The morning times., 1896-01-22
ODD FAHcIEs OF TIE GREAT
Caesar Ashamed Of His Badness and Web.
ster Painted ais Cows Faces.
Napoleon Made Puzzles. Gear Reed
Recites Poetry. and Kaiser VIII
helm Curls His Mustache.

Greatness In men is no bar to the indulg-
ence of little foibies aud human weaknesses
and harmless fads and fancies that, at first
glance, seem inconsistent with high sta
ton. julius Caesar, for instance. the ruler
OF an empire and the mightiest man of his
day. was sensitive of his badness. All the
learned men OF all the Roman empire could
not restore his hair.
So much did this worry Caesar that he
became ill., and dread of eventually becom-
Ing totally bald was the constant menace
TO his happiness. When the day came on
which Caesar discovered that there was no
remedy, he set about 10 find means to con-
ceal his afflictioD. He had crown made
that covered the entire top and back of his
head, but it was torture 10 weari it.
Daniel Webster had curious fancy for
painting the faces of his cattle. One week
the poor beasts would walk around with
blue faces and the next would appear with
red ones. On his farm he kept many head
of cattle, and some OF them became SO fond
of the great expounder that they would
follow him about like dogs. Among the num-
Der were several that resented his fricndl-
ness. and in oIder to punish these and dis
tiDguish them from the rest he painted the
face OF each a beautiful blue.
The effect was so novel that 1t pleased
him, and from that time forth he changed
the color whenever he had a few minutes
to spare, and would laugh heartily at the
astonishment of his friends when they saw
the queer-lookiDg beasts on his premises.
Napoleon occupied all his idle moments
In making up puzzles and indulging in in
trigues. He said it relieved d mans mind
when tired. He would sit for hours trying to
devise a puzzle that his comrades could
not solve. When tired of this he loved to
fight mimic battles, q nd became an CRY when
he lost. He had his garden constructed
in the form of a miniature field, with forts
trenches, waterways and dummy soldiers.
by means Of which he fought sham battles
with his Officers.
Peter the Great had fashion for be-
ing carried about in wheelba ROW, and
when not fighting would allow himself for
hours at a time TO be wheeled around
his estates. He said he liked the motion
After campaign he would return home
with a number OF guests and at once order
wheelbarrows TO be got in readiness.
Peter on more than one occasion visited
the large cities in this strange equipage.
William the Conqueror said he derived
more pleasure wal iching dogs fighting than
anything else besides winning a battle.
His subjects all over the kingdom sent
him dogs by the hundred. From these
he would select the fiercest and sit for
whole days watching the fights. He had
a special retiDue of servants nd at
tendants who did nothing but arrange the
contests.
George Washington's principal diversion
was training baby foxes. He was fond
OF fox hunting and would pay well for a
litter OF young Rewards. He took the
animals home and trained them in all kinds
OF tricks which he often exhibited to
friends. He used TO say that the fox had
more brains than any other animal.
President Cleveland likes 10 paint the
children's toys and little odds and ends OF
to be sure, but more than one paterfamilias
knows how much real diversion there is in
working with paint pot and brush. Seated
on ii Slppls WIN ybthtSNttS WI ttst
White House around him. the President will
amuse himself for hours embeliishing their
TOYS in the liveliest shades.
Gladstone employs his spare time in wood
carving, and he is said to produce some
very fine work. He learned the art when
n boy, and has as complete a wood carving
shop as any carver in England. Some of
the decorations of his home are his own
work, and II he made business OF 1t he
would be n success.
Kaiser Wilhelm finds more amusement
in curling his mustache than in almost any
pastime. On every appearance in public
his mustache has a different curl. All of
these are original, 80 much so, In fact,
that before his admirers in the German
empire have caught on to the new
style he appears with another.
Speaker Thomas B. Reed has a pastime
that is truly his own. He stands in an open
window and recitcs poetry by the yard. He
Is especially partial to Longfellow. Mr..
Reed recites Tennyson and Whittier also,
but he is strong on the breezy Western
poems that have a ring Of defiance In their
lines.