OUR MAIL BAG.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9642, 17 January 1903, Page 6 (Supplement)

OUR MAIL BAG.

BELIEVES DOGS HAVE SOULS. ; During a discussion at the Leyteni , Phrenological Society's meeting the Rev. i , H * Maulson expressed his opinion that ; • dogs had souls, although, of course, of , a different essence to the human soul. INFANT MATHEMATICL\N. Robert Mackley is the name of an infant lightning calculator at- Kansas City, Missouri. He is only five years old, has ; never attended school, and when asked to multiply 14,672,357 by 13 answered correctly without a moment's hesitation. MARRIED^IN A TRAIN. ; Struggling for breath, and armed with two heavy bags, John Mullin and Helen Lupoint entered an express train at Detroit, U.S.A. They had eloped, arid finding a clergyman m the carnage he married them. At Petoskey they emerged from the tram Mr and Mrs Mullm. POOR OLD WAR OFFICE. (A large cargo of donkeys is on its way to South Africa.— Daily'Paper.) j Can it be that the War Office, sick of red ( tape, , And the myriads whore eager to qufz Has started en masse to embark. for the ( Cape, | The scene of its triumphs to visit? THE DISAPPEARING HORSE." * The reign of the horse is gradually i drawing to a close m Paris. The extension of the "Metropolitan" Railway and < the rapid increase m motor-car' traffic j have dealt such a severe blow to the Paris Omnibus Company that its dividends have greatly slu'.unk, and several long-estab- j fished omnibus lines have been sup- ( pressed. . j The greatest revolution of all, however, , is now under consideration— namely, the ( substitution of electric for horse traction s and the reduction of .the inside omnibus fare' from 3d to 2d for the entire journey. , APPENDICITIS-PROOF. t "Appendicitis," a word unknown ten i years ago, is now a public nightmare. -. c Many of the more "advanced" doctors i m America are now actually removing, by < operation, the seat of tlie trouble, the ver- $ miform appendix, from infants of tlie tenX der age of one year, m the same matter of fact way as they would vaccinate a j child., A well-known London surgeon believes . m immediate operation hi all cases of ap- ; pendicitis, as acute symptoms may appear ; suddenly, and result fatally ; but other , surgeons advise rest to give the patient j time to get over the inflammation. ] THE WHITE SLAVE. TRAFFIC. ] The! German Consul at Philadelphia re- - 1 recently complained that young German < girls were being imported to the United States m large numbers for improper pur- ] poses, and requested that measures should i be taken to prevent, tlie traffic. . ] The Philadelphia police the other night raided 20 notorious resorts, and arrested 150 of the inmates. The Public .Prosecutor states that this \ is the first step towards securing cvi- ' deuce against a gang of procurers whose * operations are world-wide. They l.s-.ve a chain of resorts m New York, BaWmott, ' Boston, Pittsburg and Philadelphia. ' KILLED BY A CAT BITE. ] . Mme. Gouyon, wife of a French barrister at Brive, and daughter of a judge, J has just died m great agony from hydrophobia. - _-.'.', The unfortunate lady was playing with , a pet cat last month, when the animal , suddenly seized her thumb, and had to , be killed before it could be made to re-< i lease its hold. The lady immediately had the animal's body exnmined, and it was discovered to have, been suffering from hydrophobia. Mme. Gouyon immediately went to ' Paris, and followed the Pasteur treat- ' ' ment, but a few days ago the first symptoms of the dread disease manifested ' tliemselveß. . • AUTOMOBILE NOVELTIES. i The principal features of the forthcoming' automobile exhibition at the Grand ' Palais, which will be much the largest j ever held and which is attracting thousands of foreigners to Paris, are the de- \ velppment of covered carriages, tlie disappearance of the old-fashioned radiator ! m favor of the water-cooler introduced m Germany, and the fact that almost every manufacturer, is copying the German Mercedes car. The new Mors carriage for 1903 are", indeed, exact v copies ' of the Mercedes. ' The Mercedes manufacturers will not ( show their latest types at the approach- , ing salon, but it is understood that they j have several startling improvements m progress. It is stated, indeed,' that their 1903- types constitute as great, an advance on -Previous models as did their famous ( 1902 pattern, specimens of which have ! lately changed hands m Paris at £3000 ' each. • ' " > : . ' DIVORCE CARDS. ! Americans have at last begun to take tue. divorce questioii seriously. It is no ■ longer a. joke, but a social event— a matter , for congratulation, and even celebration. , The Boston papers reprint, with deep appreciation, a card that has been re- ' ceived by some Boston friends of the heroine : — • ! Mrs. Gjorund Sonsteby ' ' ' ' announces -the divorce of her daughter Georgiana ; .;.'-. from E. J. Bryant, ' Superior Court of San Francisco : granting her maiden, name. ' January 11, 1902. - ' i The* at-home cards accompanying this 1 announcement read : "Mrs Gjorund Son- , steby. Waseca, Minn," — "Miss Sonste- ■ by." It only remains for the husband i that was and his friends to organise a couiuer-Qelebration. THE QUEEN'S CRITICISM. • An amusing story was told at the , Society of Arts by Sir W. H. Pre*:e. late ■ engineer-in-ohief ; : I electrician to the : Post Office. '/ ; Many years ago. certain telephonic tests were_ being carried out between Osborne \ and London, and among other things her i Majesty was to hear a band play through ] the wire. /Ilirough some, misunderstand- ] ing,- however, the musicians had- already V been dismissed when Sir William, to his horror,-, received a message to the effect \ that her' Majesty had arrived and was i ready for the band to begin. , In this emergeiicy Sir William decidedto fill the breach himself, and accordingly,^ m tlie best voice he could muster, hummed "God Save the Queen" tJirough the wire, after wliich he anxiously enquired if her Majesty recognised the tune. "Yes," was the crushing and unexpected reply, "it was the National Anthem, and very badly played." ' A VOYAGE TO HOLLAND. Writing of the illiterate, masters of coasting brigs and st-honeis hi the early part of the nineteenth century, Mr. Run-, ciniau, tlie'. author of "Windjammers and Sea Tramps," tells the following story : — "The London trade once became congested with, tonnage, and a demand sprang up for Holland, whereupon a well-known, brie was 'chartered for Rotterdam. She had been so long employed m running along * the coast with the land aboard that tlie cliarta became entirely neglected. When tlie time came to say farewell, there was mure than, ordinary affection displayed by the relatives of the crew whose destiny it was to penetrate what they conceived to be the mysteries of an unexplored East. . . . Abreast of Flamborough Head it became necessary to take a departure and shape a course for Rotterdam. She scampered along at the rate of six to seven, knots an hour, amid much anxiety among the crew, for a growing terror had possessed tjhe captain and his male as they neared the unknown danger* that Mere ahead of them. The captain went below, and had begun to unroll the chart, which indicated the approaches to his destination, when; he became horror-struck, and rushing up the cabin stairs called out, 'All hands on deck ! Hard a port/ Tlie mate excitedly asked, 'What's the matter?' 'The matter? 1 said the infuriated' and panic-strick-en skipper. 'Why, the b rats have eaten. Holland ! There's nee Rotterdam for us, mister, this voyage.' However, ' despite the damage done by the rats to the chart, the male succeeded m safely uavigatiug (he-vessel to her destination." A SHREWD PREACHER, At Cherryyale, Missouri, the' Rev. M.

D. Atkinson, who was delivering an illustrated lecture, asked the ladies to remove their hats, so that ail might see the pictures. Several did so, but most did not. "All ladies," said the preacher, after an awkward pause, "who do not crimp their hah' and those with false bangs (curls) may keep their hats on." Every hat came off with a jerk. THE HOURS OF A 'BUSMAN. Mr Arthur Roberts has been making inquiries of a 'busman as to his hours, and tells the result m his contribution to the Pelican's admirable, symposium. "I comes on dooty at six m the mawnin'," answers Jehu ; "I gets my 'osses, and out I goes with my bus. I 'as 'alf an 'our for my dinner; then I goes on till 'alf-past twelve at night. Then I takes my 'bus back to the yard, 'ands my 'osses over to the yardman, makes my way to my little bit of 'ome ; and then I 'us the rest of the day to myself." GROUND FOR SEPARATION. During the hearing of an application by a woman for a separation from her husband at the civil tribunal at Dunkirk, counsel for the plaintiff, among other conclusions, presented the following : — "Whereas Mr X. registered his daughter under the names of Marcelieiuie Menodore Penine Lambine, and Ms son under those not less odd of Sidoin Cornibien Ardaleon, which are names not fit to live at home with, she concludes that Mr X. is the same." It should be mentioned that m France only names found m the calendar may be given to children. AN ARTISTIC REVOLUTION. M. Raffaelli is now exhibiting at the Durant-Ruel galleries, Paris, a collection of seventy-two pictures painted with the solidified oil colors, which he lias invented after many years of study and endeavor. These colors are made into sticks, wliich the artist uses like a crayon. Many of the pictures on exliibition renvnd one of pastels, but -he colojs h«\e the advantage of the absolutely indelible, und do not require fixatives. This is an extremely important point when we remember the havoc wrought on many ancient masterpieces by time's effacing fingers. ZINC BRIDE FULL OF BRANDY. An ingenious device has been adopted by smugglers at Avesnes, France. A carriage drove up , containing what appeared to be a lively wedding party, and stopped just outside the Customs House. The bride, however, was unusually quiet. One of the Customs examiners, struck by this fact, lifted up the bride's veil, and as she still did not move he tapped her face, and found it was made of zinc, and that the bride was a dummy. The driver at once whipped up his horses, upsetting the officer m the road, and the carriage got clear away. In all probability the bride was full of brandy. A SOLDIER'S REPLY. In an appreciative article m the National Review on Lord Dufferin, Major-General Sir.E. CoUeu tells a good anecdote of the Spirit of tlie Indian troops : — "I was riding alongside Geueial Sir Gerald Graham, who commanded the British and Indian force intendedHo open the road«to Berber. It was an extremely hot day, and the Indian contingent were on the march. He told me to ask on© of the men — I think a native non-commis-sioned officer— whether he found it hot work, or as hot as India. I translated the general's question, and the reply camevery respectfully and quietly : 'In the service of the great. Queen we know neither heat nor codd.' " SINFUL STOCKINGS. ' The Rev. James Hume, of the Old Buskwick Refornled Church m Williainsburg, U.S.A., has resigned his post on account of his inability to agree with the lady members of his flock on the subject of stockings. Many of the ladies, it appears, were addicted to the wearing of open-worked hosiery with monograms and other designs embroidered on the ankle or instep. Their pastor was of a more sober turn of mind, and looked upon anything more ornamental than plain woollen or worsted goods as wiles of Satan. His openly expressed criticisms led to friction, and .filially -to the reverend gentleman's resignation. ! MADE THE LION ROAR, Tlie Society for the Prevention of cruelty .to Animals has just unearthed a curious case m Jersey City (U.S.). There is a play going on' in a theatre there called "The Lion's Bride," m which a lion kept m a cage on the "stage- roars loudly when the "Bride," who is sentenced by a Turkish Sultan to death by mastication, comes into view. ■■** ,' The regularity with whidh. 'the I*fourfooted1 * fourfooted actor produced this roar 'qjways at the right time aroused the suspicion of tlie society's representative, who discovered upon Investigation that electricity was used as the prompting agency. The society ha-s had the electrical wire that was fixed to the bottom of the cage.disconnected, and the lion now roars at more of less irregular intervals. THE GIRLS OF AMERICA. ■( We have heard it argued as to who are the most beautiful girsl m the world, and tlie balance of opinion cliiefly went with tlie girls of Limerick or those of America. Now the Viscount De Santo Thyrso, writing m tlfe Smart Set, says that pretty w6men' aire as much in 'the minority m the United States as m. any other country. Beauty, like gold, is scarce everywhere. In some places, or m some countries, the number of pretty women is greater than m others, and m this branch of natural production the United States is not behindhand. This, however, is only a foreigner's view of the subject. To tell the truth, I have never met an American girl of 20 who- did not think herself fascinating. This is selfconfidence ; and for a woman to believe she is beautiful is halfway to real beauty. In the first place, a plain woman, who is aware of her plainess, is unhappy. Man is a selfish animal, and despite what novels say about sad women and the power of tears, unhappiness is as repellent to a healthy mind as diseaes to a healthy body. ' " " A BEAUTY IN THE MAKING. Mention has frequently been made of the various beautifying processes employed nowadays by many womeiw Massage and electrical stimulation are much employed- Massage, however, does some* times more harm tSian good, as it is' undertaken by inexperienced people (writes "F.K." m the Onlooker). A good masseur or masseuse; must have^had eighlt or ten years' upractice, 'with a thorough knowledge of aauatomy. In Holland only a medical man is allowed to treat by massage. I hear of a new. method of electricity which is said to be working marvels. It is called the Brandt system, and is effected through a robe. 1 must mention, the case, buit not the nafne, of a well-known lady, who pays £800 a year to be made beautiful. Heir treatment lasts from six to seven hours every day. She is kept m a bath for one hour and a dark room for four, and for the remainder is bandaged from head to foot m chemical preparations. It is to be hoped she enjoys tlie remaining hours of the day and night. PUNCTUALITY. The device by which punctuality is observed at Sandringham is that of keeping all clocks half an hour fast. This raises a doubt m the mind of a correspondent of the Manchester Guardian as to whether this is really punctuality. Is it more punctual to be half an hour too early than to be half an hour too late? The' .word punctual is strictly incapable of .degrees of comparison. To be punctual you must be exactly "on time.H according to the Americanism— neither' before nor after. The ethics of punctuality are interesting. All country gentlemen have one way of dealing with the matter, and as a country gentleman, the King follows that way, only he is more "advanced"* m practice. The clocks of country houses are kept fast because there are trains to catch at distant railway stations. Guests are dilatory m departure, and they have to be speeded so long as English horses are delicate. »Even m railway stations the outer clocks are always two minutes fast. The fact is (adds the correspondent) we are successfully imposed on by all these tricks, although we too well understand th_e imposition.

! MARRIED ON AN ELEPHANT. ' j Miss Rhoda Hurd, aged 15, and Daniel 1 Spence, 16 years old, have been married on the back of an elephant m the public ■ square, at Pensacola, Florida. Ten thou- ! sand persons witnessed the ceremony, i SPURIOUS BACKSCRATCHERS. ; Backscratching is no longer m vogue m polite society, and the backscratchers . of ivory and whalebone, which were m I i use as * lately as the. days of our great i grandmothers, are collected. The demand exceeded the supply, but Houndsditch has risen to the occasion. Spurious backscratchers can be bought wholesale at 15s a dozen. They are sold at 10s 6d to 15s apiece.— The Connoisseur. REMARKABLE CLAIRVOYANCE. Some experiments m hypnotism^ were being carried out m Colombes, Fiance, by a doctor, when the medium — a. young girl— suddeiily snvjoke from, her tnui^e with a start, and exclaimed that she" saw great patches of blood m front of the house. It was later discovered that a murder had taken place opposite. A YOUNG HEIRESS. At the age of only 18 years Miss Bella Brown, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, luis fallen heir to a. fortune estimated at over £2,000,000 m value. The moniey will not be handed over to her until she reaches the ace of 25. LASSOING WOULD-BE SUICIDE. A sergeant of the South African Constabulary attempted suicide at Pretoria by stabbing himself, defying with a knife and knobkerrie all who tried to approach him. A colonial recruit, however, skilfully hurled his lariat, lassoed the wouldbe suicide, and handed him over to the police. GIGANTIC CATTLE RANCH. An American syndicate is reported to have purchased an enormous tract of land m Mexico, sixteen miles from El Paso, Texas. The land extends for 159 miles, comprises nearly 4000 square miles, and involves an expenditure of over £4,C00,C00. The promoters intend to form an immense cattle ranch, and have arranged to place over 10,000 cows there next season. MRS NATION 'ON THE STAGE. A telegram from Springfield (Mtyss.) states : — Miss Carrie Nation, the temperance crusader, is appearing as a member of a burlesque company. The manager of the show lias agreed with Mi's Nation that she shall lead on a bevy of chorus girls, who are dressed m abbreviated" skirts. Mrs Nation advances to the footlights and gives a little homily on life. SMALLEST BRITISH COIN. The tiny Maltese "grain" which is eqnal to one-twelfth of a penny, is Hot 1 the smallest British coin. I Nearly five Hongkong "cash" would be : l-equired to purchase a single "grain." ( To-day, with the Mexican or silver dollar t at Is 6 13-16 d, the British-minted copper cash, still m current use m Hongkong, is ! worth the one fifty-third part of /a penny. . CAN DEAD MEN DRINK WHISKY? I .The relatives of Owen Keough claimed £4000 from the Metropolitan street Railway Company of New York, alleging that he. "was run over and killed through their negligence. The company declared that Keough was drunk at the time-, as the stomach was full of alcohol.. This the relations said was due to a bottleful of spirit being forced down his throat after death, out a doctor deposed that dead men could .not drink whisky,- and the case was dismissed. \ "SUICIDE WHILE JNSANE> The Lancet quarrels with the stereo-" typed verdict of "Suicide while Insane" when the facts so often point to no unsoundness of mind. | The journal points out tliat the legal penalties attaching to -suicides liave now disappeared. Burial with ignominy was abolished hi 1882. In the opinion of the Lancet, a more sensible verdict m such cases would be to the effect that the deceased caused his own death, but that the condition of his mirfd when he did it had not been proved to the jury's satisfaction. HUMAN ART GALLERY. Seoevola, who is suspected of being an Anarchist, wilbbe easily identified if i< wanted by the police. I Wheat examined by the Lyons authori- • ties he was found to be tattooed from neck to heels. Scenes from sacred and secular history, landscapes, figures of women and dogs, and geometric designs occupied every inch of •skjn on. his body. A* former .student of the Lyons Art Academj T was the artist, the- work being done while Seoevola was cook aboard a sailing 'vessel. Seoevola is very proud , of his decorations, and thinks that some day a museum will pay handsomely to preserve and exhibit his skin." PEOPLE WHO ARE TOO EARLY. Tiresome as the guests are who spoil a dinner and keep all their fellow guests waiting twenty minutes longer than necessary, thus prolonging the dreary beforedinner'interval, I 'think one feels even more exasperated, from a hostess's point of view, with those who com* too early. While the anxious giver of the feast is hurrying into her dinner-dress, it is trying to hear a jieal from the hall-door bell, ! t- a 'quarter of an hour before the earliest ; : expectation, announcing the advent of the •: . first arrival, who must be smiled upon and conversed with, hi spite of aggrieved ! feelings. — Lady Onslow, m The Queen. BILL TO REGULATE KISSING. A Bill to prevent indiscriminate kissing has just been introduced into the Virginian Legislature by Dr Ware, a well-known authority on sanitationT j The Bill denounces kissing as perni- ■!. -cious, and a prolific means of transmitting contagious diseases, especially consumption and diphtheria. *l£ prohibits any person from kissing another unless provided with a medical certificate de- ., daring that he or she is not -suffering from any contagious malady. ' . Violations' of- the proposed Act are- to j be punished by a fine of one guinea, the penalty being doubled for a second offence. ' . • j INTOXICATING- CHOCOLATE. j One of the principal confectioners m Glasgow imported some foreign-made chocolate called "Liquer Chocolate," and liav- ;' ing reason to suspect the presence of ' spirit m the confectionery, determined to : ! know his standing as regards the law j before selling this toothsome sweetmeat.' ' ; He accordingly submitted a sample to the '; Inland revenue authorities, and analyses • revealed the astonishing fact that it contained no less thaj^ 10 per cerat*. of proof » spirit! Instructions were piven to the effect thai- its sale will entail liability to a spirit license. Ten per cent, of proof spirit is abou'b the normal 'alcoholic strength m bitter beer. — Wine and Spirit Trade Record. TIT FOR TAT. , "My word, Fitznoodle," said a War Office clerk to a colleague who sat at tlie next desk, "just look at tliat "workman on the roof of that building over the way!" "What's the matter with him?" enquired Fitz., trlaaiicing -through then' window at the individual indicated. "Matter," retorted the other, "why. I've beeii. watching the lazy beggar for the last 25 minutes, and he hasn't done "a. stroke of work all the time." At the precise moment at which the above conversation occurred, a British working man was addressing his "mate." I "Sy, Bill," lid remarked m a t<n«o of deep disgust, "d'ye sec that 'ere loafin' War Offis clurk m tJiat room darn there ? S'elph me if Hi ainft bin awatchin.' 'im fur nigh on arf a hower, an' the bloomer's done nothin' but stare hout o' the winder the 'ole blessed tyma That's the sort o' chap as we pys taxes ter keep !" AN ALL-ROUND MAN. Mr Bilmunand is evidently a "sport" juf versatile powers, lit* is lfow over fifty years of age, but. cluUlenges anybody m the- world to the ;follo;Wjng i and games, for £50 or £100 a-side : Drauglitmanship, writing^ boxing, fencing, running, jumping, sculling, walking (long distance), alighting from a 'bus going at any speed with your -.face- -to the sidewalk, singing, billiards, chess, bagatelle, cycling, throwing the cricket ball (distance!, tennis, ping-pong, invention, practicable and workable schemes, spoof, entertaining, knows London better than any cabby, imitation of human beings and animals, driving (single and, pair), running, slap finger, coddam, swimming above i water and under water, diving, remaining - under water, ornamental ice skating, and ornamental comic ice skating. Competi-

tors to be not less than forty-five years of age. MILLIONS THAT WERE MISSED. Hie original discoverer of the Klondike, Peter De Ville, is now earning a living by nailing boxes together m a wine store at Santa Cruz, California. He owned claims m the Klondike of fabulous wealth, but. parted with them, before the gold boom revealed their real value. NEW YORK GRETNA GREEN GONE. The rector of the Church of the Transfiguration m East 29th street., New York, which is known as "The Little Church Around the Corner," and which for many years has been the Gretna Green of eloping couples, has announced that he will not tie the nuptial knot except under the most prosaic conditions. TOO MUCH REALISM IN THE CHURCH. The vicar of one of tlie poorest parishes of Naples, who is of a realistic turn of mind, arranged last Sunday to preach a special sermon on the torments of Hell. On his instructions the sacristan and several of his friends, at the most dramatic part of the sermoif, groaned dismally and shook chains. The t fleet on the congregation exceeded the vicar's expectations. A panic took place m the church, and m the stampede to get out a number of women were tluwvn down and severely injured. WEIGHING THE HEART. At the last sitting of the Academic des Sciences, Paris, Professor Bouchard communicated the x-esults of certain researches \indertaken m conjunction with M. Balthazard on the- volume of the heart m certain diseases. The professor stated that m men and women the volume varied considerably, the normal measurement of a male heart being eighty-nine square centimetres and the female heart seventysix. • By employing curious formulae., invented by Professor Bouchard, when the dimensions of the surface of the heart have been obtained by orthogonal projections, the weight of the heart can be ascertained as exactly as if it were possible to weigh it on a pair of scales. BOY'S HEROIC DEATH. A remarkable fight between a boy of sixteen and two desperate burglars took place at Laporte, Indiana, on December Ist. Tlie lad, a clerk named Wesley Reynolds, was left m charge of a bank, and m the early morning two robbers forced an entrance. The boy seized a pistol and opened 'fire, on which tlie burglars drew their revolvers and -shot liim dead. 8. -coming alarmed they then left the bank, jumped into a waggon, and fled from tlie town. The waggon was afterwards found deserted, and bloodmarks showed that one of the robbers had been wounded. A party of sheriff's officers are scouring the country for the robbers, who, if caught, are likely to'be lynched. A STORY OF THE QUEEN. In the Strand Magazine 'Mr*H. W. Lucy tells a good story of cross purposes m which the Queen prominently figures. The incident happened at a country house party when her Majesty was Princess of Wales. On retiring for the .night the heir to a peerage m mistake opened the bedroom door of her Royal Highness, and retired m confusion,' so upset by the accident bhat early next morning lie fled back to town. At luncheon the same day the Princess sat next a gentleman who was' chaffed about a slip at cards overnight. Not understanding the drift of the banter, the Princess turned to this gentleman and said, "So it was you who made the little mistake last night?" To which, innocently enough, lie replied : "Yes ; but I assure your. Royal Highness it's not a thing I'm accustomed to do.