OUR MAIL BAG.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1037, 24 May 1902, Page 4

OUR MAIL BAG.

NEWS FKOJI EVEIIYWHEKIi

I'ENNY-IN-TIIE-fl.O'l SKEI.K'I'ONH.

llontgen rays have at length attained the popular distinction of " a penny in the slot." Self-acting apparatus are now lixed in public, so that for a coin those who are curious about their skeletons may see the bonea of their hands in a lluoroscope or Iluoroscent screen. A IIOOKI.KSS J.IIIBAHY. McKeersport, Pennsylvania, has a bookless library. The fino stone building was erected with the £10,01)0 Andrew Carnegie gave, but the entire donation was used to build the library, as the directors expected Mr Carnegie would give more. He has doclined to do this, and the board has no money to buy books, and begins to fear that the library' may never open. MOITXTMXS TO ORDER. Minors are said to be getting dissatisfied with the absence of mountains and other agreeable eminences in their local scenery, and some enterprising spirit has proposed that an eligible site for mountains should be chosen and a picturesque chain of them forthwith constructed out of the more "solid constituents of the city refuse." If this delightfully Teutonic idea is adopted, the effect of these rugged crests of sardine tins and discarded German sausages will certainly be novel and unhackneyed. REALISTIC !

Recently the daughter of the postmistress Maygar-Czernya was called to the public telephone, when she heard the voice of her jealous sweetheart (GustavTibold), who, from the town hall of Taha, telephoned the alarming message: " Would you like to hear how I shoot myself ?" Scarcely were the words ended when the girl heard the sound of a shot, and subsequent inquiries revelled that the young man had killed himself in the manner he had indicated.

A HUGE WORM. While some pile-driving work was being done recently for the Weymouth Corporation, it was necessary to draw an old pile, and on landing it on the quay a live worm was found attached to it - 2:) ft long, and about the thickness and color of an ordinary earthworm. The head is blunt, and slightly llattened like the head of a snake.

I'OPCUIt U'SI'HEOS CARTS.

A new and practical arrangement for providing mason.? and other building laborers, coachmen, errand boys, policemen, and so on, with cheap food and non-alcoholic drinks has been call'(I into being by the Ueiih section of the German Socety for Popular Hygiene. At stated hours special carts pass through the streets and dispense .sandwiches. bread and butter, the sausages so dear to the German palate, tea, cocoa, coilee, and soup, all, of course, at the lowest possible prices. .icsnc'i: uv tixkl'Hiis'k. A justice of the peace for WiMie, in Ken tucky, having left that town on urgent private business, was, on arrival at a hotel in Mount Vernon, ten miles away, summoned to the telephone. It seems that the Wilde police had arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, a man named Dickerson, who demanded (as entitled by the laws of the State) an immediately adjudication on his case. The justice thereupon listened to the case through tbe telephone, heard the defence of the accused, and promptly fined him fifty shillings, which was as promptly paid.

NOT APNUtCUTID. A London newspaper proprietor offered tra* vaccination to its entire composing andv printing stall, with payment of wanes to any W who had to go off work, and also a guarantee ■ to keep situations open for those who caught ™ smallpox. The offer has been declined. In Glasgow once, the proprietor of an engineering shop proposed to erect a huge lavatory provided with soap and towels, to that the workmen could wash tbeir hands beforegoing out to meals. The proposal was laid before the men for discussion, and the idea was abandoned because some of the employee! could not see where the advantages to tbem came in. They thought there should bo some increase of pay under the circumstances!

" THIIEE CHKKIIK Hill TUB I.IMKS." It was raining hard, in the London streets, and the three l'rotestant ladies were looking out for a shelter, when suddenly they espied a Catholio church. They entered, and found that High Mass was being performed. The priest, who was the embodiment of courtesy, looked round and saw that the ladies were not accommodated with scats, and whispered to the attendant, " The chairs for the Protestant ladies." It was the kindliest of thoughts, but the priest wished it had never occurred to him, when the attendant stood up in the church and shouted, " Throe cheeri for the l'rotestant ladies !" The damage was done, the cheers were cheered, and nothing could efface the memory of tbem. Ever afterwards the thought of them made the good priest shudder.

11ATIIH l-OK IIAKKBS. The acme of hygienic precaution is roached in tho regulations of a noted German baking company. Some of the rules laid down for the workmen are worthy of note and contrast strangely with the reports on private bakeries which have been so frequent of late years. Every man must submit to a medical examination, paid for by the company. When be comes he takes a bath, and then dresses for his work in a suit provided by the company, the laundrying of which is done at its expense. Every loaf is wrapped in glazed paper, so that neither the retailer nor driver handles tho bread. All the Hour is gifted, mixed and kneaded by machinery, the water used being filtered and deodorised. The kneading is done by a system o[ plungers. An Archimedean screw constantly throws tbo dough undor tbem. Practically, the biead i» not handled from the time it is Hour until hN» comes out of tho oveus, when it is wrapped | by dainty women and is ready for the Bhop. J