The Portland daily press., 1888-12-08
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR.


Harrison Of Kansas, Is strong Democrat,
and says that he will neither take an Office
nor recommend anybody else for one. He
Is, however, on the best OF terms personally
with his brother, and has Just been visiting
him at indianapolis.
| The wedding of Lieutenant William
'Tecumseh Sherman and Ellen, daughter of
Thomas Ewing, Secretary of the Interior
was May /, 1850. Among the guests were
| President Taylor, Daniel Webster and
Henry Clay. Among the members OF the
family who followed Mrs. Sherman to the
grave were General Sherman and the two
daughters, Lizzie and Rachel, and Thomas
Ewing sherman, the son who is studying for
the priesthood.
One Of the mostsprincely gifts of! modern
philanthropists Is the bequest of $1,000 900
by /. V. Williamson Of Philadelphia for es-
tablishing an industrial school for boys in
the vicinity of that city. Mr.. Williamson
made an announcement of his intentions
Saturday, and chose seven trustees. The in
stitution is to be known as the "Willlamson
free school of mechanic trades" and will be
open to all boys. rich or poor, white or black
and OF any religious sect. Mr.. Williamson
wants to teach boys the "Old-fashioned
trades" but his plans in detail have not
been outlined.
Mr.. Sidney Bartlett, who was graduated at
Harvard College 20 years ago, and whose
name was familiar one in the Massachu-
setts reports more than 60 years ago, argued
a case before the supreme judicial court Of
that State last Wednesday, and his argument
is described as possessing the exquisite lu-
cidity and logical continuity for which he is
famous. To retain at 90 the unimpared use
OF his powers as reasoner and his knowl-
edge of the law is as much as the highest
ambition OF lawyer could ask. Mr. Bartlett
was the compeer Of Lema Shaw, the great
ess OF Massachusetts chief justices; Of Rufus
Choate, and OF Daniel Webster. He has
been great lawyer for two generations, and
nOw, like Nestor, he rules the third"
Mr. John A. Secor's pneumatic yacht Eu-
reka was launched from Poillou's ship yard
at the foot of Court street, South Brooklyn,
last Saturday afternoon. The boat has been
rebuilt, and the new system Of marine pro-
pulsion put In. The length Of the boat IS 100
feet over all, and her extreme width Is u
feet. She Is fitted with q series Of heavy
steel tubes, the muZzles Of which open under
water. These tubes are divided into a series
Of chambers which are filed with fuel gas
and air. The contents Of these chambers
are exploded in rapid succession by means
Of an electric spark. The force of these ex-
plosions expended against the water at the
end OF the tubes propels the vessels. Ex-'
have demonstrated that this novel method of
propulsion is feasible, and the Eurekas per-
fOrmance with her perfected machinery will
be watched with considerable interest.
Paris keeps ahead in the invention Of en-
ployments. The pitch Of material civiliza-
tion to which they have attained has now
blossomed in "dinner-taster." There Is only
one of him. He drives rapidly from one
| place to another. tasting the dinner and sug
| gesting improvements and corrections, add
ing touch of oil here, advising the passing
| OF this carving knife through garlic. correct
| ing flatuess by squeeze of lemon, etc. He
| Is chief OF the first order, and having made
great deal OF money contemplated retiring,
/ but his artistic nature revolted, so he ex-
plains TO newspaper man over there,
against total divorce from the congenial and
sympathetic occupation Of a lifetime. and he
invented for himself the occupation of
dinner-taster, many people being delighted TO
have the benefit of the criticism of such a
master who could not afford to employ such
one altogether.
Among the curious sights which the pedes-
trian encounters on the great downs in Marin
county, Cal, which have been utilized as
| dairy farms, is every now and then a calf
hidden in the depression of the ground. The
little thing is curled up and looks at one with
imploring eyes, but makes no effort to get up.
Its mother has hidden it there with the
strlctest Injunction not to stray. away. The
dairy farmers want milk not calves, so they
Kill 80 per cent.and feed the flesh to the hogs
| The poor mothers, in great straits, have
| adopted plan of hiding their young, in
hopes OF saving their lives. They find de-
| presslons in the ground which conceal the
little one perfectly until one comes within a
| dozen feet Of 1t, and then they Join the herd
I and Craze as asslduously as the others. hop
ing to evade the lynx-eyes of the cowboys
The strangest thing is the perfect obedience
| OF the calf, which cannot be induced to leave
the spot where 1t was placed by its mother
| No matter how suddenly one comes upon a
/ stoway, though its heart beats with madden
| ing fear, 1t never attempts to get away, but
1 simply looks up beseechingly The great
| grassy slopes OF the downs make delightful
| picture, being completely enameed with
| flowers, some OF which are in bloom the year
| round.
| Already applications are pouring in for ac-
commodatons during theiinarguration. At
| the last Inauguration the railroads brought
nearly 100000 people to Washington, besides
those that came by steamer and those that
came long enough before to escape being
counted in the Inauguration crowd. The IA
/ cilities for housing people are much better
now than they were four years ago, but still
/ there will be terrible crush. Fortunately
the wide streets prevent possibility of a
/ street blockade, although Pennsylvania ave
nue. tor days before an Inauguration Is a
moving procession. The Uni0nLeague Club
/ OF New York has secured Welcker's Hotel
to accommodate the $50 members who will
| come on. The famous Seventh Regiment
| has also engaged its quarters. The Penn
/ sylvania authorities are making arrange.
pents Tor a Big turnout OF its State troops,
although it is thought there win nOtbe near
/ ly so many as at President Cleveland's inau-
i 'guration. On that occasion Uncle Billy Scott
| went down into his capacious pockets and
paid good bit Of the transportation bill for
| seven thousand of the Pennsylvania National
| Guard, and, as the wags remarked al the
i time, Pennsylvania did less toward eecting
/ President Cleveland and more toward inau-
| gurating him than any other State in the
/ Union. But 1t is thought that Matthew
Stanley Quay will see that Pennsylvania
holds up her end Of the line the day that
| Benjamin Harrison is inaugurated
An incident of Gen. Sheridan's visit to
Europe during the Franco-Prussian war is
perhaps omitted from his article in the No
vember Scribner's through ignorance Of the
facts. When the General reached Berlin he
asked the American Minister to recommend
to him some young American who could
speak German fuently to act as an interpre-
ter. The Minister recommended Mr.. Charles
| f. MacLean, better known to New Workers
as police commissioner than an interpre-
ter. and he followed Gen. Sheridan through
the campaign. The General relates in Scrib-
| ner's how Bismarck the Great and Napoleon
4 the Little sat on rude wooden chairs In front
/ OF cottage near Sedan, discussing the situa-
Il tloD, and there Is picture showing the two
i men, one triumphant, the other downcast,
4 in the peasants garden. A few days later,
4 Gen. Sheridan dined with Bismarck, who be-
gan to talk of the surrender. That meet
| ing" said the Prussian Chancellor, will be
historical. sent over yesterday and bought
| those two chairs from the peasant for ten
i francs apiece; now / have them as memen-
toes; aud | suppose" he added with a laugh,
!. ''the English will 60 on buying those chairs
i for years to come" There was general
laugh at this remark; but one officer had
more to laugh at than the others, and gave
his reasons to Mr.. MacLean afterward
i You see" he said, II knew as well as Bis
marck that the meeting would be historical,
so the very next day rode over myself and
got the chairs for i've francs for the pair.
Shortly after the declaration Of peace with
England there was q meeting q American
eiiieers at the quarters of Barot Steuben on
the Hudson river, when scclety was
formed TO perpetuate sentiments Of patriot
ism and benevolence, as well as to foster the
memories of the struggle for independence
The rule Of membership was virtually the