COSTLY 'XMAS CRACKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14250, 22 December 1909, Page 6 (Supplement)

COSTLY 'XMAS CRACKERS.

A single Christmas cracker costing £400 seems a stupendous luxury, yet that sum was paid by a millionaire some time back for what was probably one of the smallest crackers ever made. It. was of gold, modelled in the form of a wheat-sheaf, measuring four inches long. In the middle of the sheaf was a small cavity covered by a hinged door, and within this was placed a gold ring set with pearls. The record for size is probably held by the cracker which was built for a wealthy man in the north of England. This monster specimen stood, thirty feet high. It had a lattice framework, and was built round a centre pole upon a substantial wooden base. This base was hollow in order to admit of the storage of electric lighting batteries. A detonating arrangement, worked by means of a cord, passed from apex to base, and when it exploded the cracker was lit up bv a large number of electric lamps. It. was filled with sweets, caps, and toys of all kinds, and a spiral staircase running round the structure enabled the men in charge to hand down the toys. Another monster cracker was that once seen on tho Drury Lane stage. From end I to end it measured seven feot.

Sine a song of sandwiches, Gut them nice and thin, Spread the butter thickly, Tnclt the meat well in. Take them to the party, And mind they eat them early; For when they're fresh they're nice and flat. But when they're stale they're curly.