Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-24

make the necessary arrangements and to
discuss the visit in all it's bearings aid re-
lationships. There is little doubt now but
that the visit will be successfully ar
ranged. and that it will take place dur
ing the kings spring cruise in the Medi-
terranean.
In diplomatic circles it has been feared
that any official announcement of the
kings visit to the sultan would be fol-
lowed by a violent outburst on the part
of those who objected to his visit to the
car The king would naturally prefer
that his visit. If it be finally decided
upon. should meet with the general ap-
prevail of his people. and. while the for
eign office has been engaged in a serious
consideration of the question from every
standpoint. certain Independent authori-
ties have been taking action in another
direction. They are in constant touch
with the committee formed by the Young
Turks. and as a result of their efforts l
understand that when the new Turkish
parliament meetS-about the middle OF
November-one of its first acts will be to
pass a resolution in the name of the
Turkish people inviting the king to visit
Constantinople as the guest of the nation.
An invitation direct from the Turkish
people could scarcely give rise to any
criticism. even from the most rabid
the king would not be the guest of the
monarch. but of the Turkish people.
celebrating the grant of their constitu-
tional freedom.
The Wright brothers of Great Britain
are Coils. Capper and Cody of the army
balloon factory at Aldershot. Yesterday
these aerial admirals were experimenting
with Br1tain's first aeroplane, a weird
looking contrivance of canvas and steel.
about fifty feet long. mounted on bicycle
wheels. The machine did not rise from
the ground, but 1t proved to be capital
daisy cutter, and executed figures OF
eight like a napkin ring shot from be-
meath a finger.
AS yet England is long way behind
the Wright brothers-in fact, the position
of Great Britain in the matter of aerial
navigation can only be described as
ludicrous. However. her aerial admirals
are said to be working hard at the prob
lem. and they may give us a pleasant
surprise one of these days.
Col Samuel F. Cody Is the double in
appearance of his namesake, Buffalo Bill.
He affects a big sombrero hat, wears
long hair. kaiser mustache and a
goatee beard. He halls from Texas, and
before he became British army aero
pianist he was a cowboy artist. lasso
singer. a flier of man kites and trick
shot performer in the music halls. In
the "halls'' he used to shoot a cigarette
out of a lady's lips. A few years ago he
attempted to cross the channel in kite
drawn boat.
Col. Capper Is slim, sinewy. thought
ful-looking royal engineer, with twenty
eight years service to his credit. He got
his C.B. for his fine engineering work In
the Boer war, and before then he had seen
much active service in India and Burma.
Last year. in a terrible thunderstorm.
he won the great long-distance balloon
race for the Hedges-Butler challenge
cup, from Ranelagh. People who know
Col. Capper are convinced that he is the
future Wilbur Wright of England.
Titles and Divorces.
In deciding to abandon the title Of Coun-
tess of Yarmouth. Mr.. Harry Thaw's SIS
ter is doing the correct thing. Her mar
rage with Lord Yarmouth has been an
nuled, and in cases of annulment the
parties stand exactly as they were before
they were married. Properly. the coun-
tess should be styled Miss Thaw. not Mrs.
Copley Thaw, the name by which she
intends henceforth to be known.
In the cases of women who nave di-
vorced their husbands, or have been d.
vorced from them. the case is different.
Earl Cowley tried to prevent MS wire.
who had divorced him, from using the
title of Countess Cowley. The countess,
who has Remarked showever claimed to
have the right to use the title. one of her
grounds for SO doing being that she should
bear the title which her young sons Wis
use. The courts refused to restrain Coun-
tess Cowley, or Lady Violet Myddelton.
as her real name is, from using the title.
A matter which is causing considerable
anxiety to dealers and collectors of old
Sheffield plate is the increasing number
of forgeries that are being sold. There
has been faxed old Sheffield plate. as
there have been faxed antiques OF
every description, for many years past,
but the taking formerly had white ap-
pearance which only the ignorant WOULD
fail to detect.
Now there are coming on the market In
London large quantities of newly made
Sheffield plate sold as antique. which has
deceived even experienced collectors and
dealers. In fact, one dealer tells ME that
he will have nothing to do with Sheffield
plate because he often cannot tell the
difference between the modern article and
the genuine old, with such fidelity had
the old patterns and designs been copied.
Recently leading worker of one of the
principal firms of silversmiths in London
was unable to declare whether a plated
urn placed before him was modern or old,
and the only reason which induced him
to come to the right decision that 1t was
modern was that the lathe had been used
on the body of the object.
Inasmuch as there are comparatively
few workers in silver in this country out
side Sheffield and Birmingham the trade
in modern "old Sheffield plate is likely
10 De large unless the purchaser lHSlSlS
in all instances in having a written war
ranty that the plate is genuine antique.
The secret society of the music hall
profession, the Grand Order of Water
Rats, has issued victorious from it's en-
PERTAINING tussle with the Drury Lane
management. There is to be no further
reference in marriages Of Mayfair to
the order or it's doggerel anthem. In
the words of that anthem, "A jolly lot
of fellows are the Water Rats" Their
order was founded in 1899, and it origi-
mated in a little cotere of music hall ce-
lebrities, headed by Joe Elvin and Joe
O'Gorman, who used to race a fast trot-
ting pony called the Water Rat on the
roads against all corners. A painting OF
this pony occupies the place of honor on
the walls of the Water Rats Club in
Charing Cross road. At first the Rats"
only numbered six; nova there are 100 of
them, including most of the stars
The society is conducted on Masonic
lines. 1t has a ritual. a password. initia-
lions and other secret ceremonies; and the
officers of the king rat include the prince
rat the scribe rat. the test rat, the bank
rat and the musical rat. The avowed aim
of the rats is to promote good fellow
ship in their profession. to elevate it in
the eye of the world, and to assist their
brethren in distress. L. II. MOORE.
T14ca