The Portland daily press., 1889-07-25
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR,

Capt. Quigley of the Canadian Fishing
Guard Service. who gained an unenviabe
notorlety by trampling upon the American
nag two years ago, is dying at his home in
Newcastle, N. Ii.
Prof. David p. Todd of the Amherst
College Observatory has been appointed
chief Of Government party of scientists to
observe the total eclipse of the sun in South
western Africa, December %.
A visitor to the home of Charles Stewart
Parnell describes it as comparatively small
house. The great front hall is given over to
billiard table, and innumerable framed ad-
dresses and resolutions presented by sympa-
thetic followers to their leader. The room
In which Mr.. Parnell was born is a sort of
lumber room now, AID contains only few
empty wine boxes.
One of Corporal Tanners friends told him
the other day that he was talking too much,
and it was not dignided for man in his po-
sitiop. Tanner replied, with a laugh. "Old
boy, don't lose any sleep on my account /
owe everything have in the world to the
fact that | have always talked. II have
an opinion that Is worth anything Il let her
CO. and If it gets in the newspapers SO much
the better, for If the idea is a good one, the
more people get the benefit of it. | would
Ex-Governor j. Gregory Smith, of ST.
Adams, Vt, celebrated his list birthday
Monday. The birthday also marks the
thlrty-second year of his active management
of the Central Vermont system of railroads.
When Governor Smith became associated
with the Vermont Central and Vermont and
canada Roads in 1857 as Trustee, the line
embraced but 1853 miles of track. To-day he
has under his control and management a
great railroad system embracing more than
$50 miles and stretching from Ogdensburg.
N. T., and Ottawa and st. Johns, Canada,
on the north and west, to the Connecticut
and Long Island Sound on the east and
south.
ia London letter relates thai it is told of
Lady Palmerston, who used to be one of the
leaders of London society, and took great
pains to keep it very select by throwing her
doors open to rank, character and intellect
only, that. after the extension of the fran
chise in 1867, she was compelled to let down
the bars. The new men who then came to
the House of Commons wanted invitations
for themselves and their wives, and the
whips reported that unless they got them the
ministry could not have their votes. This
sort of connection between society and poll.
tics is now stronger than ever. Opinions,
especially on the Irish question, are just as
much subject to fashion as clothes or furni-
ture. Everybody who wants to be consider
ed smart or to be on good footing with smart
people,. has to oppose Gladstone's plan for
breaking up the EMPIRE" and to denounce
''the old man" himself with more or less bit
terness. The frankness with which this Bit
terness is expressed is often very amusing
A country squire recently declared it would
give him pleasure to "hang the old fellow
with his own hands," and a lady told a
friend of the eagerness with which she
looked In the paper every morning for news
OF his death. A man of high standing In
the intellectual world the other day, to
whom a friend spoke of Mr.. Gladstone's
fexibility of mind as something marvellous
at his years, burst forth with, Eyes, and the
old villains conscience is just as flexible."
The Gladstonians, as rule, receive these
ebullitions with mild amusement, which mo-
body can help sharing who knows the object
of them.