NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10009, 21 December 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEWS IN BRIEF.

France, it is said, is fasib becoming p nation of beer-drinkers. A quarter of each generation is said to die before attaining the ago of 17. One thousand tons of soot settle monthly on the 110 square miles of London. Lasb year it cost Greab Britain no leas than £5000 to combat tho locust plague of Cyprus. ... Nob less than 60,000 acres of land aro devoted to celery-growing in the United States. ~ , „ Cyclists who indulge in scorching in San Francisco parka aro remorselessly lasso'oed bv policemen. 'Persons born in spring are said to have a more robust constitution than those born at other seasons. There are 12,000,000 silk hats made annually in the United Kingdom, worth four millions sterling. The bouqueb senb to America from the gardens at Blenheim for the Duke of Marlborough's bride was 12fo in circumference. Doctors in Connecticut aro puzzled over a, lad of 15, who has grown 12in in two months, and requires to have bis hair cub twice a week.

In Scotch prisons last year 23 persons were releasod on medical grounds, and there wero 51 cases of insanity. Of the latter, 40 were discovered to be insane when committed, Tho celebrated preacher, Mr. Price Hughes, describes the West End of London as the most wicked, the most wealthy, and the most miserablo spot in the whole universe I

A British firm claims that with its outfit of cask-making machines a ci.sk has boon made from beginning to end—staves, heads, and —and put together in about Sve minutes. The newest market novelty in America is the tomato sausage. Ibis a delicate pinkish white, and tastes of sage and ripe tomatoes. It has made quite a hit in Portland and surrounding towns. Russia is going to send astronomical expeditions to the mouth of the Amoor River and to Nova Zembla, to observe tho total eclipse of the sun thab will bake place on July 27 of next year. The Queen's bounty has been applied foi on behalf of the wife of a bricklayer's labourer in South London, who gavo birth recently to fivo female infants, three of whom lived for a time. Owing to tho enormous influx of people of the artisan class to South Africa, the Government is going to improve tho thirdclass railway'accommodation and provide cheaper food ab the stations. The Commissioner of Police for London has issued an order instructing police officers thab any soldier taken into custody for any offenco must be convoyed in a cab, unless the distance is very short. Stout officers are unknown in the United States Army. No man weighing over one hundred and sixty pounds can join a cavalry regiment, while officers in the geueral service are liable to be retired for obesity. On a fine Sunday morning now, along the upper reaches of the Thames, one may see rows of bicycles and tricycles standing by the walls of rural churches, their owners having ridden to church in flannels or kneebreeches.

Naturalists have discovered a botanical clock in tbo Isthmus of Tehauntopec. _ Ib is a flower which in the morning is white, at noon red, and at nighb blue, alterations of colour being so regular thab the time ol day can be told from the tint of the flowor. The hottest mines in the world are tho Comstock. On the lower love's the heat is so greab that the men cannot work over ten or fifteen minutes at a time. Every known means of mitigating the heat has been tried in vain. Ice melts before it reaches tho bottom of the shafts,

The famous electrician, Mr. Edison, is ab present interested, in connection with some wealthy corporation managers, in a scheme for converting the hitherto useless culm banks in tho Pennsylvania coal regions into electrical power for tho supply of the city of Philadelphia. The lemon-groves of California havo proved a good thing for their owners this year. Tho crops havo been very hoavy. The product of groves planted ton years ago has brought in this season £700 an aero, and at least half of this sum is profit. Nog long ago California used to import lemons. It is dangerous to encloso tho bulb of an electric lamp in any fabric, however light ib may be. By this practice many fires aro originated. Experiment has shown that an incandescent lamp globo closely wrapped with paper, so that no air can pass between ib and the glass, will cause fire iu a very few minutes.

London's street namcß are aeoarceof endless confusion. There are now 151 Churchstreets, 129 Union-streets, and 117 Newstreets. British loyalty is shown in 9£ Queen, 95 King, and 78 Prince's-streets, while Royal names are borne by 119 John, 109 George, 91 Charles, S3 William, 8" James, and 57 Elizabeth-streets. An interesting discovory was recently made in the cathedral of Angers by a chance stroke of a workman's pick. Two leaden coffins in a vault have been laid bare, placed sido by side, and containing bones, a royal crown, a sceptre, and a globn of thin metal oxydißßd. The coffins were replaced, sheathed in an extra leaden envelope. A gentleman who was desirous of obtaining a seat in Parliament bethought him of a method of making his many qualities known to his intended constituents ab the recent election. He had prepared a phrenological chart of his head with all the best bumps' duly emphasised, and these maps were posted in the district which ho aspired to represent. Of all the peoples of Europe the French havo the fewest children and tho Irish the most. Tho average French family numbers 3'3 persons and the average Irish family 5 "2. In England the average is 4S, and in Germany it is 41. The Spanish and Russians closely approach tho Irish in prolilicnasj. Contrasted with tho French in Europe, tho French in Canada are the most prolific raco in Christendom.

The latesb public scandal in tho United States in connection with the construction of public buildings ab Sb. Louis, wli6ro the City Hall, which has taken some years to erect, is now pronounced unsafe. Alroady ib has cost £400,000, and expert engineers say that the iron columns entering into its construction are full of blow-holes, and will have to be removed.

A gentleman visiting Venico losb a valuI able diamond rim:, the other day, in a 1 curious manner. Whilo feeding the pigeons bhe ring slipped from his finger, and was instantly swallowed by ono of the birds. On putting out his hand to try and catch the pigeon, the whole flock flew away to the Dogo's Palace, the possessor of tho ring being losb in the crowd. An ingenious scheme of hci se-breaking has jusb boon detected in Glasgow. A new underground railway ia ab present in course of formation in the city, and ib appears that tho tunnelling operations have been used as a means of entering some shops in the principal thoroughfares. In this way one ironmonger has losb goods to the value of £100. A workman has been arrested, and much stolen property recovered. A laay, after living a life of penury, died in Ireland, recently, when ib was discovered that she possessed £17,000. She was thoughb to bo intestate, and the money was disposed of accordingly. Some time after an old servant discovered the lady's will in a family Bible which had fallen into her possession. The money, being willed to the Irish Church, has led to a lawsuit in Dublin. An old man has died ab Odessa leaving four millions of roubles to his four niecos. In order bo check anything like pride in tho fortunate ladies he stipulates that previous to receiving the money they are to work for 15 months either as domestics, ' chambermaids, or washertfomon. The ladies have gone into domestic service, and within a few weeks received nearly 1000 offers of marriage.

A new canal is about to be constructed in Canada from Lako Erie to Cornwall, for a considerable length of which the Niagara, river, Lake Ontario, and the St. Laurent will be used. The canal will be divided into two branches, one in tho direction ol Montreal, the other in the direction of Waterford. The cost of this scheme is estimated at £40,000,000, bub it is calculated it wilt increase the vuluo of farm lands in the sixteen Western States by some $25,000,000,