Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-02-02
RECEIVE ODD GIFTS
INTERESTING PRESENTS MADE
TO RULERS AND OTHERS.
Pretty Compliment Was That Paid to
President FaIlieres by His Fellow
Townsmen-curiousc Custom
Among Indians

A very pretty compliment was paid
by his fellow townsmen to President
Tallieres of France upon the occasion
Of his visit to his birthplace, the little
town of Mezin. To widen the street
the house in which the President was
born had been pulled down some years
ago. What was to be done? The
people of Mezin put their heads to-
gether and when their distinguished
fellow citizen arrived, imagine his de-
light at finding an exact reproduc-
don of his old home in papier mache.
All was perfect, down to the very fur
niture, part of which had been col
iected from the country around and
part reproduced in facsimile The
president thanked his friends in
voice broken with emotion, and tears
actually streamed down his cheeks as
he finished his little speech.
The late French president, M. Lou
bet, was once the recipient of an in
teresting present 1t consisted of an
Immense album filed with thousands
Of press cuttings relating to his visits
to Italy and to England. The album,
which is of enormous size and richly
bound, contains not only cuttings, but
photographs and illustrations of all
kinds. 1t forms, indeed, a complete
chronicle of his life written by many
different people, and in more than
dozen different languages.
In India the native rajahs consider
it the highest possible compliment to
be presented with fine specimens of
wild beasts, and consequently both
King Edward and the prince of Wales
has been the recipient of many gifts
of this description. But when, one
fine day, two splendid tigers arrived
unexpectedly at Sandringham, King
Edward was driven to demonstrate I
have accommodation, he said, for
horses, dogs, COWS, cats, mice, and
even rats, but 1 must draw the line at
tigers"
An odd gift was received by the
crown prince of Germany upon his
coming of age. A deputation of butch
ers attended, bearing an enormous and
magnificent steak, upon the surface
of which was worked in suet their
greetings to the future monarch
The late Prince Bismarck once re-
ceived from some miners in West
phalia a bust of himself carved in
COAL and it is said that this odd pres
ent was always carefully preserved by
him and looked upon somewhat in the
light of luck bringer.
A complaint which had serious re-
suits was paid to an actor named Han
son at little mining town in British
Columbia. The audience was so
stirred by Mr.. Hansons acting that
some persons began throwing pres
ents upon the stage, like spectators
at a Spanish bullfight- One burly
miner. having nothing else handy,
hurled a lump of gold ore Unluckily
1t hit the actor on the head and knock
ed him down. He was badly injured,
and it was weeks before he was able
to play again.
Perhaps the oldest idea of paying
a compliment belongs to a tribe of
Indians on the Alaskan coast. When
a chief wishes to do honor to dis
tinguished visitor he invites him to
a 'potlatch," or feast. Then when
all have eaten their fill the chief goes
to the edge of the cliff and solemnly
casts into the sea as many of his pos
sessions as he thinks he can afford.
This is held to be the highest form
of compliment and much superior to
merely giving presents to the guest.