ECHOES FROM ODD CORNERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5731, 28 October 1905, Page 9

ECHOES FROM ODD CORNERS.

(Collated By “‘Wili-o’-thoAVisp.”) I plucked a quill from Fancy’s wing And swiftly wrote, “Reign, lovely Spring.” It rained! I turned my Muse to gently sing la accents sweet. “Hail, gentle Spring.” It hailed ! Dancing masters in the Old Country have decreed that in future there is to bo more dignified decorum at balls. Humping in tho quadrille is tabooed, and tho proceedings are to be conductmore like tho old-fashioned minuet. A Bishop once entrusted a reporter at a Church Congress with manuscript of a sermon ho was about to deliver in tho principal place of worship in the town. Finding it necessary to make considerable alterations in tho discourse, tho cleric afterwards sought the reporter, and informed him of what had happened. “I cannot help it, my lord,” replied the knight of the pencil. “My report of your sermon was dispatched by telegraph some horn's ago.” “But I felt out a good deal of what appears in tho manuscript,” pleaded the Bishop. •‘Yes, my lord,” rejoined the reporter, “hut I’m jolly well sure you didn’t leave out half as much as I did.”

A Home paper states that in Cheshire nowadays it is impossible to sell houses fronting tho main roads, owing to the dust kicked up by motor cans. It is impossible to keep tho houses as clean as they ought to be owing to motor dust-storms. Leaving windows open during the night to let in fresh air to sleepers has had to be discontinued for the same reason.

Lord Fanham is a motorist and a polo player. According to tho “Motor News/’ on a recent occasion bo was driving to Mullinger to play in a match, and while running along a bog road incautiously turned to adjust the polo sticks, which were rattling in the tonneau. The result was that he swerved off the road, and plunged into a big bog hole. His wife explaining his failure to be present at tho match, wired ns follows; “Too wot; can’t come.” As it was a gloriously fine day, the other members of the team were considerably puzzled until they learned later on of the accident. Apropos of “Phosphorus Jack,” the following remarkable ghost story is worth relating. Some yachtsmen who wore lately cruising in tho Mediterranean declare that one night in July the spectre of a clergyman, clad in white suddenly appeared at the. roar of their vessel. Tho figure appeared to stand about 10ft high, and patrolled for a distance of 7ft or Sft, waving its arms, bowing its head, and employing all tho movements of a preacher anxious to give weight to his words. No one could understand tho apparition, which in a few minutes disappeared, only to return the following night. No sound could be hoard, but there was an obvious movement of tho mouth, iit which could be seen teeth that glowed like electric lights. The eyes were the same. For fourteen nights these weird happenings continued, always between 8 o’clock and midnight, and were witnessed with curiosity by tho passengers and crew. “It is vain to hop© io ideas© all alike. Let a man stand in what direction ho will ho must necessarily turn his back *on one-half of the world.” The above lines are commended to the numerous aspirants for Parliamentary honours. It is also a bad thing to undertake too much, for “He who pelts every lurking cur must pick up many stones.”

The new giove for surgeons Is an imperceptible covering that does not impair touch or the pliability of the skin. It is applied by immersing the hand in a weak solution of gutta-percha, in benzine, or acetone, and it is as effective as an ordinary rubber glove in closing any crevice in the skin against pus or secretions, and in making the hand anteseptic for operations. A story is told of an actor, who, having done all the coast towns and the goldfields of Queensland, contemplated a tour in tho West. He was asking a friend from the Barooo about the country, means of travelling, provisioning, and so on. The friend said: “You can travel cheaply. Take some flour, tea and sugar; camp beside a billabong, and catch some fish; fry it, then pick up a few emu eggs and make a lovely omelette ” The actor was pleased at tho prospect; but the emu eggs puzzled him. “Aro they good?” ho asked, “and plentiful?” “Oh, yes; whips of them, and they’re ripping for pancakes. Why, one egg weighs a couple of pounds.” “An egg weighing a couple of pounds 1 No, my friend, I’ll not go West. It’s had enough with hen eggs.” For over half a century France has sought to perfect a plan of old-age pensions that would rest on a practically business basis. Tho present Act was adopted ten years ago, but is not yet entirely satisfactory to tho Ministry of Finance. At the present time deposits are received from any person, regardless of age, hut the amount may not exceed 500 francs (£2O) in the course of a year. An account may bo opened for a child throe years of age ; a married woman may deposit money without her husband’s consent. At any ago between 50 and G 5 (or earlier in case of permanent disability to work) the depositor may claim his annuity, which 'is calculated according to amount of his deposit and interest and probabilities of life, but the annuity may not exceed l,2oofrancs f£so). An annuity not exceeding 360 francs (£14.1 is not liable to seizure for debt. In rural districts tho tax gatherer is empowered to receive deposits, and in many factories a certain percentage is deducted from tho wages and paid to the Caisse des Retraites in tho workman’s name. A branch of the Caisse may be founded in any town or village, with tho permission of the prefect of tho department, and there are about 2,300 of such branches, with nearly 310,000 depositors.

To save life in mines filled with poisonous gases after an explosion, several Viennese scientists have invented a respirator through which it is possible for the wearer to breathe the same air over and over again. * “We note with pleasure” (say the Council of New South Wales Chamber of Manufactures) “that immigration is one of the planks in the Deakin Government programme, and hope the meat sure when introduced will be of a liberal character.” On this subject, the President remarked that he had boon grieved to see a certain prominent Labour man, on being interviewed, had declared the best immigrants we could have were babies. Babies were well enough in their way. but this was only a baby country, and we wanted an adult population. There was room hero fo--millions, and the population mini Pored only thousands now. “Let us have desirable people coming here,” said he. “In our gratitude to the Mother country, wo pass laws to keep out British subjects. I say, let all nationalities come! My experience has been that when foreigners come hero in a few years they realise it is a good country,

and become naturalised, and makegood citizens, just as much Australian in their interests ns any one. I believe, if it came to a quest ion of defence, they would fight ns well as any of us. It scorns absurd that a country thirsting lor population should veto the coming of desirable people..” “Amuriea is a big fact,” said an Amorican, and no one will gainsay the proposition. Tho Americans delight in their big things; they have the biggest rivers, the Ivggcsl trees, the biggest cities, tlio biggest fires, tho biggest successes, and the biggest failures of any people in the world. As one of them humorously said when making fun of tlio weaknesses which arc always an index of strength. “Our country haa more lakes, and they are bigger and deeper and clearer and wetter tiian those of any other country. Our railcars arc bigger and run faster, and pitch off the track oftoncr, than in any other country’. Our steamboats carry bigger loads, are longer and broader, burst their boilers oftoncr, and send up their passengers higher, than in any other country.” Considerable interest; is being evinced in tho disagreement between tho allopathic and homeopathic sections of Bendigo doctors. For some time certain of the allopathies have expressed disapproval of one of their members frequent* ly calling in a doctor who practises homeopathy. A few days ago. when a meeting of allopathic members of the Medical Defence Association was held, it was understood that tho doctor who consults with a homeopathist attended and expressed the opinion that the members of tho association were inconsistent, as they accepted consultations at tho homoopathist’s request, but would not call him into consultation. After discussion it was resolved that nil tho mom bom be instructed to desist from calling the homeopathic practitioner into consultation.

"When Sir Thomas Dewar, M.P., the Perthshire distillery owner, was in America ho was watching a motor race, at which there occurred more than tho usual number of casualties, though no one seemed very much concerned. “Yon don’t seem to place much value on tho sacrcdncss of human life this side tho Atlantic,” said Sir Thomas to a noighCour. “I guess that is so,” was tho reply, and ho proceeded to tell Sip Thomas that some time ago ho had a member of a Now York dry goods firm staying at his hotel. “This man happened to die in my hotel, and I wired, to tho firm to know’ what I was to do with their. partner, I got a reply to this effect: ‘Search all William's pockets, wire Ills orders, and send on his samples by passenger train !’ ” Tho. Manx High Court Judges aro still sworn, as they have been for hundreds of years, by the following curious 6ath; —“By this Book and the contents thereof, and by tlie wonderful works that God hath miraculously wrought in tho heaven above and in tho earth beneath in six days and seven nights, I do swear that I will, without respect of favour or friendship, loss or gain, consanguinity or affinity, envy or malice, execute tho laws of this isle justly between party and parly as indifferently as tho herring backbone doth lie in the midst of the fob. So help me God and tho contents of this book.” A Scots minister was a very bad golfer, albeit very keen on the game. Two strangers challenged him and tho local professional to a trial of strength in a “foursome.” Tho match was a very close thing, but the parson and tho professional lost on tho last hole, for tho last-named unao countably missed a short “putt” of less than a yard and a half. The minister waa so annoyed at losing that he was inexcusably rude to his partner. Some little time later another visitor, wanting a game, and seeing tho minister apparently without a match, aski?d the professional what sort of a man the clone was. “Wool, sir,” replied the professional, but loud enough to be sure that the minister would overhear him, “ye ken, the mocnister is a gran’ man in the pulpit, but he’s a dour deevil oot o’t!”

In a case at Southwark County Court it was stated that a boy of sixteen, named Harvey, rented a shop and carried on a grocery business until ho sold it at a good profit. “This world may bo bad enough,” said Mr Gillespie, the West Ham (London) Magistrate, to a woman who.at. tempted suicide, "but you don’t know what (he next will he like.”

Speaking at Bendigo (Victoria) thff Mining Registrar gave some striking figures regarding Bendigo’s gold production. The total yield of gold front tho Bendigo mines from XSSI to 1904 was 17,!)50,000oz, or 550 tons of solid gold. Last year was one of the beet for 20 years, its production having boon 248,78-soz. Now that the mines are extending north and south on good lines of country, ho thought that the city’s prospects were even brighter. “It is pretty hideous to a man of normal mental constitution,” Professor G. H. Knibbs. Director of Technical Education in New South Wales, lately said, “to see the passionate admiration for muscle, nudUho- absence of admiration for brains,”

In the early days of Dr Grace’s ca* reer he took part in tho match at Bristol between Gloucestershire and Surrey. When “W.G.” had made seven ho was caught, much to the disgust of tho spectators, one of whom shouted to the catcher. “I say, mister, ub came here to see Grace hit, not to see thee field.”' Mr David Dcvant, tho well-known conjuror, tells a funny story of his first introduction to conjuring. “The only lesson I ever received was obtained* in a rather curious wav. I came across a man giving conjuring performances in a small shop in Islington. The price of admission was a penny, and oven then business wasn’t always good. In order to stimulate tho curiosity of those hanging about outside, tho conjuror occas ionally emerged from tho shop and gave a free show on the pavement. His usual plan was to produce money from th» whiskers of benevolent old gentlemen, from a baby's bottle—in fact, from' any place where money is not usually to he found. The conjuror once made tho fatal mistake of producing half a crown from the pocket of a cabman, who had got down from his box to go to the publichousc next door. The cabman immediately said that the half-crown found in his pocket by the conjurer wat his half-crown. He knew it was his bo cause he had only taken one halfcrown that day, and so he should stick to it. At this time five people clamouring to pay their five pennice to get into the show, and therefore the conjurer did not stop to argue the matter with the cabman. That cabman was subsequently charged with attempting to pass a bad half-crown.” Tlie fines imposed on sly grog-selling in New Zealand during 190-1 amounted to £1,584, as- against £VSG Is in 1903. The great difference in the amounts is probably accounted lor by the fact that in 1903 a number of those prosecuted wore sentenced to imprisonment "without the option.” Auckland district heads the list of fines with £619, Christchurch coming next with £-13-1, while Wellington district added only £2-3 to tho revenue In this manner.