Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 2 July 1891, Page 4

MATRIMONIAL ADVERTISEMENT : ON A GRAVE-STONE. A widow, with fi decided objection to a •ife of solitude, had the following inscription placed on her late husband's tomb : " Sacred to the memory of Anacleto Tortellini, who died at the af-e of seventy-two. He leaves a young and amiable widow, to whom, owing 10 the difference in age, he acted the part o< . t second father." ALFRED'S DISLIKE OF INTRUDERS. Lord Tennyson is well known for hi" •ipprelicusion of being mobbed, and many stories are circulated in regard to this monoMania. One such Recount says that Lord Tennyson was taking a country walk with a friend, when, a fellow-creature was espied ip the distance. "We must turn back," says the poet, 11 that fellow means to waylay us." His companion persuaded him, however, to continue on their path. They caught up • o the enemy and passed him. He tooK no notice of them whatever. , " What an extraordinary thing," cried the irate poet ; " the fellow seems to have no idea who I am I" A MAMMOTH SPRING. - The largest and most wonderful spring of fresh water in the world is in the gulf coast of Florida, in Herdando county. : The. Wckowechee river, a stream large enough to float a small steamer, is made entirely of water spouted from this gigantic mineral well, which is Co feet in diameter and about 70 or So feet deep. Chemists who have analysed the water say that there is not a trace of organic matter in its composition, and that it is the most pure and fresh of any in America. A dime tossed into this spring ' cmi be seen lying on the bottom as plainly ; as in a glass of common well water. The steamer which makes regular excursion . trips up and down the Wekowechee is often ! floated into the cavity of the spring, but cannot be made to stay in the centre, as tho rising water forces it to the sides of the basin. The spring and a couple of thousand acres adjoining belong to two Chicago capitalists, who are making it a pleasure resort. OCEAN DEPTHS. i The greatest known depths of the sea ft in the South Atlantic Ocean, midway, between tl-e Island ol Tristan de Acunhaand the mouth.. of the lviu de la Plata. The bottom was then: 1 cached m a depth of ! 46.236 feet, e.vccc din^ l;y mnre than 17,000 ; i'--t the hfii-.lit i.i the !ul:ii-.-.t mountain in ! 1 ie woilil (iwertst;. In use North Atlantic j Jce'-.s, -ou'.h 01 Nfcwlfiiiiilhir-ri, soundings ! hs>- <i •.een u.iuie to a (J.-j>'.li 01 27,480 feet,, *..ii ; :.j tl^jiilis ol J4.CO lo 1 are reported south oi the l.tei'ttii!'la Islands. The average depth' of the Vacilic Ocean bet wetn Japan and Gali-f-rnia is a litllc over 12,000 leet; between CJiili rrid the Sandwich islands 15,000 feet ,". and Let ween Chili and New Zealand 9,000' f"-t. The average deptli of all the oceans 1 Is from 12,000 feet to 15,000 feet accordingto some authorities. Another calculation shows that il the surface of the solid earth, were regular, it would be covered with an ocean just two miles deep. THE INGENIOUS CELESTIAL. In China a traveller applying for a passpoi I is obliged to have the },ahn of his hand brushed over 'with line oil paint, and he then presses his hand on thin, damp paper, which retains a.n; impression of the lines. ' This is fo previ-ht transference of the passport, as the lines, pl'.no two hands are alike/ The Chinese police also keep similar impressions of the thumb s of criminals, as the European police l;eep photographs. The cunning" Chinonc, who claim the original discovery of all knowledge, have discovered that the impressions of no two person^" Uuimbs ate alike. The ctimirinl in China may shave, may wear a wig, may paint himself dark or fair ; lie may appear youn« and strong, or old and crippled : hut ha cannot alter the impressions ol his thumbs, v,]iich can at any time be traced v.v papor nnd compared with the impressions nlways kept in sale custody by the Cclcblhtl detective lorce. 'I HE HIGHLANDER'S HORSE. A Highi-ander wr.s r.nce obliged to go lo Glasgow upc-n business, and am jng other marvellous iliinns which there met his sight, he was- particularly struck with the appearance ot nn earthen jar in a shop window. • IJe inquired what this unknown . article mifcht be, and was iii.t'ornu'd that it was a mare's egg, which, i I placed beside the fire dining the winter, would infallibly produce a foal the ensuing spring. The price was moderate, and the.Highlahder determined to porsess the treasure, and thus become master of a horse. Having effected the purchase," he set out on his way rejoicing ; and, being tired, sat down on a heath y bank to lest ■himself. He placed his recent ac-' quisition beside him— but, «i!as! from its/ spherical lorm. it rolled down the hill, and, striking against a rock at the bottom, "was shivered. by the blow/ A bare which; had crouched beneath the stone, startled af the prash, sprang, and went oft with speed. The unhappy' Highlander gazed in an agony of despair after whitt he believed the emancipated quadruped, and then exclaimed with a bitter groan, " Wl\at a horse he would have been ! Hooch, if he was but twa .year auld, Sawton himself would not catcb him." SHOULD ANIMALS SMOKE ? The Curator of one of the Home zoological gardens has been trying the effects of the fragrant weed on various. denizens of. the gardens, with results which are as novel as they are undoubtedly amusing. Chief among the subjects, o) his experiments was the brown bear. He declares that the "common brown bears" are genuine enthusiasts for tobacco. . , . "AVhen I -puff my cigar smoke into Wieir cage," he remarks, "they rush to the front, rubbing their noses and backs against the bars through which the smoke has penetrated." The Curator, with some temerity, once experimented on the lion. The creature was asleep, and this was the moment selected for puffing a volume of tobacco smoke in his face. Did he at once wake up with a savage growl, lash his tail, and, springing at thebars, shake the massive iron ? Not at aIL He awoke and " stood on his legs," which seems a natural enough attitude to adopt, and '' sneezed powerfully." Then he quietly Jay down and " elevated, bis nose, as i/ asking for a second dose." It may be news to some naturalists to hear that goats, stags, and llamas all devour tobacco and cigars with remarkable satis- . faction. It is certainly somewhat a waste of the material to let a prime Havana be " bolted" in one gulp by an antelope ; but the Curator •was actuated by a praiseworthy desire to discover scientific facts, and also by a wish to get on good terms with creatures whom it was his business to study. 11 1 made a personal friend," he writes, •• of an exceedingly malicious guanaco, or wild llama, by simply feeding him again and again with tobacco.' man knowi how good ht wMldbt If ht win Mmi othwr man.