The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-11

Notes Of Interest ~ wire aud Mail From
Bevond the Sea.

Beyond the sea.
VI. ZoIA. with quite a regiment Of aspir-
ants 10 the empty Academical Chair. says
the Pan Mall Gazette. has been paying bis
visits 10 the Immortals to solicit their votes.
The undertaking seems % have been
Neritable via crucis. The first Visit was
paid 10 a poet, who had In m'graine m con-
sequence Of having seen SO many visitors ON
one dav. and promised % give his vote 10
IOa. as he had probably promised u 10 all
the Others. While waiting in the ante
room. I0la heard the poets wife say 10 the
servant. "Ant0ne. see that this fellow
does not stick indecent bills mp in the ante
rO0m.n After leaving the salon he heard
the same lady say. "iie il not rs bad IS /
thought him. De did not spit on the carpet
The dramatic author. the Revue authori-
ties the novel-writer, and all the rest, re-
ceiyed. the realist with m air which seemed
% say. AT last we have canght you.'
and the would-he Aca6emician went home
= wiser but a much sadder man.
AN old man named Peter Lechner lives.
year in and year oul, IN a round tower on
the top OF the sonnblick mountain I'm the
Australian Alp--the highest meteor0logi-
cal station in Europe. and perhaps M the
world. Throughout the long Alpine winter
he sees no living soul, save Tor am hour or
two on Christmas Day. when "a party cuts
its way 20 hum from the valley below laden
with presents subscribed for i'm Vienna.
Ills business IN his eyTie between earth and
heaven is 20 take. three times day, me
readings Of various instruments. ami o.
telegraph or telephone them 90 the clerk OF
thn weather i'm Vienna. For months Die
only chance Of hearing a human voice is
ell HI| N.f
Lechner is willing tO DO for 500 "a year.
But then Peter has no expenses. and big
life is fIll OF c0mpcnsatlOns. Tie is worried
neither hy letters. bills, or callers.
A LONDON gossip gives the following
story as illustrative Of Lord Temyson's
peculiar manners in society" In bis early
DAYS. when Doe bad mo- greater horror than
that Of being li0nlzcd. a great lady wished
to Introduce 90 the Laureate musician
who had set some Of his songs o. music. a
PARTY Wa given for The occasion. The lau-
rsato appeared. and the musician SANG hls
songs to him with every p0wcrof eXrre--
sion that De- knew how t0 produce. At the
end Of the performance everybody waited
the word 0f The. poet. There was blank
silence. The hostess feared that the songs
had not produced good impression. Tie
silence became ag0nl.u9. AZ length. from
the corner where Iennys0n sac. came n
voice choking with emotion. "Do you noi
see that ] am wcepng5
ONr characteristic Of the go0d-naturet
population OF Vienna is their kindness o.
animals. During the recent severe weather
the winged inhabitants of the town have
probably been better Of for food than dur.n
the warm season. Pigeons are quite H- nN-
morOus as 4plIrOWa. Both are aUundlnilt
fed. in fact. there is not house where
bread andl-oe is not put several times dal
On the wind0W--ill Or balcony. In the pil-
and public gardens there are bird refuge
where seed is provided.
THE governments Of Austria and Hun
gary are reported 20 have agreed upon thr
following principles for thu resumption Of
specie payments throughout the dual em-
pire. ln The FIRST place. gold currency is %
be- introduced. silver being only issued iH
small coins. the present paper form hein
approximately exchanged Tor Two gold
francs. thirdly. each OF the two c0unirit, i-
separate 90 raise the loan necessary Jolt car
ryng out The reform.
THERE is growing movement no Mon
treal in favor OF taxing religious property
The fact that the seminary has found means
Of spendmgSlm.0 for buiidinga Canadian
college in Rome. is one OF the arguments
used by M. Mcrcier5 organ in support OF
the proposition. n i- claimed that there D.
injustice in eyemptine wealthy corpora
ti0n- while the humDle-t citizen is obliged
90 empty Dis purse % pay taxes.
THE Chinese have c0ntrlcti0ns for ail The
characters of their written language, iha
use Of which qualities them 10 become short
hand reporters 0f speeches IN their OWL
language. lhey do not practice speech
making. hut they write the contraction
with wonderful quickncss. and the 5crib.-
at AN imperial audience probably write al
0r nearly alI that is said.
IT. is reported from London that anoth1r
challenger for the Americas cup is bein
constructed i'm shipyard at southampton.
Watson i- tine designer. and Jameson. the
Dublin di-tililr. the owner.
The Empress Frederick has directed h'r
castle 90 Cromburg put in telephone con-
ncot'on with the Opera House at Frankfort
SD that She may hear the music.