NEWS, VIEWS, AND OPINIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 259, 9 November 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEWS, VIEWS, AND OPINIONS.

The latest theory about man and monkeys is enough to make the bones of Darwin rattle in their grave. Some time back a German scientist, who

has spent many years in trying to j find the "missing link," went off to j the East Indies to prosecute the | search. Months passed by, and at last the news reached Paris from Java ; that Prof. Ilaeckel has made a discov- J cry, and propounded a startling i theory. This is nothing less than j that monkeys have descended from man, and not man from monkeys. There is a delightful simplicity in the source of the learned Teuton's deductions. He has observed, we are told, that children lost in the forest adopt monkey habits, and he argues that these are the first parents of the Simian tribe. Dr. Haeckel's theory •will afford great relief to all who accepted Darwin under protest, and have been hoping against hope ever since. It is said that only two women in the United States may use the mails without paying for ' the privilege. These women are widows of former presidents. They are Mrs Julia D. Grant and Mrs Lucretia A. Garfield. A franked letter goes through the mails without postage, bearing their signature, either stamped or written ivpon the envelopes. All mail matter sent bj Mrs Garfield and Mrs Grant, under their respective autograph signatures, and all mail matter sent to these two women, will be carried free during their lives. No signature or marks are necessary to the free carriage of mail matter to either of these women, the address being sufficient. Mrs Garfield has enjoyed the privilege since 1881, and Mrs Grant since 1886.

Seven hundred pounds for a lamb Beems a stiff price, but that is the amount which one has cost an inhabitant of a little village in the department of Lozere, France. Two neighbouring farmers were sworn enemies, and three years ago a lamb strayed from her owner's pastures into the property adjoining. Instead of sending the animal back, the neighbour kept it and branded it with his initials. A law suit was commenced, and after three judgments in favour of the owner the Court of Cassation has just delivered a fourth, confirming the verdict of the lower courts. The loser will therefore have to restore the property to his neighbour, and pay the bill for costs, amounting to nearly £700. While the case wos pending the lamb became a mother, and gave birth to another lamb, and the cost of their maintenance for the period during which their ownership was in dispute amounts to £70.

Towards the end of last July some unknown thieves stole the famous "Madonna del Eosario," by Sassoferrato, from the chapel in the church of St. Sabina on the Aventine. The authorities had abandoned all researches, being convinced that an enterprising American had carried off the prize beyond the Atlantic. But an ingenious detective, not satisfied with this version determined to discover the culprits, and succeeded by a clever stratagem. . He advertised in the paperfe that a foreign picture-dealer had put up at one of the hotels in Eome for the purpose of buying old masters. The bait was swallowed, and two suspicious-look-ing men, carrying a bundle between them, asked to see the foreign amateur, before whose delighted eyes they displayed the precious picture, which was actually the lost Sassoferrato, valued by experts at £40,000.

Of tramp-round-the-world fools there appears to be no end. The latest is a Danish journalist, Marcus Bernstoir Schroeder, aged 27, connected with the Copenhagen "Folketgovia," who arrived in England a few •weeks ago. Mr Schroeder, by the conditions of his wager, is to travel without money, living from hand to mouth. He has not to stay more than four days in any one town ; excepting six rests of a fortnight. From Sweden to Norway, and across the North Sea to Newcastle, he worked his way as a fireman. A gentleman then gave him a saloon passage to London, and unable to get a passage thence to New York, he was making for Liverpool when the mail left. Sehroeder has to accomplish his world trip in 12 months, and if Ohe succeeds he will pocket a matter of £550 or thereabouts, which is certainly not big pay for a trip of the kind." A few years ago these world •wanderers used to have a fairly good time, but nowadays the public is rather tired of them, and the way of free travellers of the Schroeder variety is therefore considerably iharder than before.

M. Muller-Herrfurt, editor-in-chief of the Frankfurt daily, "Die Sonne," .advertised in his paper recently that consequent on a bet he would enter the cage when Mdlle. Marguerite was performing- with her seven lions, and drink with her a bottle of champagne An immense crowd consequently filled the Hippodrome of Frankfurt, and at the appointed hour M. Muller-Herr-furt presented himself in evening dress, grasped the haml of the fair performer, and entered the lions' cage, where a small table had been placed with a bottle of "Veuve Cliquot." The lions looked sullenly at the strange intruders, and tremendous excitement pervaded the spectators. But the editor remained cool. He took the bottle, poured out the wine, and called: "This glass to the^ courageous lady and her lions!" The spectators were wild with enthusiasm. Then both the lady and the gentleman sat down at the table, and the former called for the biggest lion, who approached slowly, and was stroked by the editor/Vociferous applause followed this performance. Then the editor lighted a cigarette, and drank with Mdlle. Marguerite the health ot the spectators, stroked more lions, and retired under volleys of bravoes, to be called forward once more, when he was handed a laurel crown, and the lady a palm.

Mr. Richard Dobson, of Lansing, U.S.A., tells us, in Yankee language, how one day, years ago, he came across Mr. Gladstone chopping down a tree near Hawarden. Not recognising the statesman, the globe-trotter characteristically exclaimed, "Hello, Johnny Bull, yor' making a rather sorry job of cutting down that tree." Mr. Gladstone owned it would take him an hour. Thereupon Mr. Dobson offered to bet the gentleman a dollar that he would fell the trte in twenty minutes. "You're a little man, physically, but large in conceit. I'm not much of a betting man," retorted Mr. Gladstone, "but I'll tell you what I'll do, my little man. I'll give you a sovereign if you can chop down that tree in twenty minutes, and if you don't do it in that time you are to cut it down for nothing." Mr. Dobson swears he performed the operation in 17 minutes 37 seconds. At any rate, he pocketed his sovereign, and, subsequently, lunched at Hawarden. Ten or twelve years later he called on Mr Gladstone at Downing-street, and was immediately recognised as the "little wood-chopper from Michigan." Mr. Dobson bears eloquent testimony to what he calls Mr. Gladstone's '"wide grin"; and we question whether the late Premier's conversation has ever been so familiarly reported. Could he conceivably have said, "Look here, my little man, maybe you are conceited enough to think you can do a better job."

A delightful story of the cowboy's utter indifference to social status comes from America. Mr McKittriek, who is a millionaire oil-king, and is reputed to own half of Southern California, was once leaving his ranch to drive into town, when he was accosted by one of his cow-punchers. "Say, boss," cried the cowboy, "can I draw ten dollars?" Mr McKittriek was about to refer the man to the foreman, but, being- good-natured, he handed over a gold piece of that value. "Oh. I don't want the money?" soid the cowboy. "I want you to get me some truck in town! I want a dollar-'n-a-half pair of yaller shoes, three pairs o' socks, some cigarette papers, a pair o' overalls, two suits o' -underclothes, two shirts, 'n a silk handkerchief." Charmed by the manner of his employee, the millionaire rook the commission. He returned late at night, loaded down like Santa Claus, sought out the cow-puncher, and delivered the goods. "They cost eight dollars and Vh a If," he said: "here's the remaining dollar and a-h ilf." "Oh, that's all right," replied the generous cowboy, "keep the change!"

Here is an episode of th# biograph which rivals the most pathetic and curious tales of fiction. In Detroit, Michigan, a few weeks ago, biograph scenes made at the occupation of Pekin were being thrown on the screen. It was a public exhibition. The scenes, printed over a- year ago, represented the Fourteenth United States Infantry entering the gates of the Chinese capital. So realistic were the files of soldiers that the mem appeared literally to be stepping from the frame to the stage, two by two, with steady tramp. Suddenly a woman who sat in the front of the audience arose with a scream of terror. "My God, there is my dead brother Allen marching with the soldiers!" she cried. One of the figures had been recognised by the woman and by many others in the audience. It was that of Allen McCaskill, who had disappeared mysteriously some years ago. He had enlisted in the United States army and served in the ranks at Pekin. The sister, Mrs Booth, wrote 'to the War Department at Washington and learned that the man in the biograph scene was really her long-lost brother, and that lie was still alive and had made an excellent record, having received honourable mention from his captain.

Palmistry may possibly be the veritable science which its professors proltss 'to believe it; but even the most convinced of its practitioners (if any such there be) should admit that their case has been given away rather badly by Madame Uert.a Aubrey, whe was convicted some weeks ago at Blackpool. Madame wa= consulted by two ladies whose ring fingers bore no wedding rings, whence the unsuspecting prophetess eonc'liKled that they were single, and forthwith proceeded to endow them with Drospective husbands according to the familiar rules of the game. One of them was to marry a clergyman, and the other a rent-collector "with a dark complexion and ginger moustache, who blushed a lot." There is a wealth of detail about that description which should carry conviction to the most sceptical, but, aaforturaiely for Madame, her two clients were the wives of local detectives, who 'had disguised themselves as maic.ens by the simple device of taking eff their wedding rings. Probably Madame feels 'that this method of procedure was not playing the game fairly. The public, however, will incline to the opinion that if a palmist cannot tell a married woman without her wedding ring, palmistry can scarcely claim to rank among the number of the exact sciences.

In Solingen, the Sheffield of Ger-1 many, an individual was declared the other day to have committed, a misdemeanour for having walked barefooted through the streets, wearing a top hat. A party of friends made a bet that one of them, Kudolf Beck, would not walk a certain distance through the town in this eccentric guise. Herr Beck, in carrying out this plan, so edified the youthful population that they assembled in crowds round him, and followed him, cheering and screaming, until he had finished his promenade. The police, not being of a humorous turn of mind, objected, charged him with a misdemeanour, and sent him a mandate calling upon him to pay a fine of 30/! This Beck refused to do. declaring that Germany was a free country, and that if the proletariat were allowed to dispense with boots nnd shoes and stockiners he could net likewise. So the case hnd to come before the Sheriff's Court, and the men of the law acquitted him forthwith and without the slightest hesitation. The Public Prosecutor, however, fippenled to the Criminal Court, and the case was tried before a bpnch nf five "indues " The Bench came to the decision that Herr Beck hnd disturbed order in the public thoroughfares, had excited considerable sensation, and had annoyed the "public," so he was condemned to pay a fine of 10/ and costs!

An Episcopal minister in a Dakota town was speaking of a certain young man living in the place. "No," said the divine, "I don't like him; he is a low, worthless fellow, and I don't want anything to do with him uncler the circumstances." "My dear," interposed his wife, "it isn't right to talk that way about anyone. The boy is young yet and may reform." "No, he never will." "But yoju mustn't be so severe on him—if you would try you might possibly help him to be something better." "I shall never try. If he should come into my church I would consider it my duty to order him out." "Don't talk that way! What has he done to cause you to have such unchristian feelings against him." "What has he done? Well, he's done enough. He's got a trick of making a noise like two dogs fighting, and for the last two Sabbaths he got under one of ihe church windows and stampeded the whole congregation. I tell you it would make you have unchristian feelings to look up from a long prayer and see your congregation falling

over one another in getting out of the door and hear the leading deacon shouting that he'll bet two dollars on either dog!" j I The Englishman's house is his i castle, and the same thing is true of ■ every honest American but the Presi--1 dent. His house is anything but a castle; it is much more of a prison. There are many things that were com-' i monplace yesterday which are incred- | ible to-day, and one of them is that: j until some years ago, when screens j were placed in the windows of the ; private dining-room at White House, it was impossible to guaranter the privacy of the President and his family, even at the breakfast table. For 1 years it was considered a pardonable thing for a carriage to stop at the window while its occupants gazed upon the President and his family, who were trying to get a quiet meal. And this, incredible again, is still the only room of which the President has the exclusive use on the ground floor.