BREVITIES.

Evening Star, Issue 11673, 4 February 1902, Page 1

BREVITIES.

The scabbards worn by Russian officers axe made of papier-mache. The number of persons bora blind averages siity-five in every million. Out of 23,922 applicants for British patents during 1900, 549 were women.

Four thousand nine hundred and sixtyeight of the population of Britain were born at sea.

A paper chimney 50ft high, and fireproof, is one of the curiosities of Breslau, Germany. The new cable which has been laid across the Atlantic weighs 6501b to the mile. This is the biggest of all the cables. A Wellington message states that the Income Tax Department is collecting taxes upon donations to patriotic and other funds. In trial by jury in Germany a vote of eight to four is hecessaiy for the conviction of the prisoner. A six to six vote means acquittal. A. Nuremberg merchant has invented a new kind of boot, with an apparatus in; the heel by means of which the whole foot can be wanned.

The cost of Queen Victoria’s coronation was £69,405 Is 10d; that of William TV. was onlv £43,159 11s sd; that of George IV. £243,388 6s 2d. Auckland is making great preparations for giving the Right Hon. the Premier a great send-off on the occasion of his visit to the Old Country. Mr Benn, of the London County Council, recently said that seven tons ,of copper were taken from the Council’s tram passengers, Avho numbered 117,000,000 per annum.

In a village in the Cotswolds it is the custom to place a small mirror on the front door under the knocker, in which the visitor may examine his appearance before entering. So little confidence is there in Turkish Post Office employes that when some time ago opportunity was giveh to send packages and registered letters, only one of each was received at Stamboul in ten days.

There are 798 distinct species of roses in existence. A horticultural exhibition with a sample of every one of these queens of the floral domain in its midst of grandeur has not thus far entranced the world. tt is a deplorable thing that one in six of the members of friendly societies who are sixty-five years or over should be driven for relief to the rates. If the State gave them each 5s a week it would cost, the country three millions a year,—‘Star.’

The boats on the Miami and Erie Canal will shortly be towed by electric motor cars or locomotives, each driven by two 125 horse-power alternating current motors, at a speed of three miles an hour. Provision is also made for supplying electricity to places along the banks. Among the many curious sights the traveller in Oregon Avitnesses in the lower Columbia River are men on horseback, wading about in what appears to be a most aimless manner. They are really fishing for salmon with huge drag nets, which are so heavy as to.make the assistance of the horse imperative.

A French doctor has hit upon the idea of training homing pigeons as a means of receiA'ing communications from his patients. He has established a pigeon station in each of the villages on his lound, so that- he may be promptly summoned whenever his services are required. The entrance to the pigeon cote is so arranged’ that the arrival of the bird rings an electric bell. In a Hackney (London) Board school one of the teachers asked his class of small boys: “ Why Avas Moses hidden in the bulrushes?” The smallpox scare had been exciting a good deal of interest in the district lately, and this must have worked on the mind of the boy who promptly answered : “To escape vaccination, sir.”

The farm Avbich contains the Hill of Tara, including the remains of the old banqueting hall, the king’s chair, the stone of destiny, and many other interesting and historical relies, were put up for sale by auction at Navan on December 19. There were only two bidders, and the highest amount offered av«s £2,920. This being considered insufficient, the farm was reserved for private sale. Mr Whistler Avas sixty-seven years of age on December 19. He was born at LoAvell, Massachusetts, hut is the most cosmopolitan of men, having lived in Paris, l/ondon, and Russia. He met George du Maurier at West Point Military Academy in his student days, and was amusingly caricatured by him in ‘ Trilby.’ John Ruskin made some strong remarks upon Mr Whistler’s art in ‘Flors Clavigera,’ and a libel action ended after a lengthy trial in the painter being awarded a farthing damages. Tabloid restaurants are the latest novelty in New York (says the correspondent of the ‘Daily Mail.’) Two have been recently started, and are doing a large business. Only compressed foods are served, either in the form of lozenges or capsules, while for drinks there are all kinds of liquid foods. A tabloid meal oan be consumed in three minutes without any injurious effects. The tabloid restaurants are being extensively patronised by busy men and dyspeptics, who prefer the tabloid diet to the hastily swallowed meals of the usual kind.

A report on sanitary measures in India, 1899-1900, states that the health of the European troops on service in India in 1899 was much more satisfactory than in the previous year. On an average strength of 67,897, the admissions into hospital were in the ratio of 1,149 per 1,000, against 1 457 in 1898, the daily sickness rate fell from 90 to 73, and the death rate from 20.05 to 12.75. Ague and enteric were responsible for much of the mortality. The loss to the whole army by invaliding during 1899 amounted to 2,142 men, against 2,580 in 1898. Nobody needs to ba told that the Queen of England is among the friendliest and homeliest ladies in the land. Sitting Avith a cottager on the Sandringham Estate, _ in her Princess days, she took up a stocking to while away the time. I rather pride myself on the way I can knit stockings,” the Princess remarked; “ I have bust made a pair, for the Prince, and ’ The Princess was rudely broken off by the old lady’s startled exclamation : “ So the Prince wears stockings, do ’e? Well, well. Ah, your Royal Highness! only me and you, who makes these stockings, knows the ’orrible ’oles the men do make in the ’eels!” It has hitherto been supposed that Nevada, on® of the United States of America, possesses the best and most expeditions machinery for breaking asunder matrimonial bonds. But it would seem that Australia, our own Commonwealth, really enjoys this distinction. Mr Justice Simpson has just described Sydney as the “Mecca of the pilgrims of divorce.” Further commenting on the proceedings that evoked this observation, he remarked; “ Here is a case in which a lady comes from America to Sydney to seek restitution of conjugal rights. She obtains an order, and of course it is disobeyed. She then goes back by the same steamer to America a divorced woman.” — ‘ Daily News-’