The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
ABOUT PEOPLE AND THINGS.

There are forty-nine Washingtons in the
Kansas City directory, and fortv-three of
them are colored persons. Ten bear the
name of the immortal George.
The stump of the tree to which Israel
Putnam was once tied in the French and
Indian war is still standing in the little
village of Crown Point, a town in the up
per part of New York.
Architecture and Building says that there
is nothing about the Dismal Swamp, in
Virginia, to create miasma; "all is fresh
and sweet, and the air Is laden with balmy
odors." The water is thought to possess
certain medicinal qualities.
The late Alfred Nobel left, among other
things, funds for prize of 2OO,OOo crowns,
to be awarded to whoever furnished in
literary or pictorial way the most effective
the Norwegian CroSSthing has awarded this
prize to Verestchagin for his war pictures.
When the German novelist Gustav Frey
tag died he gave directions that a certain
friend of his should have the disposal of his
literary remains His widow refused to give
up these documents, whereupon a suit was
brought The suit was recently decided
against her, but she has appealed to
higher court.
The chapel in the Sorbonne Church in
Paris, built by Cardinal Richelieu for the
burial place of his family, is in ruinous
condition, and scaffolding for it's repair has
been standing in it for a dozen years, while
the republic and the city are disputing
which shall pay the bills. The state de-
mands the control Of the chapel if it spends
the money while the Richeleu family OBJ
ject on the ground that the cardinal ex-
pended his own money in building it, PROP
ably they would be glad to repair it them
selves, but they are too poor.
Danish papers have printed a private let
ter by George Brandes, in which that emf
nent critic moralizes on his recent serious
illness which confined him to his bed one
hundred days and brought him to deaths
door. Incidentally, he refers to his choice
library of 1000 Danish, Swedish, Nor
wegian, German, English. Russian, Polish,
Italian, Latin, and Greek books, all of
which, he declares, he has read most of
them more than once, in the original
there is no better reading than Michelet's
History Of France.
During a recent interview in Paris Melba
blandly remarked that she never really
learned to sing. Ever since l was child"
she said. Il sang any way I pleased and,
being gifted with an excellent ear for music,
I made my debut as Aida in my native
town, Adelaide, Australia, without knowing
a note of music Although my success even
then was unusual l soon found that this
method was the wrong one, and accordingly
went to work to learn the rudiments of
carefully refrained. however, from allowing
anybody to spoil my voice by any of the
so-called methods of singing, and l still
sing as / did before / knew what a note
was"
The Emperor of Japan has done a great
deal for the advancement of women in
Japan. Stained teeth and shaved eyebrows
are to be abolished. The Empress Fusaka,
his wife. not only shares his throne, but is
consulted by him on matters of national
Importance. Moreover, she has a place at
his table, an honor accorded to none of her
predecessors She has shown herself worthy
of these additional privileges. She is
energetic patroness of the Toxic Womans
Hospital conducted on the latest scientific
principles She rides we'll and takes ample
advantage Of the gymnasium specially
created for her benefit in the palace. 1t is
in her honor that her husband has com
posed many of his prettest poems show
ing that the bravest deeds have ever been
inspired by feminine beauty.