The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-17


of the world.
The ezarina's coronation robe on which
work has been progressing for the last six
months, is almost finished. Its estimated
cost is $500, coo.
Londoners visiting the winter Academy
were surprised to find a full length por-
trait of George Washington, 1.-THE cele-
DRAFTED American patriot, as the catalogue
calls him, occupying the place of honor n
the exhibition. The portrait was lent by
Lord Rosebery. Did the ex-premier take
this metho1cf warning his countrymen
not to be oyerhasty about boundary lines?
Sir Henry Irving once entered train at
Kings Cross, London. After putting his
travelling bag on the rail he turned to sit
down, but found that four passengers al
ready occupied the corners of the coach,
and that they had appropriated the rest of
the seats by spreading their portmanteaus
and wraps upon them. AS no one moved
Sir Henry continued to stand, holding on
to the hat rail. After awhile one of the
passengers sulkily began to move his lug
gage from the seat, seeing which Sir
Henry remarked in his blandest tone:
''Oh, please don't let me disturb you.
I'm getting out at Scotland!'
When the sultan of Turkey is reduced
to getting rid of member of his own
family, he invests the ceremony with con-
siderable style. One or two fine diamonds
are powdered and placed in the unfortu-
nate kinsnan's food. The sultan believes
in sustaining the dignity of the family at
any rate.
A curious allowance made to President
Kruger of the Transvaal is the sum OF
50, 900 year for coffee nanoy.'' Coffee
is the national drink of the Beers.
The emperor of Austria never touches
cards unless something weighs heavily on
his mind. Then he does not disdain to
initiate his good subjects in Hungary, who
never start any business without previous
ly consulting the cards. The king of Italy
has a horror of cards, in which he certain
ly does not resemble his father. The Prince
of Wales fOndness for baccarat is proven
bal. Queen Christine has prohibited ev-
cry form Of card playing at the Spanish
court. As for the German emperor, he has
a whole system of secret police watching in
even the most exclusive clubs to see that no
heavy gambling is done. His imperial
majesty seldom touches cards except when
aboard his yacht, where he is accredited
with playing heavily.
'fOur Uncrowned King is the favorite
appeIlation of the Irish for each political
hero as he rises in the mercury of their
affections. Historically speaking, the
Emerald Islanders have always demanded
plenty of change in their kings, both
crowned and otherwise. Ephemeral
is its glory candidates for this uncrowned
kingship have never been lacking. The
Earl of Cadogan, the new lord liftinint,''
has spent enormous sums of money in try
ing to annex this frothy title, and in view
of the following little incident it is ques-
ton if he has been altogether successful:
Not long ago the earl visited one of the
national schools and made himself SO a1fa-
BILE that he actually asked oarroty headed
little boy, ''Who is the patron saint of Ire
1and?' "Does your amer refer to the an
cient or moderrun pathrun seeant of the
counthry?' Let US have the modern
said the earl, scenting a compliment.
Whereupon the urchin cleared his throat
and exclaimed, 'Misther GLADSTONE
The queen has at length decided to put
Windsor castle in direct communication
with London by means of telephone. This
concession to modern ideas is most vel
come to the subjects of a sovereign who
even now prohibits the use of coal, gas and
electricity in her private apartments as
"new tangled notions Some years ago
the Prince of Wales strongly urged the
queen to put telephones in all the royal
residences, and SO seriously did her nlajes-
ty consider the proposition that she sent
for the chief representative of a certain tel
ephone com pany to explain the mysteries
of the instrument to her. All went well
till the unfortunate agent stated that the
person at the other end of the wire re-
spOnded to call with:
"HelIol'
"What?'' Intercepted Victoria R. and T.
''Hello, your majesty!' repeated the
blunderer.
The august lady waved her hand to sig
49,
She had no further interest in such a vul- |
gar continuance. That was nearly ten |
years ago. Today, however, in view of |
England's present difficulties, the queen |
has waived her objection to the phone |
and permitted the wires to be laid to |
Windsor. The question of the hour is, |
What shall be substituted in place of the |
obnoxious "helIo?'' Hail, o your maj |
esty!'' has been suggested.
DR.. Nansen, the arctic explorer, has
been making experiments i'll regard to the |
use of stiInu1ants in the region of the |
north pole The result of these investi-
cations proves conclusively to DR.. Nansen
that tea, coffee, tobacco and spirits should |
not be used by arctic explorers, or at least
in very small quantities.
Although singularly fortunate as a
commander, Lord Wolseley has been
wounded in almost every action in which
he has fought.
The queens daughter, the Marchioness
of Lorne, who will celebrate her silver
wedding on the 21st of March, has had the
somewhat uncommon experience of having
three mothers-in-law during her 25 years
of married life. The old Duke of Argyll,
who has furnished the princess with divers
types of that much abused relation, has
bad in all 10 children. Despite these
patriarchal statistics the duke lately ad
dressed honlily to his tenantry on the
immoderate size of their families, saying
that they coald not expect to be prosperous