ECHOES FROM EVERYWHERE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9290, 16 December 1895, Page 5

ECHOES FROM EVERYWHERE.

A BRAIN IN YOUR THROAT.

Did you know that you had a brain iv your throat? Probably few people are aware of the fact, but every throat has a brain of its own. There is a small ganglion which exercises direct control of the muscles of the throat and acts as its brain. Of course it is subservient to the genuine brain, but at the same time, does a good deal of independent thiuking for itself. It is very timid and suspicious of any strange object that invade its territory—a pill for instance. For this reason it is very difficult for a physician to operate upon the throat. Before anything can be done in this direction it is necessary for the operator to gain the confidence of this little sentinel, or brain that, dominates it. It frequently takes weeks before this confidence can be secured. Still more curious is the fact that this little brain has a memory, and if once frightened it is almost impossible to gain its confidence, no matter how gentle the oporator may be.

THE INFLUENCE OF THIRTEEN. An extremely curious article on the influence of the number thirteen on Wagner has been published by an American contemporary. To begin with he was born in 1813, tiie units of which total, when added up, make thirteen, while there are thirteen letters in the name Richard Wagner. He whs thirteen years old at the death of Wnber, who exercised so remarkable an ir.flufince on his genius, saw the famous Madame Devrient in Ber Freischutz for the first time on October 13th, 1829, and made his debut as a musician in 1831. Here again the four units made thirteen. At Riga his first public appearance as Kapellmeister was on the night of September 13th, 1837. His exilo after tbe revolution of 1848 lasted thirteen years. He left Bayreuth, never to return, on September loth, 1882; saw Li»„t for the last time ou Jatmaiy 15th, 1-83; aud died on February 13th, 1883, which was the thirteenth year after the foundation of the German Empire, which he had glorified iv his Kaisorinarch.

SETTLING A LITTLE DIFFICULTY. The British ships Pigeon and Sphiux have settled tbe difficulty at Bahrein, iv the Persian Gulf, very summarily. The Arabdisputed the British protection of the islaud, and it was notified in the early part of last month that the island would bo attacked aud taken. Finning the pirate dhows ou the point cf making the threatened attack, the captain of the Sphinx, without waiting for orders from Home, promptly to bombard them. The firing continued all day, and about forty of the dhows were destroyed. The next morning Jaoim, the Bedouin Arab leader, hoisted a flag of truce and capitulated uuder „•«■ following terms — Dhows to bo given up, Bedouins to bo dispersed, and the tribe which hud deserted from Bahrein to return and acknowledge the authority of the Sheikh. The trouble ia now at an end.

THE PRIEST IN UNIFORM. I« it a breach of military regulations for a miuister of an established Church serving in the army as a private soldier, to hold a service iv military uniform ? The question could hardly arise in Eoglaud, but in France it is different, for there the priest's immunity from manhood nrlitary service has quite recently been suppressed. The other flay a young Roman Catholic priest was confined to barracks for thirty days for celobrating Mass in uniform. But there appears to be no rule ou the subject (says the Paris correspondent of the Daily News), as on Sunday a corporal in tho infantry, a Protestant pastor, hold a service and preached in uniform to his Protest antcomrades and brethren in full uniform. It may be or not superstitious feeling, but nothing is more general than the feeling that a soldier priest ia an ahsurditv.

THE NEWEST THING IN CYCLING. Something new in connection with this popular pistime emerges almost daily. The latest American scheme is the construction of an elevated wooden road for the exclusive use of cyclists, between Chicago and Milwaukee. It is proposed to make a charge of 10 cenis per journey, and the promoters anticipate the patronage of 20,000 wheelmen per week. The width ot the road is to be only 16ft, which seems narrow enough, hut aa there will be no other vehicle, on the '.rack it may do.

A WELL KNOWN" HYMN.

The Rev. S. Baring Gould, the author of '• Onward, Christian Soldiers," has been interviewed by a representative of the Young Man. He states tho hymn was written thirty years ago, when Mr Baring Gould w*» a curate in York-hire. "It WM

wf ho„ r tK* VB> iD & v * r * " m Pfe '"*«». without a thought of publication. Whit in V^,'- agre _ 0 da -y tor acll °°l festivals arrant f\Tl *** on _* Whit M *«*»y i* ™" arrauge,! that our school should join forces with tn»t of a neighbouring village. I wanted the cmldren to sing when marching _K„l 0n ? V,llag9 to the pther - but couldn't ~» Ait ■ , a °y lhl °K nuito suitable, so I sat mv«lf tt-5 ,Jfiolve '* to writ- something SE rl ,; 0n T ward ' Christian Soldiers,* w_ ihe re.ulb. It was written in great haste, and _ »_, afraid some of the rhymes are

THE COW'S GOLF. The story of a Scotch cow that caught a golf ball with her tail serves to prove that the Scotch cow is not half so useful, or intemg.nt, or amiable as the Indian animal of the -*mc nam?. The other day a Bombay go.iftr .approaching the second bole, struck ns ball as straight as a die, but *• just a leetle too hard." Spinning across the green it rolled against tbe near hind heel of a briudled cow. Before the ball had ceased rolling the sportive animal kicked out, gave the ball precisely th& required touch at thirty clubs' length—aud holed out. This says ihe Bombay Gazette, can be vouched for'

THE HEAVIEST HUMAN BEING. A British subject can still claim the distinction of being the heaviest living human being. This is Mr Thomas Longtey, of Dover, whose weight is 44st 51b, some 4st heavier that M. Canon-Berg, who is stated to be something ov.r 40-ti Mr Longley'. height is 6ft lin, chest measurement 70in, waist 83in, calf of leg 26in.

ACCIDENTS FROM LIGHTNING. Accidents from lightning are growing more frequent, according to the Berlin Statistical Bureau. Within the city limits fares from lighting numbered 32 a year between 1833 and 1843, 52 a year from 1844 to 1865, 103 a year from 1366 to 1879, aud 132 a year between 1380 and 1392.