HERE AND THERE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1628, 13 May 1903, Page 12

HERE AND THERE.

A. factory inspector was visiting some works the other clay, and saw a small boy at work whom he thought wad under age. He called him, and asked hiss, what his age was. The boy thought for a moment, and then answered: “I was thirteen three weeks before Jimmy Wilkins killed his last pig, and shall be fourteen next milking time.” Needless to say, the inspector passed on. * * *

Rendering home unendurable for the rest of his family by an insatiable passion for whistling, David Dunn, of New York, wfis brought before Judge Wyatt by his mother. Even in court no one was able to keep the hoy quiet, and he annoyed the judge by whistling all the popular airs of the day. He was committed to the hospital for inquiries as to his sanity.

Herd Avebury has coined a new word for geologists. In “The Scenery of England,” he remarks in regard to the northern districts, “rocks occur also manywhere.” Thus many where appears to be intermediate between the familiar gome where and everywhere, and possibly it may come into popular usage. * * *

f The Rev. W. F. Marwick, of Ansonia, Connecticut, was placed in an awkward predicament one Sunday recently by burglars breaking into his house in the early morning and stealing his clerical attire. Though the weather was bitterly cold he was forced to go to church' and preach in a; suit of white flannels.

During a shark hunt at Hawaii the captain of a ship, who was with four other men in a launch, buried his harpoon in a huge monster. The shark at once started seawards, dragging the boat with him. After enjoying the tow for several miles, the line had to be cut, as the shark showed no signs of giving in. ‘ A doctor tells a good story in connection with a lad who until recently was in his employ. It was part of this youngster’s duty to answer the surgery bell, and to usher the prospective patients into the consulting room. One morning, there presented himself at the surgery entrance a mechanic, with whom Buttons was on speaking terms. “Hullo, Jackson !” he remarked, “what’s the matter with you?” “Oh, 1 jqst want to see the doctor,” replied the visitor. “Have yer brought yer symptoms with yer 2” inquired Buttons, “ ’cos that’s the fust thing he’ll ask yer about. If yer ain’t brought ’em, ye’d better pop back an’ get ’em.” “And would you believe it p” adds the doctor, “that fellow was actually about to act on theboy’s advice when I entered the surgery I”

Fay Coffin, a nine-year-old boy, living at Mealdsbury, U.&.A., has lost an eye in-st peculiar manner. He Avas inside bis barn while a number of other boys outside were practising with bows and arrows, using a keyhole as a- target. Coffin peered out of the keyhole just as a well-directed shot sent a missile through it. The sight of his eye was destroyed.

The scene was a handsome dining room in one of the best houses in a fashionable West-End square. The. dinner, which was a grand success, was just ovei, leaving everyone pleased with the repast, and the company, especially the lovely hostess, whose coils of golden hair had attracted many admiring glances from the men and numerous envious ones from the ladies present. Dessert was on ‘the table, and was just about to be partaken of, when a rush of little feet was heard, and Master Freddy entered, with the nurse in close pursuit, he with a little box clutched close to his panting breast. “Whatever is the matter, nurse?” inquired the hostess. “Oh, ma,” interrupted the son and heir, nurse says I mustn’t have this box which your hair name home in. T may have—” But the hostess had fled.

Few people know that a man, bulk for bulk, is stronger than an ox, but it appears that such is the case. The matter was tested not long since at a fair in America, one of the attractions of which was a. contest of a yoke of oxen against an equal'weight of men. A drag was loaded with granite blocks, weighing in the aggregate 49591 b. The yoke of oxen that made the trial weighed 32201 b, and twenty men, allowing 1601 b to the man, were set against them. The men took hold of the drag first, and easily walked, oil with it, covering a distance of 95ft in the space of two minutes. The oxen at their trial moved only 85ft in the same length of time, and the men were accordingly declared winners. 0

On the banks of the Elbe a curious sight maiy frequently be seen in the summer. Men and women go there in the evening and light fires, near which they carefully spread capacious cloths. In a few minutes swarms of May lies hover around the fires, and are burnt in thousands, and fall on the cloths. Next day they are placed in a garden on a sunny spot, the result being that the bodies of the flies become thoroughly

parched. The flies are thpn ready for the market, and are sold for a few pence a quart to dealers in birds, who say that there is no better food for nightingales, robins and other feathered pets. * *!'■ ©

The town marshal of Elnora, in In. diana, was called to the telephone the other day by John Ketchem, a farmer, who lives eight miles away. “You have a warrant for my arrest,” shouted Ket~ cbem. “Please be good enough to read it.” The officer did as requested, and added: “Consider yourself in charge.” “Certainly,” replied Ketchem. “I plead guilty to being drunk and incapable.” The officer then called Judge Hastings to the telephone, who severely rebuked Ketchem. and fined him one halfpenny, and twopence costs. “Thanks,” came the reply. “Money shall be sent on by next post.”

- A writer, describing the Japanese railways, says when a native lady enters a railway carriage she slips her feet from her tiny shoes, stands upon the seat, and then sits demurely with her feet doubled beneath her. A moment later she lights a* cigarette. All Japanese people sit with their feet upon the seat. When the ticket collector opens the door to collect tickets he removes his cap, and twice hows politely. He repeats the how as he asks each passenger for his ticket.

Noah Raby, a coloured man, aged 132, was recently the guest of honour at the annual dinner of the Piscatawny (New Jersey) Workhouse. A menu of warm milk and soup had been specially prepared for him, and he partook of it with great satisfaction. The old-man retains all his faculties, and is in perfect health.

“Machinery. This side up. Handle with care,” read the inscription on a huge box dispatched by luggage train from New York to New Orleans. The lightness of the “machinery” aroused suspicions, and at a wayside station the box was opened. In it were found two men, with a week’s supply of food. They were taking a. cheap trip at freight rates to New Orleans in search of work.

A lady, who had a servant somewhat given to curiosity, inquired, on returning from a visit one afternoon: “Did the postman leave any letters, Mary ?” “Nothing but a post-card, ma’am.” “Who is it from, Mary P” “And do you think I’d read it, ma’am?” said the girl, with an injured air. “Perhaps not,” remarked the mistress, “but anyone who sends me? messages on post-cards is stupid or impertinent.” “You’ll excuse me, ma’am,” returned the girl, loftily, “but I must say that’s a nice way to be talking about your own mother.”

The desire to get business causes some European firms to make some ridiculous blunders. One of these, as related by a correspondent in Trinidad, is a good example. A maker of stoves and other apparatus for heating and warming purposes has been sending illustrated catalogues in quantities to that tropical climate, and the perspiring inhabitants have been reading about the ease with which you can be kept warm if you adopt these stoves, and have been wondering why the enterprising manrufacturer did not include a leaflet on skates and skating for their especial benefit.

There is a story current at Kuliang, Central China, about a tiger which gave trouble in that, quarter. A missionary and his wife had been worried by the tiger proAvling nightly around their home. They determined to get rid of it, and one night tied up a cow in the back yard and a dog at the front of the house. Then they armed themselves with guns and kept watch. The tiger appeared. The missionary fired and killed the cow. The wife rushed to see what had happened, and in her absence the tiger ate the dog.

Lightning rods are not made to the same extent as formerly, and there are signs that the invention of Franklin has seen its‘best days. It is vanishing from larger towns and from cities, while in country .districts it is> less largely employed. The. reason for this disappearance of a familiar* apparatus is given by an electrical expert; tk« great number of overhead wires to be found in all large centres serve to make the lightning rod superfluous, as they attract the lightning and take the sting out of it. * ® * ■» o «

At the old-fashioned inns and restuarants in Sweden it is customary to charge less for women than for men, on the theory that they do .not eat so much. At some hotels in Sweden a man and wife are charged as one and a half persons if they occupy the same room. A husband and a wife may travel as one and a, half persons by railway.

The strange sight of a man riding a hug© alligator across a lake was witnessed recently by a large number of tourists at the alligator farm at St. Augustine, Florida. At the close of this remarkable feat in navigation the man, to the amazement of the spectators, ordered the animal to go to sleep, w'hich it promptly prepared to do. * * *

Staring fixedly into the fire, Henry Glass, of Concord, United States, be-

came hypnotised, and thrust his hand and arm into the embers. He felt no pain, and, watched the flesh shrivel off the bones. His daughter, detecting tho odour of burning flesh,, rushed in and dragged him away. The man may die from the shock.

On coining out from the State prison at Trenton, New Jersey, after serving twenty-five years’ sentence, Herbert Jacobs was struck and injured by au electric car while tyring to cross tho road. He knew nothing of electric traction, which was introduced during his incarceration, and seeing no horses attached to the front of the car, concluded it was going away from him.

A naturalist recently witnessed an encounter between a large swan and a little brown duck. The duck had apparently insulted the swan by trying to cross its path, for it was suddenly seized by the swan and held under the water until he was sure it would be drowned. But at last the swan let it go, and sailed majestically away. - The duck, after taking breath, looked around to see where its enemy was, and seeing it not far off, it rose into the air and deliberately came down, flapping its wings, on the astonished swan’s back. The swan fled in terror, and the duck, apparently satisfied, quietly swam away. <3 * W

Paris has discovered a poet of extraordinary talent and precocity. The new versifier is a little girl, ten years old, named Antoine Coullet, whose first collection of poems has just been published, unknown to her, by M. Lemerre. The child is quite unconscious of her poetical gift, and her Verses are usually written in intervals between games with her yotunger sisters at skipping rope and playing with her dolls. Suddenly she will desert her playthings for a few minutes and scribble down the lines she has composed on such different subjects as the Lord’s Prayer and the Martinique disaster. Her compositions contain mistakes in spelling, and faults of grammar and prosody. But so eminent an authority as M. Francois Coppee has declared that if Antoine has written without assistance what has been submitted to him, she is no ordinary child.

M. Coston, a Paris police magistrate, has informed several people who were in the Avenue do Clichy recently that they have grounds for action against a dog, whose identity is at present unknown. A clothes dealer kicked the dog out of his shop. It knocked down a young woman who was passing with a jug of milk. She in turn upset ail elderly gentleman, and both were cut on the broken jug. The accident did not end here. A cyclist came upon the prostrate figures, and was thrown from his machine, spraining an ankle. To complete tho misfortune, a passing cart smashed his bicycle. The injured parties complained to the police magistrate, who advised them to proceed against the dog.

A naturalist lias been making observations in the toilets of certain ants. and has discovered each insect goes through most elaborate ablutions. They are not only performed by herself, but by another, AA'ho acts for the time as lady’s 1 maid. The assistant starts by washing the face of her companion, and then goes over the Avhole body. The attitude of the ant that is being washed is one of inense satisfaction. She lies down with all her limbs stretched loosely onit; she rolls over on her side, even her back, a perfect picture of ease. The pleasure the little insect evinces at being thus combed and sponged is really enjoyable to the observer. ff « « It is becoming quite fashionable in Worcester, Massachusetts, to take cats out for Avalks. A beautiful jyelloAV-haired Persian is a common sight in the streets, being led by its devoted mistress. The cat behaves like a dog in leash, frisking about its mistress and acting as though it thoroughly enjoyed the outing.

In one of the most fashionable churches at Comal, New York, the Rev. R. S. Brown refused to preach until the women removed their hat®. For a time no one moved. Then one of the society leaders quietly took off her bonnet. All ovei the church a rustling and fluttering instantly followed, and soon every lady m the congregation was bareheaded.

A curious belief prevails among the natives of Brazil and other parts of South America, which prompts them to fear a certain condition of the air, which they call “suicide wind.” It is not a superstition, but an actual condition of the atmosphere which seems to drive people to madness, and during its continuance self-inflicted deaths are numerous. Criminologists and scientists all over the world are interested this peculiar atmospheric influence, which is indicated by a soft, moist, warm air, that settles heavily on the earth.

Frost has the effect of making steel brittle, and this- must be a source of danger to cyclists who* ride featherweights. Any jerk or jar may bring disastrous results, and when, the ground is frozen hard it. is unusually lumpy. These facts are worth bearing in mind ;

for .although there are no statistics in connection with this matter, it is not- at all improbable that many cycling accidents that occur- during tho winter through the breaking of steel parts are directly attributable to tho action of frost, * * * The Great Desert of Gobi would fill the entire Mississippi valley, from tho Alleghanies to the Rockies. Upwards of 300,000 square miles of Arabia are an uninhabitable waste, while the terrible Sahara is vast enough to cover the whole United States.

The effect of spices used in food, as shown by experiments of Korcysnski, is to stimulate the movements of tho stomach, but they progressively impair the secretory functions and prevent * the formation of hydrochloric acid which, is necessary to digestion.

The telephone is in more general use in Sweden than in any other country. Rates average 1 dollar a month, and distance messages are eight cents for three minutes if under 100 miles. A reply is always forthcoming from the central station in about 10 seconds.

Tho fact that finely powdered coal or charcoal when blown into a combustion chamber burns much like gas has not resulted in its successful application because of the difficulty in pulverising them and because of the danger from spontaneous combustion.

New measurements .confirm the report that Mount McKinley, in Alaska, is the highest peak in North America.

The mechanical force, of the- sound emitted from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 cornets would equal but one horse power. * * * A pressure recorder attached to the rowlock of the racing shell will hereafter be nsed to determine the worlf done by each oarsman. * * * One cannot survive in an atmosphere, containing more than one part of carbonic acid gas to 233 of air. * * * One in every 38 Londoners is receiving pauper relief. In the country districts of England one in every 45 is a recipient of charity.

The method devised by Prof. Barus, of Brown University, for determining very high temperatures, as that of molten * steel in crucibles and of electric furnaces, is this: Two Avires, ono of platinum and the other an alloy of platinum, are joined at one end. This junction is placed in the body Ayhose heat is to be determined. BetAveen the other pair of ends, at any distance, is placed a galvanometer. Owing to the difference between the temperature of the first pair of ends and that of the second pair an electric current is set up and the deflection of the galvanometer needle serves to indicate tho amount of the difference in temperature. * * * The “Spectator” has been amusing itself by building a Liberal Cabinet In the air. Declaring that under present conditions the party is paralysed, it proceeds to suggest lioav _ things might be improved. Mi’ Asquith *■Avould be Prime Minister. We merely assert, and that Avithout fear of contradiction (says the “Spectator”), that a, Ministry with- Mr Asquith as Premier, Lord Rosebery as Foreign Secretary, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Haldane as Lord Chancellor, Sir Edward Grey as Secretary for War or the Colonies, and Sir Henry Fowler once more at the India Office would* command the confidence of the country, and ought to be able to reconcile the conflicting elements in the Liberal party. Sir W. Harcourt and Mr Morley are left out, as it is generally understood that, for Various reasons, both noiv consider themselves as outside practical party politics.

Siberia and Greenland, it is claimed, have both at some far distant period occupied a position on the earth’s surface that was tropical in every particular.

Russia, with a population of 127,000,000, has only 18,334 physicians. In the United States, with a population of about 75,000,000, there are 120,000 physicians.

Thirty-two per cent, of the boys and 37 per cent, of the girls in the schools of Chicago have defective vision, falling two-thirds below the normal, and this number grows steadily larger from the beginning to> the end of school life.

In Bulgaria the proprietors of a medicine, by which they claim to cure a specified disease, are liable to imprisonment if the medicine fails to produce the desired! effect.

The revised 'measurements made in Washington of Uranus, Neptune and Jupiter make Neptune smaller than Uranus and increases the diameter or Jupiter, by 1,500 miles*

The Aleuts are rapidly dying off Biince civilisation has led to changes 'to their* habits and clothing- The vices of our civilisation destroy every aboriginal people exposed to them.

In the elementary schools of Germany the bright pupils are separated from the stupid ones. Medical men do the sorting.

That the gas engine, large or small, is developed to an efficiency at "which it can rival tiie steam engine in reliability is now admitted.

Never, perhaps, was there a more long suffering husband than John Wesley, or a more intolerable shrew than his wife. Not content with torturing him by daily exhibitions cf an insane jealousy, dogging his footsteps like a detective, listening at keyholes ransacking his drawers and opening his letters, she was (says tho "Standard/’) subject to uncontrollable attacks ol passion, in which she would violently assault her husband, and drag him along the floor by his hair. And all the retaliation this despotism evoked was a mild expostulation, as

when in a letter to her ho wrote

dislike not having command of my own house, not being at liberty to invite my nearest relatives to so much as to drink a dish of tea without disobeying you. Attempt no more to abridge me of my liberty; then shall I govern you ■with gentle sway, even as Christ the Church.'” Even when, after exhausting all her efforts io drive her husband to dist-ractipn, she ran away from him, the only record of this crowning wrong is this entry in his diary:—“X liave not left her; I have not sent iifcv away; I will not call her back.” It is little wonder, however, that after s'ucli a matrimonial experience Wesley should have advised young men “to remain single for tho kingdom of heaven’s sake.”

There seems but little doubt that the term Britisher is an Americanism, and Professor Freeman, in his “Impressions of the United States,” writes that lie thinks the word arose during tho War of Independence, when the opposing

forces wore known as “American” and

British (not English); heaico Britisher .•was the natural substantive derived from British. An American has stated that there is a compliment in the term

Britisher, for the Americans speak of tho people of France, Germany, etc., as foreigners, and tho designation Britisher is to distinguish us from mere foreigners. -*** ' « » *

Professor Delbrueck, tlio well-known historian, was sentenced to thirty days’ imprisonment, with the alternative of a fine of £ls, for an article in his publication attacking the German Government's Polish policy;. The professor paid the fine.

English housewives may find a selfish satisfaction in the fact that their American sisters are, like themselves, confronted by the servant problem; and in an even a cuter form. In some respects they have boldly found a solution in “doing without.” But even in democratic America .serious efforts, we are told, are being made to revivify tlie dying race of domestic servants. Factory and shop girls were interviewed, and their evidence compiled by the Massachusetts Bureau of Labour showing that as servants the hours were too long, there was no training available, and they had no social life or position. The outcome promises some scheme comparable to the Guild of Household Dames, which not only trains women of good social position, but arranges the Lours of reasonable service, which permit of social relaxation. On each side of the Atlantic, too, a becoming uniform lias been chosen. In America eight or nine hours daily is considered ample for a seavant maid’s toil.

The suggestion that in future the dramatic author should write his own critique, with the manager to edit it, lias a precedent in fact. In September, 1859, there was produced at the Princess’s Theatre a version of Octave Feqillet’s “Roman d’un Jeune Homme Pauvre.” It was called “Ivy Hall,” and was written by John Oxetiford, the dramatic! critic of the “Times.” Tlie play was a .failure, and Oxenford made his review a most terrible slating of his own work! This was candour with a vengeance. “Ivy Hall” is also notable as affording Sir Henry Irving’s first appearance on a London stage, though its failure sent him back to the provinces for another seven years.

‘After eight years of hard work in his extensive episcopal province, the Bishop of Adelaide has gone home for a muchneeded rest. The see of Adelaide covers an" area of about twice the size of France, and nearly four times that of the British Islands, so that the bishop has a wide responsibility. Dr Banner was formerly chaplain to Bishop Bightfoot, of Durham, and edited that able prelate’s posthumous * works, a task in which he won*considerable credit. He has won the cordial esteem of all classes in South Australia, and soma -uneasiness is felt in Adelaide over a rumour that he may soon be promoted away from the State.