News, Views and Opinions.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 208, 2 September 1899, Page 1 (Supplement)

News, Views and Opinions.

The recent, exhibitions of tlie "Georgia Magnet" and the fact that the feats in a large measure are more than likely attributable to a developlu'ent "f hypnotism recalls a story of (-,-••• v. .0 was through this colony „ ,-..reat many years ago. Now Carr rW il!v possessed in an extraordinary degree Hypnotic power, and did not feature x> descend to trickery to make his entertainments go. The anecdote +n which we refer is said to have been >....;ed nan incident which occurred :_ oue of the towns of the South island. Carr had three very well known citizens under the influence, and iv concluding the performance lie ordered them to assemble at noon ~a tlie following Saturday in the middle of the business part of the town. One was to come prepared with a razor, the second was to bring (~ towel and shaving soap, and iuimi. - three was to submit himself for public shave. One of the parties, determined not to be made a fool of, went into the country.,another as the .hue approached locked himself in a. room, and the third was positive he had no intention of acting* out the farce. Yet when midday Saturday arrived the trio appeared at the place appointed and went through the shaving performance as instructed, much to the amusement of a big crowd of astonished townspeople. If this story is really as genuine as there is evidence for believing it is then there really is something in mesmer-ism-besides cant and humbug.

A former professor of bacteriology nt. the Chicago College of Physicians nnti Surgeons wishes us to believe that with hygienic and scientific living it is possible to attain an age of 1000 years. We are a people who place a large share of faith in the dicta of scientific men, but those who lay down the law on the various forms of research, having- long- names with the letters "ieal" as a terminal, should bear in mind that, ancient pro-

verb tbout the last straw and the earners back. We have since our earliest infancy regarded with supicion the Biblical statistics dealing with Me.hihelah, and to be told that it is possible to eclipse that hoary veteran's record is as great a shock to the nerves as a cold bath would be to the system of a typical tramp on a frost 3' winter's morning. Perhaps Dr. Curtis has been influenced in his conclusions by the fact that he wishes Mr Carnegie to devote fifty million dollars to the founding of an institution for the teaching of hygiene and for the study of bacteriology for the benefit of the human race.

It would seem that there is a slack season in the undertakers' trade in Britain, and the attention of intending patrons might with advantage be directed to a notice by certain firms that they will conduct funerals "at special rates for the summer months." People who are looking round for a cheap funeral, and that class of whom it is said that they are. simply staying above ground to save the funeral expenses, should consider the attractions . offered for a summer demise, und the advisability of forthwith shuffling off this mortal coil. When the cost of living six months on into winter is added to the saving made hy having a summer funeral anyone who proposes assuming the leading role in a funeral should think twice before letting the golden opportunity slip. The "Undertakers' Review" is not in favour of the "try our summer funerals" style of advertising, and says t about it that "while in the slack season it behoves principals, and managers as well, to look about them for business, those who desire to raise the status of the profession should well consider how best to carry it out, and this is certainly not to be done by issuing price lists that offer to conduct funerals at special rates for the summer months." Arrangements for the wedding of a Miss Martha Heaton, daughter of a colliery manager near St. Helens, and a member of the Lancashire Constabulary named Dale, had an unexpected and tragic ending recently. The wedding feast was prepared, numerous presents had been given by friends, and a large bouquet was sent from St. Helens for the bride. At the time fixed for the ceremony, however, Dale was found lying unconscious on the floor of the police barracks. A broken rope was suspended from a hook in the ceiling, and a noose had been made in the other end of the rope, whcih was found to have been passed round Dale's neck. A chair stood in the middle of the floor, from which the unhappy bridegroom-elect had evidently swung himself after securing the rope. A letter, written by Dale, was found in the room, in which he expressed sorrow for the trouble caused by his act.

The Russian Government has adopted a somewhat drastic measure in order to suppress drunkenness in St. Petersburg. It has taken away from 25,000 'shops the right to sell alcoholic liquofs, and has replaced these by 5000 establishments placed under the control of the State, .and located at equal distances apart. These establishments are directed by young women. The liquor is delivered in bottles, to which is affixed a Governlu _.___ i-uai'K. J-iie cu___>u.___»_i culi ouiu.nl only one bottle in each shop, and if, when he visits another establishment, he shows the least sign of intoxication no liquor will be served him.

Amusing facts were elicited in the ' divorce proceedings instituted by Mrs Thomas H. Hall against her husband, a wealthy silk manufacturer of Jersey City, U.S.A. She alleged cruelty. Mr Hall protested that he had not been unduly severe or cruel, but that once when she had torn his shirt from his back he had become almost hysterical, and exclaimed, "It's a d d out- j rage!" He said that Mrs Hall had made slurring remarks, and acted in a ; "cat-like" manner before his mother. "Our married life might have been • happy," continued he, "had she not in-; sisted on eating pie during the night. Then at daybreak I had to run .for a doctor. When the specialist came to treat her for pie disease, instead of dressing up as an invabd she donned j her sealskins and diamonds and he \ charged her sdols, a visit. That ex- j asperated me, I confess." The jury found a verdict against this impatient and unreasonable husband.

At first sight the following incident may appear extremely pretty, but when it is thought over it becomes ridiculous: A recent American bride carried into church with her a beautiful Persian eat. The bride in question was an exceedingly romantic young lady, and it appears that this cat was the first present which she had received from her husband to be, and she allowed her romantic disposition to carry her so far as to turn to the one whose wife she now is, aud say she would take the first present which he gave her to church. The gentleman being in a merry mood purchased this beautiful Persian eat, presented it to his fiancee, and smilingly asked her if she intended to keep her word when the happy day arrived. She replied "Yes;" and she did. Of course, one cannot help admiring the lady for keeping- so honourably to her promise, but at the same time the whole thing strikes one as getting very near ridiculous. An exchange gives a noteworthy instance of ingenuity on the part of a woman arrested for stealingnotes to the value of £.100 from her temporary partner, a bushman down for a holiday in the city. Before bei ing- taken to the lock-up, the woman j asked her friend to "pawn the bellows for one last drink." This was done, whilst the house was being searched, nobody objecting; and the beer duly bought and drunk. Eventually the accused was discharged, because no trace of the money could be found. Then, as was stated long afterwards, the bellows were taken out of pawn and the notes out of the air valve in them. Some person on the staff of a country paper in Australia recently picked up the following letter in the main street of the township, and unable to withstand the temptation at once rushed it into print. Nor can one blame him. Lots of stuff of the sortis manufactured to order. Internal evidence is, in this case, however, strongly against any such supposition, and for the bona fides of the letter, which is well worth re-produc-ing at length:—"My dearst Mary,—i be in good hellth only dying to see you and I thank God and I hope you lire the same, dearst mary Ibe sorry you dont like the place you are in but never mind I hope you will have soon have a. house of your own and be your own missus dearst. Mary I am 'longing to meet you again at the mi-kin shed but 1 hope the ole rone bull that rushed us on sundy nite wont be ther" or the ole man. I dont no what they have got aganst me. Sometimes I think our not will never be tide and I feel sick and despairin like, i am goin to cobargo to-morrer to get the ring and you must mete me at torn keneilys and dont for get the sise of your finger and bring it with you. dearst mary i have saved nearly 5 pound to buy things and i have 'g°t a good lot of posuni skins and a few bandykoot scalps, i nearly got a dingo on sataday, which is werth 5 shillins, i have got the house papud if you can send me any war crys or 'picher papurs to do the kichen and pasieh i will be glad, dearst mary no more at presint from your fucher lovin husbend. ." Three postcripts follow, in which tlie swain adjures his sweetheart to get the "chepest parson, as i dont know what nniiiiny i will have left outer the 5 pound after i get the ring and thinc-s.*' He also adds, "i send you lots of kisses but their dry on papur." • Let us hope that, despite the "ole rone bull and the ole man" and ihe general poverty of the outlook, the "not" Avas duly "tide"; and that the ', couple are at least happy in their , little cottage papered with "war crys i and picher papurs." In view of the inquiry which has been granted by the Spanish Govern- ; ment into the charges of torturing ' prisoners in the case-mates of Monjuich, it may be of interest to set out some of the items in the indict- • ment made against the authorities. llt is said, in the flrsi. place, that a reward of 10,000 pesetas was offered to any gaol official who could extort an avowal of guilt from a prisoner. Acting under this stimulus, the gaolers are stated to have forced the wretched creatures under their control to run round their cells night and day for 80 hours at a stretch, heavy whips being used to keep the victims awake. The officials are also said to have deprived them of all food save salt fish and ardent spirits, confession being the price of a glass of water. Not a few paid it, slaked their thirst, and, it is contended, were summarily shot." It is further alleged J that wedges were driven Uiiider the | nails of prisoners with hammers, and j allowed to remain until the nails sloughed away. Even more horrible, mutilations are stated not. to have been uncommon. One of the most cruel devices, borrowed from the Inquisition, was, it is affirmed a machine like a diver's helmet, fitted i with a tube allowing the victim to breathe, whilst a screw compressed slowly the sides and top, thus pro-; ducing inconceivable agony. One prisoner, Moras, is stated to have undergone this torture more than once, and to have been driven mad by it. Air J. C. Williamson, of "The Firm," has been giving the "Argus" his opinion of the best means to achieve success on the stage. Every week he receives dozens of applications from young people who wish to 30m one or other of his theatrical companies, but whose talents are far below the required standard. Many applicants are without ear, voice, or «-ood appearance, and the majority ol them cannct even pronounce the words they are singing; but they are urged on by their teachers, who mislead them by saying they are bound to succeed. Mr Williamson maintains that they should be told the truth by their teachers, instead of being encouraged by false hopes. Those who achieve success comprise but a very small number of those ivho try. Yet to really capable actors and actresses Mr Williamson gives o-ood cheer, and he points out that as large numbers of companies tour the 1 colonies now, there are more openings than in former years. He has I : a high opinion of colonial talent, . but finds that the chief impediment to young colonials is that they will " not work. They imagine that they can become capable actors and ac- 1 ! tresses without the slightest preparation. There is no royal road to success on the stage. "After all," he says, "the best dramatic school is the school of adversity and hard ■ work." Mr Williamson thinks it ! would be a good idea to establish in Australia a Dramatic College, simi- , I larto those in America, where candidates for theatrical honours are sys-, tematically instructed. j i

The microbe lunatic will, in time, like the poor unfortunates who suffer ; from the harmless delusion that they ■ are titled personages, be among- the . recognised regular inmates of all asy- . lunis. In every ordinary asylum yard , will be found a poor wretch, or wret- . elies, persistently catching and killing , mental microbes and stacking them up by the million. The entire respon- [ sibility will fall on the misguided individuals who have discovered that ■ every blessed thing, from a pen-wiper . I fo the dome of St. Paul's, is a hatchery *" for the übiquitous microbe. There is .' a. Parisian who has developed a. holy I terror of the insidious microbe and his ' i wicked ways. The gentleman referred • I to was lately travelling- by train, and ' ' refused to show his ticket to a travel- ' j ling inspector of the company. Sum- ~ inoned by the company, he argued • that lie had not refused to show it - (presenter), that he had let the in- ' j spector see it so that he could easily ' satisfy himself as to its being in order, but that he certainly refused to let the ticket inspector take it into his r hands because his hands were so t dirty. He, the passenger, therefore ~ was unwilling to put into his pocket a '. ticket which would be contaminated with microbes, and would very likely givehim some disease. Afteralonglegnl t discussion as to the exact meaning of ..the word "show" (present(|), the /" .court lined this ardent disciple of modern hygiene the sum of one franc. An incident caused by the jealousy j.of an elephant, and most amusing- to disinterested spectators, occurred on ' Sunday. 9th July, at the Jardin dcs ' Plantes, in Paris. The inhabitants „ of the gardens were, recently added to by the. birth of a young camel, and " the new arrival naturally attracted much attention from the - visitors. A large elephant which ■ used to be the centre of attraction, 1 exhibited for a. long time on Hie 3 Sunday signs of dissatisfaction at the 2 success of his young neighbour, but 3 in spite of his trumpeting- was unable t to reconquer the fickle crowd. At 1 last the elephant filled his trtnuk with > water, and discharged it over the " person standing looking at the baby ' camel. Needless to say. the sagacious ~ animal's method of throwing cold ' water on their admiration for his ' rival caused even his victims to laugh 1 after they grasped the situation. 1 A writer in the .Inly number of ' "Pearson's "Mag-az.ne" gives many in- ' teresting particulars about the prok portions of the perfect human iigure, - illustrated with explanatory photo- - graphs and diagrams:—"A man's ' I hand," he says, is" precisely equal to 1 the length of his face from the top of • the forehead to the chin. The index " finger is about half the length of the 1 hand and wrist combined, while the :' two small joints of that finger are - ■ equal to the length of the longest, and Mare also equal to the length of the fc nose, which measures about two \ inches. In the feminine hand the 1 fingers are comparatively longer, the ' hand narrower, and the wrist bones "smaller than in the ease of a man. 51 When the hands are folded before a ' figure they should just cover the centre of the body. Again, when the ' arms hang at the sides, in man the; • finger tip should reach half way down ! the thigh. This, however, is seldom found to be the ease when a negro or, other black man is measured, while it j ""lis interesting to note, in this connec- } tion, that the arms of a gorilla reach almost to his feet. To illustrate the j fact, that the length .of a man's hand . equals the length of his face, and that : the face is a tenth part of the body's j ' length, a diagram is sometimes placed I before art students showing a figure I down the length of which ten hands are indicated, the first covering the ' face, in the olden days the generally ' accepted theory was that the perfect human body should measure eight heads in height. Thus the Venn.': de i Medici satisiies the law accurately,, . and also the Venus de Milo, and the; • Achilles of the Louvre. In the two '■ Venuses de Milo and de Medici we have i ;. the'one majestic, tall, and heroic; the | . other petite and full of grace. Now-j . adays. however, only the very tallest women measure eight heads, seven and a half being accepted as the general I : average for a well-developed woman." | "Most people suppose," said an ex- j • California.ii, "that the vertical row of ! ■ hieroglyphics on a Chinese laundry I check are merely so many numerals. I . As a matter of fact, they constitute! ' a brief and spicy description of the 1 individual who left the bundle. If j you take the trouble to notice it, you • will see that the laundryman always 1 goes through exactly the same programme. He takes the package, gives • !! you a swift, comprehensive glance and | j then proceeds to decorate a slip of ■ I rice paper with from two to five India ink chicken tracks. What he Ims ' j really written is probably something j Mike this: —"Pat foreign devil who re-1 '■ I sembles a pig; squinty eyes, and wart j 'on left side of his nose." You can | ! carry around this flattering pen por-1 •: trait, innocently imagining that it I reads 'No. 4 —l1 —4-I,' and when you 1 call for wash yon will find that the Chinaman who receives the ticket will ' i invariably look you over, making men- ■ tal comparisons before he reaches for : the bundle. A Mongolian friend of 1 mine out in 'Frisco put me on to the 1 scheme, and I took the trouble to ascertain whether he was telling- me the truth. I got a laundry slip, copied ' it with microscopic fidelity, and subi' mitted it to several expert native j . translators. They all agreed that it ran something like this: "Ridiculous old man; very pompous; bald head like a. speckled egg." You will observe that my hair grows rather high on my forehead, and I have a few freckles, although nothing to justify such an insulting description. However, it proved the point. The next ticket I got declared I was an 'elderly gentleman resembling Yun-Tai, the wind q-od,' which pleased me immensely until I persuaded a native curio dealer to show me a statuette of the deity. Then I wanted to murder the laundrymen." A large crowd assembled at the ' Union Cemetery, Brooklyn, the other day, to witnes the burial of a man's leg with elaborate funeral ceremonies. , The limb belonged to Solomon Leven- | son, a Jewish shopkeeper, and was amputated a few days ago. Levenson I belonged to the German Benevolent Society, and his membership entitled him to burial at a cost of 200 dollars in case of death. He wrote to the So-1 piety saving that the leg being part k>f his body, he was entitled to a partial funeral, and the Society, after a long deliberation, agreed to give the leg a child's funeral, costing 50 dollars. An undertaker was engaged, and the leg was embalmed and placed in a child's coffin, which was escorted to the cemetery by a large delegation (from the Society, in addition to other mourners. Official rites were dulyj' . performed at the grave prior to and j during the interment. |