The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-16
AS OTHERS SEE US.
French Journals Interesting Conn
ments ON America.

To see ourselves as others Sea u.s. Is
always an interesting experience, but to
see America and Americans through the
eyes Of French and italian editors Ia
something oftsn unique. Here ara some
kindly "faots" presented in the staid and
solid parliamentary newaspapsr. lie
Journal des Dehats. Speaking Of AnerI-
can pastors, the Journal says the minis,
ters of the United States ara still continu-
ing to Introduce In their church services
audacious innovations, which are, how
ever, always well received by the congre-
CATION. After speaking of the uss OF the
stsreoptlcoD In the public service, and the
custom of abiding In the pulpit to politi-
cal events and social crises (all of which
Is more or less true), the Journal goes
on to remark that there 10 one minister
In the United States who Is accustomed
to serve to his congregation after the
regular service tea and tarts. This Is
probably TO soIace the female members of
the congregation. For the male menu
bers each was provided with a pipe and
tobaccol Another worthy minister, in
arranged for a boxing match by two
pugilists In front of the door of his
church But the third Attraction" is
most singular. The "vicar Of South
Msersham in the United States" whes.
ever that may be, invited Doctor Usher,
a medical doctor, to take his place in the
pulpit and to speak in plain and expliois
terms Of the hygiene aud need of personal
purity. This the worthy doctor did in
strong and emerge 5io language; quar-
ter of an hour remaining, he devoted
himself to temperance. "The curious
part Of this attraction" adds he journal,
'helng that not a single membsr Of tie
congregation found this innovation scan
dalous."
Not less fragrant is the bouquet of
facts" gathered upon American divorce.
The record of celebrity in the matter of
divorce certainly belongs to the State of
Nebraska, where woman lodged a COM
plant against her husband, had him
tried In a court of law AMI sentenced in
exactly eleven minutes, not second
lnorel" The state Of Indiana, however,
appears to take the lead In the number of
re- marriages: IA certain Polly Owens,
married for the first time at fifteen years
of age, lie already enjoying the oompan-
ionship OF her fifteenth husbandi She
has only had six children by these mar
riages, hut each Of them bears the name
of different father. Aunt Polly Owens
is living example of the remarkable
perseverance, of a woman, who, without
ever allowing herself TO be discouraged.
pursues her unoeasing hunt for happiness
through so many yicissitudes." Her
shining example also paints brilliant
picture OF the varying qualities of her
first fourteen husbands; not one OF whom
was atle to I'LL the sideal in the nina and
"a "a p "A fhof vat ka
ings of the whole fourteen were not able
TO destroy that fountain of hope that
springs eternally in her feminine breastl
Happy woman After having heen dis
illusioned fourteen times. she still pre-
serves the youthful frshness of her illus
ions
After Aunt Polly-but long way after
Comes Edward Dorsey, also of the same
State of Indiana. MIR. Dorsey has only
been married six times, but he rejoices
in forty mine sons;" John Gibby fol-
lows: AT the age of seventy seven yeats,
after having been married and divorced
six times, he marries Dijela Clark of
Anderson, who only fifty years of
age, has already been married and d.
yorced five times. These numerous
divorces do not mean that marriage Ia
not in high favor: "Nol On the contrary,
marriage has never been more popular
than 1t is today In the United States.
This Is the very reason that the judges
act SO promptly. They would not dare
to let a divorce suit drag on for six
months as they sometimes do In France.
No, indeed In the United States this
would mean blocking the way for at least
two successive marriages
California is certainly the country of
big things, but what are we to think of
the tale of the arohaeologists who. accord
ing to the Debats discovered subterran-
esn chamber in the flank of one of the
Rocky Mountains, where the mummied
body of an i'm mense female, measuring
seven feet six inches around her waist,
was discovered lying on Its baekS The
figure wac clasping an enormous child
to its breast; the black hair and the teeth
were well preserved, but the strange
creature did not belong to any known
human race. The poor things feet, for
instance, were i'm mense. and rectangular
in shape, each toe being Of the same
length. The writer naivsly adds that this
California giautess evidently belonged
to race with square feet, people stand
ing about as high az an elephant, which
fourlshed ssome II 500 years ago on the
borders of the Pacific Ocean," II Is
pleasant to think that the miraculous
climate of California has preserved this
specimen almost. intact, with good teeth,
raven trssses, and her psrchment robe
made of the skin of wild beast for
about Il, eco years. Baron Munchausen
seer to have left some descendants, now
EN- ployed on the Paris press with brill
liant effect ,-Boston Transcript.