
gaved precious stones, bearing admirably
executed figures of animals. They throw
much light on civilization thousand years
before Christ. and BY their generally Orient
al character prove that the ancient Greeks
received not only all their raw material, but
also the art Of symbolieal representation IT.
self, from the East.
Said distinguished English military ofi-
Ger, after inspecting Edison's photograph:
II wonder II that can be adapted to naval
and military use? There Is hardly a cam
paign Of which we have complete record !;
there Is hardly an accident at sea OF which
we have ever heard, that did not give rise
to the question Of the exact wording and pre-
else emphasis on the wording Of an order.
The most conspicuous. instance In modern
times Of a misunderstanding was perhaps
the case Of the charge at Balaklava, but the
ceaseleSs flow Of battle papers In the Ameri-
can magazines goes TO show that what hap
pened in the case Of our Light Brigade hap
pened in substance pretty often in your great
war. Now, II there were a portable form OF
the photograph there could be record OF
the orders given, whether in case Of an action
ashore or an accident afioat."