St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-26

American nobility, and elected him an hon.
orary member of the crew. few days
afterwards delegation from the Dispatch
visited the White house and formally pre-
sented Baby MCKEE with tiny regulation
marine uniform. The little fellow was
brought down into the blue parlor to receive
the visitors, and his long clothes were re-
moved and the naval uniform put on him.
His grandpa was present at the ceremony,
and commissioned him commodore without
salary. Commodore Baby MCKEE fell in love
with bis sailors cap, and insisted on wearing
1t after he was put back into his long frocEs.
THT
The famous KOh-i-nOOr diamond, which now
sparkles on Queen VICTORIA's breast, and
which she has recently been asked to restore
to Its rightfM owner, is one of the great
jewels of the world. The authentic histofy
of the Koh-i-noOr begins about the year 1850,
when 1t was In the possession of King COL
coNDA. 1t was stolen5by the kings prime
minister, who conveyed it to the mogul en-
peror who rewarded the thief with the gift of
the throne of the sovereign he had betrayed.
The Jewel remained at Delhi until the year
1879, when the Persian ruler, NADIR SHAH,
carried it off to Khorassan as one of the
spoils of conquest. He was soon afterwards
assassinated, and one of his retainers sue
ceeded in transferring the gem to Cabul
During hundreds of years it has been looked.
upon with superstitious reverence by the
Hindoos, who believe that it, carries with it
the sovereignty of India, and yet it may be
regarded as an omen Of ruin and disaster, for
its history shows that every sovereign
owning it up to VICTORIA lost either
his life or his empire. The magnificent
gem belongs to the spoils of India
and was brought to England in the year
1850. and was re-cut by the great CosTAR,
who was brought over from Amsterdam for
the purpose. CosTAR reduced its weight to
LOG carats, but he left it a perfect brilliant,
with duly proportioned table, facets and
culot. Prince DHULEEP SINGH claims to be the
rightful owner, and has made formal de-
mand of Queen VICTORIA for restitution of
his property. 1t is probable, however, that
ne will never live to see it again, unless he
receives an invitation to visit Windsor castle.
1t will continue to be in the future, as In the
past the theft of sovereigns.
HTH
Ex Secretary BAYARD is to be married on
the 10Th Of next month. Mr.. BAYARD has
been widower for five years, and during
that time, on account of his high official sta
III
trying to marry him off. 1t was currently
rumored and believed for long time that he
was going to marry young lady employed
IN the state department., but those who knew
the distinguished gentleman most intimately
strongly denied the rumor. because, as they
asserted, 1t was contrary to his nature to
favor union Of the BAYARDs with plebeian
blood. The lady whom he is going to marry
is wealthy spinster, and descended from an
old Revolutionary family. She is Miss CLY.
MER, and granddaughter of one of the
signers of the Declaration of Independence
She is lady of rare culture and refinement
has half million in her own right, has
Travelled over Europe dozen times, is su-
perb horseback rider. and a distant relative
of the BAYARDs. Consequently. the old BAY-
ARD mansion at Wilmington is to be once
more the seat of elegance and that generous
hospitality for which it has been famed for
over century.
A gentleman from Scotland, property
holder in St. Paul, who has been familiar
with the growth of fax and manufacture of
linen all his life, in an interview yesterday
gives this expression to his views as regards
the success of the industry in this country:
1.-THE article in this mornings GLOBE is all
very well SO far as it goes. but the first thing
necessary for the agricultural departments at
Washington to do is to send an expert COM
missioner to examine the land of these
Western states, and determine their fitness
for the growth of fax, which is difficult
crop to raise, requiring great knowledge,
great attention and much labor. The rottipg
process also requires great care, knowledge
and judgment, Or the whole of the crop may
be damaged and lost by inattention and want
of the needful care. The water for rotting
must be pure and soft, and free from any
traces of iron or lime, otherwise it will in-
jure the fiter. 1t must be an error to say that
the special agent was sent to Dublin to in
quire into the business of linen manufacture
ing. 1t must refer to Belfast as that is the
great seat of the linen industry in Ireland, as
is Lille in France, and Ghent in Belgium ,
Twenty dollars per ton for flax straw would
mean loss to the faEmer. for if the grower
could produce flax st tAaw only worth such
sum, it would prove its total unsultability for
linen making, as not containing the requisite
fiber and the necessary quality for spinning
purposes. There is no doubt numerous
linen mills would ere this have sprung up all
over the country if the supply of the raw
material had been adequate in quantity and
in quality to the requirements of mill; but
the nature Of the soil. the dryness of the
climate and the irregular and intermittent
rainfall prevent such growth as would
pay the farmer, and at the same time satisfy
the manufacturer. Messrs. BARBOUR of Les
burn, Ireland, who supply the great bulk of
the shoe and sewing threads used in this
country. prepare them in Ireland from fresh
fax, and finish them off in New Jersey.
Surely this firm, with unlimited capital and
boundless knowledge and experience, would
ere this have bought and consumed fax
grown in this country if only it possessed the
renuisite quality and could be nrocured in