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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