NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1983, 29 May 1919, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Sir Walter Raleigh is supposed to have brought the first potatoes to England, but they wore actually introduced by Sir Henry Hawkins in 1505 from Santa Fe, New Aiexico. Fitly English girl carpenters engaged for several years past in building huts for (he British soldiers in Franco, have returned home with the intention of following their newly-learned trade. The six bells of Westminster Abbey, whieh have not been rung as a peal since the coronal ion of King George, are being increased in number to eight, and will be ready to ring in the peace. The world’s motoring record for the mile-and kilometre from a Hying start has been broken at Florida, the official time for the mile being 24.02 seeondss, and for the kilometre 15.8 G seconds. An unique structure in the Norwegian city of Bergen is a large church built entirely of paper which has been rendered waterproof by a solution of quicklime, curdled milk, and white of eggs. To British and American tourists Versailles is most interesting as the place where, on November 30th, 1782, the preliminary articles of peace ebtween Great Britain and the United Stales were signed by Benjamin Franklin,. A little Californian girl recently released a toy balloon with her name and address attached. She received-a letter through the post some time afterwards, stating that the balloon had come down after floating more than 125 miles through the air. ihe British army has lost one 12-inch gun. It was started for Dunkirk, but it never arrived. Alen of the army declare somebody has taken it for a souvenir, and consider the possibility of its reappearing, some day in the front yard of some American millionaire.