HERE AND THERE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1423, 8 June 1899, Page 12

HERE AND THERE.

■ GAS, NOT THE SERMON. The entire congregation of a Pennsylvania church became drowsy on a recent Sunday, evening and many went to sleep. Escaping gas from a stove in the basement was the cause. Four persons were so seriously affected as to require medical aid.—“ Christian World.''’ MR KRUGER LOSES MORE FRIENDS. To our great regret, it is no longer possible for us to take the defence of the Transvaal,, with the same ardour as before, when it was the victim of an un justified aggression. We also have had to recognise that the Government at Pretoria has done nothing to suppress the abuses of which the Uitlanders complain. —“journal des Debat s’’ (Paris). DOGS’ ELABORATE FUNERALS. Dogs ’funerals form the latest fashionable craze in America. Recent 1 y Mrs Leach held a funeral with a hearse and two coaches. The well-known financier, Mr Pierpont Morgan, whose bulldog had a glass eye, also gave a funeral. Something of a scandal occurred recently, when Mrs Fish endeavoured to bury her dog in Long Island cemetery. The pastor successfully opposed the interment. Review.” INCREDIBLE!” It is with a feeling of absolute stupefaction that the inhabitants of Brest learn-that the Minister of Marine has authorised Captain Jackson, English Naval Attache at Paris, to visit the naval establishments, there—that is to say, our naval port, (the arsenal, the artillery, the naval construction works, the barracks, and the ships! It is not stated whether Captain Jackson will also visit the plant! —“La Patrie” (Paris). AN INSURANCE MYSTERY. Henri Martin, a writer of scientific articles on suicide, was found in his room hanging from a cord, dead. _ His heirs are claiming insurance amounting to some 6000dols, and they plead that the journalist’s death was accidental, he having strangled himself when experimenting m the interests of science. The story is a remarkable one, and in the interests 01 the insurance companies is To be told m Court.—“lnsurance Guardian.” ’ AMERICA IN LONDON. ' ,d The American element in London this season is larger than ever.. It is a singu-, Jar, fact that London .now) looks' to the American element for its contribution to the programme of social gaiety. Some ol the best houses have been leased for the season by Americans, and their occupants are rdgfarddd by the London shopkeepers with affectionate interest.. It is computed that the Americans with social aspirations spend at least £2,000,000 during the season in London. —“M.A.P. ’ COLLECTORS' OF DOOR-KNOCKERS. For more than a week a gang of thieves has been. Systematically despoiling the houses in the neighbourhood of the Champs Elysees, Paris, of their doorknockers and bell-pulls during the night. The police took special steps to discover the thieves, and the other night arrested two men carrying a huge sack, which was found to contain seventy-eight knockers and c/bell-pulls, with many bronze and copper-plates:—“La Suisse” (Geneva). HOW THE VALET PROPOSED. The Countess Wyanoff, a Russian lady, who is related to many of the most noble families of St. Petersburg, and is rich, young, beautiful and charming, surprised one of her valets in the act of passionately kissing a photograph of herself. Far _ from upbraiding him and showing him the door, she fell on his breast and abandoned herself to his embraces. The same evening the couple left St. Petersburg, and have just been married at Berne.—“L’Eclair’ (Paris). " ONLY ONE END POSSIBLE. We cannot say that we feel such confidence in real reform of the franchise resulting from Mr Kruger’s assurances. He is probably, however, quite sincere when he says that his old burghers will not let him ,make concessions. They feel as the Lords did in 1832 when tney were asked to pass the Reform Bill. Of course, there can only be one end, and the longer the franchise is withheld the more complete will be the ultimate transfer of power from the burghers to the Outlanders. —“The Spectator.” A HOPEFUL DAWN. Last year will be memorable in our commercial annals as the first in which our export trade exceeded that of Great Britain. . Politically ,it will be equally memorable as the year in which the nations first really came together in recognition of the principle that their true line of policy henceforward is to act together for the world’s peace and progress, in which their own is necessarily bound up. It is the dawn of something more than a St. Martin’s summer of amity between us, and is not to be overclouded by. a successful exploit of commercial rivalry or even a disputed Alaskan boundary.l“New York Tribune.”

ALL FOR ENGLAND OR RUSSIA. Why should Austria join in the competition of the Powers for a place in China Every thoughtful politician must realise that England or Russia will in the end be the only gainers. What France and Germany and Italy are now colonising will inevitably be “grabbed” bv one or them, whichever gains the final ascendency.—“Tagblatt,” Vienna. SUIT BY A HALL BEAUTY. Mrs L. E. Houghton, 936, North Halsted, has sued Mrs Gervase Graham, a Michigan avenue “beauty doctor, ’ before Justice Underwood, for 200dols for wages Mrs Houghton had one half of her face made beautiful while the other naif was left- wrinkled, in order to adorn Mrs Graham's shop window. She claims that after she had undergone the necessary torture Mrs Graham refused to give her employ me n t.—‘ ‘ Chicago Heralcl. ’ NEW NAVAL COMBINATIONS. The naval re-union at Cagliari is of the highest importance, for it is destined to bring about new naval combinations. If M. Delcasse succeeds in forming a naval alliance with Italy, it will be a much greater triumph than that gained by England over the Fa-shoda question. The Emperor William cannot look with indifference upon the political ‘'rapprochement” between Italy and France; and, above all, England will no longer have her ally in the Mediterranean to whom Lord Salisbury recently referred.— “Popolo” (Rome). s A HARD MAN. A number of leading physicians, and scientists of Munich are now studying the unique case of a young man named Schwarz, who is suffering from a kind of ossification of the muscles. He has suffered from it for years, and his back has now become quite rigid, and presents the appearance of a statue, the, muscles standing out hard and immovable. His jaws also are fixed, and it has been found necessary to extract four teeth to allow a tube to be inserted for the purpose of feed ing the patient. Mr Schwarz is married to a young Berlin lady, who appears not to have been afraid of marrying so hard a man. —“La Suisse” (Geneva). A RARE OPERATION. One of the rarest operations known in surgery was recently performed in Plainfield, N.J., by Dr Brewer and Dr Ard, upon Mrs G. L. Henry, for cancer of the throat, an operation necessitating the removal of the larynx, with all the vocal organs and surrounding affected tissues. Mrs Henry is doing well, no serious symptoms haring arisen, and her complete recovery is expected. As soon as Mrs Henry has recovered sufficient strength an attempt will be made to fit a silver larynx in her throat, with slender, vibrating reeds to supply the voice, which was entirely lost by the excision of the vocal organs.—" New Y~ork Herald.” ONE DAY’S WORK. It is not often that we find such a list of suicides as the which occurred in Paris in a single day:—A young widow, who had been for a long time out of work, suffocated herself and two children; an old couple also suffocated themselves; a young woman of twenty-one threw herself out of a window ; a commissionaire of twenty-eight also adopted this last method an elderly man threw himself into tne Seine. ? Besides these, a married couple named Lelong, the husband a chorister at the Opera Comique, the wife a dressmaker, are alleged to have attempted suicide by suffocation at 11, Rue des Francs-Bour-geois. Although found alive, and taken to the hospital, their case is believed to be hopeless.—“ Daily Messenger” (Paris). AN INTERRUPTED SERMON. Just after the rector of Manaton, Devon (the Rev J. C. B. Sanders) had commenced his sermon on Sunday morning, he saw a gentleman on a visit to the parish taking notes of the discourse. Stopping in the midst of a sentence, the rector asked, “Are you taking notes of my sermon, young man P” “Yes, sir,” was the reply. The rector: “Then if you don’t stop, I shall.” The visitor said it was a public place of worship. “Very well, then,” replied the rector, who began to close his book. The visitor thereupon said he had no wish to cause a disturbance, and would put his note-book away. The rector said he thought the visitor was very rude. He then proceeded with his sermon. “Devon and Exeter Ga. zette. RAISING THE DEAD.

The newspapers are commenting upon a reported case of Professor Tuffier, in which it is said he restoreu a dead man to life by opening the thorax and manipulating the heart . The report is naturally more startling to the lay mind than to the medical reader ; for we well know that until certain chemical changes take place in vital tissues, they are not absolutely and functionally dead beyond the possibility of resuscitation. Many physicians can recall cases of revival after apparent dissolution, by continued artificial respiration, injection of stimulants or saline solutions, or some other measure of the kind. Professor Tuffier’s case is, nevertheless, if correctly reported, a striking one, and may rank as a justifiable physiologic experiment on the human subject.—" Journal of the American Medical Society,” Chicago.

THE CAPE TO CAIRO LINE. It Acould be folly to suppose that the projected railway from Cairo to CapetoAvn would be a financial success during the present; generation. But such an achievement produces successes other than that of mere monej'-making: successes of civilisation, of culture-spread-ing, of patriotism. —“Neuc Freic Presse,” Vienna. A MUNICIPAL DAILY PAPER. A daily morning noivspaper in the city of Dresden, the “Dresden Advertiser,” was left by the will of its late proprietor to the authorities of that city, on condition. that- all the profits arising therefrom should be spent upon the public parks of the city. This year a large pleasure park of nearly eight acres was purchased out of the profits from Prince George, the King of Saxony’s brother, and heir apparent, and will be ready for use next spring.—“ Boston Traveller.” SEAFOWL CAUGHT IN MACKEREL NETS. The other night Avhiie Mousehole men were pulling in their mackerel nets in Mounts’s Bay sea they were much surprised to find, instead of mackerel, a large number of birds meshed., These winged creatures, Avhich are of the “Mir” species, dive a little way below the surface in search of small fish. It is not unusual for three or four of these birds to get entangled in the mackerel nets during a night’s drift. But on this occasion one boat had fifty-one, another twenty-two, and most of the fleet a fair share! Many say that such a capture of sea-birds has never been knoivn previously.—“ The Cornishman.” LORD ROSEBERY’S YOUNGEST - DAUGHTER, When the Lady Peggy Primrose was asked by the Earl of Crewe to become his wife she did not consent outright, but sensibly took four days to consider. This was wisely done, because there are many considerations to be taken into account when a girl is asked to marry a man with a daughter as old as herself. I mean as old' as- the proposed bride, for Lord Crewe's eldest daughter is the same age (eighteen) as Lady Peggy. This engagement has renewed the old story that the Earl of Rosebery is to marry the Princess Victoria of Wales. There is also a revival cf the other old story that the Princess is to marry Prince George of Greece. Of the tivo I would regard Lord Rosebery ae the more probable, not only because of the known desire of the Princess to wed an Englishman or not at all, but further because Lord Rosebery occupies in his relationship to the family of the Prince of Whiles very much, the same position that was occupied by the Earl of Fife before he married the Princess Louise of Wales. The great objection to Lord Rosebery being allowed to marry the Princess Victoria has always been that he is a AAndower, but this is mitigated by the suggestion that he will have both his daughters married before liis mgagement. It should not be forgotten that Lady Peggy is Lord Rosebery’s youngest daughter. Lady Sibyl is tAvo years her senior, while her two brothers are two yea re younger than Lady Peggy, having both been born in 1879. TOLSTOI AND lIIS FAMILY ESTATE. Mr Tchertkoff. late Secretary to Count Leo Tolstoi, and now one of. a group of exiles in Essex, explains to an interviewer in this month’s “Young Man” something of the family relationships of the great Russian. He said : You must bear in mind that Tolstoi was married before he formed his present opinions. His Avife is rich, and she by no means shares his vieAvs. She has, in fact, not the slightest sympathy with them. The Countess figures in the society of Moscoav, and lives as ostentatiously as she pleases, quite regardless of Avhat people may think. She has Avith her, too, nearly all the children—only two out of the eight, both daughters, having any sympathy Avith their father. Soon after his marriage, Tolstoi made over to his wife the sole rights of certain books, Avhich were then, and still are, of considerable value. Since changing his views, hoAvever, Tolstoi has renounced some of his earlier works, with which he does not now fully agree• and iie has, of course, refused to receive anj' payment for his literary work. Once his books are published, they are common property, anybody can print them. After his “conversion” he applied this rule to all his old books over Avhich he had control. His Avife, however, declined to relinquish the interest in the Avorks Avhich he had given her, and she still receives money from these books, though she knows it is strongly against her husband’s wishes. That is the kind of treatment Tolstoi endures m his oaaii home.

It can hardly be called a home, in fact; Tolstoi is simply a guest in his wife’s house. But he is devotedly attached to his Avife, and he is always so perfectly contented that he forgets the little ironies of home life and the petty persecution to which he is subjected, and is quite happy. As wealth goes in Russia, the family are very well-to-do. They derive a large income from several estates in the possession of the Tolstoi family, and years ago Tolstoi made over all his property to his wife and children, each child receiving fivo hundred pounds a year, save one daughter, Avho refused it. She shares her father’s vieivs, Avhich forbid the holding of unnecessary property and indulgence in luxury. Tolstoi himself has neither money nor property.

BAPTISED TWENTY-SIX TIMES. A pauper woman in Paris has been convicted of having had her child baptised fourteen times as a Catholic ami twelve times as a Protestant, for the ’ inpese of securing five francs' and a dress- each time.—“ Public Opinion” (New York). , BABIES AT A PREMIUM. Mail advices from Madagascar state that the French authorities are collecting a tax of lofr cn every unmarried male native over twenty-five .years of age, and of 7)fr on every native Avoman over twenty-on years of age who has not a tAventy-one years of age who has not a natives borrow children when the tax collector arrives, and return them to their parents as soon as the tax collector has gono cn.—Dalziel. A PALACE OF SALT 1 . Something new and fresh in the way of palaces is to be erected in Salt Lake City shortly. Cities in a. cold climate erect ice palaces, but Salt Lake intends to putup a salt palace. Millions of tons of salt rock are available, and a committee already appointed is tc meet to-moriOAv night to complete the arangements. It is said that there are no difficulties in the Avay of making the proposed palace entirely of salt.—“ New York World.” A TOWN OF OCTQGE.v ARIANS. . Chipping Ongar, a little Essex .town, with a population of about 800, appears to be specially favoured iii regard to the longevity of its inhabitants. Dr Wi 0. Clark, AA'h o has been personally investigating Die facts bearing upon this theory, has found that in the one street of which Ongar can boast there are now living twelve persons, four of them ladies, Avhose united ages total 1032 years. One is 93, one 90. one 87, two 86, tivo 84, three 83, and one 81.—“ Birmingham Post.” THE BLOOMER HEROINE. Viscountess Harberton, who has come before the public so prominently in the rational dress agitation, has a very young appearance, although she has been married for two-and-thirty years. She is the only daughter of the late Mr WallaceLegge, of Malone House, County Antrim. Lord Harberton is an Irish peer, and the sixth holder of his title. Lord Marberton is of kin to the great Duke of Wellington—one of his ancestors, Henry Colley. was a brother of Lord Morniiigton, the duke’s father.—'‘Westminster Gazette.” A WILY HINDOO LAW STUDENT. Peas are proverbially alike, but- net more so than “ nigger” law 'Student*!. And when each wears ast radian' hair, gold spectacles, and a Stewart tartan neck-tie, Dize Manik Lai is as like Dadabhoy Jamshedji as any two men in iron masks. This fact is not lost on a wily Hindoo laAv student. This bright young mind has, it is said, taken several scholarships at’ Lincoln's Inn under, bis own name. He, noAv, for a consideration is Avilling to temporarily adopt the series of consonants which form the name of any gentleman Avith a similar colour scheme’, and in his improper - person goes up for and successfully passes the examinations of the Council of the Bar.—“ The Phoenix.” TI-IE NAVAL~ENGINEER.S. (Tune: “The British Grenadiers.") We’ve throned the British Navy As Mistress of the Seas, She needs must lead the Iron-clad breed In armoured days like these. But Avho have pushed her farther In the forefront of her peers, Than those heroes true with the stripes of blue, The Naval Engineers? From “stoker” to “artificer,” From “engineer” to “chief,” They silent plead for jusier meed And none Avill grant relief. To others fall the victory’s palm, The glory and the cheers And aa’lio shall dare deny their share To the Naval Engineers ? —“The Outlook.” HOW THE ENGLISH “LIVE!” Terrible priA-ations were shown to have been endured by an old woman named Mary HeAvitt, at Tonbridge, Avhose dead body Avas found by the side of her bed by some neighbour’s. Since the death of her husband she had been put to sore straits, but refused to go into the workhouse, saying that she Avould rather die first. A small pittance was alloAved her by the parish authorities, but after she had paid for her room she had only 6d left for food and firing. She existed practically on parsnips and potatoes, and suffered fearfully from cold during the recent- severe Aveather. A district visitor found her very ill, but she refused to be moved. A doctor was sent' for, but on the folloAving day she was discovered dead. Dr Carvell testified that death had been brought on by cold and want of food. It Avas, he said, a fearfully cold night Avhen he suav the deceased, and the room Avas absolutely unfit to lu-e in. Mr Thomas Buss, the coroner, made some very strong remarks' as to the condition cf the house in which the old woman had lived. It was a matter for the local authorities, but such a discreditable state of things should not be allowed to exist.