The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-05-01

come noted as an enemy Of Mr.. Blaine
passed u.s. To my surprise Mr.. Blain
greeted him with warmth which coult
not have been exceeded had they beer
close friends. Mr.. Blaine" said |, don
you know that man is your sworl
enemy?' That's So replied Blaine
come to think of it, guess ne is; bles
me if | hadn't forgotten all about it.
only remember that we were friends
years ago in the house of representa-
tives.'"
Mr.. Blaines friend, Hit, the congress
man from General Grants town of Ga
lena, is still in the city. Mr.. Hit would
be very unhappy were he compelled tt
live far away from the secretary OF state
have a good story to tell on Hit, who ii
famous as conversationist. Just after
his return from the campaign last fall
Hit was suffering from combination
of Campaign sore throat" and a bad
cold, which made speech exceedingly
painful and difficult.
"You will excuse me for not talking
much to you," he huskily whispered to q
caller one day; 81 have been abjectly
miserable for nearly a week because
have lost the use of my voice." "Oh, it's
not so bad as that" said Mrs. Hit, justly
noted as woman Of both wit and beauty
-''it's not so bad as that. Mr.. Kasson
was here to see Mr.. Hit last night. You
know Mr.. Kasson, ex-minister to Austria!
He is good deal of talker himself, but
was sorry for him last night. The poor
man sat here for two hours, and wasn't
able to get word in edgewise. Mr..
Hits throat is sore, but he hasn't en-
tirely lost the use of his voice."
Speaking of the ex-minister to Aus
tria, reminds me of another Illinois
statesman who once occupied diplo-
matte post in that country-General
Post, once consul general at Vienna,
now congressman from the great whisky
emporium, Peoria. | was taking lunch
con with General Post not long since,
when we had frontage de brie for
dessert. sit is 1T often one finds an
American who likes brie," said General
Post. "Do you know that this cheese
was once decided to be the greatest
cheese in the world by the highest au-
thority that could be brought to pass on
such question? 1t was nearly hun
dred years ago, in Vienna. At diplo-
matte dinner. attended by ambassadors
from all over the world, discussion arose
as to the merits of various cheeses.
FINALLY proposition was made that
two months after there should be held
in Vienna cheese dinner The repre-
sentative of each country was to send
home for perfect specimens of the cheeses
made by his people, and the ambassadors
were to sit as jury. Well, the dinner
was given. Such an array of cheese was
probably never before or since seen on a
diplomates table. There was much
tasting and smacking of lips over the
choicest products of all lands. Then the
vote was taken. Brie received major
ity of the votes, and was declared the
perfect cheese-fin de siecle-as the
Parisians say. Roquefort came next,
and in these two we undoubtedly have
the finest cheeses that the ingenuity of |
man and the richness of milk have been
able to produce"
General Post told me good story of
his foreign experiences. He attended a
swell dinner in London. The great folk
were all there, but the conversation was
very stupid. Finally America came up
for discussion, and the talk was more
lively. A majority of the guests thought
if there was any subject in the world
with which they were familiar it was
America and her semi barbarous popu-
lation. The newspapers had just report
ed the explosion of Mississippi steamer,
with loss of life, and the Erglishmen
were expressing their horror at the reck-
lessness of the Yankees. They wondered
how it was people could be induced to
travel on Mississippi steamboats,, since
they We're almost sure to be blown up or
roasted before reaching the end of their
journey, and General Post was appealed |
to for an explanation.
at is as much a mystery to me as tc
you," he replied. Probably our people
are the most reckless people on earth
To show you how Indifferent we are to
disaster and death let me tell Won of the
u friend OF mine had a year
ago last summer. He bought q planta
ton on the banks of the Mississippi, but
on moving in with his family found
great hole in the roof of the mansion.
He Immediately had it repaired, though
against the somewhat mysterious advice
Of the former owner, who limited that
be would save money by leaving the roof
as he found it. My friend thought the
man was joking, and put the carpenters
10 work. About week later the house.
hold was startled by crash overhead,
md looking up they saw the boiler Of a
steamer imbedded in the
.afters and attic floor. Luckily no one
n the house was hurt, though the river
was full of floating bodies.
'In about two weeks the boiler had
oeen lifted out of the house and the roof
e. tired, when along came another
boiler, alighting in the same spot. By
his time my friend began to understand
he hints of the former owner of the
but being plucky fellow he
pulled the boiler out and had the roof
epaired once more; but the boilers kept
coming. About once fortnight new