Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1880 — PERSONAL AND LITERARY. [ARTICLE]

PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

Mb. Robert Burdette, the funny writer of the Burlington flowa) Hawkeye, has been forceaoy ill health to give up lecturing. Mr. Clarke, the architect of the Capitol at Washington, is already besieged by artists who desire to finish Brnmidi’s work in the rotunda. The death in a squalid Brooklyn tenement-house is announced of Jennie Tyler, niece of ex-President Tyler.* Ten years ago she was one of the reigning belles of Washington. She possessed also a comfortable fortune. She has had a very romantic career. Her father is said by Jennie’s husband to live in Harrisburg. A subscription has been passed around in Rockland, Conn., the home of the Rev. H. H. Hayden, to raise money to buy a watch for Hotchkiss, the obstinate juror who prevented Hayden’s acquittal. Six persons have thus far given fifty-five dollars. The New Haven Register denies the report that Hayden is to be rearrested and tried again.-—N. Y. Post. Bishop Quintard, of Tennessee, a brother of two prominent business men of New York, has two boys named for those two brothers. Soene—The Bishop’s house. Persons—The Bishop and his boys. George (loquitur) “ Yes, father. I am going to be a clergyman.” Bishop—“ Ed, are yon going to be a clergyman, tooP” Edward—“ No, father; I think I had better be a New York merchant — to take oare ml George.” Mr. Frederic Harrison reminds his readers that to gain a living sense of the reality and unity of history they must turn not to the picture books of the specialists in literature or the mere gossip of history, but to the great works left by master hands and covering grand epochs. Whenever they could they must go back to the fountain-head and refresh themselves from the contemporary records of those who saw the great things done and heard the great men speak. A singular monument is to be seen at Simston, Ga. It is a plain hewn granite shaft, without inscription, with several pieces of an old cannon laid on top. It was erected to the memory of Mr. Hopkins Hubbard, who died and was buried in New Orleans, and is on the spot where he lost an arm in firing a Fourth of July salute from an old cannon that did service in the war of 1812. The gun burst, and the pieces now on the monument are the ones that carried away his limb. The shaft is about fottr feet high, and, strange to say, the fragments loosely placed on it by the hand of a sister have never been disturbed.

The late Mr. Buckle at seventeen years of age tried to marry one of his cousins, and a few years afterward another one. A rival vanquished him in each instance, and in each instance he challenged the rival to mortal combat. His latest biographer, Mr. Huth, says that Buckle said that no woman could make tea until he had taught her; the great thing was to have it very hot, the cups, and even the spoons, should be warmed. The tea was to stand a little longer when the caddy was rather full, to allow time for the leaves to unroll; but at the bottom of the caddy there were broken leaves, and hence so much time need not be allowed. Captain Isaac Bassett, the venerable Senate doorkeeper, has received a letter from Peleg Sprague, the only man now living who was a member of the United States Senate when the Captain was first employed by that body. Mr. Sprague writes that he is the oldest ex-Representative of Congress now living. He was elected a member of the House of Representatives from Maine in 1824, remained in that body until 1829, and soon afterward was chosen United States Senator. He served in the Senate until 1885, and after retiring removed from Maine to Boston and engaged in the practice of law. In 1841 he was appointed to the United States bench in Massachusetts, from which he resigned in 1865, He is now entirely blind. It is stated that Blaine touched 50 on the last of January. Grant was 57 last April. Sherman was 56 last Mav. W ashburne was 68 in September. Conkling was 50 in October. Garfield is in his 49th year. Bayard was 51 in October. Thurman reached his 66th birthday in November. Hendricks was 60 in September. Tildcn is 66 and General Hancock 65. Seymour will be 70 in May. Washington was in his 57th J ear when he was first elected, and had ust entered his 66th year when he left office. John Adams was 61 when he was elected, Jefferson 57, Madison in his 58th year, Monroe in his 59th, and John Quincy Adams in his 58th. Jackson was 61 when chosen the first time, and therefore 65 when re-elected, while he had reached his 70th year when he quitted office. Van Buren was 54, and Harrison 67, when they were elected, while Taylor when he took office had just*passed bis Slat birthday. Polk was elected on almost precisely his 49th birthday. Tyler was not quite 58 when elected, and Fillmore was in his 51st year when he succeeded him. Pieros had not yet completed his 48th year when he was elected, and he was junior of all who have taken the Presidential chair, except General Grant. Mr. Buchanan was elected in his 66th veer, Lincoln in his 52d and 56th, while Johnson succeeded in his 57th.—Waxkington Republican.