The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1893-12-01
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

+ DR. Peters, the German explorer ol
Africa, who is visiting the United
States, has written letter home. bit
OF which has got into print. Tie says
that he has enjoyed greatly what h,
has seen in America, and adds; "Still
it is not Europe. America keeps IN
culture and civilization about the mid
die Of Africa and Europe
DIR Robert Battey, an elderly ply
stefan residing in Rome, Ga, has pre-
sented to the state abont one thousand
valuable medical works from his pri.
vate library. asking that they be made
the nucleus OF a medical reference IL
/ brary in the state capital in Atlanta
the states need of which he has often
realized during his professional career.
Prince Komatu, near relative OF
the imperial family of Japan, with his
wife, is about 10 begin journey to Eu'
rope To pay his respects to the various
crowned heads there. In all probabili-
ty he will also visit this country The
prince is a young man, not more than
thirty years old, and an officer in the
Japanese navy. lie was formerly at
tached to the Japanese embassy in Der
lin.
Queen Wilhelmine Of Holland, aged
thirteen, has large collection Of dolls,
many of which are presents from SOW
ereigns Among them are twenty dolls
representing officers in full uniform a
kindergarten method of teaching the
young queen to distinguish the various
military grades. The other day she
expressed desire for twenty female
dolls ITO keep these officers company,
as they were dreadfully bored
There is constantly increasing
demand in this country for the oriental
sacred books The Koran in cheap
form is one Of the best selling books,
and volume of extracts from Buddha
is extremely popular. The sale of the
Zend Avesta is restricted, because il
can not be obtained in cheap form.
The purchasers Of these works are not
only clergymen, but laymen, and there
seems to be an intense curiosity to
compare the sacred books of other re
ligions with the Bible.
News was brought to Seattle few
days ago Of the birth of the first white
child in the wilderness of the Yukon
river. II was born last spring TO Mrs
p Beaumont, wife of the keeper of n
trading post at the outlet OF the Porcu.
pine river, within the Arctic circle and
almost on the eastern border OF the ter
ritory. Mrs. Beaumont is the only
white woman that ever crossed the
Chilcat mountains and descended the
Yukon. The first unmarried white
woman to penetrate any considerable
distance up the Yukon was Miss Mel
len, missionary, who took charge OF
an Indian school at Forty Mile Creek
last spring.
The Mystery of the Man in the
Iron Mask seems to be solved at last
A long letter in cipher, addressed by
Louis XIV. to his minister OF war, the
Marquis de Louvois, which is kept in
the archives OF the ministry at Paris,
has, after repeated futile efforts, been
deciphered, and proves to be an order
to convey Gen. de Bul5nde to the
Fortress of Pignerol, for having raised
the siege of Cont contrary TO the kings
orders This happened in 1863 The
king directs that the generals face
shall be concealed under u 'louD.n or
black velvet mask. The revelation Of
the identity is somewhat disappoint-
ing. II it was Gen. Bulonde who was
the Man of the Iron Mask, how dis
proportionate his offcnsc seems to the
punishment which secluded him for
thirty four years from all eommunica-
ton with his kind save with his jailet.
Springfield Republican.