The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13
TRIES HARD ID
 GAIN RESPECT Frederick Humbert Makes Art
 Exhibit AEROPLANE IAN Dl NGS French Sporting aPper Prints Inter esting Imaginary Map of Airship Stations in Paris-Many
 People Are Rich.
AEROPLANE IAN Dl N GS
By LVlLLlERS.


 Paris. December 12.-Bravely trying to l live down the shame brought upon him l by an ambitious woman "Francois Hous- sys' as he how calls himself, has ex-
 hibited at the George Petit galleries 40 sketches in oil, some of which depict l ing quaint old books and corners in Nuremberg are unusually good.
 only a comparatively small number of people know that Francois Houssy. the painter is identical with Frederic Hum- bert The husband of the Grande The rese Of the phantom millions was all ways a pathetic figure. perhaps more sinned against than shining and there is fresh pathos in this one man show of his
 When the doors of the prison were opened to him he did not ask anybody to assist him, he set to work with the grit of a true man and tramped, knap- sack, paint and brushes slung over his shoulders and a few francs in his pocket throughout southern Germany.
 As he writes himself to the art critic, M. Aresene AleXandre he determined to work out his own salvation and his sketches show both determination and talent The endeavor is pathetic and comments respect.
 Guiltly weak throughout the whole story of colossal frauds. the son of former minister of justice, and the hus- band of the unforgettable Therese, sank low but one must admit that he is strug- gling manfully to retrieve his disgrace.
 Convinced that it is supplying an im- mediate want Les Sport" the most enterprising sporting paper in Paris and probably in the world, has just pub lshed a map of aeroplane landings in this city.
 The suitable landings indicated by this pioneer of aerial guides begin with the wine depots at Percy and end with the parvis of Notre Dame. The roof of Ho- tel Meurice. the courtyard of Lonore, and the national printing establishment are also pointed out as offering certain advantages while the Beace de la Con corde, the Aree de Triomphl and the Esplanade de des Invalides are not omit ted The plan has been drawn up by the society de Nouveau Paris, which is fight ing hard to modernize the city, just as the socete de Viaux Paris is striving with might and main to preserve every old wall and crumbling ruin. A brilliant idea has just come to the mind of MT. Francois Jourdain, president of the Noveau Paris, which is to pro- mitigate a law reserving the belt of for l tifications around Paris as a future 1 landing ground for aeroplanes. It would 1 to him make an ideal aerial promenade once the earthworks, walls and ramparts l had been leveed and the ditches filled
 As to the private stations mentioned on the map, the owners are only too anxious to serve the public The pro- Yarfa known as the Galleries Lafayette. offer prize of $500 to the first aeroplanist whose machine lands on their roof and the same offer is made by Hotel Meu- rice.
 That France is easily the wealthiest country earth is proven by the death duty statistics which have just been communicated to the chamber The United States may boast of many more immensely rich people but France can point with pride to the fact that more than half of the population, counting men, women and children, have property to bequeath.
 The total amount of money left by persons who died last year amounts to $092 GOO. The number of those who left property was oyer 400, ,000 while the total deaths did not reach twice that figure. The average estate therefore pos sessed by French man, woman or child is nearly s2750.
 But the most remarkable feature is the number of small estates as com l pared with the United States Thus Sl,65O,000 was left in sums not exceeding 5000. Of estates between that figure and $1Q,00O there were nearly 4S,O00 On the other hand large fortunes are few. Only 5S4 persons left over s2OO,- GOO. Only seven died worth from s2,- | oOO,Oo0 to s1O ,oO0,0OO the latter being the largest amount recorded
 From the duty figures statisticians de- 1 duee the following conclusions: Four million French persons own less than $50 apiece; 100000 less than s250 each. and 100000 more less than 5000. But l 100000 possess s4200 each; 2D, 900 $15.00O; 175,000 $30,OO0 and sOOOo from s7O GOO to l s140,00O
 There are 1S,000 possessors of 1000 900 francs-that is, $200,0O0 Very large for
 tunes are few. No person died last year
 worth more than $4O0o,oOO. Three es
 tates of that amount paid duty in 1905
 and three in 1904
 l The total wealth of France is es
 timated at about $4,50000 ,oO0;OOO and there
 Is no country whose wealth is so eoual l " divided among the inhabitants.
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