The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-10-14
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR

W. 5. Gilbert will write no more plays.
He says: Critics attack an author as If
he was scoundrel of the worst Type
and he does not propose to make himself
''cock-shy for these gentlemen" Then
he berates the 'poorness and monotony
of English acting as exemplified by Irv.
ing, Tree and Alexander.
Count de Castellane lately bought the
steam yacht Valhalla for $4,000 and
went for cruise off the coast of Norway
for few weeks with the Countess and
small party of friends, including the
Prince and Princess de Polk, the Count
and Countess de Ganay, the Count and
Countess de Beaumont. On returning
to Dieppe he sold the Valhalla for $l5O. 600.
Mr.. Watts. the famous artist, is vege-
tartan. He keeps almost entirely to a
fruit diet.
Senator Morgan's old school teacher
says that the Alabama statesman went to
school for but one year. His lack of edu-
cation. however, did not prevent him
from studying law at an early age and
becoming successful practitioner.
Mrs. Ollie Handy of Cobb county, Geor-
gla, Ia the twenty sixth child born to her
parents. Mrs. Handy had seven brouh-
ers who were Baptist preachers and has
SIX nephews engaged in the same cal
Ing Her descendants now number sew
en- ty-seven.
The Mayor of Ferrara, Italy, when late
ly compelled to be absent, determined to
constitute his wife deputy Mayor. She
discharged all her official functions with
such vfgor and ability that on the May
or's return he discovered that nobody
needed him back.
For the first time in the history of the
English colonial courts woman has
been admitted to the bar, in the person
Of a young Jewess, Miss Ethel Benjamin.
She is now a barrister and solicitor duly
qualified to practice in the Supreme
Court of New Zealand.
Dean Farrar gives the following remin-
iscence OF Thackeray in the Independent;
Dining with him at the house of DR..
Butler, l remember that he spoke of
many things, but the only remark that I
specially recall was one about himself.
He said that he had recently sat at din
ner next to an eminent tragedienne. no
dead. and that she had overpowered him
with ecstatic compliments; few days
afterward he had sat next Jenny Lind,
and the great singer, with frankness
which delighted him said that she had
not read q line of any of his writings,
and knew nothing about them. OF the
two ladies he greatly preferred Jenny
Lind and enjoyed her frank indifference
much more than the fulsome adulation
Frederick W. Lincoln, Jr., who is 1.-THE
al 1f d
to serve in 1858, and. with the exception
OF three years, served until 1856.
Young ladies of Corsicana, Tex organ
lied q female military compa ny, with
Miss Amy Talley as Captain.
President Kruger is willing to retire
from public life to oblige Mrs. Kruger,
it Is reported, but makes an annuity Of
S25, 900 year for tho rest of his life a
condition of his giving up Office.
LIE Bling Nam, Chinese athlete, says
that his extraordinary strength is due tc
his diet, which consists chiefly of boiled
rice and boiled ducks heads. The brains
OF the duck. ne asserts, are very strength
ening.
Miss May White, who, though white
child, has been brought up among the
A$AoShtOOU AhuAoL5p VIM 1ClunCo W ItCUR
nize rich Cincinnatian, who few
years ago claimed her as his daughter.
has married full.blooded Indian Of the
tribe.
The standard which the Spanish con
queror of Mexico, fernando Cortes, used
in his march from Vera Cruz to the City
of Mexico, nearly four centuries ago. was
until recently preserved at little chapel
in the capital of the State of Tlaxcala.
DR.. Nansen, the famous Arctic explorer
will be deliberately entertained by the
National Geographical Society on his
visit to Washington on October 16.
Lady Marjorie Gordon, daughter OF
Lord Aberdeen, is the editor of a juvenile
magazine and has just received from
Rudyard Kipling short piece of childish
rhyme for her publication.
Senator John M. Palmer has been re-
tanned by tho colored citizens of Alton,
ILL.,, in their suit against the Board of
Education for instructing the teachers in
the white public schools to admit no col
ored children to their classes
Miss Lizzie o. Thomas, prominent
young Florida woman, has gone to
Hiroshima, Japan, to take charge of a
school there under the direction of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Miss
Thomas will probably stay five years.
Russians regular force is over 800, 900
men, Germany and France have about
$50, 900 each-there is less than 5000 differ
ence between them-Austria has 800, 900,
Italy 2eo, 200, England 100, 600 and Spain
about 100, O0J. Even Portugal has m ore
regular soldiers than the United States,
and SO have Holland, Denmark and Bel
GUM.
The "ten best short poems discussion
resulted in 800 lists being sent to Life.
The following was made the prize list:
''Elegy in a Country Churchyard, -
tray; sThanatopsis, Bryant: GA
Psalm of Life Longfeliow; "The
Brigade" Tennyson; 1.-THE Skylarf, .
Shelley; "The Chambered Nautilus, -
Holiness; MAUD Muller,'' Whittier;
"The Bridge of Sighs,' Hood; Burial
of Sir John Moore, - Wolfe.
On the state railways in Germany the
carriages are painted according to the
colors of the tickets of their respective