The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-01-06
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

DIR. Peters, the German explorer o.
Africa, who is visiting the United
States, has written a letter home, a bit
of which has got into print. He says
that he has enjoyed greatly what he
has seen in America, and adds: SStlixs1
it is not Europe. America keeps in Z
culture and civiliza ton about The mid
die of Africa and Europe
DR. Robert Battcy, an elderly phySs
stefan residing in Rome, Ga. has pre-
sented to the state about one thousand
valuable medical works from his prl-
vate library, asking that they be ms.de
the nucleus of a medical reference Ii
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 to begin u journey to Eu-
rope to pay his respects to the various
crowned heads there. In all probab bill
ty he will also visit this country. The
prince is Il young man. not more than
thirty years old, and an officer in the
Japanese navy. He was formerly at
tached to the Japanese embassy in Ber-
lin.
Queen Wilhelmine of Holland, aged
thirteen, has a large collection of dolls.
many of which are presents from SOW
ereigns. Among them are twenty dolls
rcpresc nting officers in full uniform--a
kindergarten method of teaching the
young queen to distinguish the varioua
! military grades. The other day she
Expressed a desire for twenty female
dolls Ito keep these officers company,
as they were dreadfully bored.'
There is a consta ntly increasing
demand in this country for the oriental
sacred books. The Koran in cheap
form is one of the best selling books.
and Il volume of extracts from Ruddha
is extremely popular. The sale of the
.s<,S :
can not be obtained in cheap form.
| The purcha sers of these works are not
onl clergymen, but laymen and there
seems to be intense curiosity to
| compare the sacred books of other re.
! lgions 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. 1t was born last spring to Mrs.
p. beaumont, wife of the keeper of a
| 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 tho
| Chilcat mountains and descended the
| Yukon. The first unmarried white
| woman to penetrate any considerable
distance up the Yukon Miss Mel.
len, a missionary, who took charge OF
an Indian school at Forty Mile Gre Is
! last spring.
The Mystery of the Man in the
Iron Mask seems to be solved at last.
y 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
dcciphcrcd, and proves to be an order
to convey Gen. de Bulonde to the
Fortress Of Pignerol, for having raised,
| the siege of Cont contrary to the kings
| orders. This happened in 1869. The
| king directs that the generals face
shall be concealed under a ''1oup." or
| black velvet mask. The revelation of
| the identity is somewhat disappoint'
ing. If it was Gen. BuloDde who was
| the Man of the Iron Mask, how dis
| proportiona te his offcnse seems to the
| punishment which secluded him for
| tllirty-four years from all communica-
| ton with his kind save with his jailer.
| springfield Republican.