SOME QUEER CONTESTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6318, 22 February 1922, Page 7

SOME QUEER CONTESTS.

RACING BEES AND BIRDS:

("Pearson’s Weekly.”)

Which fly the faster—bees or pigeon’s? Two rival fanciers decided to put the speed of their pets to the test over a distance of three miles, twelve bees and twelve pigeons being selectod to cover the course.

The first bee romped home an easy winner, arriving a whole minute sooner than the earliest pigeon to appear. Then came three more bees, followed by the second pigeon. The remainder of the contestants reached the winning post more or less together. • A British Army officer in India had neon watching some native workmen making packing-cases. Their slowness irritated him so much that, thinking he might get them to make a spurt, he told the superintendent that cue English carpenter would turn out more cases in a day that ten of his native workmen.

This put the Indian on his mottle, and a trial was suggested, a skilled carpenter being found in the ranks of the artillery. The following day this strange test took place, and by closing time the one Englishman was three macking-cases ahead of the ton natives. WALKING MILES ON STILTS. How many miles do yc.u think you could walk on stilts? In some parts of France this is. quite a common method of locomotion, and in a race neld at Bordeaux one of the competitors walked 270 miles without aliglitj mg. It took him just over three days I to cover the distance. I Several years ago a London grocer thought of a fine idea for advertising ' a special brand of tea which he was anxious to push. He offered a big prize to the person wii 0 . could make the greatest number of cups of drinkable tea from the contents of a ope pound packet of this particular braiid. The winner made over 1000 cups. For the purpose, of the competition e hired a big hall, and there were over 700 entries. The result was most satisfactory to the grocer, for, in addition to the advertisement, lie cleared a handsome profit by the sale of the tea. GEESE CAN It ACE TURKEYS. Two sporting noblemen of bygone days organised a race between a" Hock of turkeys and a Hock of geese. - The. course was along the main road from London to Norwich. The droves of birds were not at all easy to steer past the various vehicles they encountered ; and while the geese had no objection to ' all-night travelling, the turkeys much resented it.

The contest ended in a hollow victory for the geese, who arrived at their destination two days ahead of their rivals.

Eating competitions are common enough, many schoolboys having vied with each other as to who could consume the most buns or jam tarts m a given time. Two Italians once had a macaroni eating contest, in which the winner stowed away 2160 yards of tlie stuff, being a quarter of a mile ahead of his rival, wtio had to confess with reluctance that he could cat no more.

Sharing contests are not unusual. One of tticm took place between two barbers for a prize for the one who could shave twelve men in the shortest time. The winner was five men io the good at the end of the contest, wmch occupied only just over three and a half minutes. To prove his sk.i, lurther, lie' had himself blindfolded, and sha'ved two men in two minutes ,en and two-fifth seconds.