Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1876 — PERSONAL AND LITERARY [ARTICLE]

PERSONAL AND LITERARY

—Gem John B. Frtrtrte, of Vtttejo; Cal., who three years ago was worth $2,000,000, is to-day penniless, the result of Ipjudicious operations in mining stocks. —lt was the desire of the late Francis P. Blair that the bearers at his funeral fihoUld be chosen from among his grandsons. In compliance with bis wish, eight sons of the late Gen. F. P. Blair, of the late James Blair, and of the Hon. Montgomery Blair acted in that capacity. —Pope was a poet with queer habits. He was fretul and petulant, and expected that everything should give way to his ease. If be felt drowsy in company he would go to sleep without ado, and once slumliered at his own table while the Prince of Wales was talking of poetry. —Dean Swift was sometimes parsimonious, and is charged by Johnson with " niggardly reception of his friends and scantfneM of entertainment,“as when he had two guests at bis house he would ret at supper a single pint upon the table, and, having himself taken two small glasces, would retire, and say: * Gentlemen, I leave you to your wine.’ ”

—The Ban Francisco Pott says that in every case the opinion was that Mr. Lick, although somewhat eccentric, was perfectly sane. The lawyers seem to be divided upon the question cf sanity. John B. Felton and Col. W. H. L. Barnes have declared that the trusts will hold and that Lick was sane. J. W. Patterson hazards the opinion that the philanthropist was almost as mad as a March hare, and that the trusts will be brushed aside like so manv cobwebs when the issue is brought before the courts. It is apparent that Samuel M. Wilson, the leader of the bar of the State, entertains a similar opinion. —Mr. Carlyle was made the victim of a singularly idiotic mistake on Saturday. On that evening literary circles in London were thrilled to the very core by a report that ffie illustrious sage of Chelsea had cut his throat. You may imagine the excitement the story caused, ana you would scarcely believe that it was widely credited. A literary undertaker of one leading journal, whose obituary notices are somewhat famous, is said to have rushed home in a cab when he heard the news, and to have sat up till the small hours writing Mr. Carlyle’s memoir. I need hardly say that the whole story was a ridiculous falsehood. — Glaeqcw Newt. —lt is a great thing to be able to see a point. Here is a happy instance of. ability in that line. A countryman, wandering with his wife through the art galleries of the Philadelphia Exhibition, stood before Riviere’s picture of Circe and the companions of Ulysses. He gazed earnestly at the painting, wondered what was meant by the handsome young woman playing on her lyre, while a herd of swine wallowed and tumbled about at her feet. He then looked up the picture in his catalogue and pondered over the title, "The Companions of Ulysses.” Said he: “ Well, if that isn’t the hardest slap Old Grant’s got yet.” — “Bric-a-Bric,” in Scribner for November.