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THE BOER REPUBLICS
AT THE PARIS FAIR.
thk.ir exhibition was the first
TO BE OPENED THOI'GH AVAR
WAS IX PROGRESS AT
THE TIME.
Fanl Krnitrr'ii Boat I. Surrounded nt
All Time* by Admlrinu Crowd*—\
How Nearly Preeliiltaled by Some
Remarks of Englishmen—One of
the Cannon That Dill Good Service
at Majuba Hill Is Mounted Among:
the Exhibits —Stuffed Animals of
the Desert in Plenty—A AA agon in
Which the Trekkers Drive Afar.
Farm Implement*. Etc.—An Inter
esting Showing; of the Uttle Coun
tries AA'liose Future Status I*
Doubtful.
Copyright, 1900, by V. Gribayedoff.
Paris, July 2.—Of ail the great and little
nations represented at the universal expo
sition, there was only one full in the
throes of war when this mighty "peace
festival," as it is so often called, was in
augurated. Yet—and here is a significant
fact—of all the participating countries, the
little South Afrioan Republic was the
first to open all its doors upon a thorough
ly complete exhibition. Everything was in
placf and order, from the things above
the earth to the winding mines and gal
leries beneath it. This readiness mani
fested a characteristic trait of the race,
arc] was consequently- a typical exhibition
of Boeulom, quite in keeping with the
spirit of preparedness which the British
found prevailing everywhere throughout
Boer Farm House at Exposition Showing a Burgher's Sleeping Room.
■ tv Transvaal when they' began their war
Hw: the Dutch farmers of the Black Con
■ linen t.
■ Considering the immensity and varied
■ character of the South African exhibit,
■the promptness with which it was com
■pleied was little short of amazing. The
■different structures and the many things
Hthf.v contain presuppose a long period of
■preparation. No place about can the visitor
■discover any trace of hurried installation
■ rich as is only too evident on the exhibits
■of many countries. Every detail
■ hJH obviously been studied attentively, so
■as to show the world at Paris just what
■feu of people the Boers are, and what
■ eort of things their country produces.
There Is a palpable absence of flippancies,
or things to amuse the observer. The en
tire show Is designed with a serious pur
pose, and is manifestly Intended
to benefit the Transvaal in the
eyes of practical observers. More
concisely and effectively than al
most any other national display within
the exhibition grounds, it teaches the
Pitting Room in Boer Farm House at Exposition With Old Harmonium. Bible,
Guns, Etc.
double lesson of Instructing the visitor
both as to the country and the people it
represent*.
If you want to learn all about the geo
graphical characteristics of the Transvaal
there are admirable bs relief maps and
charts that inform you as 10 the minutest
detail. There are miniature reproduc
tions of the chief cities, showing all the
kireetfi and buildings. The geological for
mation of the land Is explained by admir
able diagrams. The history of the repub
li is tatight in a series of excellent pic
tures. The mineralogical peculiarities are
displayed In a complete collection. The
products of the soil are exhibited in an
extraordinary profuse grouping of fruits,
vegetables and grains. The animal life of
the Transvaal is revealed in a veritf *JjJ e
xnuaeum of stuffed animals. The
weapons of war and of the chase, both
of the white men and of their
Mack neighbors, the Kaffirs are shown
in picturesque and qualm abun
dance. If you want to see how the.
lloera—those of the vast farming regions
—live, there is a veritable Boer farm
♦hat tells the tale to the minutest partic
ular. And a complete gold mining out tit,
with every appanage familiar to the min
er, shows how the hardy Hollander* keep
apace with the times in this bustling age
of energy and invention.
The Transvaal section i admirably sit
uated on the edge of the Troeadrro hill,
end is a near neighbor to the Russian
end Chinese sections. Six separate build
ings are required for the exhibit— besides
some out of door and underground fea
tures that will be described later. The
main pavilion, showing on Its facade the
the arms of the South African republic,
is modeled exteriorly after the old style
public buildings of the Transvaal, and in
teriorly after the many columned modern
courthouse in Pretoria.
This building contains a miscellaneous
exhibit, extremely instructive in its com
prehensiveness. Along the walls at*
ranged a vast variety of the timber found
in the Transvaal, and jars containing
samples of the products of the soil, re
sembling the exhibits of the United States
in the infinitude of their rang*'. There are
tropical fruits and cold country cereals,
utid among other producteShown are some
fine specimen* of tobacco in the leaf from
tbs Uustenberfr district, and coffee from
the Natal border country. A scries of
"Wall paintings Illustrates various national
Industries, one group showing the lm
nir.ise dynamite factories at Modderfon
♦eln. th< yearly output of which amounts
to 37'i.000 cases, about fifty-* to pounds to
the case.
Some idea of the animal life of the
Transvaal may be had from the speci
mens exhibited In the main pavilion. The
South African lion, the monarch of the
vast brute kingdom, is shown in close
juxtaposition with the iger-cat that
roams through the kopjes, and The hy
ena that Infests the veldts. The spring
hok, or Transvaalian deer, is a specimen
of the genus found nowhere else In .he
world. Then there is th sprlnghaas, a
diminutive member of the kangaroo fam
ily, which is indigenous to South Africa;
but of all the odd samples of animated
nature produced in that country the
queerest is a little animal called the scrub
deer, but which seems to have nothing
else In common with an ordinary deer ex
cept four feet. In high! and length it is
about the size of a domestic cat, but in
shape it resembles a porcupine dressed in
artichoke leaves, with a head and pointed
nose like an ant-eater. It is found in the
dry lands, and rhe especial peculiarity of
its nature lies in the fact that when it is
hungry it simply opens its artichoke
leaves and absorbs all the insects in the
neighborhood, without troubling to use
its mouth.
Kruger’s Statue a Shrine.
On one side of the national pavilion is
the plaster statue of a man whose linea
ments are so familiar to the world that
the inscription, “President Paul Kruger,”
is entirely unnecessary. This statue, too,
is significant, for it is enshrined in a bow'-
er of flowers, carried there day by day
by sympathizers of all nationalities who
chance to be in Paris for the exhibiton.
It is the only spot in all that peaceful
abode that suggests that a war ‘s now
raging in the lands represented by that
exhibit. “Com Paul” is literally weight
ed dow r n with tributes. One of these is a
sliver-leafed wreath sent by Prince Leon
Galitzine of Austria and bears the legend,
“To the representative of a little people
and a great principle.” Another offering
bears the card of the Princess Agnes
Salm-Salm, and in the mass one recog
nizes tributes from countless Americans,
and from almost every country in the
world, except Great Britain and her col
onies.
In some respects President Kruger’s
statue is one of the most unique features
in all the universal exposition. At what
ever time of day one happens in there,
there Is hound to be an Interested and
interesting throng about the statue. It
seems to be the one place where the rep
resentatives of nations as wide apart us
the poles may meet on a basis of mutual
sympathy. Two or three days ago an
Austrian Grand Duke leaned over the rail
ing and deposited a' bunch of roses at the
foot of the pedestal. “I beg your par
don,” said His Imperial Highness, to a
rran with whom he had thumped ?lbows.
‘‘Not a* all,” replied \he other courteous
ly, removing his hat. The other man,
too. had been placing a bouquet of red
flowers beside the statue. From -the flow
ers hung a red ribbon with the lnscrip
ticn: “Homage from the Socialists o? Ber
lin. *’
The uniformed attendant on guard in
the pavilion has witnessed many intercst-
ing episodes in front of the Kruger statue.
Scarcely a day goes by without a band
of students visiting the spot. English vis
iters. too, drift in that direction with as
tonishing frequency. They generally
make some contemptuous observation
about the chief executive of the South
African republic. An indiscretion of this
scr* occasioned a tumultuous scene in
the pavilion last Friday. Three English
men stopped before the statue and Indulg
ed in more or less quiet merriment at the
expense of the plaster patriarch over
head. From the looks of the persons
standing about 14 seemed safe to assume
that none understood English. This was
a mistake. A middle-aged, very dork.
Spanish-looking man wasn't* by any
means the. Spaniard he appeared. One, of
the Britishers contributed to the mirth of
his companions by remarking that when
Roberts caught Kruger he was going to
send him to the London % Zoo as a rare
specimen of the famous South African
whiskered goat. Here the quiet-looking
Spaniard bounded toward the British
trio.
“Ye gapin' apes.” he roared, doan ye
know the difference ’twixt a goat and a
unicorn? Ye well oughter. by this time,
for he has prodded yer ould lion till the
poor baste has nayther sinse nor stringth
ens* to git out o’ Africa, float, is it? And
„t yer zoo! It** not yer zoo where Oom
Paul *ll go In Lunnum. Give ini a bit
more time and lie’ll be livin’ at yer Buck
ingham palace. An’ a* fer wuskers. yer
bald faced Chamberlain *ll be thatched all
over with ’em t-r hide his blush o’ shame
whin Paul Kruger gets through borin’
hole* through yer British empire. Now,
git.”
The Englishmen. believing themselves
In the moral mujority, were disposed to
resent the Irishman's language, hut the
latter turned to tho crowd about and ex
plained In very good French that three
English "lnsu|ters of liberty" were "heap
ing obloquy” upon the Boer president.
For a couple of minutes it looked as If a
trlparlite lynching were imminent, but a
party of Transvaal employes restored
peace by ejecting the discordant visitors,
who hurried away to a less dangerous
part of the grounds.
One of these employes—the uniformed
attendant who acts as a Wore of bodyguard
to the Kruger statue—ls an appropriate
adjunct to tha South African exhibition,
for he is a Boer soldier who fought and
was wound*d at Spton Kop. On Hccouni
of Ills especial bravery that day, end to
recuperate from his wounds, he was giv
en a furlough and sent off to Parts,
nolle of WaJnlMi Mill.
Near the flower embowered pedestal sur
THE MOBNING NEWS. SUNDAY, AUGUST 12. 1900.
mounted by Com Paul’s statue la an In
teresting relic of an earlier war in the
Transvaal. It is a quaint old cannon,
made out of the iron tires of ox-wagons,
and figured with mighty effect at Majuba
hill in l*S9. Another odd exhibit is a
reproduction of one of the famous ox
wagons, in which Boer families ’’trek”
from place to place in their vast coun
tin'. Grouped nearby, in the forme of
pyramids, are the quaint bones or skins
of giraffes, hippopotamuses, lions and
crocodiles killed by the earliest settlers
among the Dutch emigrants.
The railing of the gallery overhead is
hung with furs, such as the Boers use
in their homes; with Kaffir and Zulu as
segais and war implements and with the
skins of mammoth pythons. On the up
per floor is an interesting collection of
landscape illustrating the grand scenery
of that rugged country, and a series of
comparative photographs, .showing Pre
toria. Johannesburg and the other Trans
vaal cities as they appear to-day. when
contrasted with theLr condition only ten
years ago. Hero are also found many
Kaffir relics, demonstrating the develop
ment of that race from savagery under
the influence of the Boer neighborship.
Among these objects is one styled. “A
Kaffir Piano.” which proves the truth of
what has often been said of that black
race, that they possess an incomprehen
sible appreciation of the “harmony of
sweet sounds.” It is a crude arrange
ment of carved blocks of wood, strung
on cords, behind which, serving the pur
pose of a sounding board, are a series of
calabashes and earthen jugs. The mu
sician strikes each block wdth a muf
fled hammer, and the white man is as
tounded to learn that the notes are ar
ranged with absolute precision, just like
our civilized musical gamut.
The Boer farm is an exact reproduc
tion of such domiciles as are to be found
scattered all over South Africa. It is a
long, square, native stone, hewed in rough
blocks and surmounted by a peaked roof
of thatch. The floors are on the level
of the land outside, but are laid in a spe
cies of peak, which keeps them dry. The
house is crude, comfortless, and with no
attempt at interior decoration. The rooms*
are large and lighted and ventilated by
high windows, too far removed from the
ground, it would e**em. for n wild arnimal
to enter, yet beside each bed stands a
musket in case of sudden need. A couple
of coarse sheets and a furry hide consti
tute the only bed clothes. The houses
for the cattle, in appearance much the
same as the Boer’s home, stand nearby.
On the wall of the Boer farmhouse is
a Frenchman’s picture, and, like Kruger’s
statue, it, too. is always decorated with
flow’ers. It represents Col. Villebois-
Maremil, who was killed some months
ago while fighting on the side of
B<vrs. Every day some admirer adds
a new' wreath, but the most conspicuous
of all these days te one from which floats
a red and white and blue ribbon bearing
the words: “In honor of VilleboisnMare
mil, the Lafayette of South Africa From
some Americans, July 4. 1900.” The
Frenchman's portrait .probably hangs on
the wall of hundreds of such farm
houses in the Transvaal.
The Gold Mining Exhibit.
The most practical and conspicuous of
all the South African exhibits are those
devoted to an exposition of the methods
of gold mining in that distant land. On
one side you see the towering nose of a
derrick; nearby', the massive frame of the
ore crushing machine, and elsewhere the
high turbine wheel used for washing the
metal. Over there is the pulley at the
mouth of the shaft, and Just beyond that
the smoke arises from the tall chimney of
the laboratory and smelting works. You
hear the noise of the running machinery,
and every little while a ear rushes by you,
loaded wdth chunks of stone, or discharg
ing Its dumpings of slime. Activity
bristles thereabouts, and the visitor needs
no stretch of imagination to realize he is
thick in the midst of a gold mining camp.
He is there, literally’, for the exhibit is no
make-believe, but the genuine thing. Vast
loads of ore-bearing quartz have been
shipped to Paris, and right there on the
grounds- the varied operations of the
science are performed under the eyes of
visitors. When the stranger has acquaint
ed himself with the way gold is obtained
from the rough rock and is fashioned into
tho shiny brick, he sees produced from
the smelting furnace, he walks across the
grounds- and stands wonderingly before a
yellow metal pyramid, fifty feet in hight,
tapering from a base seven feet in width.
On the face of the column he reads:
“Pyramid representing the total value
of gold produced In the South African re
public from 1884 to 1899.”
“This,” sayshe contemplative observer,
“is what, next to the bravery of her peo
ple, has made that little comer of the uni
verse so famous throughout the world—
and so popular in England.”
So much for the things “above ground.”
The actual exhibit space below the sur
face far surpasses in measurement, and
equals in interest, the varied display In
the six buildings overhead. A wide pass
age leads from the open air into the sub
terranean regions. Here a couple of miles
of galleries, walled In rocks imported
from South Africa, represent the various
peculiarities of a Transvaal gold mine.
Working miners, each with a lantern in
his hand, pass you Instantly in 4he som
ber stretches, and all along the route you
see white and black men, with pick or
other implements in hand, hard at work
breaking precious blocks from the rock.
Though the miners who salute you In
the galleries are living creatures, the
other men who seem ho busy' thereabouts
are not. They are lay figures, copied to
the life from Boer miners and Kaffir ser
vants, and sent to Paris to perform their
part in the wonderful Transvaal exhibi
tion. Wonderful *t really is. and. as has
been said, more minutely typical and
characteristic of the land it represents
than almost any other notional exhibit
at Paris. V. Gribayedoff.
JJJjK F.ATF.n CRITICALLY ILL.
He Says Timt Some Men Compelled
Him to Swallow Noils.
From the New York Times.
John Fasti, a tailor living at 483 Bueh
wlck avenue, Williamsburg, who Is known
as ' the human ostrich," on account of
his propensities for eating Junk, is In St.
Catharine’s Hospital. Williamsburg, in a
critical condition and may nol recover.
He was removed id the hospital on Sat
urday night, suffering from abdominal
pains which followed the swallowing of
iwo wire nails four inches long, one or
dinary nail, and a piece of bone two inch
es long, which lie alleges he swallowed
under threats of bodily harm made by a
number of men.
Fasel underwent on op ration in St.
John's Hospital iu January last for the
removal of Junk he had eaten. The physi
cians removed from him three brass
wateh chains, twelve horseshoe nails,
twelve lath nail*, five hairpins, thiee keys,
me ring, and one hundred and twenty
eight pins. He had also swallowed po ket
knlves and ether articles. He had been a
museum freak for fourteen months before
the operation and hod felt no 111 effects
from his peculiar diet until Dec. 18, laet,
when the operation became necessary.
Fasel was warned to change hi* diet
and promised to turn his attention to an
o'her line of business. He earned a good
lie ing os a magi dsn, going about to sa
loons. On Saturday evening he .t'cH u
saloon at Buahwlck avenue and Bocrum
,fleet, and a number of men requested
him to give a “punk-eating act." On Ida
refusal, it Is alleged that they threatened
him until he'compiled.
Fasel felt no ill effects from the nails
until he reachad his home at 11 o'clock
Saturday night. He then complained of
severe pains in his abdomen and fell un
conscious to the fiocr. A policeman was
ca 1* and in, who had him taken to B'. Cath
arine Hoard'a I In an ambulance. An ef
fort will be mode to-day to locate the
nails with X 'ay*. 'ad ! under the in
liuence ef oplat-s on account of the agony
lie Buffers, and the police are unable to
get a description of the men who. he al
-1 ges, comp lied him to swallow the nails
AS WE SAID i
It’s the value of an article that makes it a “BARGAIN,” or a “DEAR
PURCHASE.” Dealing with an establishment whose every offering
contains REAL VALUE at a LOW PRICE is a comfort and a joy in more
ways than one. The value may be in inherent HIGH QUALITY or in the
MAKE, or in the FINISH-S’LONG’S IT’S THERE—ALL’S WELL.
25% Off
On Ladies'
Wrappers and
Colored
Underskirts.
The Famous
ELK BRAND
Home-made Underwear,
Silk Waists,
Baby Caps,
NECKWEAR, ETC.
25 % OFF TO MEN.
If you men were offered “25 off” on a deal in your mercan
tile fine, it would “paralyse” you. You would think it the
biggest “inside” ever offered you.
IT S JUST AS BIG ON A SUIT OF CLOTHES.
In fact, bigger, because YOU CAN SEE that there is no “STRING TO IT.” ALL
SUMMER CLOTHING, HATS (STRAW AND OTHERWISE), FURNISHINGS,
UNDERWEAR and all NEGLIGEE SHIRTS (except MANHATTANS—you’II have
to excuse them) are in this BIGGEST OF VALUE-BEARING SALES.
B. H. LEVY & BRO.
WASHINGTON LANDMARKS.
HISTORICAL HOI SES AT THE NA
TIONAL. < APITAI..
The Van Nee* anti lltirnn Plnces.
FartH ('onaeclad With the Site ot
The Capitol (landings—'The Career
of a Hard-Headed Seotelunan and
the Fate of Hln Great Fortune.
Ilonien of Stateamen and Soldiers
Who L.onar lgo Crossed Over the
Hlrrr —Other Matter* of General
Interest.
Washington, Aug. ]o.—So very unlike is
modern Wa-hlt gten to the Capital of day*
gone by, that 1 fancy our historical he
roes, who livid and died lure would have
considerable difficulty in locating their
former homes, could they return to earth
once, more. The Washington of Webster,
Clay, Madison, Monroe, hardly touched
upon the outskirts of the fashionable
‘■northwest'’ of to-day. but lay mostly In
the malarious and disreputable section
called “South of the avenue,” on a level
with the Potomac, now given over almost
entirely to our abounding colored popula
tion, Hebrew Junk and pawn-shops, Chi
natown ,and houses, black and white, of
not even questionable repute. Step out of
the west entrance of the beautiful state,
war -and navy department building—and
only a few rods to the southward, fol
lowing Seventeenth street toward the riv
er, you leave the modern city entirely be
hind and enter a quiet locality whose gol
den days were long before you and I
were born. But they were very “golden”
while they lasted. The clase'c structure of
the new Corcoran Art Gallery, a block be
low the eta'o deper mint, is the sole con
necting link between past and present
Washington—and why its builders put It
there has puzzled wiser heads than mine.
Opposite the art gallery one of the oldest
manfions In Washingtin Is now tottering
to decay—that of Cel. Benjamin Taloe,
spoken of in these le'ters a few weeks
ago among the so-ca led haunted houses
of tho District of Columbia, It was built
about the year 1780, for Col. Taloe who
was a very wealthy man, owning vast es
tates in Virginia and nearly a thousand
slaves.
After the White House was burned by
the British In 1811, President Madison
renud Ids friend's house for a winter,and
Mistress "Dolly" hoid here her elegant
drawing rooms. From here, Mr. Madison
removed to the hous" cn ihe corner of
Nineteenth street and Pennsylvania ave,-
nue—the same In which Elbrldge
Gerry lived wnile he was Vice
President; also James Monroe. A
short distance south from the
Taloe house are the famous Van Ness and
Burns place*—all tha* remains of them
Vou know that when the District of Co
lumbia was laid out and th state of
Maryland had dutifully ceded ten square
miles rf land, there arose no end of trou
ble with ceitain private land-holders—
each of whom wns as a lord on his own
domain, rich In slaves and tobacco.
• •••••
One of the r chfit and most famous of
these lords of the manor was a Scotch
man, ramtd David Burns. His Immense
estate of 70h acres or more, beginning
where the Whit lloust now stands, ex
tending cast beyond the patent office and
south for several mil a. Is described In
the land patent of 1881, which granted it
to Burns as "the Widow's >1 te. lying on
tlie east side of the Anacostln river, ou
the north side of an Inlet of ihe same
river, call'd Tyber " Even for the sake
of a future capital Its owner waa not
willing to be disturb'd, though his land
lay within ills territory of Columbia, ced
ed by the act of Maryland. After a violent
di-play of Irascibility tn Mr. Burns' |>ari,
it was cop eluded that no le s a person
age then the Presid nt rf the United
Ktatts could move him: and therefore
q*n. Washington was delegated to bring
the Scotchman to terms. But even the
President found It no easy matter.
When he was dwelling upon the advunt
Half-Price Here Means
About HALF VALUE! That’s reasonable. WE DON’T
WANT THE GOODS, which doesn’t reflect in the least on
the positive high quality, freshness or seasonableness of the
garments.
THESE ARE HALF PRICE LADIES’ GOODS.
White and Colored Pique, Lawn, Madras and Percale
WAISTS, White and Colored Lawns and Dimitiy DRESS
ING SACQUES, Crash, Linen, Pique, Denim, and Cotton
and Linen Chambray Wash Skirts. Children’s Lawn, Percale and Chatnbray Dresses.
age which the sale of his lands to the
government would bring to the planter,
testy Davy exclaimed: “I suppose you
ahlnk that people here are going to take
every grist that cornea from you aa pure
grain; but what would you have been
If you hadn’t married the Widow Cus
-1 la?”
After many interviews and arguments,
even the patience of Washington gave
out, and he finally said; "Mr. Burns, I
have been authorized to select the loca
tion of the national capital. I have se
lected your farm as part of It, and the
government Is going to take it. I’nder
these circumstances 1 trust.you will Into
an amicable arrangement." That settled
it, and the Burns land netted an im
mense fortune for the planter and his
family. After the plain, hard-headed
farmer had become a millionaire, his only
daughter, Marcia Burns, blossomed Into
the fairest belle end richest heiress in
all the country round, married John P.
Van Ness, a member of Congress from
New York—a Revolutionary officer*, a sup
porter of Aaron Burr against the Clinton-
T.lvlngston feud—handsome, elegant and
popular. Close by the original four-room
home of the Burns, they built an elegant
hrlclt mansion, the most unique of all our
historic houses, at enormous expense,
with mnrhle mantels wrought In Italy,
panelling of costly woods, set tiles lnlHld
with mosaics aherut Its silver door-knobs
nnd a great portico modelled after that
of the President’s house and every bit
as stately and Imposing. Here, for a
few years Mr. and Mrs. Van Ness enter
tained the aristocracy of cur Infant re
public; until (heir only daughter grew o
the age of IS and married Arthur Middle
ton of South Carolina. But In less than
one little year this youthful bride, heiress
of untold wealth, was laid in her grave
with babe In her arms. About this
Urn* Gen. Van Ness died, and Marla
Burns, widowed and childless, renounced
the pomps and vanitles-of the world, left
her stately mansion and went hack 1o
the cottage In which she was born and
where her parents had lived and died. Her
great fortune wss given entirely to char-
Ry, and among other good works the City
Orphan Asylum of Washington owes Its
origin and endowment to her.
Not far from this locality is another
landmark—the old yellow stone mansion,
built in 1802, in which Gen. Alfred Pleas
onton, the famous cavalry commander,
was born. It was his father, who. when
Ihe British mn*le ihelr attack, hustled
about lively and carted off iwenty-lwo
two-borse wagonloads of the treasures of
Washington and hid them aafely in a
barn in Leesburg, Vo. He secured the
most imnortan-t public documents up to
that early date, smashed the glass and
removed from the frame* Gen. Washing
ton’s first eommlssion and the Declara
tion of Independence, and performed other
prompt and timely deeds that placed pos
terity greatly In Ids debt. The Brttttsh
looted the Pleasonton house, but did not
greatly damage It. "The Insidious tooth
of time,” however, has since been busy
upon it. The yellow stone is crumbling
In places and charitable Ivy. climbing
over cannot bide ihe black stains where
the rains of a hundred years have irlck
led.
,••••••
Four squares away stand* the house
which Edward Everett built, end where
he resided when Secretary of State un
der President Fillmore. The next occu
pant was Jefferson Davis, while Secre
tary of War In Ihe administration of Pres
id* nt Pierce. Later, Jacob Thompson,
Secretary of the Interior under Buchanan,
lived here during his term of office and
gave notable entertainments During the
f'lvll War It was occupied by the quar
termaster's department of the army;
and afterward by Henry A. Wise,
U S. A., who married Edward Everett's
daughter, A near neighbor to this wn*
the old mansion of William Wirt; hut
like many of Its time. It is not to he found
when one looks for it 10-day, a modern
structure having taken Us place.
The tve'l known Porter mansion on H.
street, was built In I*2B. by Richard Rush,
while Secretary of the Treasury. The
iirpe'' s'ory and ball mom nre more recent
addition*. Hamilton Fish lived her*,
years before he was Secretary of State in
Oram’s cabinet. Lord Lyons, British Am
bassador for eight years, took it a* a lega
tlon, and gave many brilliant entertain
ments In honor of the Queen. After
wards. for many years, Admiral David
D. Porter made it the center of bountiful
hospitality,
• • • * • •
The Blair mansion, just, around the
corner, was built about eighty years ago,
by Joseph Bovell, surgeon general of the
army. Then Francis Preston Blair, edi
tor of the Globe, purchased It; and In nat
ural course of events It came to a son,
Francis P. Blair, Jr., the congressman
and major general, with whose dotage all
readers of American history are familiar.
Mr. George Bancroft lived here while
Secretary of the Navy under Polk; also
it taler Secretary of the Navy, Mr. John
Y. Mason, whose daughter waa married
to Gen. W. T. Sherman In this house.
May 1, INI. The President, 111' :ien <
and a large number of distinguished per
sons were present. Three years later the
old house came Into posseaslon of Sen
ator Montgomery Blair, brother of ’the
Major General.
• • • * • •
The Van Buren-Deratur house, built In
1818, once one of the most magnificent lit
America, is now classed among its mel
ancholy "hants” on account of the al
leged prowling propensities of the Com
modores’ ghost. Besides the usual grand
furnishings of such a mansion, there were
gathered within Its walls a great variety
of rare and curious things—captured
prizes, with many a stirring or romantic
tale attached to them of exploits on tho
high seas and far away coasts; besides a
wonderful array of swords and gold
medals, gifts from Congress for vlclorlc*
won through skill and daring. Magnifi
cent entertainments were given here—but
only for ono year of the Commodores' life.
On March 22. 1820, he fought a duel with
Commodore Burron, at Bladensburg, and
was brought home to die. His widow
lived here alone for three years, and then
ended tier days in the Georgetown con
vent. Since then the mansion has been
the home of Henry Clay, John Quincy
Adams, Martin Van Buren, Edward Liv
ingston, George M Dallas, Sir Charles
Vaughan. British Minister, Judah P. Ben
jamin. afterwards Secretary of State of
the Confederacy, and Gen. Beale. The
Inst named gentleman was a grandson
of Commodore Truxton, nnd It 1* Interest
ing that Commodore Decatur had served
under Commodore Truxton as midship
man. (Jen. Beale was an Intimate friend
of Gen. Grant, and his frequent host un
der this notable roof.
In Ihe Immediate neighborhood are the
former homes of Vice President Schuyler
Colfax, George Bancroft, the historian,
Admirnl Shubrlck, Robert Ingersoll, Will
iam Wlndotn. when Secretary of the Treas
ury, Hevcrdy Johnson, and Charles Sum
ner for the Inst nine years of his life. Op
posite the Sumner home Is Ihe big brown
mansion, now the Cosmos Club, to which
Dolly Madison returned after her hus
band'* death, and where she “hold court"
for several years. It was purchased by
Capt. Wilkes, who captured Mason and
Slidell, and during the Civil War was the
headquarters of Gen. McClellan and hi*
staff, including the Prince de Joinville
and his nephews, the Duke de Chnrtrts
and Count de Paris. The land adjoining
has once owned by Henry Clay. On It n
house wae built by Commodore Rodgers.
It was afterwards the home of John C.
Calhoun, and of William H. Seward,
end here Mr. Seward's assassina
tion was attempted by Payne. Later It
became Ihe heme of James G. Blaine, and
now, alas! the venerable and hiatory
fraught structure hes glvtn place to a
modern cp< ra house
• * * • • •
The latir h rue of Dani I Webster is In
another part of the city—and not at ail a
desirable one now-days, between Louisi
ana avenue and Sixth street. Forty years
ago the oldtr mansion waa doubled in slxe
and duplicated tn style and is now the
Webster law building. Tho former front
door is now a window, but the same old
sandstone s ep< nre yet doing duty,
though not In the original place, looking
down ihem, one thlr.ks r.f the dignified,
Judicial fo*m that used to go in and out.
Going through the hall and raising a back
window, von s e a pitifully neglected
ope i spice that used to be Webster's gar
d'ii und orchard—then a b autlfti! and
lenderly-eared for place, with choicest
Powers and fruit trees. A circle of angu
BOYS
Are included in that
25 PER CENT.
DISCOUNT
SALE.
Thin Suits, Wash Suits,
Hats, Caps, Underwear*
In fact we treat the Boys
LIKE MEN.
lar stones, set edgeways In the ground,
shows wheie the fountain used to be.
Close by Is the old residence of Salmon
P. Chase, when his daughter, afterward*
the beautiful Mrs. Kste Ohase-Sprague,
queened It right royally In Capital society.
Benton's house Is u'so In the nelghbor
hoed, and you may see tho very window
from which hs bright young daughter
Jessie, climbed out. tj run away with her
gallant lover, Fremont. _
HOTEL CI'ESTS. y
New Orleans Caterer Who Never Al
lows One to He Con t rndletod.
From the New Orleans Tfmes-Democra*.
“When o gu.st of mine rays 'lt’s rain
ing.. it's raining,' declared a well known
New Orleans caterer, talking about tho
hotel and restaurant business, ’’lf ho
says 'lt's snowing,’ It's snowing. 1 never
I allow any of my employes to contradict
a customer upon any subject whatsoever.
I No matter how preposterous his asaer
| Hons, they go, a* long as he has tho
price. If a guest at the table complains
|of anything that's served to him, and
says It Isn’t good or Isn’t what he wanted,
j he Is assumed to be right, and the dish
I Is immediately removed, and no charge
| made for It. When the complaint Is to
tally unwarranted I follow the rule of
making two changes. If the second serv
; Ice is still unsatisfactory, the guest la
told politely that we fear we will not be
able to please him, and must decline to
till future orders.
"There Is no sentiment about this; it
Is cold-blooded business. I have figured
out that It il cheaper to lose a few re
-1 Jected dishes now and then than to risk
i losing a customer. Besides, it hurts a
house to get the reputation of wrangling
with its patrons. You understand, ot
course, that I am speaking of a general
rule, and that there ore exceptions In
which one must be guided entirely by cir
cumstances.
"A number of years ago. to cite you an
i xamp'e. one of my o-castonal customer#
was n certain elderly clubman who was
a ii iturnl-born growler. Nothing ever
suited him. and his complaints were so
vociferous that they had a bad effect on
other guests. At last 1 couldn’t stand It
any longer, and told him courteously, but
firmly, that we must decline his future
custom. Ho was dumbfounded and left
furious; but, about a month later, ha
walked In again, and again hi* order was
refused. That made him wild, and ha
swots he would never come within a block
of our house; but the mere fact that there
w.is one place In New Orleans from
which he was barred preyed on his mind,
nnd finally he sent me a note, saying that
he was willing to let bygones be bye
gones. I replied that I had decided defi
nitely to forego the honor of his patron
age,
•'Now came the funny part. It Is human
nature, of course, to Ijrant the one par
ticular thing we can’t have, and when w
find It positively out of reach It assumes
an extraordinary value. The old gentle
man never cared much for any place until
I shut him out; then It became the most
desirable spot In New Orleans. He work
ed every Imaginable scheme to reinstate
himself—sent friend* to Intercede, threat
ened me with e damage suit, and wrote
me a dozen pleading letters. Still I stood
firm, and three years elapsed, when ha
made a fresh overture through a former
partner. 1 thought it over, and a few
weeks later told the chef to get ready to
distinguish himself. Then I sent the ok*
toj a poll*'' Invitation to dire with me.
What do you think? Hanged If he didn't
refuse it, and sent me back word to go to
biases! I had broken the spell by weaken.
Ing When he could come, he didn't want
to. He died soon afterward, rejoicing, I'm
eure. that he got the better of me at
last.”
—England Is still buying army muloa
and horses In Missouri. Trainloads of
animnl* are being dispatched to New Or
leans and n contract has just been signed
for the delivery of 1.100 mules next
month. The head of a Kansas City firm
estimate* that li.CflO mules have been sold
to the English government this year by
dealera In that place. The number of
horses sold hat not bean much less.
7