The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-30
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

Alexander Dumas is nearly seventy
years of age, and has almost entirely
given up authorship. All that he does
IN literary way nowadays is to pro-
duce comedy at long intervals, spend
ing years of patient elaboration on the
work. NJ. Dumas is supposed to be the
richest author in France.
No senator is fonder than Mr..
Frye of an outdoor life, and every sum-
mer he passes month with Mrs. Frye,
''roughing it, on one of the primeval
Maine islands. At that time the sena-
tor and his wife put all the luxuries OF
civilization behind them, and live in
log-cabin, without even a servant to at
tend to the house-work
"A good story is told of the late
Charles Jamrach, the English natural
list and dealer in wild animals. When
his second wife died, friend was offer
ing coincidence, when the naturalist
said: Eyes, yes, she was a good wife,
but she never took kindly to animals.
Why, even in winter she wouldn't let
the snakes sleep under the bed"
Mr.. Blaine's cousin, j. W. Blaine.
who owns valuable copper mines in
Canada and is otherwise well-to-do. has
so strong resemblance physically and
facially to the distinguished ex-secre-
tary of state that he is frequently mis-
taken for him. Two strong points are
furnished by the white beard and char
acteristic Blaine nose, which in both
men are almost exactly alike.
Dean mcdonnell is to write the
biography of Archbishop Magee, and
the work will contain large selection
from the latter's correspondence. Dean
mcdonnell was one of the Arch bishops
most intimate friends during period
of forty years, and they lived much to-
gether during the last eight years OF
DIR. Magee's life, after he had given the
dean a stall at Peterborough.
Edward Everett Hale Is not only
double man, he is a dozen men"
says his confrere, Edward E. Mead, in
the June ''New England Magazine. !"
'His dozen irons can all be kept hot.
his dozen horses allkept abreast and
all on the gallop. He adds an editorial
to his team here or there with the
seeming freedom of the boy adding a
new game to his repertoire.
John Boyd Thatcher. of Albany,
Worlds fair commissioner for New York
with Chauncey M. Depew, is an in
defatigable collector and a rare Judge
of ancient books and manuscripts, his
private collection of black-letter vol
umes, scarce editions and original let
tiers and autographs having few equals
in this country. He owns the second
best copy Of the first folio of Shakes
peare now in existence.
According to the story current in
Paris the late Spanish duke of Fernan-
Nunez was the hero of an episode that
made all Paris laugh when it became
known to the public. The duke was
in the train of Sarah Bernhardts adj
mirers at the time and sent the actress
a tea service that proved to be of plated
metal instead of the repousse silver the
actress supposed it to be. Bernhardt is
said to have tainted when the discov-
cry was made by one of her curious
friends.
All Americans of literary turn of
mind who have visited Paris will regret
to learn that the Cafe Procope is about
to be destroyed. For over two hundred
years, or since the time of Louis XIV,
it has been the favorite resort of authors,
actors, poets and wits. Voltaire and
Rousseau were as familiar with it's
chairs and its viands century ago as
Gambetta and Rochefort have been in
recent times, and it's successive keepers
have always been ready to point out
the tables occupied at various periods
by the celebrities of Paris. The Cafe
Procope is to be demolished in order to
give place to more stylish edifce.