Kansas City journal., 1898-02-20
OF CURRENT INTEREST.

Sir Walter Scott.
OF CURRENT INTEREST.
DR.. Russell. in his late paper of "Recol-
lections of the Civil War" in the North
American Review. tells an amusing anec-
dote that he had from Mr.. William ii.
Seward of his experience in procuring a
court dress in which to be presented at
one of Queen Nictoria's receptions. He
drove to the palace and presented his card
of admission in its corridor. but
stopped by an official. who told him that
he could not pass, with the remark: You
are not properly dressed, SIR Mr.. Seward.
who was in full evening dress. black dress
coat, waistcoat and trousers. with a white
cravat had supposed that that would do
He was told that knee breeches. shoes and
stockings were absolutely necessary. An
idea struck him. There was nice old
man, about his size, the porter of the hotel
where he was staying, and OFF he drove to
him The porter, he remembered, had
beautiful new pair Of knee breeches. and
black silk stockings and dress shoes. He
procured a loan Of these for a few dol
lars. and speedily put them on. Driving
back to the palace. he WAS readily admit
ted. and made his bow to her majesty in
the hotel porter's clothes. He could have
gone in plain evening dress had he lived
till our day. but the porter's array was es-
sential for his passport then
An English paper tells this: Jay Gould
was once summoned from a board meeting
at a great American railway depot by u
pushing and somewhat arrogant London
actor on a tour. The actor wanted to get
at his luggage without his checks or tick
cts for the same, which were lost. "Is there
anybody in authority here?' he asked.
bouncing about the platform, "any direct
or or anybody" oh yes. Mr., Jay Gould.
the chairman Of the road. is in the board
room.'' Fetch him." said the actor. and
he followed the man to the office, vocif-
Grating. Mr.. Gould appeared. The actor
stated his case with great empressment.
| At last the officer said. Shall give him
the baggage, sir?" The baggage" ex-
| claimed Mr.. Gould, raising his arm as if
| defending himself from the oratorical and
noisy blows of the actor. "Give him the
| depot"'
Nothing in sixty years has approached the
Moon Hoax" of Richard Adam Locke.
editor of the Sun. He. it will be remem-
bered. wrote for his paper an article pur-
| porting to be an account of discoveries
| made nv Sir John Herschel, at the Cape Of
| Good Hope, and pretended to be taken
| from a late number of an Edinburgh jour-
nal, describing the inhabitants of the moon
| with such show of probability that the
| most serious contemporaries throughout
| the country copied the grave and graphic
| statement in full and commented editorially
ly thereon. Such gave credit to the mys-
terious Edinburgh journal. which never ex-
| listed. and the laugh that Locke had on his
| thrifty neighbors and rivals was good
| one when the hoax was discovered.
Mrs. Jack" Gardner's broken leg is not
/ yet sufficiently advanced In splints to be
| presentable, but it is the fashionable talk
/ of Back bay and Beacon street. 1t was one
| of the Boston society leaders friends. as a
| New York writer recalls the incident, who.
| suffering a similar misfortune and being
| well on the road to recovery. ventured to
attend a reception. where she was asked by
| a masculine acquaintance. How Is your
| broken limb getting on?" Her reply ex-
| hibited bewitchnS Hub frankness. 1T Is
healing beautifully" she said You just
| ought to see it," The wicked man said he
would be only too delighted whereupon she
| stupidity blushed and hobbled out of the
| room.
Old Neptune evidently wants old patrons
of Coney Island to see something new this
| season: so. like the children. he's play
ing in the sand. posing mapmaker.
He has virtually cut the select end of the
island in two. and If the slashing continues
much longer the Manhattan and Oriental
hotels will have to be reached by bridge or
| ferry.
The famous natural bridge OF Virginia
has Just been purchased by Fl. S. Caruth.
Of Boston, Mass. who will Immediately en-
ter into possession of the property and
| make his home in Virginia for part OF
the year. Mr. Caruth is a gentleman OF
culture and taste and large wealth, and
will be able to do much to add attractions
to this beautiful resort.
The first American-built locomotive was
the tom Thumb" made by Peter Cooper
in 1890, at his Canton iron works for the
Baltimore & Ohio road, whose extremely
short curves prevented the successful use
of the foreign engine On its trial trip it
ran thirteen miles in fifty-three minutes.
My good woman" said the parson to
Yorkshire woman whose husband had Just
died, your husband is now with Abra-
ham. Isaac and Jacob" That's what
makes me feel so bad" was her reply. for
he was always SO shy with strangers"
Colonel Ibbetson. who died recently in
London gained world wide fame forty-four
years ago by his elopement with Lady
Adele Villiers. daughter of Lord Jersey.
and their marriage was the last OF any
note at the famous Gretna Green.
To keep alive the memory of William
Terriss. the English actor. his frienas have
decided not to erect a monument. but to
maintain a lifeboat at Margate or Rams
gate. which places were particularly be-
loved by Terriss.
The Ohio legislator who fathers a bill
compelling all applicants for marriage IL
censes to submit to physical and mental
examination Is getting letters from all over
the country commencing the idea
Hannis Taylor. formerly United States
minister to Spain, is a candidate for the
Democratic nomination to congress In tho
4 First Alabama cnngresa disfricf>