NEWS BY MAIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11382, 6 December 1930, Page 12

NEWS BY MAIL.

‘ROBSON'S CHOICE”

"Some three hundred years ago there died a man whoso name is perpetuated in a UcU-knpwn phase writes Mr. A. .T. Pawley m the Daily Robson succeeded his father ns the official carrier to the "University of Cambridge which licensed persons to carry letters before and after the introduction of the Post Office system. He carried passengers, goods and letters, between Cambridge and the Bull Inn, Bishops, "''"Hobson ’also made it his business to provide riding-boots, bridle, and whip, and requested iho hirer to take a horse for himself, but it had to be the one next the stable door It there was' any demur he declared, in a manner which prohibited farther argument, that it was the horse next the door or none at all. When the animal was. taken the others were moved up and so each worked m rotation. “The University scholars coi*nd the phrase, Robson's choice/ and it remains to this day, although Hobson died in IC3O. Milton wrote h-s epitaph.”

WOMAN HATER’S LIBRARY

In his will, Mr. T. M. Zink a lawyer of Des Moines, lowa, \enteo his malice upon women and all thing, feminine. , . , He left his fortune in a trust turn! which after 75 years, is expected to reach £OOO,OOO and which, according to his instructions, will he used to flu ikl a library. • ' , „ ,/ , In this library (says tne ‘New York Herald”) only books by male authors will be allowed on the shelves, and ail magazines and papers will be censored. of all writings by' women. Nothing suggestive of .feminine influento in design, decoration, or appointmentwill be allowed in the new library. He left his daughter an allowance of £1 a month and stipulated that his widow might remain in their home if she paid a rent of 16/- r month.

BORROWED BREVITIES

A trunk-packing contest was_ held recently as a country fete. Me understand that the prize was easily won by a domestic servant, who happened to be staying there for a day or two.

Although it is still early in the season, the truth is again beginning to dawn on us that the worst feature of a vacation is the other fellow's snapshots you are expected to rave over.

“Men's shoulders are becoming broader.” says a tailor. This is very fortunate, in view of the increasing burden of taxation.

Midget golf is to be followed by pee-wee football on a 10ft. ground. Soon we shall be pitching horseshoes in the breakfast nook. Our editorial linotypist and proofreader will be interested Jco learn that Sir Eadhashanker Pattarskhterblasker. is the poet laureate of Indie.

Henry Ford reveals that experiments are being conducted in bis factory on new uses for wheat, and it is possible that the petrol tank will be replaced by a feed-box. The world’s master salesman would be the fellow who could persuade Mahatma Gandhi to buy a pair of plus fours. Everybody is hoping there is no omen in the fact that the numerals in 1930 add np to 13. People who are too busy, to take a vacation should learn frora/ihe lowly ant. Consider the ant- There is nothing busier than an ant, yet it always finds time to go on picnics.

NELSON'S DEATH

The remarkable claim that Lord Nelson committed suicide is to be put forward in a book shortly to be published (says the "Daily Mail"). The joint authors, two barristers, claim that biographers of Nelson have always held their telescopes to their blind eyes. They admit that Nelson was a genius, but claim that he tried to storm life and convent icn as if they were enemy* ships: The authors put forward the highly controversial claim that long before Trafalgar Nelson’s mind had played upon the idea of a spectacular suicide, and they, quote several intimate letters to Lady Hamilton. They describe bis eleventh-hour codicil to his will, and then Nelson's deliberate courting of death by parading in his brilliant and unmistakable uniform, although all bis friends begged him not to run this grave risk, but to cover his uniform, or. at least, th« tell-tale stars.

AIYTHrCAL AULLIONS

After 90 years it is learned that the "Fraenkel millions” are entirely mythical.

Jonas Fraenkel, a commercial counsellor, who died in Breslau (Germany) nearly 100 years ago, left a charitable endowment which was to include all members of his family. Some time after liis death the rumour arose that he had left a large -fortune to be divided among all persons bearing his name, and people. from all over the world have been induced to subscribe money annually in the belief that they may be entitled to part of liis estate. It has now become' known (says the "Sunday Despatch*”) that tin? will and a genealogical .tree are held at the District Court in Breslau, and that the parties interested are confined to direct descendants of Fraeukel and his brothers and sisters. Some time ago a - conference' was held at Warsaw of" • persons of the, name of Fraenkel, and it is alleged that the story of the millions -is brought up every* 20 years or so.

"BABY” CAR. FOR 16-STONE WIFE

With the appearance of Airs' Isabel T.' Mitchell in the Divorce - Court in New York the "Baby” Austin motorcar has finally won the precedence over the old -Ford .ear as a subject of funny stories in the United States The .wife .of a. millionaire ice cream manufacturer' is suing her husband for divorce and generous alimony on. the ground of . cruelty,. demonstrated by the fact that ho disposed of .two luxuriously appointed high-powered motor-cars and purchased in their stead a "Baby” Austin. In her petition (acording to -the New York correspondent of the "Daily. Mail”) she says that she tips the scales at 16st. 61b., and argues that'the replacing of the commodious motor-cars .by " a Baby Austin, is not -only- "verv impracticable,” but also an act of patent cruelty besides being .evidence of non-support” by her husband.