MISCELLANY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 1978, 13 February 1905, Page 6

MISCELLANY.

SUNNY LIVES.

“Basking in the sun” is in itself of real and considerable -benefit, and it is no compliment to our human intelligence to find that cats and dogs understand that fact much better than we do. Th© love of sunshine is naturally one of our strongest- instincts, and we should be far healthier and happier if we followed and developed it, instead of practically ignoring and repressing it. How a sparkling sunny morning exhilarates ns, and makes us feel that “it’s too fine a day to spend indoors!” And yet how few holidays are taken for that reason !

The wealth of the sunbeams is poured out lavishly all around us, and we turn from it to struggle for a few pitifuls of something else that is yellow and shining, but not half so likely to bring us happiness, and often has strange red spots upon it. Give Nature a chance, and we shall find that there is more than a mere fanciful connection between natural sunlight and that “sunny” disposition which, after all, is the true “philosopher’s stone.”

AT EXPRESS SPEED

“ What is the average speed of public speaking?” was a question put to a veteran shorthand writer and reporter. He replied: “About 120 words a minute. The lowest is 80, and it runs up to 200. That last is an express speed, but it is all plain sailing if the man speaks distinctly. The mutterer and mumbler is the shorthand writer's foe, and he dislikes extremely the speaker who leaves many sentences unfinished, and whose meaning very often has to be guessed. “The fastest speaker I have ever ‘taken down’ was Fhillipps Brooks, the famous American preacher, and a known terror of reporters. The speed throughout was more than three words a second —nearly four. It was a continuous rush ; the speaker did not even stop for breath.”

AY HERE DO THEY GO

“When wild animals arc brought across the sea, one or more is almost bound to get loose and disappear; and some of thc.se cases present points for wonder,” says a keeper of such unusual cargoes. “I had an Indian badger loose on board for a fortnight. Where the badger concealed itself during the day nobody knew, but the meat and boiled rice that were put out for it at night always disappeared before morning. “ I once had charge of nine pythons. They are usually sent by threes in a sack, the sacks being put into a large box. and the lid nailed down. This time, however, they were sent loose in a box. “I myself saw nine put in, but only eight were there at the end of the journey. The box was perfectly tight, and the python could not have got out. I never knew what happened, whether one swallowed another —and pythons are not known to do this—or whether the box had been tampered with. Anyhow, the snake had disappeared. ”

FOR FIFTY YEARS

It seems impossible that a civilised country could exist for fifty years utterly unknown to the outside world of to-day. A’ct, according to a Russian War Office report, the Czar’s troops have discovered in Manchuria a republic hitlu-rio unknown to Europeans. It is situated on the upper readies of the Sungari River. It is called Telia Pigou, nnd has lOO.O(K) inhabitants. It was originally governed by a triumvirate, and tlu-n by a president, who assumed all executive powers, and organised tribunals and trado guilds of taxation, gold mining, etc. The Republic was established fifty years ago. It boasts a small standing army.

ROYAL JEWELS

Quito a unique jewel is an ajiplegreon diamond owned by the Prince of AYales. It was discovered in Soulh Africa, and is tin- largest stone of the shade in the world. Apple-green is a very rare and precious species. It was found two and a half years ago, and weighs three and a half carats. The value placed u[>on it by connoisseurs is £1,(100; but it is practical'y a priceless jewel, and the Prince .if IValts would not part with it lor anything. The ordinary price of a diamond is £3O a carat weight, and, on that basis of Valuation, the .Prince’s stone vo-11-.l he worth only about £100; but it's rate shade makes it valuable.