Scissors.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5712, 19 December 1889, Page 4

Scissors.

The area of the United States embraces 3,570,271 square miles.

There are no female teachers in the public schools of Germany.

The rico crop of Burma promises well the rainfall having been abundant.

A healthy mnn is nt his heaviest when between S8 and 42 years old.

Falmouth is said to be the most densely populated town in England.

Before 1657 tea was sold in England at the rate of from £6 to £10 a pound.

It has been estimated that there- are nearly 36,000 blind beggars in France.

Victoria last year imported 10,000,000 eggs from South Australia, at a cost of £35,000.

There is said to be one acre of burying , ground in Britain to every 2000 of the population.

Fears nro entertained for the safety of the barque Ernest which left Hamburg for Port Pirio on April 4.

Lieutenant Max Paleske, of H.I.M.S. Alexandrine, died on October 22nd of island fever, and was buried at Ontong.

A home for divorced wives has been established by tho Government in Salt Lake City at a cost of 70,000d015.

The demand for fancy articles in human siriu leather is greater than the product, and an imitation is in the market.

Withiu a radius of seven miles of Charing , Cross, London, 260 miles of railway are in use for the conveyance of passengers.

Strength Snpporting Weakness. —Mr Sterne: "This tea ia very weak. , " Mr Price : '' Then I would adriao you to lean it against the butter."

Tho Miss Belle Bilton who espoused Lord Dunlo, now in Australia, is allowing her photographs to bo sold in London with tho following superscription : " Miss Belle Bilton, Lady Dunlo."

The heaviest rails yet rolled will be the rails for the Chignecto Ship railway. They are to be flange rails Cjtu high, with a flange of tho some breadth: and their weight will bo 1101b per yard.

A London fireman met with a terrible ond lately, being burned to death while his companions were endeavoring to smash the iron frames of a window, his only means oi retreat from a burning building.

Two horses havo been ptung to death by bees noar New York. In attempting to rescue the horees, Harry Howlett, their driver, was stung into insensibility. Several raeu who went to his assistance were also attacked by tho bees.

Theatrical manager: " Yon surely don't expeot to succeed on the stage solely on account of your beauty ?" English society woman: " Yes, bnt I do. I know of scores of actresses who succeed; and they aren't one hit good-looking.

"It may soem singular to you," says a New York florist, "but I've been keeping a record for thoso 20 years past, and I have found thut nine murderers out of every ten are ardent admirers of flowers, and most of them prefer daisies and lilies."

Bridget has a kitchen full of her company. Mistress (from tho head of the stairs): "Bridget!" Bridget: "Vis, ma'am." Mistreos: "It's iQ o'clock." Bridget: " Tack ye, ma'am ; an' will ye b.j so kind <?a to till mo whin it's 12 ?"

Statiiser : " to know how to get this puem published. I've sent it to a dozon editors ; but it's of no nso." Carper : " You might put it in an elvolopo, leave it on your tablo, and then commit xuicide. All the papers would have it next day."

The Biruiinghiim School Board make it a a condition of giving- out n contract that the contractor shall pay the maximum standurd wages of the ili.itrict in which tho work is to be done. This his been copied from the London County Council, whioli has for some tira'3 mude a great point of trying tho con. tractors in this way.

A little register entitled " Baby's Record," has been published by Field and Tver, London. Blank spaces are loft for the particulars of baby's first teeth, first walk, first steps in every walk of child-life. It is claimed for the register that its entries would prove very useful to a doctor in dealing with the child's ailments.

Scribbles: " Whore's the foreman of the composing room?" Editor: "Oh, he's gone off on a vacation." " For liix health ?" " Yee. In our ' Wbckly Tiieatricai Gos.-ip' the 'copy' I gave him to set up, read ' Mi-s Do Rouge, the opera queen, haa soma very noticeublu fads ;' nnd lie got it ' pads' —so he Übked for a vacation." "

A witness, who had given his evidence in euoh a way an eaticfied everybody in Court that ho was committing perjury, being cautioned by the judire, eaid, nt last: "My lord, you may believe mo or not, but I have been wedded to truth from my infauuy." " Yes," said ilaule ; " but tho cjueaiion if, how long have you been a widower?"

Another Royal Journal will shortly be published. The Empress of Austria and her # youngo.-t daughter, Archduchess Valeric, kept a copious diary during their reoent visit to Corfu, which they intend to bring out as " Au Autumn iv the South." Archduke Franz-Salvaror, tho Archduchess's £unti, illuatrstes the book.

A lady, protably enlightened by the May brick ease as to tho cosmetic value us arsenic, recently purchased some to " smooth her akin" as »ue expressed it. Her ideas of to the proper method of its application were rague. s>he took enough to poirou two people; und it was only the timely application of antidotes and eineticM that saved her life.

A captiou* Engliflhuan began holding lortli the other day u/ter dinner upon the enormities of a certain barouet in the next county. His neighbor interfered with, "I ttyuk it is right u> inform you, «r, that I am Sir G«orge'« brother." » His brother ? U", 1 know nothing about hie brother, personally. But lam told he is even & greater blackguard than Sir George "

One of ATillet'd finest pictures, 'Lee Ulaneuso, has been presented to tho Paris Louvro by tie widowed Madame Pommerv of champagne celebrity. When the "Anl gelus went to America, Madume Pominery persuaded the owner of the " Glanoueea " to cell her the picture for £12,000 • tne bargain being concluded only on the condition that the work should become national property.

The now ballot of << Cleopatra," which is drawing crowded bouse* to the ln.pire Theatre in London, under the management of Augustus Harris, is ppoken of L presenting one of the moot glittering suctions of beautiful stage pictures and character groupings ever seen on tho English boards. The banquet sceno v to a great extent copied iroin the well-known picture of Mr Long, K.A.

Lord I Tito is accustomed to keep up the ' atjlu of a Highland ehkftaiu ; andl when he - goe« to Mar Lodge foj the shooting, he w received by a large retinue of kilted country- " men, retainers of the eatate, who eacort him to hw home with the old patriarchal rites andceremonies used in daya - Luig Syno" by the clans ; while during tho dinnerV the struma of tho Highland Usrpirwont to greet tho care of tho guc Piinuo Biamarok'n last 111- are than the public knew : ' - ots - covers. A sign t>- ...ess was smarter sorts is always •' DUt ho quickly rowhicUhef , ttt the Prince is out of in the '- iIIO p reselice of a toothpick, $ D jtßinnly chews. It hue camphor _nd ot it; and when the toothpick j lemon water stage begins, all the Berlin world knows that tho chancellor is not to bo trifled with. At such times he gets through enormous quuu titles of work. But when the toothpick is laid aside for the cigar, then tho boisterous manner returns. A handy pad for violinists has recently been patented, and affords a ready means of keeping the Instrument in position. Tho pad is backed with velvet, which is continued to form a flap, which is tucked under the collar or lappel of the waistcoat, so as to keep the pad in its place. The front of the pad is covered with a material—apparently of the naturo of india-rubber—ou which tho end of tho violin will not slip. Tho new pad has been tried by several eminent violinists, who concur in commending it to their fellow-musicians. Tho widow of Thackeray's friend, Crawford—tho man whose good fortune if. was to sit, without knowing it, for the character of Warriugton—is preparing " A Story of the French Revolutions." Her special qualification for this task lies in the fact that ehe has been an eye witness and critical student of the last two or three uprisings in the gay capital, for, as her husband's assistant during his lifetime, and his successor since his death, she has been the Paris correspondent of the London Daily News for a quarter of a ceDtury. Au automatic machine for making horseshoe nails has recently been brought out Wire id coiled on a reel on tho top of tho machine, which cuts off, stamps, points, and heads tho nails without any hand assistance. The receiving box only cou- '■ tains perfect naild; for if there is any hitch in the working the machine stops of itself, and points out by means of an index where the fault occurs. A few moments only are required to remove tho offonding neil; and the machine starts again. F.William Seuf, who recently died at Baltimoro (U.S.A.), was oueot'the clevoreet

violin makers in the world. Ho was born in Prussia about seventy-two years ago. Ole Bull met with a steamboat explosion on the Ohio River, and swam to the ; shore with his highly-prize Gasparo da Sala above his head. He sent this " matchless patriarch of a divine violin " to Seuf to be restored. Seuf*s manipulations made the instrument more valuable than it had ever been. Seuf also restored r the oldest violin in existence, now in the possession of Edwin F. Abell, of Baltimore. Seuf was a man of gigantio statue, and served as a cuirassier in the Prussian array.

A novel industry is announced from Brazil—the distillation of paraffin from peat. The work is being carried on at Marslin, where ten beds are being worked. So deep are these beds that although a depth of 150 ft. has already been attained there is as yet no sign of their being exhausted. Tho industry is in tho hands of a company, which employs about 300 hands. Tinrty-thruo, boilers are in use, besides washing and distilling apparatus, and steam tawmills and forges. With the improved machinery, obtained from Europe, about 3000 cases are produced per mouth. The paraffin extracted is used for the manufacture of caudles.

A newly-niamed couple was returning to Germany after a tour to Brussels. As the train approached the f rontior the bride grew uneasy, and presently confessed that she had a quantity of the finest of Brussels lace in her bag, on which a high duty would have to be paid. " Put it inside your hat," she pleaded. This was done. The Custom House officials looked all through the boxes of the elegaut young laJy, knowing by experience that such are tbe most daring of smugglers; but they found nothing. The chief officer, charmed by the amiable manners of the husband, accompanied the couple to the train, when the wretched husband, forgetting his secrei in tho joy of having escaped, raised his hat to the officer, und was instantly enveloped in a soft white veil. Tableau!

The Queen of Madagascar lately celebrated the annual function of taking her state bath. A solemn procession was formed headed by attendants bearing wator for the bath, materials for tho fire to heat it, soap, towel, perf umoe, and various appurtenances of the toilet. The fire was kindled under the bath in a tent gorgeously decorated, and when it was sufficiently heated prayers wire said, a salvo of artillery was fired, and druma beaten whilo the Queen was going through the ceremony. At tho end of a few minutes Her Majesty reappeared, gorgeously arrayed, and wearing all the Crown jewel's. In her hand she carried an ox-horn, tipped and ornamented with silver filled with water taken from tho bath just before her entrance into it. Bearing this, and attended by tho Prime Minister, she inarched to the Palace portal, where she dipped her hand into the water and sprinkled those around her as sho passed along.