GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14525, 12 November 1910, Page 5 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

. TWIN-ENGINE AEROPLANE. Piloted by M. Sonimer, the first v aerop«lggg plane to be driven by two motors lately g| made a successful flight at Douzy^

" SILENCING" AN OFFICER. ; Four hndred of the Corps of Cadets "ait-M the Military Academy at West Point are practically under arrest in their rooms, for administering "silence" to Captain JLangan, their tactical instructor, during v supper one evening. "Silence" ie railing from talk during the presence of aH : unpopular officer in the dining-room.

BRIDE OF TWELVE. " Jennie Trammel, who is 12 years old, wad married recently, at Denver (Col.) to Mr. James M. Taylor, who is 25 years her senior. By this marriage, Mr. Taylor be-i comes the husband ■ of his brother's stepdaughter and the brother-in-law of his wife's mother, as well as the husbanad of his own niece by marriage. The ceremony was peri formed by Magistrate Morris, in the pre* sence of the girl's mother and her step* father, who gave their consent.

SOUTH AFRICA'S NEW STAMP. Supplies of the special j' postage stamps which is to be issued in commemoration, off? the Union of South Africa "were sent to t Pretoria from London on September 5.i lb; was designed in South Africa, will of j dark blue, and of the value of 2£d. Thai head of King George makes the central figure, and at the corners are the coats of arms of the Cape and -Natal, and-the-, shields of the Transvaal and Orange Free* State. '' .

NOVEL HATPINS. " 7 Hatpins big enough to hold girls' pow* > 'A : der-puffs are the latest novelty produced by? the manufacturing jewellers of New York. .-"-.;. So huge are some of the new designs that v K the ornamental heads have hinged lids- ■."£■, When the lid is lifted the powder-puff is ~£ disclosed. Inside the surface of the lid - 7 ■? also contains a tiny mirror. The most, pen •! pular pins now represent roosters, phea-r sants, and owls, in gold, silver, or rhine -■; stones and imitations. In some designs ■'.'■'.■\ipthe rooster, from comb to claws, is three inches long. - --uS£

A BREACH OF ETIQUETTE. The appearance of Field-Marshal Lore? Kitchener at the recent army manoeuvres in civilan dress, is a matter (says a London correspondent) which has raised a consid* ' - erable amount of comment. It is against*j-t';'Ml both regulations and precedent for an offi* cer on full-pay, even as a spectator,- ta be present at army manoeuvres in plaint clothes. Field-Marshals the Duke of Con* naught, Lord. Roberts, and Sir . Evelyn;/ : Wood, to say nothing of many other distinguished generals, were all present in uni- '; form, and into this dignified official throng came Lord Kitchener in £weeds A smiling; : | and youthful looking. i

HOW MAN IS MADE. At the International Physiological Com gress at Vienna Professor Charlesßßichert r ; of Paris, said that modern science had produced a new chemistry— the chem- ; %j istry of "imponderableness." Although wer ; were only at the beginning, certain con-> elusions , could already be foreseen; it led!: us to the physiology of individuality. For' every person differed not only mentally but in chemical constitution from his heigh- x ' v bour.',. Every illness, every form of poison*! .: ing,' produced in the blood definite" sub- ' stances leaving traces which not .even'"years-';.|:;@ would efface. Every living being was, perchance, a chemical mechanism and nothings :'■ more. . ''■'."' ' - /;'/iSf

LONG ODDS. v " Not quite so good as 3490 to I,' but faif enough odds all the same, are 669 to 11 The . great advantage also of the latter has beeni. that the horse which started at them won. In the former case one solitary Bportemaor backed Flying Tod at that pretty pricey but Flying Tod did not reward his sporting ' ' _■■ bid to fortune. In the present instance, a filly, La Manche, not only .started at?' 669 to 1, backed by seven sportsmen at the' 1 , price, but came in first. Her fanciers accordingly pocketed 6669f. for lOf. at the totalisator booths, or about £266 12s : fop ; 7s 6d. The race was a selling stakes, at a>> French meeting, and La Manche was after-< wards bought for £620 'by one of her seven* lucky backers, a London financier. '■[. "

£30,000 FOR HOME RULE. " t -_ The united Irish League Convention wa*%;;;;Jp recently brought to a close at Buffalo with : /*Si|| a remarkable demonstration of devotion to the Motherland and "of fealty to the leader* of the Nationalist movement. The contri- ' bution of 100,000 dols. (£20,000) promised, " was raised to 150,000 dols., (£30,000) by re- ; '|S?: solutions of the committee, and within half an hour the amount paid in and the pledges) ' given represented a sum of £151,000 dols-' " '-' (£30,200). While the secretary was record* ing the pledges, many of the delegates, in ■ . ,i, r their enthusiasm, several times doubled or' -l trebled their original subscriptions. la : spite of a previous refusal, Mr. M. J. Ryan accepted the offer of the presidency of thou : |;; ; League, and was re-elected.

SENSITIVE SUFFRAGISTS: ' ''; v " /: There wore strange scenes at the Cart« den Hippodrome during the performance y¥ :'i of a comedy sketch called "H.M.S. Per- ..'.-" haps." Part of the plot is the discovery, of a number of suffragists, who are in hid-1 ". :j ing on the deck of the battleship, and who i . ; on being discovered are flung overboard: ' ~.;•; without ceremony. Some half-dozen suffra- :- ' gists, who occu]jpd seats in the front.of _.';} the hall rose from their seats and loudly -"- '-! protested against the rough handling which. 4/« their sisters in the play received, and re-: ■;'<{[ fused to be shouted down by the audience.- _ '; As the women persisted in their -protests ; the police were called in, and the interrupters were - forcibly ejected.' They offered!. - \ great resistance, however, and clung v with} might and main to.■the;orcbest»--TJuling& i il?WtfS - • -■" - 1 " " '

SURPRISE MOBILISATION. :' ; At a late hour the other evening sudden i - orders were issued for the instant mobilisa-. tion of the men and officers of the de- - > stroyer flotilla lying at Portsmouth to inn - ]? mediate sea-going strength. . Considerable - '* surprise and excitement were caused, as not ~ only were cyclists and foot messengers de-< : spatched all round the town 7 but the orders Jfor mobilisation were also read from; the - .J----stakes of the various places of amusement-. i Within a couple of hour* of the issuing of the order the flotilla was ready for sea. The mystery was then explained, as the assembled crowds saw that tibe boats did not rleave the harbour. It vras simply »'«"* £$ prise mobilisation to test the rate of get-..'. ting the crews together, and its result may, ' -* *. be "considered very satisfactory.; ""-"':;