LAY PEOPLE.
Death of Hon. John Ryan.—January 27, there died at his home in St. Louis, Hon. John Ryan, a gentleman who is well known to many of the older leading citizens of St. Louis. Mr. Ryan was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, eighty years ago, and came in early manhood to the United States, where, in Connecticut first, he soon achieved prominence in public life. Migrating to the West he first settled at Decatur, Ill., where he published a daily paper for some years as well as keeping up his connection with the Irish newspaper press of the East. For seven years he held the office of postmaster at Decatur, after which he came to Missouri, where he served two terms in the State Legislature with honor. The deceased gentleman leaves a widow and seven of the thirteen children that were born to him, among these being Mr. Frank K. Ryan, the attorney, formerly County Land Commissioner and recently elected to the Presidency of the Knights of St. Patrick. The other surviving sons are in business here. One of those deceased, Col. George Ryan, who was killed at the head of his regiment, the One Hundred and Fortieth New York, in Virginia, was a classmate at West Point of Governor Marmaduke. And what is better than all, he was a true Irishman and devoted Catholic, and as such was a shining example through life. In public life he was above reproach and in private possessed all those endearing qualities necessary to lasting friendship. He was, in the true sense of the word, "self made," having acquired all he possessed through his own endeavors.
Mr. John McCane, Loyalist member of Parliament-elect for the middle division of Armagh, is dead. Mr. McCane was the guarantor for Mr. Philip Callan, in the latter's petition to unseat Colonel Nolan, the Nationalist member of Parliament from the north division of Louth.
Mr. William Doherty, who had been ill with heart disease for some time past, died Saturday night, January 16, at his residence, 142 Edmonson Avenue, Baltimore, in the eighty-sixth year of his age.
The Royal Baker and Pastry Book.—A Royal addition to the kitchen library. It contains over seven hundred receipts pertaining to every branch of the culinary department, including baking, roasting, preserving, soups, cakes, jellies, pastry, and all kinds of sweet meats, with receipts for the most delicious candies, cordials, beverages, and all other necessary knowledge for the chef de cuisine of the most exacting epicure, as well as for the more modest housewife, who desires to prepare a repast that shall be both wholesome and economical. With each receipt is given full and explicit directions for putting together, manipulating, shaping, baking, the kind of utensils to be used, so that a novice can go through the operation with success; while a special and important feature is made of the mode of preparing all kinds of food and delicacies for the sick. The book has been prepared under the direction of Prof. Rudmani, late chef of the New York Cooking School, and is the most valuable of the recent editions upon the subject of cookery that has come to our notice. It is gotten up in the highest style of the printer's art, on illuminated covers, etc. A copy will be sent as a gift to every reader of this Magazine, who will send their address to the Royal Baking Powder Co., 106 Wall Street, New York, who are the publishers of the book, stating that they saw the notice in this Magazine.
Secret Societies.—A bold and noble stand against secret societies has been taken by General Pacheco, the new President of the South American Republic of Bolivia, and one which stamps him with the superiority of Christianity and manhood among princes and rulers. He declares himself a practical Catholic, and the unyielding foe of secret societies. Finding that Freemasonry was making way in the Bolivian army he has issued the following decree: "Bolivia being a Catholic country, and Freemasonry being entirely at variance with the teachings of the Catholic religion, no man will henceforth be allowed to hold an officer's commission in the Bolivian army, who is known to belong to a Masonic lodge."