a i ' 4 A, THREE AMERICAN DUCHESSES ATTEND AN ELABORATE DINNER IN THEIR HONOR AT PARIS FRANK R. STOCKTON, FAMOUS AMERICAN NOVELIST, WHO RECENTLY DIED IN WASHINGTON PRINCE ALBERT. HEIR TO BELGIAN THRONE, WHO FUSED TO LEAVE A POST OF DANGER RE- ' jl!lHif)ii;)IH)iiiijliijjllJ:i . -i(Hii(pNMM,ii!U(ij The IJaroncs3 Von Andress. sister-in-law to Chaunccy M. Depew, gave the mtr.t elaborate dinner of the sea son In honor of three American c'uch .esseo. No other hostess in the Anier io.n oniony has ever succeeded in get tins these three together. There were the Duchess de la Roche f.iiicauld. nee Miss Mattie Mitchell; the Duchess of Manchester and the Duch- Froud Itecord of a Negro School. Of the fifty colored boys who were graduated from the Richmond Color ed High School in the decade 1873-83. twelve have died. At the time of death one was a contractor, one was a professor of ancient languages in a college, three were postal clerks, and others, respectively, were an internal revenue collector, a candymaker and a preacher. Of the thirty-eight still alive thirteen are teachers, three are lawyers, two are doctors, two are jour nalists, five are postal clerks, one is a civil engineer, one Is a clerk, two are bookkeepers, one is a bank president, and so on. Not one of the thirty-eight now living has ever fallen into disgrace. WEALTHY PHILADELPHIA NEGRO WHO LEFT AN IM MENSE FORTUNE TO CATHOLIC CHURCH W srm1 The will of Col. McKee. who died a few days ago at Philadelphia, gives his fortune, the largest ever possessed hy a negro in the United State3, to Archbishop Ryan to be used in the construction of a Catholic Church, rec tory and convent at McKee. N. J., and the building and maintenance of two schools for white and colored orphans, one, in Philadelphia, to be modeled Oodles Florin. Florins were first placed In circula tion as a British coin in 1S49. The first Issue was speedily called in. how ever, for It omitted to declare that Vic toria was queen del gratia, "by the grace of God." or F. D. (fldel defen sor), "defender of the faith." Even the threepenny bit and the farthing made this confession, and it was felt to be a shame that the bigger and more valuable silver coin should be so wanting in decency. The oversight was easily made right, but those florins became known to fame as the "god less" or "graceless" florins. Of course, examples of them are now rare, and worth far more than two shillings. English Exchange. -o Ta Ly This Tear. No municipal tax levy will be made In Peterborough this year, the first time when such an incident was re corded in England. Lin ef Torpedoes, The Portsmouth (England) torpedo school has devised a line of torpedoes to prevent submarine attacks. es3 of Marlborough. Other guests were the Duchess of Devonshire, V. K. Yanderbilt and Mrs. Harriman of New York. Mrs. Von Andree encountered diffi culty deciding the question of prece dence between the Duchesses of Marl borough and Manchester. The Duch ess of Marlborough won because of the antiquity of her title. Frog' Egg for Complexion. Two young glrl3 of Berlin found their eyesight failing and their par ents sent them to a doctor, where they had to undergo a cure lasting for some weeks. Questioned by their parents as to what they had been doing to bring their eyes to such a condition, the girls confessed that they had washed their faces in water mixed with frog3 eggs in order to secure a delicate complexion. Perfume In Ancient Day. The records left us by the Phoeni cians, Assyrians and ancient Persians show that among all those nations the use of perfumes was very common. on the United States Naval Academy. Col McKee, who was a member of the staff of the Governor of Pennsylvania and influential in politics, was con verted to the Catholic Church by the ministrations of two Sisters of Char ity who were sent to nurse him in his illness. His only living child is a daughter, Mrs. Abbe A. Spyhax, who is given an annuity of 5300. Men vs. TFomcn Dressmakers, An old bachelor, who is supposed not to have a too kindly feeling to ward women, is certain that there is nothing that they do that a man does not do better, and if we are to believe him the gentle sex gets most of Its best Ideas in the way of the toilettes from the sterner sex. We certainly find the presiding genius at many of the largest houses where articles of dress are sold to be a man. and some of the largest dressmaking, millinery and tailoring establishments are man aged by them, and not by women; says the Philadelphia Public Ledger! How we are to divide the work of the world Into a man's province and a woman's has not, up to now, been de cided. Aged French Scientist Dead. Emlllen Renoa, who died last week in France at the age of 87, was the oldest of French meteorologists In active work. If not the oldest in the world. Since 1S7S he had been the di rector of the St. Maur observatory. In 1S52 he was one of the founders of the French Meteorology society. Frank R. Stockton, author of "The Lady or the Tiger," "The House of Martha." "The Vizier of the Two Horned Alexander," and a score of other novels and juvenile books, pass ed away suddenly In Washington of hemorrhage of the brain. Mr. Stock ton was born in Philadelphia in 1834, began his career by writing for East ern newspapers, and later was for a number of years on the staff of Scrib ner's Magazine and St. Nicholas. For thirty years Mr. Stockton has been a prominent figure in the literary life of America. In that time he pro duced a remarkably quantity of sur prisingly good fiction. His general recognition by the public may be said A Fatal Providence. A BUlvllle man who had obtained a pension from the government for having lost his voice as the result of injuries received in service shouted "Hooray!" on the day his first pension money was paid to him. The pension was straightway called off, and now, in great dejection, he says: "It happened thisaway: Some o' these meddlesome Christians got to prayln' fer the return o my voice, an their prayers was answered at the wrong time!" Atlanta Constitution. CARDINAL SARTO SAID TO FOR HIS SUCCESSOR IN CARDINAL GIUSEPPE SARTO. Cardinal Giuseppe Sarto, Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, who is said to be the choice of the pope as his own suc cessor, has never been an aggressive factor in church affairs and has al ways held aloof from quarrels of every kind, whether church or political. He lives a quiet, retired life among the Finger Touch Rings Great Bella. Few persons who listen to the chimes of Grace church. New York, know that the ringer in the belfry is a woman, but that is a fact. The old system of chime ringing which re quired a corps of bell ringers with brawn and muscle went out long ago. Electricity killed it. Now, Miss Bertha Thomas, the ring er of the chimes at Grace church, sits at a little keyboard of nine notes and plays on it the hymn tune repeated by the bells above. Between the key board and the bells is an electric at tachment, and as the operator touches es the key the corresponding great bell, a hundred feet or so above, rings out the same note in a tune heard above the roar of Broadway down be low. To Study American Methods. M. Blenvenu, chief engineer of the Paris Metropolitan Underground rail way, is about to visit the United States to study the American system of passenger handling as well as vari ous projected underground roads in the larger cities. to have begun with the publication of "Rudder Grange," which for drol lery, sweetness and simplicity opened up an entirely new and original field of humorous writing peculiarily Amer ican. He was next in public note by a long series of short stories of the most fanciful conceit and puzzling realism, chief of which was the far famed "The Lady or the Tiger," a tale the elusive and tickling charm of which promises to make it a perma nent part of our native literature. Hardly less successful were "The Casting Away of Mrs. Leeks and Mrs. Aleshine," "The Hundredth Man." and "Squirrel Inn," all running into many editions. Use of CbnrentlTe Book. It is said that when in India, Wins ton Spencer Churchill, Lord Randolph Churchill's son, presented a copy of his first book to Gen. Tucker, who, previous to his South African com mand, was all-powerful at Secunder bad. "Do you like It?' young Church ill inquired of the general. "Haven't read it. Is It meant to read?" "Why. yes." "Wish you'd told me so before. I keep it hanging up in my dressing room, and tear off a page every morn ing to wipe my razor on." BE CHOICE OF THE POPE PAPAL SUrcMACY ft people of his parish in Venice, visit ing the sick, repressing persecutions of every sort and preaching learned and eloquent sermons. The cardinaJ was born at Riese, northern Italy, in 1835. He was created cardinal in 1893. and has as his titular church in Rome that of San Bernardo alle Terme. Secrets of "Borneo and Juliet." Mrs. Gallup gravely tells the readers of "The Boston Transcript" that "the play of 'Romeo and Juliet' was the story of the love of Bacon's youth and early manhood, and the score of years between the time of writing the play and publishing the essay had filled his life with other things, yet those who have read the cipher story know that an inner chamber of his heart en shrined a memory of Marguerite." Secretary a Lover of Rare Books. Mr. Moody, the new secretary of the navy, is a connoisseur of rare books, his collection of works on law being one of the best in the country. He frequently prowl3 around the second hand book stores and often picks up prizes which have been overlooked ly other book lovers. Secretary Shaw a Horseback Rider. Secretary Shaw has taken up horse back riding in Washington and hopes to be able to join President Roosevelt, Secretary Root and Senator Lodge in their afternoon canters over the coun try roads. MARK TWAIN AND HIS "ENGINE" Cnlqae Method of I'ropaUlon on the Mississippi Itlver. Captain Thomas Bixby. under whom Samuel L. Clemens Mark Twain served as pilot and engineer on the old Mississippi river boat Swallow, has given in a New Orleans paper the following description of the engine of the Swallow: "The craft was a little, shaky af fair, which plied between St. Louis and Cairo. It had a stern wheel, a place for freight and passengers, a pilot house and a place on what may be called the pilot deck foT the en gine. "That 'engine went aboard when it was needed, and only then. It burned no wood or coal, but ate a powerful sight of grass. It was a large gray mule named Jerry, which ' worked a treadmill that propelled the boat. Samuel Clemens was chief engineer and pilot "He had a system of signals which was effective and ingenious. By pull ing a cord he could raise a head of cabbage Just out of reach of the mule. The 'engine would start and begin to walk after it, and the boat floated majestically down or up the river, as the case might be. "Without desiring to be personal. I will say that Jerry was one of the most Intelligent animals I ever met. Is voice was more on the order of a iog horn than a whistle, being too much of a barytone for the latter. When Samuel wanted to whistle for i landing he just hit Jerry with a stick." Youth's Companion. HADN'T RECKONED ON SPELLING Would-He Joker Who Went Cp Against an Old, Old Game. It is related that Dr. James Wise of Covington, Ky., Is the victim of one of his own jokes, and that he is in half-mourning on account of it. From all the evidence that can be produced It appears that some time ago the doc tor went up against an old game. One of his friends met him and, producing a pencil, said: "Doctor, see this pencil? I can make it write any color I want to." "Let's see you make it write indigo blue." The owner of the pencil promptly sat down and wrote i-n-d-i-g-o b-l-u-e." Then the doctor tumbled and said, "That's pretty good. Til just go down the street and try that on Theodore Hallam." Down the street he went, looking for Mr. Hallam. He finally found him and, producing the pencil, said: "Theodore, here's a pencil that I can write any color I want to with." Then the doctor gathered himself for a good laugh. "Let's see you write ecru," said Mr. Hallam. The doctor smiled, picked up a piece of paper and started to work, and for ten consecutive seconds said nothing. Then he said swear words, and added :f "I have forgotten how to spell that word." JAPAN RUSHING TO BANKRUPTCY. Island Empire of the East Has Been Recklessly Extravagant, Frederick Taylor, a son of the late Moses Taylor of this city, known in ternationally for his work as an ex plorer was a passenger on the steam ship Nord America, which arrived re cently. Mr. Taylor made a study of the Boer prison camps in Ceylon and Bermuda, explored the jungles of Borneo, visited the Malay Peninsula, and many points of interest in China and Japan. Mr. Taylor had no very exalted opinion of the commercial integrity of the Japanese, especially when com pared with that of the Chinese. ' "It has been the experience," said he, "of all good sound banks in the far east and most particularly of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China, that in all their dealings with Chinese merchants for many years they never lost a dollar, while with the Japanese they lost thou sands. During the time I was in Ja pan eight banks failed. The Japanese government is in financial difficulty, largely the result of undertaking the building of its own ships, the estab lishment of steel foundries, and the expenses of war with China. Unless there are early reductions of expendi tures. Japan will soon be bankrupt. But in the matter of enterprise the Japanese are the Yankees of the east." New York Times. Row Re Worked It, "I don't see why they call you the star boarder," complained the fellow who always got the wing. "That's easy," replied the other, in his copyrighted superior style. "I just twinkle-twinkie, and the landlady doesn't know what I am and lets me stay on blind faith." Wanted to Be Prepared. "Lady," said Meandering Mike, "would you give a starvin man some thin' to eat." "Perhaps. But you are not starv ing." "I know it, lady. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, ain't it?" "Cyclists and Rens" Warned. The church in Buecken, a German village of about 1,000 inhabitants, has a notice board which bears the follow ing legend in large letters: "Cyclists and hens are forbidden to wander around the churchyara." A Nation of Fish Eaters. The Japanese eat more fish than any other people in the world. With them meat-eating is a foreign inno vation, confined to the rich, or rather to those rich people who prefer it to the national diet. Knew What He Meant. Teacher What do you mean by say ing that heat expands? Pupil I mean that when I am full of hot turkey and plum pudding I am bigger. The world is always suspicious of fat philosophers. Prince Albert, heir presumptive to the Belgian throne, is a major in the Grenadier Guards, now lying on their arms in Brussels, waiting for an emergency call. The prince, when it was suggested he let another officer take his place in case of trouble, re plied: "If my men are called to a post Jostlee Took Mo Chances, The Goodland (Kan.) News publish es a story which has the essence of the bully west In every line. A lawsuit was being heard before Justice Robin son of Goodland. A point of law was raised, and for an hour the law years debated hot and heavy. When they had finished the justice si.ld: "Mr. Constable, I want you to search the plaintiff in this case and see if he has any weapons about him. I am ready to decide this point, but I won't have any shooting." The constable made the search and then the court decided against the plaintiff. Manufacture of Rifle Ballets. The machine which cuts rifle bul lets from rods of lead stamps them into shape by means of steel dies and drops them, finished, into a box at the rate of seven thousand an hour. RUSSIAN GRAND DUCHESS. TO HAVE FIGURED, h ' GRAITD DUCHES3 HELEHA The Neue Zeitung, a sensational newspaper published at Vienna, states that the Czar's niece, the Grand Duch ess Helena, who i3 twenty years old. recently eloped from St. Petersburg with a plebeian student. The couple were on their way abroad, according to the paper, when Sey were captured at Warsaw. Old Heated Terms, The heat of 1783 was accompanied by some "horrible phenomena," In cluding alarming meteors and a pecu liar haze that prevailed over Europe from June 23 to July 20. The last half of June and the first half of July, 180S, exceeded anything remembered by the oldest inhabitants of England. The thermometer rose to 98 degrees in the shade. One Wednesday, July 13. was marked by so great a heat that it wa3 known as the "hot Wednesday," the thermometer varying in places at noon from 90 to 101 degrees in the Bhade. The Cbeese Fir The common cheese fly is only a tenth of an inch long. It deposits afcout 250 eggs in the cracks of cheese, though, If not able to find this sub stance, it readily selects another. Warsaw Has Largest Dome. The largest dome in the world Is that of the Lutheran church at War saw. Its interior diameter is 200 jfeet. That of the British Museum Library is 130 feet. of danger It will be my duty to lead them." Prince Albert, who visited th United States in 1898, and was enter tained at the White House by Presi dent McKlnley, Is a nephew of KliiK lipoid, and follows his father, tho Count of Flanders, in the lino of succession. A Left-Handed Compliment. Lord Amptliill. governor of Madras, India, who 1h a big man physic-ally, was paid a somewhat left-handed com pliment the other day by the good people of a locality in southern In dia which rejoices in the name of Kumbakonam. At the railway utatloa on his arrival a jail-made carpt was spread for him to alight upon which bore the figure of an elephant and under it the legend "Good morning. Jumbo," woven into the fabric. Ions; ICx'oril of Army Bervlre. The Austrian army has an activo general who is 95 years old. This is Field Marshal Lieutenant Iiaron Schwartz-Melller, who has been an, officer seventy-four years and fifty years a general. He Is one of five of ficers still alive who marclwd with their luggage on their backs from Lemberg to Naples. NIECE OF THE CZAR, SAID IN AN ELOPEMENT Grand Ducbes3 Helena was sent home, while the student was exiled to Siberia. The Russian authorities have issued an official denial of the story, but It is generally believed In European so ciety. This Is the second escapade of the kind in which the Grand Duchess Helena has figured. Honor Brave American Scientist. The committee of the medical school of the Johns Hopkins university ap pointed to erect a memorial to th late Jesse William Lazear, who lOKt his life as the result of an experiment on the transmission of yellow fever, reports that sufficient money has iteri subscribed to erect a memorial tablet and to establish a library fund for tho purchase of works relating to tropical diseases. Hold Secret Society Record. Col. Ernest C. Stahl of Trenton. N. J.. Is known to secTet society people all over the land. He belongs ' to twenty-eight different organizations and has traveled from one end of the country to the other on business con nected with one or the other of them. The colonel owns a prosperous news paaer published in the state capital of Nw Jersey. Town of Many Invention. ISew Britain (Conn.) holds the ree ora for inventiveness. Over 1.40) patents hive been issued to 311 of lu citizens. 1 I ) if i 1 7 v. '