Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1876 — PERSONAL AND LITERARY. [ARTICLE]

PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

—Representative Seelye has accepted the Presidency of Amherst College. —The real name of Signorina Spelterini, who crossed Niagara on a wire recently, is Sarah McGinnis. —Mr. Vanderbilt says that he intends to give everyone waiting to hear of his death a good chance to wait. —On the first morning after his arrival in England, Dom Pedro stepped out a few moments before breakfast and made a tour of the country. —Ann Eliza Young, notwithstanding she has made $50,000 on her book and lecturing, will continue her war on the prophet, and make it pay, next winter. —The investigation of Daniel Drew’s affairs necessitates the examination of about fifteen tons of account books belonging to sundry bankers and Wall street brokers. Daniel has made his creditors a great deal of trouble. —The rivalry in the matter of venerable twins has brought to light Mr. Jonathan Wood, of Worcester, Mass., and his brother Ebenezer, of Acton, Mass., who are in their eighty-fifth year, and who are both remarkably vigorous for men of their age. They have a brother and sister who are both more than eighty years old. —While the Emperor of Brazil was within our borders there was nothing for him but commendation; but now / that he lias gone it is discovered that he had faults like other moo. It is seriously declared that lie slept through the entire balcony scene in. “Romeo and Juliet,” at the Academy of Music, and that nothing but ceaseless nudging on the part of his imperial spouse kept him awake the following night at the concert given in his honor at Gilmore’s Garden. —“ Gen. Custer’s death,” the Burlington (Vt.) Free Prm says, “ will be received with special sorrow by many of the veterans of the First Vermont cavalry. They served long under him, and he repeatedly, when leading a charge, put himself at the head of the First Vermont. This he did so often, when troops of his own State and others were at hand, that the distinction became marked. Our boys appreciated it. They loved and admired Custer, and they were never beaten back when he was in command.” —The four hundredth anniversary of the death of the astronomer Johannes Muller was celebrated in his native town of Konigsberg, Germany, on the oth of July. Muller, or ‘Regiomontanus, as he was called after his birthplace, was born in 1436, and after studying in Leipsic went to Vienna, where he became a friend and colleague of the renowned astronomer Purcell. He died of the plague in Rome, whither he had been called to revise the calendar, and where he was appointed Bishop of Regensburg. Purcell and Muller introduced into Germany the use of the Arabic figures in place of the Roman numerals then exclusively in use, and caused arithmetic to be taught in German schools. Muller likewise prepared and issued the first Germain almanac. —Five young ladies were drowned in Lake Contrary, near Bt. Joseph,! Mo., a few days ago, while gathering pond lilies. The man who accompanied them barely escaped with his life.