Scissors.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6023, 13 December 1890, Page 4

Scissors.

Japan coins aro iron. In Italy 200,000 people livo in collars. In 1830 the United States liad no railroads.

Bismarck ia to start a browery at Friedriclisruhe.

There aro 00,000 people in London who livo in cellars.

Out of every million people there aro 800 who cannot eco.

America bar, 1,000,000 telephones; the ■world 1,200,000. The French Republic haa passed its twenlioth birthday. Belgium proposes a renewul of tho Latin Cnion for fivo years.

Thorois to be an Anglo-Turkish Convention respecting Africa.

An lowa woman has named her twin daughters Gasoline and K>rosene.

Ametica has 441 educational institutions with, tho right to confer degrees.

All pavements aro moro or leas faulty, but soma are not isphalty's others.

Bosido being insane, tho Grand Duke Nicholas is completely paralysed.

In Yokohama, with a population of 70,000, the number of electors is under 300.

Tho oarth is tho greatewt distanco from the sun on the morning of July 6th.

Tno average man cannot understand why all other men do not voto as ho dee*.

Tho Austrian Empress was two days at Roiug under tho numo of Mrs Norris.

The peasants arp fleeing from tho vicinity of Mount Etna, in dread of an eruption.

There are more than 40,000 mud cabins in Ireland, consisting of but a singlo room.

London has 40,000 streets, and their collootivo length would roach over 32,000 miles.

Tho Alps altogether stand in six States, of which Austria claims tho largest share of thorn.

"Tho Angelus," it is said, has been sold airain, this timo to a Frenchman, who will placo it in the Lonvro.

It in stated that since tho accession of Czar Alexander in ISBI, 270,000 Jews havo beon expelled from Russia.

It is estirnatod that tho number of passengers carried by all tho railways in tho world averages G,000,000 a day.

A French company ia ready to bridgo tho Hellespont, bnt permission by the Turkish Government cannot be obtained.

A work of Raphael is said to havo boon discovered in a villauro near Belfort. It is a " St. Joseph carrying tho Infant Jesus."

Tho Queen of Roumauia Ims been informed, after a private performance of her play, Master Manolly, that it is a failure.

Tho French people are contributing liberally toward tho propsed monument to Garibaldi. This shows a better fooling toward Italy.

Emperor William will have tho sarcophagus of Emperor William I. and the Empress Augusta mitdo in Italy from models by Professor En'Uio.

Tho brain of the elephant is remarkably small, not moro than onu-twenty-tbird as large as that of a human being in proportion to tho weight of both.

Thero aro -113 speciosof trees found within tho limits of tho Unitod Status and Territories, eixtcon of which, when perfectly seasoned, will sink in water.

Tho King of Italy has sent a full-length portrait of himself to the Empuror of Germany, bearing tho following inscription :— " To William, my faithful friond and ally."

Tho first railroad built in tho Stato of Now York was tho Mokawk and Hudson. It was chartered iv 1820, opened September 12, 1831, and had Albany and Schcmectady for its terminal points.

Tho wettest place in the world is Cberrapoonico, about two hundred and fifty mile.s northeast of Calcutta, just out-ide tho Torrid Zono; there the raiufall is upward of six hundred inches every your.

Tho orchards of Cornwall cover 5092 acres, as compared with 4812 six years ago. The orchards of Devonshire cover an area of 20,55"> acres, or an increase of o")0 as compared with tho returns of 11>81.

Tho army of tho United States consists of 2102 commissioned ufticers and a littlo over 20,000 real private soldiers, exclusive ol' those performing civilian duties ; thin mietenf.h of tho military force consists of its officers.

It is a curious fact that, tho howy bee was ncvor known in tho United rtutos till brought from England; and though now found in all parts uf the oount-y, it did not reach California until 1850 aud .South America until 184.3.

A new illustration of the distances of the stars is that it would tnk.j nil the Lancashiro cotton -100 years to spin a thread long enough to reach the uearc.-t .star at tho present rate of production of about 165,000,000 miles per day.

Near Milan nearly '22,000 aerm of land, irrigated with water derived from tb..newers of the city, are yielding crops of from eight to ton toes of Ir.iv as il rule. while owixioually some separate meadow •wi'l yiehl the fabulous amount of eighteen tons of hay por ar:ro.

Sir Edward Sliollcy, who died hf.'ly, w.im captured by Indiaun while crossing the prairies on way to C.ilifornia years ii{ro, and was a prisum-r with them n-nrly tluo--yeaw. H« wiiM a n-phew of iho pu-t Sholloy find a man he w:wnllwl with oxcitiuy; adventure;.

A Pari* correspondent cay* that il; i-. hardly poHsiblo for iiny one not iiitimsttcly acfltiiiintod with th.: far.U to n-n}\■/.■■> l\u, extent of tbo pettii.u: H-l uaulau.u tha l* lavished on Alexander Dumas. Ho has n «li(|U() tjf cotiirio of his own, which KurnjuuilM him with all sorts of uttriictious.

PijiiHunt revolts iv Southern Uusmu are giving tho Gcivernmont much trouble. The pousanle ii , bunds »ro pillaging and burning rosiilencuo of laud owners. The Miuicter of the Interior has abolished all peasants' rights in that section aud has .sent troops to quell tho disturbance).

Indignation mt'Cliugs are being held in Bavaria to protest against tho many acts of petty t;Tanuy indulged iv by the Miniwttr of the Interior. Tho enemies of this functionary allege that it was because of tho annoyance Mitferoil at his hands that tho unfortunate King Ludwig committed huioide.

ThercarepuuishmoDi.? which nroovidontly more terrible than death ; for the priest. Galooto, who assassinated the Archbishop of Madrid in tho year 188H, wid lias since boi-n confined in a private lunatic asylum, has just petitioned tho Spanish Minister of Justice to carry out tho sentence of death pronounced upon him at tho trial.

A member of tho British South African Company reports tho discovery of an anojent ruin in Lundi, Mashonaland, of which the raco thoru now has no record. It was there when their forefathers went to that country, it is a circular anu bnilf l - ing, with waii , ? of wrought stone, '" «° lnc places ten feut thick. It is supposi-d to *'" a fort.

Tho Empress of Austria has distributed among her most intimate friends all her court costumes and light-colored drosses. They will be kept an mementoes of the beautiful Empress, who siiyn pathotically that she will novor feel gay ouough to wear colored dresses any more, and that now her daughter is married she will not uttend any more.

Mitchell Honry, with whom Mr Balfour stayed one night, writes to tho London Times that the town of Ballyhannis, in county Mayo, contains forty-five taverns to a population of 700, and hus just potitionod for seven more, for ono of which a. iieenso has beon granted. H>s asks tho Liberals to draw v moral from this circumstance as to ■whether Irish wrongs aro wholly politicul.

Archbishop Eyro, of Glasgow, who is to be raised by the Popo to tho Sacrod College, is one of the most popular prelates in Great Britain. Tho last Scotch Cardinal was "His Eoyal Highness and Eminence tho Cardinal Duko of York," the last of the Stuart dynasty; while Scotland cat) point to as eminent a member as over sat in tho Sacred College, to wit, Cardinal Beaton, t'jo Kicheliau of Sootland.

G-ladstono and Tatti had a talk, the other day, and they used in conversation tho two voices that were oiico tho most brilliant in tho world. Mr Gladstone has boon almost as famou9 for tho silvery ring of hi,s voice as for his intellect and his physical endurance Both voices aro alittlo worn. Gladstone ■will be oifrhty-otu! years old inn few weeks Patti is still in the forties. It will tako her aorne time to bocomu a grand old woman.

The over-production of technically educated mon and women, and tho existence of " learned prolotaric.t " is by no means confined to Germany. Tbo Journal dee Economistes has recently produced official statistics for 1SS!), showing a remarkably over-crowded condition in tho ranks of elementary teachers in France. In the Seine prefecture the applications averaged forty-

Bevon males for overy vacancy, and 119 females. The pressure is strongest for positions in the drawing , , singing, and gymnastic departments,.

A Socialist cocgress has been holding its meetings at Hallo, in Germany. It is tho first gathering of the kind since tbat which was held at Gotha in 1875. Not the least remarkable fact connected with it is that ii was presided over by Herr Singer, a member of the Eeiohstug, in which ho represents tho city of Berlin, and a millionaire. The deputy president of the congress was Herr Dietz, ono of the members for Hamburg in Reichstag, who is also a man in prosperous circumstances, being the owner of a larpto printing and bookselling establishment in that important commercial city. Twenty years ngo the German Socialists only numbered 100,000 at the polls ; to-day they can muster upwards of 1,500,000 votes.

At Lcopolo, in GalHcia, a Government functionary having caused all tho French i)ixl German translations tit" Count Tolstoi's Kreutzer Sonata to bo aoized, tho booksellers appealed, and tho locality of tho proceeding occupied the attention of the local tribuual. In order to judgo of tho moral or immoral character of tho story, tho President ordered it to be read from boginning to end iv tho open court.. It was probably tho first timo such a thing happened iv any country. Nobody foil asleep : and when the reading had terminated an ordor was made for tho restitution of tho copies seized. As a matter of courso, it was a splendid advertisement for the book, nnd translations of it are now being rmido into the Polish and Ruthonian languages.

It is a curious fact that Dr Miguel, exBuigomastsr of Frankfort, who has just been appointoc! Minister of Finance for ['rnsHiu by the Eraporor of Gortnaiiy, is an ox-revolutionist, like Sisrnnr Crispi in Italy. Ho took part in tho insurrection of 1818, and was an exile in London two ye«M later, with Karl Marx aud other prominent Socialists, in whoso political opinions he entirely participated. He renounced them, however, in 1857, made a fortune ou tho Stock Exchange, became director of one of tho great bunking institutions in Frankfort, and was els?cted to a seat in tho Prussian Chamber of Deputies, and also in the German Reichstag. In politics, he is now a national liberal; and it is understood that bo will bo tho Premier .is well as< Treasurer of tho Prussian Cabinet. Ho is a first-class orator ; and hia financial oxperienco will bo of great value to the Government when recasting its fiscal policy. Dr Miguel, it may bo added, ia a pronounced freetrader.

At a banquet givirn in Florence tho other day to Cavalotti, the leader of the Opposition in tho Italiun Parliament, by 700 Irredentists, tho guest of the evening mado it particularly unpleasant for tho head of the Government, who had previously been feted in tho same city, by relating the following anecdote :—" When Cairoli was Minister I was expelled from Trieste, and ho called upon the Austrian Government to revoke its decree of banishment. On arriving at Udine I found a telegram from Crispi urging me to return to Trieste, in order that by so doing I might embarrass the Italian Government. I declined to act upon this advice, and Cuiroli had tho courage to declare that, in tho event of a repetition of such harsh measures, ho would adopt measures of retaliation towards Austria." It is scarcely necessary to add thut at the present moment Crispi is repressing Irredentism with a strong hand, and is diligently cementing tho Austrian alliance.

Benjamin Franklin, in his autobiography, lays down a canou of good breeding in conversation which is worth keeping in mind. He says that ho formed tho habit of expressing himself "in terms of modest diffidence," nover using the words " certainly," " undoubtedly," or any others that givo an air of positiveness to an opinion on subjects that may possibly bo disputed : saying rather, " It appears to mo," or, "I should think it co," or, "If I am not mistaken." This habit, ho said, was of great advantage to him in persuading people, to adopt his views, nnd also helped him to gather much valuable, knowledge which othonviso would havo been withhold. For, <ts a rule, people do not caro to impart informatio.i to ono who is firmly intrenched in his own opinions. Young peoplo aro very apt to have a positives, dogmatic way of oxprewiiug themselves, and should bs trained to a moderate, as well as graceful, use of language. The use of nlantr has a tendency toward the error which Franklin tried to avoid.