NEWS BY MAIL

Gisborne Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6320, 24 February 1922, Page 7

NEWS BY MAIL

A Victoria Cress, gained by Sergeant John Murray, of the GStli Durham Light Infantry, for changing into a rifle pit and killing or wounding single-handed its 10 occupants during the Maori War of 18(34, was sold, with his other modius, at ,Sotheby’s, in London, a few weeks ago, for Lio6.

Passengers by sea will learn with interest that the Pasteur Institute of Paris hopes to cure sea-sickness by a remedy shortly to be given to the public free of cost. Alter long and patient study the institute found that neither dogs, rabbits, chickens, nor pigeons suffered from sea-sickness. 'How this fact was proved is another story, but Dr. Pozerski, of the institute, thinks he lias solved the problem.

Professor Leacock has been pointing out the difference between English and American ideas cf humor. The truth is that every nation has its own pet jokes, and some years ago an expert tried loughly to classify them. English lokes, he said, turn on kisses, unlucky bets, unskilled golfers, drunkards,- and the mother-in-law. Frenchmen giggle at jokes on soldiers and nurses, frivolous wives, the German tourist. Government matches, amj the mother-in-law. The German pet jokes are the prolessor who forgets his umbrella, the miss who worships army officers, the cook’s lover, the husband without a latchkey, and the mother-in-law.

The limit in fraudulent audacity was displayed by a man of -53, for whom the Paris police are looking. He lias been in the habit of calling at the homes of women who have just come out of hospital, presenting himself as a Poor Law doctor sent to examine them and report on their progress. Having caused a woman to undress, he gravely covers her head with her clothes, instructs her to count 40 slowly, and then hold her breath. When the woman’s attention is thus distracted the man snatches up anything of value and steals away.

Clothes, according to Doan Inge, are a cause of unredeemable waste. He told members of the Savage Club m London at the annual dinner that the average man who lived to old age wasted two years of precious life in putting on and taking off clothes. 'Women wasted ten years.

A Japanese doctor has just discovered a microbe which kills mosquitoes. By introducing it into the swamps where the mosquitoes breed, he has made it possible for men to live safely in places formerly thought impossible. Instead of supplying towels ;!:cir public wash-rooms, certain American Hotels have installed machines whereby hot air is blown through tubes and played on the hands and taco, drying them immediately.

A butcher’s assistant, who gave evidence in a case at Y\’andsworth( England) County Court, said that his name was Germany. Counsel explained that that had nothing to do with nationality, and, as a matter of fact, nis wife’s name happened to be England.

A happy home is that of Isaac Devons, of Kansas City (U.S.A.). The stork has just visited the Devons’ home in full marching order. This is what he left behind: One new citizen, Isaac, jun. In the woodshed and barns he left—Five new terrier puppies, six new Belgian hares, one new calf, and three new -Maltese kittens.

Mr Chamberlain, a United States Customs officer in Washington, who gave up smoking during the war to nelp the French wounded and war orphans, has just been presented with ’the insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. At the end of August, 1914, Mr Chamberlain went to the French Embassy, and explained that be had decided to give up smoking and give the money thus saved to help French wounded and war orphans. He handed in £2, and repeating his offerings every month. Later, thinking £2 not enough, lie gave up one course of his dinner every dav, and increased the sum tc £4. "

A claim for £62.500 for her lost beauty is being brought' by Miss Helene Jesrner, a member of the "Greenwich Village Fellies” Chorus, against Mr Philip Plant, a wealthy young New Yorker. Miss Jesrner was the guest of Mr Plant in a motor ride, and the car crashed into a post, file actress, who was very beautiful, was rendered unconscious as a result of the accident, and when she recovered she was told that one eye had Deen affected, her skull fractured, and her jaw broken. Her good leeks were, thus gone for ever and she was inconsolable. Fhe alleges that the accident was due to her host driving without proper caution.

A bright little boy was asked by his new governess as a test of his general knowledge to write a description of his (imaginary) travels in Italy. She was rather staggered, however, to read:—"After sailing about Venice on a gorgenzola and being disappointed in the smallness of the boasted 'Bridge of Size.’ I went on to Rome. Again I was disappointed. The Coliseum there _ compared unfavorably with the one in London, and there was no performance on. The maccaroni fields were white lor harvest, but the spaghetti was only just in bloom. There was nothing on at the Yatieombs, as the Pope no longer lives underground.”

The first passenger liner to be driven b\- oil was recently completed m Great Britain. She is a vessel of 8000 tons, and is equipped with two oil engines, each with eight cylinders designed to develop a total ol 6600 horse-power. All the auxiliary machinery in the engine-room and elsewhere is driven by electricity.

Travelling from New York in the steamer conveying M. Briand, the French Prime Minister, back from the Washington Conference, was a woman passenger, whose magnificent diamonds attracted much notice. She was the mystery passenger in the ship, and her identity only became known after she had landed in France. She is the daughter cf a woman who kept a scent shop in a poor quarter of New York. A negro employed to clean out the establishment discovered a solution to take the kink out of negroes wocl. The woman purchased the recipe from the inventor and made a fortune. The mysterious passenger was the woman’s daughter, who is now touring Europe.