Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-17

ASST SEC. OF THE ruly servant com
 INTERIOR. pletely paralyzed him. He made no more calls that day, and had about concluded that he had had sufficient dose of American society. The like of that, greeting he had never experienced before and what was more, he determined it should never occur againr. But the next morning every thing was fixed up quite satisfactorily and agreeably to all concerned when the mistakes and errors had been cleared away. The servant of the house who was detailed to wait on the door happened to be absent from his post on that Sunday afternoon.
 When the Persian minister's ring was heard, one of the waitresses down stairs was called into acquisition to perform the functions of the absent servant. She did so, and on beholding the Persian minister, his dark complexion dazzled her and she fancied he was an ice cream agent or something of that sort. Any fashionable caller and what was more-a dignitary. 1twas an unfortunate case of mistaken identity. The ladies of the house soon learned of the horrible" manner in which their distinguished caller had been received-and they at once made heroic and happily success full efforts to have the affair settled on a pdSlS StttlSluClOIy uOG Ouiy gO but to the distinguished envoy from Teheran.
 Preparations are being made at the United States naval observatory for ob- serving the total eclipse of the sun that occurs on Dec. 22 of this year. The path of totality. which Is about seventy five miles wide, begins south of Hayti. where the middle of the eclipse occurs at sun r{ t,,cf No0o hn South America, then crosses the Atlantic land strikes the African coast some fifty miles south of St. Paul de Loando. The sun will be seen partially eclipseds over nearly the whole of Africa and the north ,ern part of South America, but the eclipse will be practically invisible in this coun- try:
 vation would be about half way between the islands of St. Helena and Ascension, the duration of totality being about four and one-quarter minutes, but as no land exists at this point 1t will be necessary to occupy station upon the west coast of Africa where totality will last nearly three and a quarter minutes:
 There Is a group of Sm all islands oil the coast of French Guiana from which the eclipse might be observed. Astron- omers are of the opinion, however, tn at the objection to establishing station at this point Is that the eclipse occurs so soon after sunrise that accurate observa- tion cannot be made satisfactorily.
 It will be remembered that congress at the last session appropriated s, 900 to be used for the California eclipse on Janu- ary 1, but it was made at such late date that the scientific people could not use it. By an arrangement with the treas ury officials this money is now made available for this eclipse.
 The organization of the observing. par ties Is in the hands of Capt R. L.. Phythian, superintendent of the Naval observatory, and Professor Simon New comb and Asaph Hall, of the navy, with Assistant Astronomer H. M. Hall as re- corder. No selection of observers to &C., company the expedition has yet been made nor have the details of the obser- vations been decided upon.
 Pictures have just appeared of Edwin H. Terrell, our new minister to Belgium, Julius GoldSchmidt, the handsome consul