The morning news., 1891-11-14
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Ex-QUEEN NATALIE of Servia travels with a
suite consisting of three ladies in waiting and
her secretary, Count Simonovisk. Avordupois
has gotten the better of Natalie and the change
made In the coiffure of her hair has greatly
changed her appearance-in fact, to such an ex-
tent that she was not REQ ognized while recently
driving on the Bois de Boulogne.
THE entire European army of the Car Of
Russia is to be furnished with the new rife by
the summer of 1894. The 100000 rifles ordered
in France are TO be ready at the latest by July
Of that year. Meanwhile the Russian factories
are to deliver annually reckoning from July
43OO OOO thus making the total number to be de-
hvered In July, 1924, including those ordered in
France, 1,7OO,0o new rifles.
JUST off a wagon road. leading to Sonora,
Mexico, stands an immense mesquite tree, which
attracts attention on account of it's size 1t is a
prominent landmark, ami it has many tragic
memories. The trees near by are twisted
crooked, and stunted but the mesquite Is
straight and has regular, massive branches, and
a tr unk thicker than that OF any other tree IN
the Colorado valley. 1t is known as the dead
mans tree by the Mexicans, who hurry past it,
Years ago the cattle ralsers had to take ad-
vantage OF the strength of the lower branches
of the tree to rid themselves of many cattle
thieves. The last cattle thief that was hanged
there about fourteen years ago, was one
Sanchez, mighty tough customer.
IN RUSSIAN TURKEsTAN, on the right bank Of
the Amou Daria, in some rocky hills near the
caves have been explored, which were found to
lead to an underground town built apparently
before the Christian era. EffiZies and inscrip-
tions have been found, and also designs upon
gold and silver money which lead to the belief
that the town dates back to some two centuries
before the birth OF Christ There are number
or streets and squares surrounded by houses
two and three stories bigo. UrnS, vases, cook
ing pots and other utensils have been found in
great abundance. The symmetry of the streets
and squares and the beauty of the baked clay
metal a a
pie had reached an advanced stage of civiliza-
on 1t is supposed the town was concealed in
the earth to give the population a refuge from
the lncursons OF savages and robbers
In all the obituaries which have been written
about Count Arco, the German envoy to the
United States, who expired at Berlin the other
day under the surgeon IS knife, they one and all
maintain silence on a scandal which, in the ear
lier stages of mis- career. brought him into con-
hict with the criminal authorities of Bavaria.
and threatened at one moment to necessitate
his permanent expatrfation in order to avoid a
long term of Imprisonment The incident in
question was brought on by his insane jealousy,
which prompted him to fire revolver at the
well-known oreratic prima donna, Mile. NAL
Inger. who happened to be the object of his
alteration at the time Fortunately he only
wounded her slightly. and it was magnificent
mirror that sustained the most lasting and per-
manent injury, the bullet having destroyed it.
Only with the greatest difficulty and through
the personal intervention of his mother, who
was Princess OdescGlchi, and of his great
aunt, who was an Austrian archduchess. did he
succeed in getting the authorities to overlook
the affair IL remember rightly the affray
took place just before he came to Washington
in 1879, as secretary to the legation, of which
he was in later years to become the chief.
In Boston one problem is no sooner settled
than another pops up. This is what makes life
in that otherwise quiet town so full of mental
excitement. The supply of problems waiting
to be solved is particularly inexhaustibie, so
that the true Bostonfan is always sure of hav-
ing an intellectual tournament at his hand.
There are, indeed, a few Bostonians who have
no desire to tackle problems, just as there are a
few degenerate Americans who do not read the
baseball column in the papers. To such the
worship of some nice fad comes as a vocation
and avocation. A Boston fad is like amatbe-
matical point-it has position, but neither
length, breadth nor thickness. And yet by
skillful exploiting it can be so distended that it
will look bigger to the eye than all the rest of
creation. Bostonian wrestling with prob
lem is sometimes toe earnest to be strictly
beautiful BE reminds you of LAGOON in the
tolls OF the serpenJS. But a BoStouian nursing
a fad is always picture of aesthetic beauty.
He is like the acrobat who docs his turn TO
the strains of inspiring music. And you know
that when he finishes, as he will presently he
will surely land on his feet, and gracefully kiss
his hand to tto audience.
81 WONDER" writes European traveller,
"how many Americans who have visited the
Invaides at Paris are aware of the fact that the
body and especially the heart of one single and
solitary member of the gentle sex are preserved
in that resting place of Frances greatest mill
i tary commanders. She is no other than the
famous Mile. de Sombreul, the young girl who.
during the days of the revolutionary terror of
1852. saved her fathers life by consenting to
drink glass of human blood. Although the
| Count de Sombreuil's life was spared on that
occasion, yet he was guillotined in the follow
ing year with his two sons. After their death
Nile. d3 Sombreuil succeeded in
escaping 10 Germany, where she married
French emigre. the Counte de Villelune, who,
on the restoration in 1916, was appointed gov
ernor of the branch house of the Invalides at
Avignon. 1t was there that she died in 1893
and, when some twenty years later. the Avig-
non establishment was abolished and the pen
sioners transferred to the Invalides at Paris,
they made q point of carrying her remains
along with them. These were deposited in the
vault of the Palace of the Invalides, where her
heart contained in a funeral urn of white mar
BILE, is placed in the choir of the chapel beside
those of the famous Engineer Vauban and Gen