The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-27
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

water. who has been cutting a wide swath in high society, turns out to be a fraud, a sham and delusion. In other words the distinguished foreigner Is noth- ing more than the servant of an old New York family. A metropolitan daily wise ly asks the question, why should the malus and matrons create such a disturb ance over the affair? If the man is any sort of a fellow at all he is probably as good morally or physically as majority of the real nobility. who have nothing in the world to give them countenance but pedigree. Although the bogus counts deceit marks him as dishonest and prob ably rogue into the bargain, 1t Is proba- ble that he would have been able to con tinue his career had he not been discov- cred and eventually would have married wealthy heiress to become henceforth a shining light in the social world of two countries. The butler, lackey. fiunkey, or whatever he be. has proven himself a man of accomplishments. of suave de- meanor. and withal Is very good looking. When his measure Is fully taken he shows up very well when compared to the real article.
 Another big deal has been made in horse flesh and Major Delmar the cele- brated gelding, is now the property of E. D. Smathers, who is equally well known as an owner of fine horses. The consideration was only s40,O00, a figure that may cause unsophisticated persons to open their mouths with astonishment There is money in race horses these days and the fact was never more forcibly H. lustrated than during the racing season of 1903. So many records have been smashed and so many large stakes have been won that the cupidity of turfmen has been aroused and many haze made bids for promising stars Major Del mar is now one of the greatest horses in this country. His recent feat of equalling the record of Lou Dillon for a mile has placed him upon a dizzy pima cle. The gelding is a star performer and we may expect him to win several more big purses for his new owner.
 The Hon. Richard Canfield is not to be downed. Although desperate efforts have been made to give him trouble in New York his propensity for making money out of palatial gambling houses has not been in the slightest degree lessened. He has now opened the largest gambling es- tablishment in the west in Chicago on Michigan avenue. For the benefit of prospective visitors it is announced that "the limit is the ceiling. and man who has an ncome of less than $10,ooO year has no business at any of the tables It may be considered certainty that the new venture will prove equally as profitable as the New York house. It will be luxurious enough to attract all top line flyers In the Windy City and that is all the astute Garfield wants After a fashionable patronage is built up the rest is easy Those gentlemen who will have the duty of conducting visitors within the palatial halls, there to lose their money, will indeed be pleasantly situated, so far as work and salary are concerned.
 The Anti-Dueling league recently open ed its sessions in Frankfurt, with Prince Lowenstein presiding. In his address the prince stated that no progress had been made and the affairs of honor" seem to be growing more numerous every day instead of decreasing. That such an or ganization as the Anti-Dueling league ex- ists in Germany is a good omen but everyone at all conversant with customs and ideas prevailing in that country will agree that the league has an extremely difficult task Dueling is very near 10 : German hearts and is at least more bloody than the French variety. for par ticipants are sometimes badly slashed about the face It seems to be most pop ular among students, who have plenty of leisure to stir up quarrels. So long as few are killed the gentle pastime is per- haps no worse than American football. A German student who has not figured in several duels is considered a very poor fellow, anyway P. c.