The Observer

■- The late ílufus Choate coined the phrase "glit tering generalíties." Ex-Governor Russell of Massachusetts is lo have a marble bust in one of the niches of the statehouse in Bostou. John Jacob Astor, Jr., was never knowr. to tip a barber, a waiter or a bootblack. He is nearly always seen alone. Governor Lewelling of Kansas is troubled with weak lungs and is very much concerned for fear he will die of consumption. Allen G. Thurman believes in harmonv. The Old Roman recently subscribed $23,000 to aid in building a new opera house at Columbus, O. Representative Bundy, the new Ohio congressman, is one of the oldest men in the house. He is 7ö years of age, but looks 10 years younger. Superintendent Byrnes of the New York pólice department, having completed 30 years of continuous service, is now entitled to add a sixth gold band to his coat sleeve. Until receutly Slr Henry Tichborne was an enthusiastic collector of cigars and gloried in the possession of sorae80,000 of them, including man y rare and expensivebrands. W. K. Vanderbilt's 10 months' jaunt on his yacht wiil cpst him 8300,000. But William can afïord it, for he made $1,000,000 on Wall street last slimmer and has about $100,000,000 besides. John Hill of Derby, England, who is nearly 91 years old, was initiated into Prince Edward Lodge of Odd Fellows Christmas day, 1833, and is probably the oldest living member of the order. Paul B. du Chaillu told a Boston reporter that when he delivered his first lecture at the Hub, 32 years ago, he had but 30 listeners - not two for each of the 17 stuff edgoril las he had on ex ui bition on the stage. Since his return from London John C. New has devoted himself with absorbing zeal to the management of the varioua business affairs in which he is interested. He is beeorning a rich man rapidly. Mr. Ferris of World's fair wheel celebrity is now eugaged in constructing a cantilever bridge at Ciccinnati which will have asheer span of 1.80Ó feet and be 60 feet wide. It will be the stcond longest cantilever in the worltl. F. J. de Peyster of New York has beeD made a Dutch knight by the queen of Holland. He is now privileged to wear a strip of orange and blue ribbon and set people wondering what football team it is that he admires. George Burns, an inmate of the soldiersi home at Dayton, O., had his heart com. pletely displaced by a jam reeeived in the great railroad wreek at Gray's Rock, Hartha's Vineyard, in 1884. Since that date it regularly beats on the right side. There are very few people in Great Britain that will not become autograph seekers, so far as one man is concerned. He i.= Horace G. Bowen, the new chief cashier of the Bank of England, and whose name is appearing on the new issue of bank notes. Claus Spreckels is credited with the intention of building a magnifleent house in the fashionable part of San Francisco on a lot he has just bought. It is understood that he will entertain lavishly, though heretofore Mr. Spreckels has lived simply in an old fashioned house.