ROUND WORLD is glad to answer. stamped Cincinnati, O.: The envelope was From the notices appearing in your paper, I find it impossible to learn of what the Great Round World Histories of Our Own Times consist. Will you kindly print some announcement, stating whether they are a separate work by Mrs. Rosenfeld, or merely bound copies of your paper? The History of Our Own Times is composed of the thirteen separate numbers of THE GREAT ROUND WORLD which are printed every quarter. Nothing in these numbers is missing. Current History, by Mrs. G. H. Rosenfeld; Easy Science, by Mr. V. V. M. Beede; Travel Papers, by the Publisher, and Special Articles, are given in full. Advertising pages are not included, as they do not properly belong in the bound parts. In this connection it may be well to state that every issue of the paper contains eight or more pages of text than were given a year ago. The plan of giving dates has been favorably received. They will appear at the head of every page hereafter. A number of subscribers have recently ordered bound parts of History of Our Own Times. Not a few were unaware that every part since November 11, 1896, can be iminediately had on request. These books are well adapted for vacation days and are fine reminders of past events. 1899] The Seventy-first Regiment 749 CURRENT HISTORY In the last number was described the case of the Seventy-first (N. Y.) Regiment. The conclusion is here given: Case of the Seventy first Regiment. Concluded. In the meanwhile, and despite the fact that the greater part of the regiment was in the thick of the battle, Colonel Downs, Major Smith, who was then Lieutenant-Colonel, and Major Whittle remained behind with a portion of one company which the Colonel had succeeded in restraining from following the others. Lieutenant-Colonel Smith declared in his defense that he should not be charged with cowardice, because in remaining behind he was only obeying the orders of his Colonel. This excuse, however, the court refused to recognize, declaring that when he realized that his Colonel was neglecting his duty it was his place to come forward and lead the regiment as General Kent had directed. The chances are that the judge will deny Major Smith's application, and that the officer will receive his deserts at the hands of the Examining Board. This Board is known in the service as the "bouncing board," because men who come before it are generally turned out of the army. It was announced May 24 that the Raleigh will be put out of commission and sent to Portsmouth, N. H. Her officers have been detached; Captain Coghlan and some have been exchanged to other vessels, some put on waiting orders, the "Raleigh." and some were given leave. Captain Coghlan has been ordered to command the Puget Sound Naval Station, at Bremerton, Wash. It is distinctly stated that this command is considered one of the most desirable posts in the gift of the Navy Department, and that Captain Coghlan's assignment to it should not be regarded as a sign of the disapproval of the government, for, in addition to his full pay, he will have a furnished house, and his duties will be pleasant. It is probable therefore that his indiscreet remarks about the Germans were met with nothing more serious than a reprimand, as, had the Navy Department wished to discipline him, he could have been put on "waiting orders," in which case he would not have received full pay. Death of Rosa Rosa Bonheur, the famous French animal painter, has passed away. A telegram from Fontainebleau, near Paris, stated that she died on May 26, at the age of seventy-seven. She held rank as the greatest animal painter of the century, and her work is familiar to us all through her most famous painting, that wonderful group of horses known as "The Horse Fair." This picture, which is considered one of the masterpieces of the great artist, was brought to this country and purchased by the late Mr. A. T. Stewart, the dry goods millionaire. After his death it was bought by Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt, who immediately presented it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in which it now hangs. This generous gift cost Mr. Vanderbilt $55,500. 1899] Rosa Bonheur's Death 751 When first Rosa Bonheur's studies of horses and cattle began to appear, the world marveled how a woman, and a young woman (she was only thirty-one when "The Horse Fair" was exhibited), could have acquired such an intimate knowledge of the habits of these dumb brutes. Her horses were not the sleek, stable-bred creatures with which women have a chance of becoming acquainted. But they were the rough, unbroken colts, fresh from the pasture; the strong Normandy work horses, big, beautiful beasts that hardly come within a woman's ken. It then transpired that in order to study her subjects better the young artist had adopted masculine dress. To paint the pictures she desired to execute it was necessary for her to visit cattle fairs, to trudge across mountains or over the plains at will, to mix familiarly with stablemen, butchers, and graziers, and to study in stables and slaughterhouses. Dressed in trousers, blouse, and a man's hat, and with short-cropped hair, she was able to mix freely with the rough peasants without their ever suspecting that she was a woman. In her studio she always wore blouse and trousers. The freedom of the dress pleased her. But in her intercourse with the world she never rebelled against the necessary skirt. She was too truly great to desire to appear eccentric. Rosa Bonheur was twice decorated. In 1865 Eugenie, Empress of the French, presented her with the insignia of the Legion of Honor, and in 1870, the King of the Belgians invested her with the Order of Leopold of Belgium. Several attempts have been made to move the American Line steamer Paris off the rocks. The Steamer "Paris" Still Fast. On May 26 five tugs made a mighty effort to pull the unfortunate vessel off. In this the steamer's propellers assisted, but the rocks held her fast. Another attempt was made on the evening of the 27th; six tugs were used, and held on to the ship by steel ropes. The engines of the Paris were then started and as the tugs pulled she endeavored to assist them by backing. It was all to no purpose. After straining for more than an hour the principal rope gave way, and the work had to be abandoned. It is said that there is now little hope of saving that fine vessel. The Treasury Department intends to hold an investigation into the cause of the accident. Several of the British authorities on seagoing matters insisted that the accident was due to blundering. They laughed at the suggestions which were advanced that it was either caused by a current which drew the vessel toward the rocks, or by the rocks themselves which were said to be magnetic and to have affected the compasses to such an extent that the ship got out of her reckoning without the knowledge of the navigators. Dispatches dated May 26 promise better things for the people of Jamaica. Better Prospects for There has been widespread discontent throughout the island since the passing of the new tariff law, The Paris, see No. 134, page 722. |