OUR MAIL BAG.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10638, 14 April 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

OUR MAIL BAG.

RUSSIA'S HUMBERT SAFE. The Duma is a kind of Humbert safe { intended to encourage foreign capitalists to loosen their purse-strings once more. — Nasha Zhizn, St. Petersburg. LINER'S JAPANESE TEA-ROOM. A Japanese tea-room is a feature of the new Hoi land- American liner Nieuw Amsterdam, which has just been delivered to the company by Messrs Harhind and Wolff. Delicate colored Japanese lanterns hang from the coiling. On the walls are lacquers and inlays specially procured from Japan. STRENUpUS HONEYMOONS. The strenuous honeymoon is the latest fashion — in the shape of big game shooting in Africa. Tliree peers and their brides who have won some notoriety recently are on their way thither to emulate Mr Selous. They are Lord and Lady Cowley, Lord and Lady de Clifford, and Lord and Lady Ashburton. — The Observer. ENGLAND'S DANGER. The danger which impends over ; England is not Home Rule, not any risk of foreign attack, not increase of taxation, not the advent of democracy, but the pauperisation of the English poor. Pauperism is ceusing to be a disgrace to the pauper; it is held to be the disgrace of the country which allows any man willing to work to bo poor. — Nation, New York. TYPE- WRITTEN NEWSPAPER. The first paper published in the neighbourhood of the Victoria Falls is the Livingstone Pioneer. Its offices are in the rising township situate six miles of the Falls, founded in memory of the great missionary explorer. The initial number is a single type-written sheet bearing the" imprint, "W. Trayner, Empire-street, Livingstone, North- Western Rhodesia." SOLEMNITY A MEDICAL ASSET. The days are past when every self-res-pecting doctor was expected to dress in a style tastefully blending the divine with the undertaker. But a "sustained and impenetrable solemnity" is still a priceless possession for those who would achieve success in medicine. , If this is a natural gift, so much the better; if not, it should be acquired at any cost. — British Medical Journal. * MOTOR RAILWAY CAR. , To-morrow (§ays a New York despatch of February 27) the first motor "railway car commences d journey of upwards of 3000 miles, from New York to San Francisco, via the Lake. Shore, Chicago, and Southern Pacific lines.The car is a combination gasolene and electric one. It has a six-cylinder petrol engine operating an electric generator, which furnishes power to two motors geared to the front and rear axles. The surplus current is stored in accumulators. THE PACE WE LIVE. This is said to be a "strenuous' age. Doctors or people who dabble in the doctor's art talk about the "pace" we all live now, the stress and storm of life in England in the twentieth century, and so forth. But are we all so tremendously strenuous? Are we greater in will or work than Englishmen were in the Elizabethan age or than they were, say — we take the date at random — in 4806? English literature and ■ history do .not show convincingly, that this is so.— Saturday Review. THE KAISER'S COMPLIMENT. At the reception of the Ambassadors in connection with the Kaiser's silver wedding, the Russian Ambassador was placed last in the line, and was somewhat perplexed, when at last he arrived before the throne, to find no one there to whom to make his reverence. * •■ „ He waited some minutes, and his annoyance was at its height when the Kaiser suddenly appeared before him in Russian uniform. His Majesty had retired to don this before greeting the Russian Ambassador. , LUXURIOUS MOTOR CAR. Mr George W. Perkins, partner of Mr J. Pierpont Morgan, now drives from liis house to his office iu a, 23 h.p. motor ctir, which is declared to eclipse anything -in the line of travel luxury, says the New York Herald. , Tliere are seven seats in the enclosed portion, with a table large enough for a small dinner or a game of oards. Tliere is a douoh at the front, a pantry with an ice-ohest, luit-raoks, cupboards, and a host of other accessories. The upholstery js of the finest morocco leather, NEW CONSUMPTION SPECIFIC. Professor Behring, the great authority on consumption, has been interviewed by the Paris Matin on the subject of his new vaccine known as tuberculase, which is obtained from the consumption bacillus itse(f. The professor states that tuberculase, besides being innocuous, possesses distinct preventive and curative powers. He hopes that it will be possible to use-it to cure human tuberculosis, as ifc. has already proved successful with cattle. He guards his secret, however, until he is able to issue precise directions for using the vaccine. Meanwhile, experiments are to be made on men by experienced doctors. A CONSCIENTIOUS COOK. An English resident at Shanghai, having made a good dinner from a tasty, but unrecognised dish, called his cook, Wiin Hoo, and congratulated him on the excellent meal. "I hope you didn't kill one of those dogs to provide the soup?" jestingly remarked his daughter, referring, of course, to the pariahs which haunt Chinese streets.

Wun Hoo made a solemn gesture of dissent. "Noo killee dawg, missee,'' he explained. "Him alleddy dead when I pickee up !" BROADMOOR'S INSANE ARTIST. There was a man named Dadd, some of whose pictures I expect will be exhibited in a short time. in London. \He showed extraordinary power, and if he had not become insane he Avould have rivalled, if not outdistanced, Watts. He only recently died at the Criminal Lunatic Asylum at Broadmoor., He painted many pictures, a number of Avhich Avere sold ; but it was thought by the Government that it Avas improper that these pictures should- be sold in open market; and the superintendent of Broadmoor therefore allowed liim to paint the Avails, ivhich he continued to ,do in a very elaborate way. — Dr. Savage, quoted in Guy's Hospital Gazette. f LUNCHEON UNDER WATER. Russia's naval activity is dealt with in an interesting article by Mr R. G. Skerrett in the current issue of the Naval and Military Record: From Kronstadt to Libau is a distance of 560 miles, and the performance of a submersible between those places is described as remarkable. The trials included a deep water submergence nine miles out in the Baltic, Avhere the boat Avent

down to a depth of 126, feet and remained there for half an hour, during > which time luncheon Avas served in the living quarters. This boat was one of five built by an American company at Newport News, Va., and they have received a further order for boats of a similar type but. a larger size. THE GERMAN SAUSAGE.

At the trial of a proprietor of a sausage factory in Munich, it was proved, according to a report from Consul-General Guenther, of Frankfort, that in his factory large quantities of spoiled hams, decayed sides of pork, sausage skins that had been used before, the intestines of

cattle, and scraps of tneat which had been intended for dogs, were converted into sausages and sold as of good quality, i Evidence was given for the defence that i the use of some of these substances was 1 customary in sausage manu facture. Four- '. teen days' imprisonment ,with a £50 fine *i was the penalty imposed, although the < manufacturer supplied the German Army ; and other public institutions with his 1 products. ■ ' i POOR AGENT. ' It Avas his first day as a sewing macliinc agent, and, 'Veary and- despondent, lie was just beginning to lose faith in his powera of persuasion,. and to wonder if any fellow did ever sell a -machine, when , he knocked at Mrs Kindty's door : "Pardon ine, madam," he began rather timidly, "do you need a sewing machine?" "Yes, sir!" beamed the lady; "I need one badly !" "Ah!" The ray of hope that slvot across the features of the weary one would have touched the heart of a bronze, Nero. "Then, madam, allow be to bring to your notice the virtues of tlie 'Never-tired* machine. Absolutely tike best and cheapest in the market. It-—" "But, my dear sir," protested the good woman. 'Tluive ti machine!'' "What?" gastped the agent. "I understood you to say you needed' oue!" "So I do!" came the soft answer, that turneth away wrath. "If I did not need one, I would sell it at once." Then slowly closed the door, and that night there was a vacancy in tho "NeverTired" office. A MARVELLOUS EXHIBITION. At the present moment (remarks M.A.P.) there is au exhibition of quite unique interest open at the Dore Gallery. New Bond street. Of the four works of art which compose the exhibition the most important is a magnificent monument, nine feet high and of almost equal diameter, the value of wliich is estimated at * £40,000. This beautiful work of art, is fashioned entirely of marble, onyx, cold, ivory, diamonds and rubies. It is the work of a Christian thinker whose intention is to remain strictly anonymous. Despite the similianty which the art of nearly twenty centuries has bred in us with regard to these pictures from the Gospel, it is with a sentiment of wonder that we find ourselves confronted by something quite unexpected in the pictures representing scenes from the life of Christ. Here idealism and realism are united with the very spirit of Truth. The exquisite modelling of the tiny figures which form the tableaux; the heads moulded in solid gold; the garments carved in ivory, the atmosphere of movement and life which surrounds each a one of them appeal irresistibly to the artistic sense.

THE FATAL "COMFORTER." Baby's "comforter," which doctors have denounced as a germ generator, has killed a nine-months' old child at Battersea. The infant swallowed it, ancl a coroner's jm'y returned a verdict of "Accidental death." STOMACH NOT INDISPENSABLE. Professor H. J. Paterson says while a good stomach is valuable Nature can dispense with it, as most of its functions can be performed by other parts of the alimentary canal. Dogs have gained in weight and remained in perfect health after the removal of the entire stomach, and the same holds good of human beings. Until the cure for cancer is discovered wide removal is the ideal operation. BOERS AND BRITISH. The gerrymandering schemes, which are popularly and without contradiction attributed to the new Liberal Government in England, have awakened in South Africa the old conflict between two races and two racial ideals. The Boers at last see a reasonable chance of regaining their -position as a privileged class. The British community feels that it is in serious danger of becoming once more a Community of Uitlanders. — Star, Johannesburg. CZAR'S NEW "MEDIUM." Mrs May Pepper, the pastor of a New York Spiritualist church, has accepted an offer from a high official at the Russian Court* to go to Russia for the purpose of doing "mediumistic" work. The offer is said to emanate from the Czar himself. Mrs Pepper will live in Moscow. Although she has encountered strong opposition in America, ancl has been the subject of two or three .*ille<|ed exposures, Mrs Pepper built a large church and attracted many followers. GROWTH OF GAS LIGHTING. The growth of gas lighting, in spite of the competition of electricity and other illuminants, is shown in parliamentary returns of the gas undertakings both of local authorities and of private bodies. Gas in London cost in 1904 from 2s. to 2s lid. It seems to have been cheapenest, is* 4d, in Widnes, and dearest, 7s 6d, in Invergordon, Rosssliire. There is a. great tendency to give discount and to cheaperi^the rate for the use of gas for cooking "and motor purposes. The number of public lamps lit by gsa grew from 361,311 in 1882 to 489,505 in 1892, 628,136 in 1902, and 654,183 in .1-904. RECIPE OF SUCCESS. In the March Grand Magazine, an excellent and varied number, many prominent actors ancl actresses disclose, according to their lights, tho secret of success on the stage. In Miss Evelyn Millard's opinion it is imagination; Miss Evie Greene says "sympathy" ; Miss Mary Moore "enthusiasm and hard work"; Mr Cyril Maude "magnetism, industry, and a sense of humor." Mr James Welch- puis it this ,way: — Business capacity, 75 per cent. ;. opportunity, 20 per cent. ; talent and training, 5 per cent. THE COUNTESS OF SEAFIELD. The Earl and Countess of Seafield (says M.A.P.) are now in the Riviera. She was Miss Nina Townend, daughter of Dr. Townend, of New Zealand, and had been born and brought up in that colony. Her marriage took place in 1898. Lady Seafield is rather pretty, small and fair, with a quiet manner, and much simplicity of dress and appearance. Lord and Lady Seafield have no children, and his only brother is his heir-presumptive. Lord Seafield was born in 1876 at Oamaru in New Zealand, and, like his father, held the post of farm-bailiff in that district. Like many Scotch peers, Lord Seafield is landless, but possesess' the right to sit in the House of Lords as Baron Strathspey. It is understood that he has not as yet taken his seat, but if he did, he would certainly be the Labor member of the Hereditary Chamber. ■ , A TEST OF LOVE. "You are sure you have tluit confidence iu me that is so essential in choosing a life partner?" she 6aid inquiringly. "You trust me fully?" "Oh! implicitly," he replied. "I would trust you with my life. Only show me how I can prove it." ''I will," she' said with a happy s-igh. "Promise me- ", "Anything you ask," he. interrupted, "liis promise is given beforehand.. For you I would go tlirough Niagara whirlpool in a barrel, I would cross* the ocean' in an open boat." "Promise me," she repeated slowly and deliberately, "that when, we are married you will put your Bank account in my name." However, of course, tliere are limitations to even the most devoted love, and so he left her weeping over the hollownefs and mockery of masculine protestations. PAYING AN OLD DEBT. Mr- Davis's son, a stalwart young man, had returned from oollege. "Father," he said, "when I was a boy mother used to mako yoiur old clothes* over for .me, didai't she?" "I think she .did, sometimes, Henry," answered Mr Davis. "Well,T am glad it is within my power to make some sort of recompense, said Henry, opening his suit case. "Here is an evening suit a tailor made for me a year or two ago. I have entirely outgrown it, but I think it will just fit you, and -it's as good as new. Suppose you try it on."

Being a sensible man, Mr Davis sAvallowed Avhatever pride may have been involved in' the transaction, and tried the garments on. They did lit him perfectly. "They're yours, father,", said Henry, loftily. — Youth's Companion. RUST-EATEN WARSHIP.

An .extraordinary mishap occurred recently to the French "cruiser Casabianca at Toulon. The vessel Avas in the dock at the Toulon Arsenal], and while one of the crew was engaged in scraping the interior of the hull- the vessel sprang a leak. Examination showed that the heel sheath of the Avhole hull. below the water line for a distance of several feet had been eaten aAvay by .rust, and the pressure of the scraping iron used by the workman was sufficient to kifock a huge hole in the vessel. The inrush of Avater was considerable^ and the ship sank; about 18in. It; was fortunate that the rotten condition of the hull Avas discovered Avhile the Casabianca Avas in dock, otherwise a terrible catastrophe might have occurred.' Divers are now at work attempting to patch up the Avorn-out hull, Avhile floating fire engines are pumping out the water. BREAD MADE FROM MOSS. Bread can be made from moss, Avood, clustimts, rice, potatoes, or. linseed. Ricebread is tlie staple food of the Chinese, Japanese, and a large portion of the in. habitants* of India. The "hunger-bread'"* of Armenia is made of clover seed, flax, or linseed-meal, mixed with edible grass. In Lapland, oats, Avith. the inner bark of the pine, are used. The two together, welj ground, and mixed, aro made into large, flat cakes, cooked in a pan over a fire. In dreary Kamchatka pine hr birch bark by itself, well pounded . and baked, frequently constitutes, the whole of the native bread -food. The Icelander scrapes the. "Iceland moss" 'off . the rocks, and grinds it into flour, which serves both for bread and for puddings. In parts of Italy chestnuts aro cooked, ground into meal, and lured for making bread. In the remoter part of SAveden .the poor make and bake their rye-bread twice a year, and store the loaves away ; so that eventually they become as hard as bricks. — London Sun.

JUBILEE OF ANILINE DYES.

Mauve is so conspicuously the leading \ color ui the fashions of the present year t that the fact lends additional interest to F tlie celebration by the Chemical Society of I Loudon of the jubilee of the discovery of the dye-stuff called mauve. , From this c discovery, the inventor being then a a youtlrof 18, named W. H. Perkins, arose *• the great coal-tar color industry, one of I the most wonderful examples of applied chemistry in/ the 19th century. That a s whole rainbow of beautiful colore should * be produced from slhuy black tar is one c of the marvels of science. Admirers of « Dr. (as lie now is) Perkins arc raising t subscriptions to purchase his portrait in i oils, also a marble bust, and to endow ' a research fund to be named after him. ' The invention of aniline dyes arose from 1 an attempt made by young Perkins to i niako artificial quinine; he failed, but ( accidentally discovered the process Avhich < produced the dyes which have liad such i an immense influence on the -world of fasliion ever since. Enormous sums of money lmvc been -made in the coal-tar 1 color iudustry, and all the result of the i world-renowned mauve dye. For all the 1 other aniline colors which have now been i I brought to such perfection for the treat, i ment of textile fabrics aro founded on the original mauve. • THE KING OK SPAIN AND THE BALLOON. This is a story wliich comes to me' from Spain (says the M.A.P.). King Alfonso took such a great interest in the recent balloon tournament at Madrid that he followed the balloons in his mo-tor-car, determined to see their descent. Finding one of the still inflated balloons had descended in a field, where its owner had left it while ho went to procure assistance, the King jumped into the car and began to throw out the bags of sand, and announced to his aide-de-camp his intention of indulging in a balloon ascension, his mother and Ministers having prevented him taking 'part in the tournament earlier in the day. Soon the balloon was straining on the anchor and mooring ropes, and the King was just drawing his sword to sever them when the aide-de-camp, realising the seriousness of tho situation, quickly drew his sabre and slashed the silk envelope of the balloon in every direction, until all thought of ascent waa out of the question.- The King for a moment was furiously angry, but ultimately became reconciled to his ' aide-de-camp's action, and they returned to Madrid in the same motor-car. Meanwhile the owner of the i balloon had arrived on the scene, ancl i the sequel to the adventure is likely to take place in the courts, of justice, where ! the aeronaut has instituted proceedings : to recover damages for the injury done to his balloon.