LATEST AMERICAN GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6147, 30 July 1881, Page 6

LATEST AMERICAN GOSSIP.

[from our special correspondent.] San Francisco, July 2. A COMET ON THE TRAMP. Since the end of the -world and the antics of the starry bodies are the topics of the day, I suppose I may as well give a sketch of the important stranger who is now delighting the scientific world, tramp though it be—which means that the fiery visitor has dashed in upon us unexpectedly, unheralded, and unknown. This beautiful luminous creature appeared »bout three o'clock a.m., first to a poor newspaper scribe who was out on hia rounds in the chill morning hours. The nucleus is larger somewhat than the planet "Venus, round, with a piece cut off, as it were, on the lower left-hand corner; the flaming tail towering upward into space; resembling closely the comet of 1874, that one being, however, more brilliant than our present one, whose body, though bright and luminous, has a tail as gausey as a woman's white lace veil. As the beautiful star appears nightly, the people, filled with vague superstition, imagine that the end of this small planet of ours is merely postponed, and that the comet is about, sooner or later, to demolish it. A terrible explosion has taken place at Tuscon, Arizona, and spectators aver that the blown up magazine was touched by the comet's tail as they "watched it" come in contact with the earth. Also the great rainfall which surprised us in June is laid at the door of this stream of light, it being understood in scientific circles that the earth passed through the heavenly visitor's tail, which entailed the storm upon us. The town is so disgustingly dull that even a comet is welcome, and it came in very distinguished society, too, for we have had an

ADVENT OF DUKES, real live dukes, gentlemen. Now, you all know how America proudly claims to be republican to the backbone (except when it's democratic), mais n'importe. I must confess I never saw so much lickspittling snobbery in any country under the sun as is here exhibited on the occasion of an English nobleman coming over. They court him, Ehotograph him, Jele him, in fact, everything ut eat him bodily; and he, in his stiff; John Bull fashion, says, not with his lips, but with his eyes, "How weary I am." The first duke wa3 .

HIS GRACE OP SUTHERLAND, who came with his wife and suite, including Dr. Russell, correspondent of the London Times, who, report says, is a jolly good fellow, but who I did not see, as if there is one thing more detestable to me than another it is the running after celebrities. Ex-Senator Sharon, whose daughter married Sir Thomas Hesketh,: did the honours of Belmorit to the Duke, while Colonel J. P. Jackson, proprietor of the Evening Post, took the "lion" around. The Colonel is always the man called upon to do these extraordinary honours to strangers who pass through—dukes, lords, comets, and the like. His Grace is a splendid-looking man, with all tho haughty and-frozen dignity of.the noble Britisher, Or as they calf them here those "Blarsted Britishers," and he moved his. eyes from side to side in polite indifference, winning.no sympathy,,.only people bowed to him while here," and laughed .at him, Bohemian-like,' • when he • turned his back. Then, following swiftly in hiswake, came the ■■ ■ ; ■,

. _DUKE OT ATHOL, • whose whole genealogy was in every newspaper in the city next day j who was also beatormed, photographed, dined, wined &c; and after him the comet! Oh, but I forgot one little episode. The Sutherland Duke, who likes a glass of good beer, Tisited with his showman, and staff a certain beer vault in the city where : somecelebrated ale is kept, but I forget the name. The noble party took seats, and imbibed the beverage ake other more;vulgar/mortals, until * he English Consul, W. Lane Booker, with two policemen entered the place and conveyed ills Uraee out in safety and into a carriage drawn by four horses. You see, this is a terrible place for "missing men," and down at the water front good-looking, able-bodied parties are constantly being " shanghaied"— i.e., Blupped as sailors. The. Duke having got out o£ gunshot, .the Consjul deemed it expedient to follow him up; wtiiclihe did with eclat,,, San Francisco feels awfully happy when dukes and lords come in an« Ea"s,""*s»*/