The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-15
Personal AND PECULIAR.

The oldest surviving chaplain of the
Confederate army is said to be the Rev.
Thompson l.. Smith, now resident OF
Denver, Col, where he is rector of
Emanuel church. He is 70 years old,
he presents an almost patriarchal appear
ance. Mr.. Smith was appointed chaplain
in the volunteer forces of Virginia by
Governor Letcher in 1861, and continued
his services through the war.
A PRAYER book was among the articles
found in the stomach of an ostrich which
was lately dissected in London.
In Dutch Guiana the women carry
upon their persons savings in the shape
of heavy bracelets, anklets, necklaces
and even crowns of gold and silver.
There are said to be but 45O words in
the Chinese language, all monosyllables.
These, with the different accents and
words. Each word has many different
meanings, some as many as 40.
Germany's average annual production
of wine during the past 10 years has
been Sc, 900, 600 gallons. The area of land
under vine cultivation has varied but
little in that time, being about 30, OODO
acres. A third of the total product is
made in Alsaee and Lorraine.
A business man of Colfax, Wash, pro-
poses to stock that country with Chin
ese pheasants. A large poultry house has
been built at his home, and he has
Matched out 40 young birds on the place.
Many more eggs are now in the incuba-
tor. His hens have laid over 300 eggs
since last fall, but none of them has yet
offered to set.
A Brooklyn florist has four or five
chameleons in one of his windows. They
are from South America, and seem to
have suffered no change in their removal
to a cooler climate. They lie upon the
leaves of his palms and other tropical
plants and are occasionally found to
alter their color a little, though generally
it is from one shade of green to another.
It is not generally known that few
words can boast of SO remote and widely
extended prevalence as hurrah" In. India
and Ceylon "ur-re-re!" which seems to be
a form of "hurrah, /" is used by the mo-
ahuts and attendants on the baggage
eleph ants The Arabs and camel drivers
of Egypt, Palestine and Turkey encour-
age their animals to renewed efforts
by cries of ARE, ar-re!" The Spanish
Moors use something of the same ,ex-
preston. In France the sportsman ex-
cites the hounds by his shouts OF Hare,
hareln and wagoners turn their horses
by CRYING "Harbauhln Irish and Scot
fish herdsmen shout Hurrish, hurrish u
to their cattle. The exclamation is
thought to be corruption OF the old
Norsemen battle cry "Tur-aie (Thor add.
The Duke of York has announced that
it is his desire that the money collected
by seamen and marines Of the British
navy and presented to him and Princess
Nav on the occasion of their wedding,
he added to the fund for the families of
the victims of the Victoria disaster. 1t
the money is not needed for the Victoria
fund it is to be invested for the ben eflt
of naval men dying in the service OF
their country.
Lady Henry Somerset and Miss Frances
willard are making short tour in Swift
zerland to gain needed rest. Miss VIII
lard's health, not fully re-established
from previous overwork, especially de-
mands respite and Lady Somerset has
also been taxing herself heavily. On
their return in the early autumn their
temperance work will again be prosecu-
ted with vigor.
The wild Cossacks, living away down
in the southernmost part of the Russian
empire spend most of their time harass-
ing the Turks. They are peculiarly saw
age in appearance. Their uniform is the
Cossack coat, full trousers, scarlet under
coat hooked up to the neck, big boots,
and as an overcoat they wear bourka,
a circular cloak made of coarse felt with
long, shaggy hair on one side OF it.
This cloak is big enough to cover the
rider and much Of the horse The most
ever, is the cylindrical hat of black as
Ths top IS q t,s 9 Tnss 9r vs asssy TasS
i've II1 principally on plumber, stealing dur
ING their raids into Turkey anything
thew can lay their hands on, from
chicken to child.
Deafness Cannot be Cured