HERE AND THERE.

Evening Star, Issue 12764, 17 March 1906, Page 11

HERE AND THERE.

On Christmas Day, at the DurbanKoodepoort Deep, a novel item Was introduced into the programme of sports held there.. This took the form of a rockdrilling contest between picked gongs of Chinese and Kaffirs. Ten of the*' beat drillers a side werV, picked, and the time allowed for their work was thirty minutes. Ihs contest was witnessed by a largo crowd ot interested white spectators, who evinced the liveliest interest in tho respective merits of the yellow and sable contestants Ihe struggle was entered into with zest by the mine 'boys" chosen, who plied their hammers with all the dexterity and strength at their command. At the conclusion, it was found that the Chinese had drilled TUm as against 58iin by the Kathrs. Ihe result was loudly applauded by the spectators. Later in the afternoon there was a tug of war between Chinese and natives, when the Celestials again proved their superority over their duskv antagonists.

The change mads recently by the German Emptor in the cliief command of his army is still productive of considerable discusSl f n , m , lhe Fatherland. A personal friend oi the late Field-marshal Count Waldersee, writing to the ' Ostpreussische Zeitung,' rotates a, private conversation which took place at the hitter's home after his retira- " B,elieve me > gentlemen," Count Waldersee is reported to have remarked, he [the Emperor] will bo his own chief of staff as soon as lie has gone through his course of experience." Asked whether lie really thougnt that the Kaiser would oventualiy take up that most responsible and difficult post, the old field-marshal replied: "I am certain of it. He has the talent, and his ambition and energy will do the rest. He is a good tactician even now.' In this connection it may be recalled that reentry when the Emperor Wilham was talking with seme officers about conducting a campaign, one of tho party hazarded the assertion that age, industry, and experience made the successful commander. To this his Majesty retorted"Nonsense, when Frederick the Great marched on Lowositz he was far youneer than L" "

Chatting with a contributor to the 'Pall Mall Magazine' about politics and politicians, Mr Augustine Birrell referred to his arst meeting with Winston Churchill. "I shall never forget it," said Mr Bin-ell. "He took up a volume of Matthew Arnold's poems, and said to me: ' I daresav you have heard of this writer?' I conftssed that I had. ''i suppose that vou have read his works and know all about him?' Well, yes. I had heard something about him. Then he clenched his fist and exclaimed in a loud voice: ' Curse these public schools! What a terrible handicap they are in the way of education!'" ".[ scarcely knew what 'to say to him," added the Liberal Minister for "Education, "but I was profoundly impressed by his manner and earnestness."

A professor of the Swiss Dairy School at Berne has compiled statistics of the number of micro-organisms found in cheese. His experiments lead to the conclusion that every gramme (one-thirtieth part of an ounce) of fresh Einmenthaler (Swiss) cheese contains between 90,000 and 100,000 living germs. After two months the number has increased to 800,000. Cream cheese contains a still larger number of animalcultß, a gramme harboring after three weeks 750,000, rising to two millions after a month and a-half. These figures apply only to the centre of the cheese, while close to the rind families numbering five and a-half million bacteria may be found in every gramme of cheese. In. about l£lb of cream cheese, the professor estimates, there are as many germs as there are human beings on the face cf the globe. It is supposed that all, or most of, these microbes are "friendly" ones, and assist in the digestive process. We now await with interest a computation of the number of microbes in equal portions of ripe gorgonzoia. and of famous German Limburger, which, at its highest perfection, can be detected by ordinarily developed olfactory nerves, it is said, within a hidius of a quarter of a .mile.

The following message waa sent to Mr Chamberlain the morning after the election by the Preston Reform Club: Joseph Chamberlain, Highbury, Birmingham. Preston has been Conservative lor oyer forty years, but, thanks to you, returns two Freetraders, including Harold Cox, late secretary of the Cobden Club, a master of the subject to deal with your fiscal policy. Preston will not brook the fiscal policy now or ever. It answer is: Freetrade, Free Food, Free Men.

At a meeting in support of Mr E. M. Pollock, the Unionist candidate for tbe Spalding Diviaon, at Whaplodo Drove, England, the chairman said he had had some unique experiences in canvassing in the rural districts. At one house, he saw the voter's wife, and inquired as to the politics of her husband. "Well," she replied, " when he goesi to a Liberal meeting lie is a liberal, and when he goes to a Tory meeting he is a Tory." " But," queried the canvasser, " what is he when he ia at home? " and the lady gave the unexpected reply: " When he ia at home he is a nuisance!"

It is curious that the names of the two great English political, parties should have Been originally terms of reproach and contempt. The first Tories wore Irish outlaws, Papists who harassed the English in Ireland. About the time of the Popish plot it was applied to the Cavalier, party. In a work of. 1681 they are described as "the Banters calling themselves Torys . . . . an Irish title for outlawed persona." 'Johnson found them distinguished fc?V the fact that "their prejudice is for Establishment, while that of the Whigs is for Innovation." The Whigs got their sobriquet from, that band of rebels who in the Wtdgamore Raid sealed the fate of Charles !•• Cut down to "Whig," the title was attached to the Presbyterian enthusiasts of Scotland, and afterwards to all who opposed the Court. The name passed over to America, and lived until half a centurv ago. It served in revolutionary days Tot; those who opposed British rule, and was the style adopted by the survivors' of the old National Republican party after its defeat by Jackson.

Lady Evans, lecturing before the Royal Numismatic Society, pointed out that modern styles in ladies' hairdtessing resembled) those adopted by the women of ancient Rome, and illustrated this by Roman coins. In the Republican era the hair- of the women was collected, on the back of the head and fastened in a knot, but later a. more elaborate dressing was seen,' and the hair was di-awn to the top of the head, and passed over the'■„ forehead. In Imperial times it w as plainly crimped, and. had'' a queue which was arranged[■ in a. series.of wavy chxlp Toy similar to the. fashion in

England at the present day. Subsequently the " bun" coiffure was in existence—a style with which modern ladies are very familiar.

Shade of Captain Marryat! What is this we read? "Naval officers have been instructed by the Admiralty to. give their orders in a loud, distinct, and decisive manner." That such an admonition should be deemed necessary points re a terrible canker at the,heart of naval discipline. Alas! it appears that the worm is i' tb'. bad, sure enough. No longer does Lieutenant O'Brien pitch his 'hortatory voice to carry a hundred, yards in a hurricane.; no longer are the adjurations of Mx OhucJka fortified by the more than ornamental oath. Drawingroom, manners are being introduced on the quarter-deck, we are fold, and the conversational tone and unadorned phrase are sapping the confidence of the. men in their officers; The fact is that Jack does not care for his superiors to be "too blooming politeful" We may not'exactly wish for the school of Midshipman Easy back again, but" even that is preferable to the regime of Captain Reeco of the Mantelpiece.

The following general regulations for the conduct of hairdressers' establishments in the City of Glasgow have been agreed to after several conferences between the Health Committee of the Town Council and the Hairdressers' Guild. Other corporate bodies might take the hint: All shelves, fittings, and tables on which instruments are placed to be of glasa, marble, siatc, or other similar material.

Clean towels, etc., to be used for customers, and a fresh piece of paper or clean linen to be placed on the back of chair or head-rest,

No sponges, towekttes, or combs to be used unless disinfected.

Razors to be wiped on paper. Clean hair-brushes only must be used. Shaving brushes, after'use, to be placed in a disinfecting solution. Liquid or powdered soap or shaving cream only to be used.

Cut hair falling on the floor to be swept up and removed, and floors to be kept cleanly. No general alum, crystals, or blocks to be used as a styptic unless carefully washed; but liquid or powder applied on towel or cotton wool, or by spray, is to be preferred. The most scrupulous cleanliness to be observed in all that pertains to the business.

Regular customers and subscribers should be strongly recommended to provide their own toilet articles, razors, brushes, etc., which would be exclusively reserved for the owner's use.

All cut hair and paper to be burned. apparently suffering from any skin .or hair affection to be attended to save at his own house or office, pr m a private room. Charges should, if necessarv, be remodelled, to enable hairdressers* etc., not only to comply with the letter, but the spirit, of the above without loss. Machine of rotary brushes' should be discouraged.-

The preservation of Niagara Falls depends solely on the future action of Britain and the United States. It may be a*stnn,d that the Dominion Government will be ready to pass such laws and enter into such agreements as may be necessary to prevent the full conversion of the Niagara Kiyer into mere horse power. Pending final legislation, a Suspension Bill is a hWiiy desirable measure. The raid on the river has already gone too far. Concurrent action by Congress and the Imperial Parliament could, during the coming sessions, eitecfc a permanent prohibition of further injury. A report recently submitted bv uu Int f na t" on al Waterways Commission holds out a hope that the Falls of Niagara may be saved from any further despoliation for commercial purposes. No act of the Commission can be final, but thev hive waved a clanger signal in their recommendation to the Government of the United btates and to that of Canada that "such step* as they may regard as necessary be taken to prevent any corporate rights or franchises being granted or 'renewed by either lederal, State, or Provincial authority for the use of the waters of iue Niagara River for power or other purposes until this Commission are able to collect the information nooessary to enable them to report fully npon the conditions and uses ™« f* n ate T r T S . to J tho re *Pective Governments of the United States and Canada "

A sad but impressive ceremony, recalling the initial stage of l'aflaire Dreyfus was enacted at the military barracks of Messina (Italy) on the morning of January 15. Cat>tam Ercole ssl) of the Italian Army, w h o had been accused and found guilty "of having sold military secrets to a foreign Power, applied to the Court of Appeal for a reversal of that judgment; but he was not successful. On the day named the representatives of all the regiments quartered at Messina were summoned to the main barracks, and Captain .Ercolessi, in their presence, was formally degraded by removing his sword the stars an his collar, and his stapes. Ercolessi looked deadly'pale and he was heard to sob. Public opinion attributed the responsibility of Ercoiessi's trouble to his wife, who, being fond of finery, encouraged him to betray hi s country, liie tourt, however, acquitted her. Ercolessi is now simply a number in one ot the pnsons of Sicily.

Much has been said and written about the ever-growing number of foreigners in England, and during the parliamentary elections a good deal of fun was poked at the number of German newspapers published in London and the provinces: Less, perhaps is known of the number of English journals which are published in Germany and it may surprise many readers to learn that there are no fewer than 938 of them. France also has her share—Bl4—of papers published and printed on the far side of ioft E tl n f \ and there are m Danis " and 180 Dutch newspapers printed daily weekly, or monthly under tne high supervision of the Kaiser's Censor, who is required to read and understand all European languages.

Possibly not everybody who entertains dislike and suspicion of the number "thirteen" is aware how the figures came into disrepute. There were thirteen at the Last Supper. The first to leave was Judas Iscanot, who, shortly afterwards, hanced himself. It is still believed by many that if thirteen be gathered together for a meal the first person to rise from the table will die within the year. Friday is regarded as ill-omened, because that was the day of the Crucifixion; and many people fear to spill salt because Judas has been pictonally represented as, having overturned the sa t-cellar while reaching to take food with tlie Saviour.

Should marriages between consumptives be prohibited? Should there be a general law enacted putting the ban upon marriage Pi those vrho are victims of the fell drs ease? Dr Starr Parsons, pf Washington (L.b.), who has made a study of phthisis declares that there should be sueh inhibitions. In an address before the Washington Citizens' Association he advocated in these terms the "elimination of the un-

It is a well-known fact that consumption is a contagious disease. The offspring of a manned couple afflicted with tuberculosis must necessarily be inoculated with the germs of that disease, and sooner or later it will manifest itself in the innocent children, bringing not only unhappiness, but perhaps years of misery and suffering. How much better to find the cause and stamp out the disease at the very beginning by legislative enactment that shall regulate and provide such procedure as will prove beypnd the possibility of a doubt that applicants for a marriage license are free from contamination, than to allow, as at present, a'free and unrestrained marriage license.' What w© seek to accomplish is that tuberculosis shall be considered a legal impediment so far as such persons that' may be afflicted with consumption are concerned, and that they shall be prohibited from entering the marriage relation.

An accident of an extraordinary character occurred at Belfast (Ireland) on January 21, resulting in the tragic death of a visitor from Glasgow. Deceased was noticed to walk from • the quay 6hed, past the Custom-house steps, and stop outside the offices of the Northern Banking Company/where be leaned against the railings as if he were; tired or sick. After he had remained stationary for many minutes, the curiosity of some of the pedestrians was aroused, and these, on going to him, surprised to find him dead. The man's face had slipped down between two of the railway spikes, and his neck had become so tightly wedged in that he bad found it impossible to extricate himself. In this manner he had been slowly choked to death, and in this upright posture was his. motionless, form discovered. Within a few yards of the spot where be bad breathed bis last were several men who, if. they, had but known,, could have immediately rescued him from his extraordinary predicament. In bis possession was found a telegram from a Glasgow firm, and £1 8s in money, .