Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
LONDON AND PARIS.
Current Gossip in the Two Big European
Capitals.

| Current Gossip I'm the Two Big European
Capitals.
| ST. BERNARD SOLD TO An AMIRicAN FOR
e12, 5O0-DKcADENcE OF THE PARTISAN FLOWER
| MARxEr-rHE rRUFFLE CROP FRozRN-NoRDIcA
TO STUDY '.FAUsr" WITH aouxoD.
Special Cable Dspssch to The Evening Star
LONDON, Jan. 24.-Among the passengers on
the Cunard steamer Umbria, which leaves the
Mersey today, there is no doubt as to which
will be the one to receive the most admiration
and attention from the rest of the travellers
who are "going down to the sea" and will
transatlantic passage.
The admiration of everybody who has had
| the pleasure of seeing him has been unbounded
and been openly expressed. for his record has
been an unbroken series of successes, but it has
not made his head swell, not given him look
Of supreme importance. The reason is simply
he is not human.
He is the famous st. Bernard dog, Sir Bevi-
dere, the finest specimen of his breed ever
seen. Since his advent, two years ago, his
career upon the show bench has been one un-
varying round of successes. and he has never
been beaten, and he has taken every prize in
| the various exhibitions. On his first appearance
as puppy the large sum of 81, 900 was offered
for him. but it was refused. 1t afterward
advanced SO per cent, and the would-be pur-
CHASER made his bid Il 500, but his owner Mr..
Green Of Wallasey. in Cheshire, would not sell
him. 1t is stated that in order to tempt him to
part with this splendid animal blank check
was presented to him with the understanding
that he should fill it in for any sum up to
II 600 but this produced no more effect than
the offer eff f1, 800. But as seems to be the
| almost universal custom nowadays. everything
good In Europe has to succumb to the omni-
present potentially Of the American dollar and
what English gold was unable to accomplish
Yankee greenbacks have achieved, for Mr. Z.
*. Sears OF MelrOse. Mass, has put such temp
tation in the way of Mr.. Green that he has sue
cumbed, and the former gentleman may now
lay claim to having the two best st. Demands
in the world, since he owns Plevna, which he
bought from DR.. 1nman of West Norwood. The
price OF Bevidere has not yet been made Off
cially public, but rumor has it that it is e 500
PROVINCIAL POSTMASTER srUMpED.
curious incident has just occurred at Lin
coin which goes to prove that the provincial
post Office authorities are not quite so wide
awake as their friends claim they are and that
little more knowledge of modern languages
other than English among the heads of the
country public departments is something emf
nently to be desired. During the course of the
past week letter reached the Lincoln post Of
fice addressed thus:
"A la Grandeur. Monsigneur L'Eveque de
Lincoln"
The authorities sat in solemn conclave on
the mysterious document and having put their
heads together decided that the only thing to
do was to return it to the chief Office in London.
This they accordingly did, taking the precau-
| ton to indorse it with the words: mo such
person in Lincoln" In due course the puz-
cling communication reached the metropolis,
where naturally the knowledge is not of so re-
stricted nature 1t was then soon discovered.
perhaps with the aid of a convenient and hand
French dictionary, that L'Evegue meant
bishop and that the communication was there
fore intended for the Right Rev. Edward Cling,
DID,, of Lincoln. 1t was accordingly Endorsed
by the London Office: ''This is for the bishop
of Lincoln" and it was in that roundabout
way it managed eventually to reach his lord
ships hands.
DECADENCE OF THE PARIS FLOWER MART.
From Paris comes the news that the flower
markets Of the city, which usually one Of
the most lovely features Of the gay city, have
been for the last six weeks only.a reminiscence
of themselves and have existed merely in name,
as they have been destitute Of blossoms. The
damage done to the gardens in the environs of
the city by the severe weather, which has be-
come 30 prevalent as to become the talk of Eu-
rope, has been remarkable and cannot be re-
paired. One rose gardener at Ivry has lost $780,
600 worth OF roses another at Malakoff places
the damage done to his crop at $1,000, while q
third at Brie estimates his loss at $40, 900.
tionately large amount. and the total estimated
loss adds up to about 500. 900.
At the little town of Cheyreuse on the Yoette
which is only few miles from Versailles, the
flower gardens have lost plants which are val
ued at $4,000 while the blooms at Croissy
Montlgnon which have been DESTROYED ar esti-
mated at $50. 900. But the bad news does not
stop here, for during these terrible six weeks
z, 900 gardeners aud their assistants have been
out Of work.
THE TRUFFLE CROP FROZEN.
While the aesthetic portion Of humanity will
read with regret of this wholesale destruction
at the hands of Jack Frost, who has Withdrawn
pleasure from at least two senses, the gourmets
and the gourmands. whose whole soul is GEN.
tered in one are in a state Of woe and lamenta-
ton because the crop of their beloved truffies
has been frozen in Perigord. This is a matter
of even more importance to the inhabitants be-
cause it will represent to them q loss Of several
million francs.
''To FAIR AMERICANS"
The belief in the American woman 9 supposed
mad desire to possess a coronet and title even
at the cost OF purchasing with it more or less
effete specimen Of blue blood is no doubt the
reason which has inspired the following adver-
tisement in the Nice Gazette:
ITO fair Americans-A count Of untarnished
honor, bearing one of the proudest names in
the world, of ducal and prncely family, and
allied to several reigning families, having suf-
fered reverses of fortune through no fault of
his own. would marry an American lady of the
honorable, or even the middle class, who could
assure him affiuence for his declining DAYS
Roman Catholic preferred. Kindly address to
the Office Of the Nice Gazette
The American colony is lost in speculation as
to who il can possibly be, while some shrewd
people declare it is only ruse adopted by
assumed nobility in order to get replies which
may afterward be used for other purposes by