St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-02-20
Minister WI ON Lincoln

her.
Minister WI On Lincoln.
In his address on Lincoln before the
Union League Club of Brooklyn last week
WI Ting-tang the Chinese minister, paid
high tribute to the great emancipation.
In the course of his address he managed
as usual to throw little side light on
the history of his wonderful nation. He
said: 1T is fitting that the memory of
great man like Lincoln should ever be
kept alive by proper observance as an
inspiring example to eeding genera
tions. To Lincoln may be applied the
words which Chinese historian uses in
describing the character of Yao, the most
revered and honored Of the ancient rulers
! of China. Thus it is written: His bene-
violence was boundless his wisdom was
profound; to any one approaching him
he had the genial warmth of the sun;
when viewed at distance, he seemed to
have the mysterious ways of the clouds;
though occupying the highest station he
was not naughty; though controlling
the resources of the whole nation, he was
not lavish; justice was the guiding prin-
ciple OF his actions; nobleness was writ
ten on every ineament of his face"
The sad occurrences of the past year 10
the ancient empire of the East, while they
have shocked the civilized world, have
also created world wide interest in the
history of the oldest OF nations.
Horace Greeley. writes A. K. Mcclure,
in February Success" was lavish in his
gifts, often to most unworthy recipients,
and was most sensitive when admonish-
ed on the subject by even his closest
friends. He loaned thousands of dollars
to scapegrace son of Commodore
Vanderbilt, and when Vanderbilt appeal
ed to him to stop it, Greeley curtly
closed the conversation by saying he did
not expect the commodore to pay the
loan. In one of the many conversations
had with him in his dingy office in the
old Tribune building, ventured to sug-
gest that he was more generous giver
than his means justified; to which he
answered: "Well, guess that's so, but
can't stop it. | am like the Southern
planter who, after spending the proceeds
OF his crop in winter reveling, closed up
the account by selling niger; l do it
by selling a share of the Tribune" He
originally owned nearly or quite one
half the paper. When he died he had but
one share remaining of the one hundred.
There are several vacancies in the
French Academy. Mr. Jules Verne, when
approached with suggestion that he
should become candidate, replied: II
have just completed my seventy-third
year, and do not at such an age aspire to
the Academy. Dumas the younger ask
ed me twenty eight yearsago. declined,
and since then filty-nine Academcians
have died. They may be immortals, but
they have not been rendered immortal"
In closing, M. Verne asks the proposer
of his name to accept the gratitude ofan
old story teller"
The Page of the Pipe at Windsor Cas-
tie holds an hereditary Office which dates
back to the time of Charles II. That
merry monarch acquired the tobacco
habit from some of his Virginia colonists,
and required page, who was paid a
salary of $500 year, to keep his smok-
ing apparatus in order. In moment OF
generosity His Majesty made the ap-
pointment permanent. Until 1865 the
honor was held by the Duke of Grafton
who got hard up and sold it to mer-
chant named Harrison. AS Queen Vic
toria did not smoke, the office was a
sinecure, but the descendants of Harrison
are entitled to the privilege OF entering
the presence of their sovereign at any
time.
On the grounds of the old capitol at
Richmond, Va, is group of statuary
which includes George Washington sur.
rounded by other great Virginians. John
Marshall has place in the group. 1t is
an interesting fact that his statue was
completed in 1861, that it remained box
ed up in the basement of the capto
through the war years, and that it wa:
not placed on its pedestal until his doc
trlne OF the constitution had been placed
, high above the future attack by the de
, cision OF Appomattox.
Alexander Beaubien. the first whit