HERE AND THERE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 77

HERE AND THERE.

The Capital of Jeroboam. —

Professor Ernest Sellin, whose discovery and excavation of dericno made a sensation six years ago, is (says the Berlin correspondent of the Washington Gazette) now at work on the site of tthechem, the scene of Abimelech’s exploits and death, and the capital of Jeroboam. The remains of the old Canaanitish-Israelitish town and citadel were discovered near the villa of Balata, on a hill near Joseph’s Grave. As a result of work done since last autumn a part of the walls of Shechem and ruins of many houses have been laid bare, and clear ideas attained both as to the construction and fortification of the city, and of the way of living of the citizens in different epochs. The excavations have revealed six towers, each resting on colossal stone foundations. These towers flank three successive entries into the city, between which are two courtyards. The fortifications are well preserved. Even the sockets for the gate-bolts are clearly outlined. Near the second entrance gate are two narrow entries which lead to the top of. the wall. Starting from these gates, the excavators penetrated far into the town. Fifteen metres to the, south they made their most important find, in the shape of the foundations of the old Canaanitish citadel, the Millo, mentioned in the ninth book of Joshua in connection with the deeds of Abimelech. The foundations are buried from four to six metres deep, under ruins dating from later Israelitish and Greek times. The foundation walls are two metres thick. With the exception of these foundations, nothing is left of the citadel. The most valuable finds have been made in private houses dating from Canaanitish, Israelitish, and Samarian-Greek times. In one of the Israelitish houses, which seenis entirely to have plundering, .were found a large number of objects in silver, bronze, and alabaster, also earthenware. Professor Sellin, assisted by the secretary of the Vienna Archaeological Institute (Dr Praschniker), is continuing the excavation work. The cost is being shared between the Emperor Wilhelm personally and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Death of a Modern D’Artagnan. —

M. Eteinne Laberdesque, who imparted to these drab days a touch of. Dumas romance, has died at the age of 40. lie was (says the Paris correspondent of The Times) a modern echo of D’Artagnan, whose swagger, audacity, and good luck followed him in a life full of incident and notoriety. He was born of Bearnais and Spanish parentage in Cuba, which he left at the age of 18 to follow the fortunes of General Crespo in the Venezuelan civil war. After the restoration of peace in Venezuela he returned to Cuba for a brief, but busy period, during which his ardent temperament involved him in 43 duels, fought with sabre, pistol, and yatagan. On leaving Cuba his love of adventure led him to Algeria, where he enlisted in the Spahis. Here his physical powers, displayed by * carrying a horse upon his shoulder, and his skill in fencing soon made him a man of mark. He resigned from the army, and entered Algerian politics, with immediate effect. His newspaper attacks upon M. Max Regis, then Mayor of Algiers, led to meetings with six of his political adversaries. His duel with M. M.ax Regis made him for a time one of the best-known figures of the Boulevard. It lasted for two whole days, and ended in M. Regis being slightly wounded in the forearm —the usual result -when skilled duellists are concerned. Turning bis reputation to advantage, be founded a newspaper called the Mousquetaire, a name also given to the duellists, such, as MM. Rouzieres, Dorzieres, Portefin, and de Villette, in whose company he was usually to be seen. In his later years M. Laberdesque became a pacifist. Gascons of the ’Bearnais, thirsting for fame, tried again and again to provoke him to a duel, but in vain. The Origin of Empire Day.— Empire Day, it is said, had its origin in Canada. The story Roes that in the summer of 1896 the Wentworth Historical Society of Hamilton, Ontario, passed a resolution of sympathy with Mrs Fessenden on the death of her husband. Tl> ladv received the resolution in person, and in the course of her reply expressed the hope that the patriotic spirit of the p-rand-father would descend to his little oranddaughter, who chanced to be present. Someone thereupon decorated the child with the badge and maple leaf of their society, and her delight w ? as so obvious that Mrs Fessenden asked: "Why should not all children be stimulated in the same way?” Two years later Empire Day was incorporated in the Canadian school sys tern, and from the Dominion it sneedily spread to other parts of the Empire. Numbering the People.— The Royal Statistical Society have discussed a scheme whereby everybody is to be known by his or her number,_ and not by name. Everyone at birth is to be passed into the national records via the local registrar, and have his card given to him bearing his number. When he is married the papers will record, at such a church. No, 5621, son of the late 6620

Mrs 2560, schedule D, "was married to No. 9864, daughter of No. 9863. It is argued that the use of cards with numbers, all duly registered, will be useful for tracing missing persons and preventing fraudulent marriages. These democratic methods will not suit a country that loves a lord, or that recognises people of title. Moreover, the scheme reads like the product of a gaoler or the keeper of a lunatic asylum, where there is good reason for concealing names under a number. Sir Timothy Coghlan (Agent-general for New South Wales) favours this form of registration, but he is an enthusiastic statistician, and, like his class, reduces everything to figures. After all, the success of this proposed system would depend upon the preservation of the life-card. To avoid the risk of losing one’s ticket it would surely be better to tattoo every child with indelible ink. Charity Rewarded.— For giving up their only bed to a sick and apparently penniless beggar, Mr and Mrs George -.■Smith , a poor working couple residing at Sun bury, Pennsylvania, have been rewarded with a legacy of £I6OO. The beggar, a man named John Fell, who was about 80 years of age, arrived at the Smiths’ home at the beginning of the month, and asked for shelter, saying he was friendless and ill. The man looked so old and infirm that, although the Smiths had only one bed, they gave it up to him, and themselves slept on the floor. They told Fell that he was welcome to share their food, but that they had no money with which to buy medical comforts. The next day the beggar produced a dirty cheque book, and drew a cheque on a Northumberland (Pennsylvania) bank -for £lO. The couple thought he was crazy, but to their surprise the cheque was duly honoured, though even then they imagined that the money was probably all, or nearly all, of the old man’s savings. Fell grew worse and died, but before the end came he drew up a will leaving all that he was possessed of to Mr and Mrs Smith for their “kindness and self-sacrifice.” The Good Samaritans have found that the old beggar had nearly £I6OO deposited in several banks.

Taxing Duellists.— An amusing proposal, half in jest, half in earnest, has been made by one of the newly-elected representatives of France in her Parliament. He stales .that if properly dealt with the popular habit of duelling might be made a very profitable one to the State, and t might indeed add another £1,000,000 or so to her annual revenue. He intends to call the attention of the Chamber to this novel point. He argues that the modern French duel is little more than a form of advertisement, and that it should be taxed like all other forms of publicity. Funerals, he points out, are a State monopoly, and the cost of an interment ranges from 5s to £SOO, according to the class selected, and he suggests that duel should also be divided into classes and taxed on a gradually ascending scale. The fee for a duel in the highest clctss should be £BO. Critics of the' proposal, appreciating the humour of the suggestion, point out that it could be rendered more profitable still to the State were steps taken to insist that a duel follow every challenge, or that if tlie arbitrators consider a duel is unnecessary the challenger shall pay a fine, while if the challenged party declines to fight he shall pay a greater proportion of the tax than the challenger. Microscopic Engraving.— Perhaps the greatest feat of microscopic engraving was accomplished by a Jewish farmer in Alberta, who prepared an address of welcome to the Duke of Connaught. The address was inscribed in Hebrew on a grain of wheat and contained no fewer than 300 letters. So fine was the lettering that a microscope was necessary to read the inscription with any case.