The Portland daily press., 1897-03-13
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR
Italy's King is insured for 81, 500. ooo.

Italy's King is insured for 81, 500. 600.
Astor's income is $500, 900 year.
Francois Coppee, the French poet, has
just undergone serious operation at
Pau. Meanwhile rehearsals are in pro-
Qress at the Comedie Franchise OF his
new play, "rhe Strike of the lronwork-
ers."
The Indianar oils Sentinel has dis
covered new cause of appendicitis. 1t
SAYS: Gan operation has been rerforn.e Ell
upon Dalton Query, of Blue Ridge, for
appendicitis, but he can not possibly re-
cover. Ouery has been an inveterabe
chewer of gum and in the appendix WAS
found a ball of wax aim ost as large as
hens egg
Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts,, is said
to he one of the best read men In the
Senate; besides, he has a prodlgious
memory, and can quote at an instint's
notice the particular verse or passage VI
prose which he regards lifting Tor any
particular occasion.
DR.. Nansen's social success in London
is said to exceed even that of Stanley.
He is lionized by the very smartest set
and overwhelmed with Invitations he
is to deliver forty -seyen lectures in Eng
land and will then visit Germany and be
present in March at reception given in
his honor by the Geographical society of
Berlin. The Nansens will rest during the
sum.ae in Norway, where they are build
ing new villa. and in October the ex-
plorer, accom- panied by his wife, will
sail for this country, where a course OF
lectures has been arranged for. DR..
Nansen will receive for his American
lectures $500 night and his expenses. In
cynical allusion to his money making
abilities, some of the European newspa
pers refer to the explorer as "flnansen.
Miss Olive Schreiner Of african
Farm" fame came over to England in
the same vessel with Cecil Rhodes and
is now arranging with London publish
ers for the production or her much
talked-of new book. English people are
disappointed at the news that the locked
for volume is not novel. One authori-
~. who has been given an opportunity
of Judgement, says that Its character
may best be described by the formula,
"If Christ at this moment came to South
Africa" At time when public interest
in South African affairs is so keen the
work of Miss Schreniner's fearless and
ChubUlC DGu WILL ~ 40 CAHOSuOu1 ooNSS ~
sensation.
Munkacsy, the painter, has becom e
hopelessly and violently insane, and 1t is
thought that he cannot live much long
er. Although he has earned immense
sums, he has sQuandered them SO reck-
lessly that his wife will he left In power
ty. OF late years he has been possessed
bya craze for using bitumen az body
color instead of as a glaze. AS conse-
auence the value of his pictures has been
much impaired and many OF them are
already in ruins.
Miss Beatrice Harraden, who wrote
''Sh.ps That Pass in the Night" has
always been more popular in this coun-
try than in England, and it is expected
that her new novel, "Hilda Strafford,"
will be received With enthusiasm by
American readers. Miss Harraden has
just finished reading the proofs and the
book " i'll he brought out the end OF the
month. The health of the authoress is
far from satisfactory; she is stopping at
Bournemouth and is obliged to refuse all
demands from publishers, being behind
hand with work which she has hoped to
finish last year.
No disgrace attaches to suicide among
the Japanese. The result is that an ay-
erage Of 1900 men and 5000 women kill
themselves every year. Hanging is the
favorite method. next to that IS drown
ing, with the use of knives or swords as
a good third. July is the fayorite month
for hari-kari.
The oldest shaped county among the
1000 which go to make up the separate
divisions of the various states Is Warren
county, Tennessee. 1t lies almost exactly
10 the geographical center Of the state
and is about as near perfect
circle as any division of land possibly can
be.
The Notifications of Sebastapol. which
caused the allies so much trouble during
the six months defense of the fortress by
the Russians, were, at first, very weak,
and military experts say the town might
have been taken by a vigorous lombard
met and assault during the first few days
of the siege. The ignoraoe of the allied
generals in regard to the strength OF the
works caused a delay which the Russians
improved by making the defences al
most impregnable.