Evening Star Newspaper, December 21, 1889, Page 8

~~ cs 4 — * THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D.C.. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1889-SIXTEEN PAGES, VIGNAUX’S BILLIARD SCHOOL. It is in an [l-Ventilated Resort in a Dingy Parisian Alley. STORTING LIFE (N PARIS—EUGENE CARTER'S EX- PERIENCES—DAILY GAMES BETWEEN PROFES- SIONALS ON WHICH LARGE SUMS ARE WAGERED— THE FRENCH IDEA OF SPoRT. Correspondence of Tar Evewrve Stan. Panis, December 5. In one sense the French know nothing of Sport; in another they are passionately de- Voted to it. They have no national game, no athletic clubs or tournaments: yet sport is one of the few English words adopted directly and placed with ite various derivatives in the vo- eabulary of every-day French. “Sport” in French applies almost exclusively to horse racing, so nearly that an occasional exception is not worth noting. Every little cafe isan agency. or the headquarters of an agent for the pool sellers at the race tracks; so are many of the barber shops, and in some cases a street corner, with a doorway convenient in case of Tain. answers the purpose of the book maker and bis patrons. At every agency, whether it be cafe, corner or barber shop, the man with the book is expected daily ata certain hour, and his customers are always on hand. They comprise every order of human being, women by no means excepted. Those who have time and money to spend in going to see the races Feserve their bets until they meet the pool- sellers at the course. The vast majority find their diversion and their daily hope in the brief call at the cate where the reports of yes- terday’s events are posted. in the careful weigh- ing of probabilities and the placing of their wo! If they were successful yesterday they also experience the satisfaction of cashing their tickets. MAURICE VIGNAUX AT PLAY. In America the minimum bet accepted by a Bookmaker is usually $5. Here it is five francs or about $1, and even this may be so hazarded as to cover two chances, That is, two and one- half francs may be laid that the horse named will win, and the remaining amount that he will be “placed,” that is. come in second. It cannot be that all the petty gamblers win or that ail can afford a dsily stake of even five francs, butso far as I have been able to ob- serve, the same faces are at the same cafes every day when the agent sits down over his coffee and cognac to register the bets. It is no uncommon thing to sce a woman with a huckster’s cart stop pushing and bawling her wares long enough to enter what we would call in New York a saloon, here “cafe,” and place five francs on a favorite racer; or the wife of the rr rietor of the seme cafe come from behind e bar during a Inll in business to back or op- pose ber husbands plav; or two or three kits of is stowed under tables while their owners are knitting their brows over records and an- Bouncements. Where these get their money, or what proportion of it goes annually to swell the purses of the pool sellers we do not known and cannot surmise. It is evident simply that such sport as the French have partakes very largely of gaming. Tcannot imagine in France that typically American scene, several thousand people gath- ered in the open air to witness a game of base ball. It is not that there is no base ball game here, but that it does not seem probable that a Frenchman could be persuaded to sit for an hour watching @ contest for the simple love of the game. There is betting on our games of base bail, foot ball, lacrosse, &c., but after all the vast majority of the crowds are present to enjoy simply the sight of play. Here even Pleasure-giving exercise is rare and wholly un- organize: Some of the wealthy men have yachts, but there is no general interest it Yachting as there is in all seaboard and lake towns in America. During the summer months ing men P oppeeny about the Seine in little ts, usually with a sweetheart along, an accompaniment hardly conducive to racing or the development of oars- manship. There are shooting boxes ou Wealthy estates scattered abou: France, but nothing like the interest in them that prevails in England or in the annual shooting seasons im America. Once in a while cavalry officers stationed in the country get up a game some- what similar to our “hare and bounds” or “paper chase,” the chase in this iustance bein, conducted on horseback. The oniy physic exercise really cultivated that might be in- eluded in sports is fencing. The military at- mosphere of Europe keeps that excellent di- version alive, and now and again it getsa pretty excuse for being by means of a duel. here are, too, actual tournaments with the swotl under government patronage, BETTING ON THE MATCH. These things recorded, all sports in France might be dismissed from consideration were it not for billiards. No account is taken, of course, of the games of the green table, but the mention of billiards tempts me to admit that the French have national game, but they can hardly lay claim to it inasmuch as it was invented long before France was known and since become universally cultivated. Bill- iards, however, is cultivated more systemati- cally in France than elsewhere, and there are doubtiess a greater number of good players here than in any other country, yet the atmos- phere of gaming is as dense about this game as it is about the race track, and in this as in Other things the French appear to think first Of the wager and second of the game. One of the most een | institations in Paris is the school of biliiards kept by the great Vignaux. Any lover of the game who should come here would naturally inquire for Vig- naux’s ball He would naturally expect to be directed to @ large, elegantly appointed room, as Slosson, If incidentally to his in- quiries he should hear of the Vignaux school, Lis interest would be deepened and I am certain his expectations heightened. So much the greater his and disap- ointment. Vignaux’s school is in the Pass..gs Panoramas, an intricate, narrow, covered leading —— — Montmartre. building ingy outside and dingier in- The first room eutered from the is less than twenty feet wide and pe feet long. One billiard table is in the middle room lighted by two lamps with big re- flectors to distribute light evenly over the table. Atoneend of the table are tiers of benches for spectators; at the other a few rows of chairs. Along cach side of the room runs a raised bench a row of chairs, interrupted one side by a desk for the cashier and on other by a blackboard for the marker. This | hn aaa to which we will return ter. Leading out from it atone end is another room in ager isa a used almost ex- clusively for pool, A placard conspicu- posted atemels thet “wagers are abso- Tately forbidden,” but no played without at least one contestanton the middie TES i tendant conducted me up this on the occasion of my first visit when I had called with a friend fo play a game in Vignauz’s place. I felt that here at least something might be found corre- sponding to the comfort and elegance which are combined in the average American hail. ; the upper floor consisted of two smali rooms, each just large enough for one table. two chairs, a cue rack and a small stand for the inevitable coffee, brandy or absinthe that ac- companies Paris diversion. I do not recall that the duil walls were ed with a single Picture, and I am certain that the chairs were not cushioned. The table and implements were fairly good. And this comprises the whole of the business lace of the most expert ‘billiard player in rance. If there are other rooms in the insti- tution they are not for billiards, None other, in fact, are needed, judging from the public patronage. The upper rooms are in so slight demand from casual players that I doubt seriously whether the income derived from them would be considered profitable by an American. Yet from 2 o’clock p.m. to 6:30, and from 9 to midnight, Vignaux’s is crowded every day. People go there not to play. but to bet their money on professional games, EUGENE CARTER. Vignaux employes several of the best billiard play. rs in France. It is their business to play against each other during the hours just men- tioned. The public knows that the playing will be of ahigh order and that it will be strictly honest. None of these hired experts could af- ford to play other than his best, for the patrons wouid speedily recognize it, re‘use to back his game, and then his occupation would be gone. These games are played im the room first described. When the contestants have been appointed by the manzger, the style of game decided and the odds an- nounced, for it is seldom that players are evenly matched. the spectators crowd about the table to make their bets. Lhe players stand at either end of the table, each with a book in hand to register the bets laid on himself and to collect the money. After all who wish to bet have deposited their money and named their choice the books aud cash are | locked in a tin box and placed on the ca-hier's desk. The game then proceeds and at the end the backers of the winner receive their money less twenty per cent. This amount is de- ducted for division equatly between the players. It sounds like a heavy tax, but no admission is charged and th omnipresent refreshments are served at ordinary prices, Still, if any American sport feels that be would object to laying fifty fraucs for the sake of winning thirty in a game where the chances had been as evenly adjusted as the handicap of odds could effect that, I shall offer no arguments against his attitude. Ican only say that wager-loving Frenchmen do this day after day, not only at Vignaux’s but in many other billiard rooms of less fame in Paris. : ‘The games, as I have said, are of a very high erder and it would naturally be thought that all pains would be taken to secure the best con- ditions for play. The table is as good as possi- ble, it is thoroughly renovated at intervals of a few days. The players, of course, use their own cues and good bails are provided, but the atmosphere is so exceedingly bad that the balls must deteriorate rapidly. All who wish to, and that means nearly everybody, smoke constantly; no arrangement of th windows and doors, opening for the m part into covered areas or passages, would give roper ventilation; even with the most bril- Ears play in progress it is difficult to keep the eyes open. Among Vignaux’s employes this summer and autumn was Mr. Eugene Carter, the remark- ably expert cushion player from Wisconsin. He has been in receiptof a good salary and plenty of distinction, but he has notexperienced analloyed happiness. “ Can’t do myself justice here,” he explained; “the atmosphere is so bud that both balls an cushions get out of order quickly, so that fine playing is almost out of the question. I feel as if I were using sledge-hammers half the time. Besides that I have the most dreadful ‘off’ days. It’s reasonable enough, for if the air has an ef- fect on ivory that the player can distinguish, whysshoulda’t it affect the player bimself? That I might pass without complaint if it were not for the fact that my experience here is not teaching me anythiag. 1 cannot improve un- der such conditions, and besides, one of the chief inducements under which I came here was that 1 suould have the privilege of playing with Vignaux. I beat him at cushion caroms several times and then he went off into the country to stay rather than take any more defeats from anemploye. The other players,while magnifi- cent billiardists, are excessively jealous and hard to get on with. I have to play all sorts of mes at all hours every day and be in call all Ratna whether toute ‘appear or not.” Mr. Carter saida good many other things not wholly complimentary to the French, but he may get over that when he is once more in familiar atmosphere and in sound of a familiar language. I had the pleasure of seeing one of his games with Vignaux andI kuow that soon after it the famous Frenchman be- took himself for an extended vacation into the country. A curious feature of Mr. Carter's ex- lence has been that though he speedily lemonstrated his great superiority in cushion lay, the habitues of the place would not back his game unless the opponent allowed odds from 40 to 60 in 150. They could not seem to persuade themselves that ‘‘Monsier Cartay,” as they called him, could play billiards. I saw him play once at 6 with the most expert players at that game in France, Vignaux alone excepted. Car- ter was allowed forty points. He ran out in four plays, leaving his opponent with « modest three points to bis credit. Naturally enough Carter was occasionally defeated, but on the whole he has made a strong record here, The Vignaux “school” is not entirely mis- named. The salaried experts give lessons in the morning to ambitious amateurs, using gen- erally the tables in the upper rooms, From these lessons and their percentage on the bets laid they earn from $12 to $15 ly the y around. It would seem that Vignaux’s income from the establisiaent must depend largely upon the sale of drinks, but in addition to this he does « business in billiard implements and repairs. Two smell points to conclude with. There are uo buttons on a wire to count with here; the score is kept either by pressing @ knob at the side of the table, which registers the pla; on a dial somewhat like a street car conductor’s punch, or by marking with chalk on a minia- ture blackboard sunk in the rail. There are many halls in Paris where the tables and implements are not so very un- mentionably bad where the cost of the play is only forty centimes or eight cents an hour. In the more attractive places it costs as much as twenty-five cents. In all cases it is expected that refreshments of some kind will be called for during or after the game. Frepenicx R. Bortox. Bunl\e in London in 1816, ‘From the London Guide. Money droppers are no other than gamblers who contrive that method to begin play. It is an almost obsolete practice, and its twin cheat, ring dropping, not less disused. ‘What is this?” says the dropper. “My wiggy! if this is notsleather purse with money! Ha! ha! ha! Let's have a look at it.” While he unfolds its contents bis companion comes up and claims a title toa share. “‘Not you, indeed!” replies the finder; “this was next to me, was not sent gentleman sir?” To ee count , OF, perhaps, insist upon rior- ity, the dude declares himecif bo eburl tn the business, offers to divide it into three parts and points oat s public house at which they may share the conteuts and drink over their prophage bet The found money is counter- it or screens or else Fleetuotes, They drink. Eeveiy ssenquise; be} setsoenbers nims Op pisos: meal Le tele, the fo beak or cards exhibit they oan ‘The count ing to fan riment or = money run og here aay Ye is but like the ele- pg elevating, quite as many men with every man in the room. When I go home tonight I can say that I've had a simply de- ‘lightful time and I will thank you for it.” DANCING THE GERMAN. BEHIND THE SCREE THE ATHLETIC MAIDEN. HORSE FLESH IS ALL RIGHT A Word or Two About Ideal Partners | Human Nature as Observed by the Man | She Must Give up Her Freckles if She | So Says Carter Harrison of Chicago, and the Chosen Man to Lead. Apopular young society woman and her partner in the cotilion the other night were discussing, over some chicken salad and cham- Pagne in the supper room, the fun that was to be found in dancing the german, “You know very well, Mr. Smiffkins,” she was saying, ‘“‘that it all depends upon one's partner. The ideal partner, I take it—and you are too well aware of my meaning to think me rude in saying so—is the one you see very little of. Now, I consider you such a one. We have been dancing together for two hours past and I haven't had the pleasure of your company for more than fifteen minntes of the time. The girls took you out so oftea that you didn’t de- pend on me at all, and so I was entirely at lib- erty to fly around as I liked and to take turns DANCING WITH A ‘‘STICK.” “You are awfully good to say so, Miss Faleo- ner,” replied the graceful youth in dress coat and expansive shirt front, “and I can with the utmost sincerity return the compliment. The jolly evening I've been having contrasts very agreeably with one I spent at a german in Bal- timore last week. My partner on that occasion was what we men call a ‘stick.’ You know what that sort of young woman is like. she may be her pretty than otherwise, and no fool perhaps, but she lacks sparkle utterly, doesn't know how to dress aud dances better with girls than she docs with men, With her own sex she is very likely to be popular; but the men simply will not take her out, becanse after one trial they discover that she is a stick. | She doesn’t go, and that is all there is «bout it. Doabtless she is as good as she can be; but her | place is at the fire knitting stockings and not at a cotillon. a are made—supposing you her partuer~ to feel this dismal truth more and more acutely as the evening progress She is very apt to refuse supper, so that you are obliged to refrain also, though you may be OVERCOME WITH HUNGER AND THIRST, and if you get her into the refresument depart- | ment she compresses her lips with an air of | sanctimonious disapproval when you venture | upon a third glass of che As a rule you have chosen her bec ne family Obligation; in fulfilling your duties toward her asa partner you tvel that are doing your | duty as a m nd a gentl 1 will go to unhappy. Wile the da one takes her out, and wh 3 taken out you are haunted at every s shadow of that unfortunate girl, sit on her chair and prete ing herself, while in r ably miserable. You take your up to her and introduce them, si are about to do so: ‘For God's sake, do take her out,’ But they won't do it; at any tate. uot more You are doomed fur ou put her into her | you tee! that tie has been | carriage. a german, so far as you a # bitter failure and a r THE MASCULIN® ““STICK. The lady laughed meivdiously behind her fan. “Why, Mr. Smiffkins.” she said, “yon men are not nearly such sufferers as we women from the evil of dancing parties called the ‘stick.’ For every such bore in petticoats there are a dozen in pantaloons, and it is not iu our power to avoid them. as it is in yours, It is not often | that you are compelled to ask a girl you do not | think desirable to be your partner; but, ifa man whom I don’t like asks me, it Is not easy for me to escape. Let me give youa picture of the typical male stick, He isan excellent feliow, and probably well liked by other men, who speak of him as a person of solid attain- ments. Buthe is heavy, deplorably heavy. He takes his pleasure seriously and pursues the routine of gayety as if he were attending a funeral. Dances badly, is a little embarrassed and most desperately polite; bestows compli- ments with an elaborate effort that makes one feel uncomfortable, In short, he turns what — to be the fun of a german into a distress and fatigue. Now, would you like meto de- scribe for you the ideal partne:?” “By all means, Miss Falconer. Pray do so.” “Well, he should be good looking and clever, to begin with, and, more important still, he should know all the men well aud take pains to introduce those of them to you whom you don’t know. He must dance like a dream, of course, and it is necessary that he should be a favorite with all the girls, so that he will be taken out all the time. That, briefly expressed, is my definition of what a partner ought to be. Now, perhaps, you will describe for me your notion of the ideal girl to dance a german with.” THE IDEAL FEMALE PARTNER. “With pleasure, Miss Falconer. My ideal partner is an awfully pretty girl, with lots of sparkle and vivacity, small talk in plenty and an acquaintance with all the men. She must entertai. ‘ood deal, so that the men will have that additional reason for flocking around her and giving her favors, She is well dressed of necessity and a first-rate dancer. From the be- ginning of the german to the end she is no trouble to her partner; when you are not out she is, and she keeps up the excitement, enjoy- ing it all immensely until the close of the fes- tivities. If she does not eat voraciously she is not unwilling that her partner should. ‘All the men like her and are eager to take her out, and, when it is time for her to depart, having seen very little of her during the evening, you (eke a last gentle squeeze to her white-gloved linger tips and leave her with the impression that she isa charming young woman and that you have had a jolly good time.” WHAT CONSTITUTES A LEADER. “I will venture to take a great deal of that speech as complimentary to myself, Mr, Smiff- kins, for that you mean it to be so accepted, whether sincerely intended or otherwise, is un- mistakable. It seems to me, however, that the enjoyment one gets from a german depends to & great extent, after all, upon the leader. If he does not do perfectly all ii failure, You will yourself own thit the leader of a german is born, not made. The man who was chosen to lead this cotillon tonight always does it ad- mirably; he combines all the many qualities necessary—a merry temper, quickness, imper- turbable good humor, and ‘an unselfish eye tor every one's fun. A leader like him can keep a erman going from midnight to 4 1n the morn- ing without tiring anybody, while a poky, timid man will weary all the people in an hour. Qne reat mistake often made, especially at big germans, is to lea out two couples from one side and two from another without order, instead of going right along down, so that there is no certainty when anybody will Cw his or her turn, the couples get dissatisfied and uncon- fortubleness generally results, A leader, too, should never attempt an innovation unless he is prepared to carry it through; we have both ofus often seen that rule violated fatally. Another thing I believe in is that a leader should never object to privateering, so long as it is done to only a mild extent and unosten- tatiously. There is no use in running a dancing party a8 strictly as if it were a Sunday school class. But the music is striking up in the par- lors; suppose you give me your arm.” ONE OF NATURE’S REMEDIES. Pine Apple Juice is Said to be a Specific for Diptheria, From the Chicago Tribune. It is said that nature has her own remedy for every ill to which flesh is heir, Some ot her remedies have not yet been discovered and some that have been found ont have not be- come generally known. Medical science has long sought for sovereign remedy for the scourge of childhood, diptheria, yet the col- ored people of Louisiana, and perhaps of other localities in the scuth, have for years known and useda cure which is remarkable for its simplicity. It is nothing more nor less than the pure juice of the pine “The remedy is not mine,” said a gentleman, when interviewed, “it has been used by in the swamps down south for One of my children was down with di and was in a critical condition, An old colored ir F He F ; ih bee Lake | case | door for half and hour. <a | of eleven pir.utes in that city, refers to the man- With the Pestle. Would Win a Duke. The druggist was behind the stained-glass} A London letter in the San Francisco Argo- sereen putting up prescriptions. His assistant | nau says: If one may judge by the constant had gone to supper and he was alone working | reference to the fact in the American papers, it with the mortar and pestle and marble and | would seem that the American girl (as she is to knife, scraping, grinding and mixing as fast as | be found at home, for I certainly have seen no he could while a customer waited. The front | sample on this side) has become an athlete. door opened with a sharp click and a lady hur-| I, of coarse, refer to the fashionable girl. ried im, She looked inthe candy case, the | Whether this is another phase of angiomania cigar case, and leaned her hand on the case of | or not I do not know, but am inclined to sus- toilet articles, while she rapped on the glass | pect itis. All I can say is, if this be true, and sharply and stamped on the floor with her | there ought to be no reason to doubt it, the French heels, Thenshe peeped through the | American girl is making a big mistake. Her rescription screen. Then she pounded on the | misteke is two-fold. In the first place, in Boor with both feet, at the same time pound- | “going in” for athletics, either for sport or ex- ing the marble counter with a package she | orcise, she is not imitating the best class of found at band. She was ina hurry. But the | pyciish girl i 5 girl, as no doubt she fondly imagines; druggist was in » hurry, too; his knife scraped sad, in the second, m thus masculining herself more quickly on the mixing marble, but he did | 2h0 i, “destroying ‘her greatest shuren ond of notcome from behind the screen. Directly | traction in English cves. Apart from her easy Spies, remag, her voice to an angry pitch, seif-possessed manner, her conversation: called out: : opie yee ut it | Powers, ber store of information on ail subjects How long is it going to be before you wait | ind her money, her delicate skin, peach-like on me’ n ice | COmMPlexion and fragile frame have given her In @ moment; in s moment,” came the voice | that delightful effeminacy of tout ensemble from bebind the screen. and the mixing went | which is rarely, if ever, seen in English women on ata double quick. iwo minutes later the | outside of old family portraits in the picture druggist came from behind his screen wipiug | caileries of the arist scracy. Sun-burued cheeks, the perspiration from his forehead. see | throats and foreheads and freckled nos “Give me 15 cents’ worth—”, then the voice betoken health. but such so-called i dank to a whisper the lady leaned far over t! A i . the counter. The d st reached up on the | Béalth are not indications of beauty shelf where the whisky tor medicinal purposes THE ENGLIGE IDEAL stands, and poured out a smail quontity of that | Ifso, why are all the portraits of the English liquid ina phial, Then he hastened to finish | nobility's mothers, grandmothers, great- his prescription. he lady put the bottle in her mu nd began leisurely to look over the staring down from the walls of every great soups aud perfumery tied up in : amg tibbews tor cicktosn” At house in the hingdom—why are they of pink- five or ten minutes in this | and-white-skinned women, with "soft, pale faces and slightly-built, fragile figures? Now and then you may see a fat old dowager ina turban and with a bust to out-Juno Jano, but it is the fat of indolence and ease, not the de- veloped muscle of the dumb bell, the foil and the boxing glove. All, however, bave pale faces and deiicate, transparent skins. I donot mean to say that ail the women who sat for They ail come in as ii there was a death pend-| these portraits had pink-and-white cheeks, ing in the iamily, and demand to be waited onat | Soft. pale skins and slight, willowy figures, once. If they want on cake of soap ora! Doubiless the majority had, Way not? Who tooth brush, it must he hadatonce, This is the | C82 say to the coutrary’ with women ularly, but there are THE AMERICAN GIRL’S GREAT CHARM. jots of men who are just as bad. A woman who} There can be no doubt that Eaglishmen con- will spend an our im a dry goods store to buy she went slowly out, and still more elo the street, stopping to look in the windows on the way The drugvist drow a long breath as he wrapped up the prescriptions, “I presume,” he said to a Stax reporter, who was sitting iu the store, “thore is never any one who comes into e drag store who is not in a hurry. . sider their old family portraits as models of & three-cent packaye of hair pins will come in |) beanie! ey leaks th ‘ adrug store for 10 cents’ worth of perfumery | ¥Owanly beau ait (a he emeean age we and order all work on prescriptions to stop un | of i however, and simply because they til she gets it. Someti will come in | nev ssee in real life their counter- for a Giger hex 1 he gets | part, not in feature, but im color. Now and it. Then he will sit de i smoke it | then, perhaps, there might be a complexion o or go out and tuik tc ud in front of the | that sort, but very rarciy, I epeak, of Dy of their own countrywomen, 1! fore has it been asw: er morning 1 to them, which might be termed g from a compicxions and slender outlines of their water man came in the store in at hurry | fe ancestors’ portraits reproduced im the | and called out ior iton him, [| American girl, This (with her own or her said J would be there in a moment—as svon as | “Popper's” money) bas been her greatest I could dey my face. He could not wait | Charm in their eyes, pstientiy, but began to grumble, [ burriedout | Ido not mean to imply that her own or her with the water dripping off the end of my | “Popper's” money would not have suificed if nose and r og in co.d currents down the | her complexion bid been that of and Iroquois Lack of m. ck. The m: ed a postage | ®quaw, Scill, let us, for the romance of the stamp. Did he get th he did, He gota ¥ iy opinion of bi ug, believe that it would not. At all events, u assume that in ail the titled marriages which American giris have made of late years among the British novility, their beauty was what first attracted the Englishmen’s atten- tion, So, therefore, I seyto American girls who want to marry ‘English dukes and marq earls and barons, lords aad honorables an preserve your beauty; wear your veiis broud-brimmed hats; keep out of the sun and ; dread tan and ‘freckles as you would the bite of u rattlesnake; retain your peach-like skins and your fragile figures, ————-+e-. A Portrait of Wesley. From the Oxford (Enx.), Magazme, Lincoln college has recently purchased a picture of John Wesiey which has been pro- nounced on competent authority to be either the original or a replica of a picture painted by James Williams and sold by him September 10, 1743. Some confusion was created in the minds of the purchasers by the discovery in Oxford of a mezzotint engraving by Faber of Williams’ picture with the name of Charles in place of that of John Wesley. However, a visit to the Hope collection has set doubt at rest. There are two or three engravings of Williams’ picture with the title of John W Besides, the features of the two brothers are different, and John Wesley is always repre- sented with his bair flowing, while Charles ap- i round, bushy wii; More than stated in Smith's ‘-Mezzotinto Por- traits” that on No, 4 of Faber’s engravings of Williams’ picture John was alterod to Charles, probably to suit achange of popular taste. ‘The minds of the purchasers have therefore uow been set at ease. Their picture is not perhaps a great work of art, but is interesting as representing John Wesley at the time he was a Fellow of Lincoln, and younger than in the more common representations, ee Bad for French Cider. J don't chink | vie expression of ae Exccution Methocs in China. The So0-Chow correspondent of the North China Heraid, reporting recently the execution ner in which executions in China are fixed. In other countries the crimimal knows beforehand the day of his and bas time to prepare for his fate, But in China all is different, Had the Hebrew prophets lived in that country they woud certainly have chosen au execation the embiem of suiden destruction. At Pekin the vermiilion pencil marks the death warrant, which is imu dia:ely handed to a courier, who instantly mounts a horse and rides off to his destination. The posts supply tresh horses, and he goes onward, sleeping and eating in his saddle, never baiting by day or night, in sunshine or rain. After riding 700 miles he reaches Soo-Chow and delivers the warrant to the governor. Three messengers are imme- diateiy dispatched, one to the district magis- trate who presides at the execution and wio repairs at once to the place, a second to the camp for au escort and the third to the jail. The victims are bound, dragged before the image of the lord of hades, which is in the prison, and pay their respects, They are then placed in cages, carried on coolies’ backs, and ata rough trot the cortege sets out for the execution ground. The nerve and blade of one executioner is never trusted in Soo-Chow to take off more than three or four heads, If there is a greater number of criminals assist- ants are employed. ‘There are generally from fifty to one hundred executions per annum in Soo-Chow, where all the criminals of the province of Kiang-Soo, with a population of 21,000,000, are executed. They are mostly pirates, eae eee eee No Chance for Hankinson. From the Chicago Tribune. “You have thought me presumptuous in ae dicbeyace' king your— friendship, have you, Misa | Paris Dispatch to the London Daily Telegraph, aie ah ies French cider is likely to be very inferior both The proud beauty shook her head and the | i2 quantity and cael cme oe = costly diamonds in her ears sparkled and | 2@tvests in macetages a poomnny Pita flashed in the mellow light like an arctic aurora | Very Unfavorable results and in Picardy, where boreatis, with the radiant dog star for a center, | the cultivation of the juicy fruit has been whirling and glittering in a jeweled kaleido- | greatly increased of late, the apples were scope. The sight dazzled the eyes and dazed | pumerous but mediocre. It is froin Picardy the brain of Marcellus Hankinson, and confused | and a few districts in the departments of the images of a paradise luminous with rainbows, | Morbihan and the Ile-et-Vilaine that most of shimmering sunsets, the glory of melting black | the cider supply for 1889 and 1890 will have to eyes, and pervaded by an intoxicating perfume | be drawn. ‘The weather has been responsible of musk, patchouli aud cinnamon essence | for all this and the owners of orchards have danced before his visio: found their most energetic efforts to prevent a “No, Mr, Hankinson,” she replied. bad harvest unavailing. Parisians, however, “Ah—er—thanks! who consume comparatively little cider, will The young man ventured to take her hand. be undisturbed by these bad reports from “Asphyxia McGinn,” he said, in a rich baritone tremolo, ‘tin ‘all the eleven months Breton and Norman orchards, but the numer- é ous and long-suffering swallowers of the re- and sixteen days during which I have enjoyed your acquaintance I have never conducted freshing beverage obtained from the fruit bs 7 which was fatal to Adam who inhabit the le ahead than with the utmost respect, have I?” northwestern portion of France will have for considerable time good cause togrumble at the “You have not, Mr. Hankinson.” “I have never seemed to—aw—feel my oats, baduess of their favorite drink, as it were?” he went on anxiously; “never stayed later than 11 o’clock on eee aie nor later than 9 o'clock when we were ig Browning or Schlege\?” think not, Mr. Hankinson.” ‘e have seemed to coincide in our views of philosophy, Aare tariff, the pathhopnres juestion, and the comparative value of the va- ‘i ef Mowe tude ae regards fhutrition.” persisted the | Parent that the only South African roman young man, “while in the matter of dialect | cist has a considerable modicum of truth at stories we have—we exactly.” He edged himself @ little farther forward in his chair and proceeded: Mothers Strangely Equipped. From the Johannesberg Standard. The author of “King Solomon’s Mines” and “Allan Quartermain” has had much laid to his charge—from plagiarism to downright lying, have always jibed | the bottom of his seemingly most bizarre con- ceptions. : fake, for instance, the Mapai, asmall tribe ° of bush people living between the Kaverezi “‘In view of all this, Asphyxia, and moved by | and Yankotoi, who, among a number of other aresistless passion that—that yanks me nee curious habits, slit the skin over both shoulders along on its tempestuous bosom, I am embold- | in the form of'a loop and which, by being uj ened to—” held, permits a second cuticle to grow benea “Please say no more, Mr. Hankinson,” said | 4 corresponding slit is made on each side Miss McGinnis, haughtily. “I did not at first | all the young ladies of this interesting people, apprehend tho bearing of your remarks.” the loops, when the girls develop into woman- “Is it possible that you did not know what I| hood, forming four “natural” resting places Was going to say? Do you pretend Asphyxia| for a child, either atthe breast or back, the McGinnes,” he demanded, hotly; ‘that you | straps of flesh on the shoulders being for the were 2 encouraging me—that you didn’t egg | hands or arms and the others for each baby ‘me on?” “I certainly did not. sir. Such an idea never oo—__—____ entered my head. I may as well tell you, Mr. Popular Errors as to Health. From the Baltimore Sun. Hankinson, that my heart is not free, I mi Dr. George H. Rohe, a professor at the Col- as well tell you”—the proud heiress of mil- lions breathed a tremulou: igh, the haughty lege of Physicians and Sur , in his lecture look faded from her eyes a1 er voice sank to grandmothers and great-aunts, which one sees | on, to find the | ‘of | Troubadour won thi Who Has Eaten It. Chicago Special to the New York World. Curcaco, Dee. 16.—Ex-Mayor Carter Harri- son is an enthusiast on horse flesh as food. ‘This is what he seys on the subject: “The aversion to horse flesh is merely a whim, as shallow as the superstition of heathen about his religion. He cannot log- ically explain it, neither can the average citizen of Chicago explain why he would not rather eat horse meat than pork. Certain &nimals are tabooed as food on account of sanitary reasons, but surely mo one can say that a horse is not much cleaner than a hog oraduck. In India the bovine species was made sacred years ago. for the simple reason that it was a hard thing to rear cattle in that climate, hence to preserve the species it was made sacred, The hog is nearly aiways in- fested with triching microbes. It was tabooed by the Jews hundreds of years agoand has since remained on the taboo list. Carrion-eating ani- mals, of course, are out of the question as an article of food. Now, what is the matter with the horse? Everrbody knows what that animal | eats and how cleaa he is. Look at the compari- | son—n nice, healthy horse and a dirty, puddling | duck, that searches the gutters and siuk holes | for its food, which is everything from carrivn to tin cans. “In my travels I have found many people | who hke monkey flesh. Late it in Ceylon, and ; the flesh Is deticious. Bring such a dish before | | some of our Chicazo ‘four hundred’ and they | | would flee from it like a grouse from a banter. But why? The monkey, like the horse, is a |clean animal. Simply because a great many | monkeys resembie o}d men in appearance, and | the resemblance would sicken the hungry man, | Lhave eaten rattlesuske! 1f you can decapi- tate one before Le thrusts his fangs into bim- self or your body you will find the desh, when | roasted, tender, paiatable and of a flavor be- | tween young lamb and chicken, There is no use talking; horse meat is good. and the day is | not far nt when this fact will be generally recognized and horse flesh will be for sale in all of our markets.” ~~ eee TWO WILD WESTERNERS, Taking Lessons From an English Ex- pert with the Walking Stick. From the New York World. Col. John Arkins of the Rocky Mountain News and Major E. B. Sopris, the Denver coal | baron, who are stopping at the Fifth avenue | hotel, have hired up expert Englishman to | teach them the art of properly carrying big silver-headed canés with a view of “doing the swell” on 16th street, in Denver, when they re- | turn to the Rockies. They have purchased two | of the heaviest handled canes that they could | find on Broadway a:d take lessons daily. They are now so far ndvanced that they can readily tell a man’s weakness by the manner in which he carries his stick. A gentleman passed through the rotunda of the Fifth avenue yes- terday carrying a light cane by the middle ina horizontal position. “There, now,” said Major Sopris, “that man you can see {8 accustomed to carrying bun- | les. | A man with his cane sticking out of his | pocket caused the major to remark that he | must have once driven a stage. In like com- ments the two westerners ifested the influ- ence of their studies of the English walking- | sti We've got so far now that wecan hold the ck at the proper ungle,” said Major Sopris, ‘but we can’t make it carry us along yet.” “You see,” said Col, Arkius, illustrating the idea with a lead pencil, “when you take the stick by the point, with the big end hangins down behind, if you give it the right swing it will pull you right along and you can’t help following it,” “There must be a little mud on the ferrule,” said Maj. Sopris. “Ob, yes, you must have mud on it,” reiter- ated Col, Arkins, ‘and you must take hold of it right close up under the mud.” “Wrap a lavender kid glove around it,” sug- gested the major. “Exactly,” said the colonel, “and have a glove on your hand besides, but you must not soil the glove—that’s where the science comes in.” “Then you stick your arms out this way,” and the major illustrated the angle with his own arms, “And begin to pump,” said Col. Arkins. “And try to fall down. but the stick holds you up, you know,” Major Sopris added, “I have seen them baiance it on the outside curve of the thumb, but you've got to be away up in caneology to do that.” The westerners wait for nightfall to bring out their sticks and take their lesson, Major Sopris had a young man pointed out to him who was said to change his clothes twice a day. Immediately the major ordered ten suits from tailors in the neighborhood. “None of these ducks are going to get away with us,” he said proudly to the clerk at the hotel desk. “We'll give ‘em three suits a day if necessary, and as for those big-headed canes, we'll little nglishman gives us a few more lessons.” —_——e+_____ Albert Victor’s Marriage. From the London World. An imaginative ‘London correspondent” an- nounces that Prince Albert Victor's marriage is now “definitely arranged for next May or June,” although he is not able to give the name of the bride. Asa matter of fact Prince Albert Victor is not now likely to return from India before the summer, and there is really no serious idea of his a at present, but the queen has always wished that he should marry his cousin, Princess Alix of Hesse. A great deal of nonsense has been talked and rinted about Prince Albert Victor's “new jouse” in St. James’ palace; but he is merely to occupy the apartments of the late Duchess of Cambridge, which are to be redecoratedand }emen are noted, and, on biddin paralyze Broadway with them after our | PLENTY OF QUAIL. North Carolina a Paradise for Sporte- men. From the New York Times To many local sportsmen, and local signifies that class of the fraternity who cannot spare the time necessary for a longer trip than a few miles from metropolitan circles. a few days’ outing among the woods and fields of North Carolina would afford sport with the quail which would satisfy their expectations and ideas of what -good shooting” is. In the southern states quail are called par- tridges; therefore, should the northern spurts- man be invited to have a shot at the partridgos, after flushing @ bevy of th:- he would dis- cover them to be what he kn ws at home as quail. Correctly speaking, q>.\' is the Vire ginia partridge, aod the name of partridge has been adopted in all sections of the south to designate the Bob White. In the suburban d.stricts of New shooting was good in days uot jong ago, but it is not easy to tind the birds in the usual places, and this scarcity of game is one of the reasome why sportsmen woud be overjoyed by a visit to North Carolina, where it is an easy task to Start out from any of the towns bordering the mountain beits or the apland counties aud in few hours’ walk start a flock of these game birds, Many times, two seasonr ago, while out fora ramble through the woods anu over fields, the writer wou number of quail which could hav ged. 1 could pick up my gun almost nd find, with- out the assistance of my within a radius of five miles to sport, aud with my dog a bevy after bevy from of the broom sage gra which afford open six matter to mark the bir scatter. Of recent years on most of the lands in North rolina where good shooting is a certainty osied notices” confront the sportsmen, but in the majority of cases the owners of such property are hospitable people, aud will alow privileges to those sportsmen who observe aud respect such privileges by domg no imjury to the plan crops. stock, fences or buudings and leaving a few live birds for the land own- er’s pleasure. Ten to one, after the field has beeu worked, the planter will invite the hunter to refresh the muer maa, while he extends to him the hospitality for which southern gentle- good-day, will proffer an invitation to cowe again, “and per- bap» 1 will take @ turn at the birds with vou Northern sportsmen in quest vf good shoot- ing should take a trip down to the Carolinas, and they will get itat a not expensive outlay. Accommodations can be procured on able terms. Oue dollar and Sifty cents a $25 a month, will cover the cost of eating sleeping. and the expense of getting there i not great. The journey is a little more than a day's ride by railroad, which is short indeed to the enthusiast, especially when be is assured that at the end of the line game in plenty is to be bad York quail ord excellent ag s J could dash iS. Making It an easy » down should they r od ———- se Politeness From The Home Magazine. The natives in the east who have become familiar with foreigners and their customs take very readily to the custom of calling—anud Seoul, | eating—on New Year's day, and one lady bad « very peculiar expe:ience with a native official in Seoul last year. She.was keeping “open house,” and hed made some preparations for receiving ber guests in the proper manner. Among other things, she had prepared with her own bands avery excelleut cake, which she expected to distribute in little bits to all who might favor her withacail. A party of native gentlemen arrived, and, having jiven one of them a cup of tea, she placed this five cake before hun, Withan invitation to help himself, She theu Went with the others to another room, and was gone some time. When she returned she saw to her horror that her beautiful cake bad ail but disappeared down the throat of the poor fellow, who had tried his best todo the police thing—according to his country’s cas.oms— and not leave any of the food set before hun, thus showing his appre the host table and hospitality. Lhe lady's vexation wos banished by a feeling of commuseration tor the miserable man, who seemed to be very much in need of an emetic just then, It is said this ation of call was his first and last on that day, as he declared to a friend that foreigners must be all stomach, if they could go trom house to house and dv justice to the hospitality of each, coe What Tickled a Hoosier. From the New York Sun. One day I was riding along a highway in In- diana when I came upon a pile of bedding and articles of crockery and hardware in front of a farm house, and seated on the horse block was a corpulent old man with a very red face Naturally enough I asked him what bad hap- pened, and he went off into laughter which lasted a full minute before he could reply. “Them duds belong to Ben and Mary.” Sut who are Ben aii Mary?” “Ben's my—my—ba_ ba! ha’ I'm almost dead. Ben's my his—ha! ha! ha!—wite.” ‘But who tumbled those things out there?” I did.” And where are Ben and Mary?” “She's gone home and he's broke for the woods, Stranger, excuse me, but I'd have to laff if there was a corpse in the house, It’s too durned funny for anything—ba! ha! ha!” And be yelled aud whooped until he could have been heard half a mile, When he sobered up a little I asked: “Is there a joke in this somewhere?” “Is there. Whoop! I should say there was! Go into the house and you'll find the old woman nigh dead with laffiug.” “Well, what is it?” “You see, Ben got married about three months ago. Purty good boy, but incl be tricky. He married a purty fair gal, but she’s dreffully ambitious. They cum home I've laffed till n,and Mary is returnished for him, and the interior of the house is beiug reconstructed, as it is very badly arranged, all the rooms opening into each other, er S Betting in England and America, From the Inter-Ocean, Wealthy turf organizations have multiplied in the United States within the last ten years money to be won by the horses than is done in England, and also have more racers irf training each year. But in the betting phase of racing there is no comparison. so much heavier are the betting operations in the tight little island. When Laureate won the Cambridgeshire re- cently his owner, Mr. Hammond, won $180,000 ym the books. No such winning over a single race has ever been made in this country. When iburban his owner, Capt. Sam Brown, won somewhere between $70,000 and $80,000, and that is probably as much as has ever been won on a race in this country by one — On the other band, the big sum won yy Mr. ——— on Laureate's victory is frequently exceede an article in the Fortnt; Review noted English trainer, John Day, gives an en- tertaining glimpse of the great on which the big plungers of the English turf have car- ried on joeir betting operations in certain noted instances when, he says: “To give some idea of the ex! a low, dreamy murmur, like the echo of a dis-| at'the Young Men’s Christian association on | wealth of men in this occupation and the way tant waterfall—“papa is going to Europe next week to buy n prince. “That ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’ ‘Aajteesons cae Ido not hesitate to say isa fallacy. Idiosyn- New tr Late to (cheat op crasies with regard to food or medicine exist, | Mr. I find that very few actresses wear corsets | but far less frequently than is generally be- | whether Davis lieved. An article of food which ranks ay enemy of good digestion is pie. liver Modjeska wears an invention | ishly abused, isa upon the stage. Fanny Davenport is guiltless of them, as one can easily discover when seeing her in “Tosca,” asa Dr. Wendell Holmes says pie, often fool- | have been le bei P good ccoeiaae ok the right | one of the guests at the table that evening “Some popular errors concerning health,” said: | they obtain it may mention that Davis lost owner of Daniel horse won the Derby. While at dinner the day after the race xpressed some anxiety as to ter Davis would be able to meet his en- t to Mr. Bo the G'Rourke, in one bet when the to live and about a month ago wanted me'n the old woman to deed over the farm to them and be taken keer of the rest of our lives. We didn’t like the ide, but they hung to it, and so last week I made out a deed and handed it over. It wasn'ta deed describin’ this farm, but some other farm, though it all looked g'lur nuff.” “You doubted their faith, eh?” “I kinder did, and so—ba! bal ha! Say, but as time goes on it becomes every day more | to an extent that we now probably offer more | stranger, don’t think hard of me, but I've got to laff or bust. Just tickle me way back to my shoulder blades.” He went off into another fit and when he got his breath again he continued: “This mornin’ was the sixth day since they jot the deed. As soon as breakfast was over en said they'd concluded to git ai without our valued company, and suggested that as it was nine miles to the poor house we make an early start. He intended to turn us smack out doors without s dollar, but he got left. I told him he'd better look into the deed a bit and he went to town and diskivered the trick I bad played. You orter seen them two when they come back! Why, why——” ‘And he laughed again until I had to pat bim on the back to prevent a catastrophe. “They were the humbiest, down-troddenest, used-upest, e-to-pieces pair you ever sot eyes on, Ben got a plug of terbacker and a hoss pistil and left fur the woods, and Mary tied a wet towel around ber head and hoofed it fur her father’s house. I've brought out their duds and piled ‘em up bere, and if they don't send for ‘em before moon they kin go to the « Well, they deserve it.” “Yes, they do, but it was a narrer old of her Own—a sort of cuirass of buckskin that | time and at angles of 30 or 40 degrees. In| hearing the conversation, mentioned the cir- | From the Pall Mall Gazette. somes i icircles and quadrants it may sometimes | cumstance to Davis the next morning Fs Trdg epee prove too much for delicate stomachs. There was | course, who immediat merson,a hopelessly contirmed pie eater, never | check for the amount She wears instead a whaleboned waist. Jessie | complaining of dyspepsia, and on the other | wealth was made and tens hips. Cora Potter never wore a corset and Miss Eastiake told me she had never had one on. iy on wholesome oat- side Carlyle, feeding lar; caning witty in jon all bis days.” aE ple, i i ee4 if ieee FE stomach, whether | —for that was once on the wrote Mr. Bowes a gave ittohim. This of ot junds more by — span ene ist in shillings an crowns —— the occupation of Davis, bettor known. The Church missionary society buve received news from the Ugauda mission up to September 2. Mr. Mackay states in his ietter that the revolution in Uganda of October, 1888, which drove Mwanga from the throne and the mis- sionaries from the country, bad continued in- Hd] Si & HE I F iii i i j i : : j i f i ; i ee i i i Fr i s is é i E 4 E | i 5 i 8 & j .