A SENSIBLE YOUNG MAN.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 24, Issue 19, 11 March 1913, Page 3

A SENSIBLE YOUNG MAN.

At Dorset not long age a young man became f Involved in a quarrel with no less than five || different men. and challenged each one ol I thep’ ;o mortal combat. All accepted, and ' •■.■■ ere upon the ground in time. Then the ... aero 01 the fight said he wouldn’t fight them Jill, but would fight the, best man first. The five began discussing the question of | ,vho was the best man, and got to fighting. I They straggled ovei the subject for about a t quarter of an hour, the champion sitting on i log as umpire, and when the question was finely settled, the “ best man" could havebeetf whipped by anybody and wasn't ready *£ fight. The challenger walked off with all tb, honours, and was proud and happy. nOW A HIGHLANDER SECURED A PRISONER. During the Peninsular war, one of thj 93rd Highlanders and a French foot-soldier accidentally met in a wood. As their guns were not loaded, they both retired behin» cover to charge their This having been done, neither felt inclined to show , himself, in case the other should get the first I shot and slay him. At length the Highlander projected his feathered hat at ths } end of his gun, as if he were taking a cauItious view of his opponent. The Frenchman at once fired, thinking naturally enough that the bonnet covered a head, and sent a bullet through the hat.. Thereupon the Highlander advanced with his loaded piece, and ’ bis enemy had nothing to do but to surrender . , ,-n the spot. —From “ Little Folks Magasint." , WATERPROOFING. For Cloth. —1. Moisten the cloth on the -/t ong side with a weak solution of isinglass; when dry apply an infusion of nutgaUs *. Apply a solution of soap to the wrong -fide dt the cloth; when * dry go over again with a solution of alum. 3. Sievier’s pro-j cess;—Apply a' solution of india-rubber dissolved in oil of turpentine, then lay onacoat of another india-rubber varnish, made very drying by the addition of driers. 4. x lb. of sugar of lead, 1 lb. of alum; pound separately, and mix in a basin; pour 2 quarts ol boiling water on the mixture, let it stand 6 hours, and then bottle off for use. Apply to | the cloth with a sponge or soft brush on a 1 table till well saturated, and then iron it i over and hang up to dry. 5. Take 3 lbs. of alum, and dissolve it in water, and to it add 1 lb. of acetate of lead previously dissolved, | Let this stand till clear, then pour oif the clear solution on to 1 lb. of glue previous!) dissolved in water. 1 Heat up to 185 deg., and place the cloth in for about a quarter 0 an hour; take it out and place in running . water ; afterwards dry. HIS CUSTOM ALWAYS. There once lived in Bostom a certain Mr (ones. This same Mr. Jones was an eccentric man—very much so; and among his Hher eccentricities was that of failing in jusiness once in every two years. -Mr [ones always paid his creditors fifty pa; :ent., no more no less. Mr. Jones failed (gain—made an assignment of bis effects as isual, and was very much surprised when he assignee said to him, “ Mr. Jones, we shall hclare a dividend of forty per cent.” "Sir,” said Mr. Jones, in a dignified nanner, “you must make it fifty, sir, I dways pay fifty cents onfi, dollar.sir." ” it can’t be done,” said the assignee. "It shall be done,” said Mr. Jones, eh ating his right hand. "We have not enough property inbui lands to do it,” said the assignee. “Sir!” said Mr. Jones. “Declare fifty ~-er cent 1 I always pay fifty per cent And, sir, if you have not sufficient ,property n your hands to pay fifty per cent, sir, * . ill pay the balance out of my own pocket I" EFFECT OF DUST UPON HEALTH. ! We shall probably never know the real viTect of dust upon health. It is by no means improbable that ■ many . ailments, which are now ascribed to other and more remote causes, are really due to it. Proeasional and business men would perhaps he more hale and hearty if they worked

inder more cleanly conditions; but any lousewife. even the most careless, would be terrified if she saw the state of dirt in which jy far the greater number of offices are left rom one year’s end >to another. In many jf the busiest parts of London, and othes •n ties, it is an almost universal custom to nave the windows cleaned only once a year, and their grimy and sooty appearance during the other eleven months must be familiar to every one. In many offices the dusting iperations are wholly limited to the desks n use, and to the removal pf the surface lirt and scattered scraps of paper from the r. pet. Books and papers which notoriously .joumiilate more dust than anything else .re very rarely dusted at all. It is true that tow-a-days professional and business duties tre performed upon a " high pressure” ;ystera, but it is to be regretted that more ;areis.not taken to minimise the dangers to health to which an enforced sedentary, and indoor-life exposes the great majority of nen; and a great change for the better may re isonably be expected if the charwoman or care-taker is required to do something more .han the present quantity of work, and periodical and thorough cleaning of offices is insisted upon.—JPVom " Oattell't Family Magazine,"

INDIAN " MEDICINE-MEN."

I have spoken of the “ medicine-man j" Let me now say a few. words, upon this prominent character among the Indians—..orcerer, priest, or whatever name is applied o the charlatan so familiarly known to all oaders of Indian stories. Though we haya ■sen in the habit of translating the Indian iaine for anything very, strange or superi.Uural in their eyes into "medicine,” yet up. reader must not suppose that • these wople have any connection with medic al practice, except in so far as it relates to in-, nutations and " sorcery." Medicine, understood as the physician's art, is chiefly in i .ie ■ lands of old women—withered, wrinkled o,J •mgs, bearing a strong family likeness to the Viiches in "Macbeth," who, of course, uperadd to it many incantations and .harms. Indeed, they have little knowledge >f any curative agents, but what little infernation, supposed or real, they do possess, I lave given a summary of in another place. ■ base medicine-men seem to hold the office if wizards or " mediums" between the superlatural world and the Indians. They are •enerally the idlest and the sharpest fellows in the whole tribe, and by dint of imposing in the credulity of superstitious people, uanage to make a very easy living from the more industrious. All ofthera, probably on :he same principle that an habitual liar in course of time believes in his own often- ■ ejeated falsehoods, have more or less credence in their own power—a credulity which they share with the " witches’’ and ' wizards” of all ages and countries. Among - he northern tribes there are three girades of them, and to attain to the highest («ic) of i liese ranks is vouchsafed to few. Daring •heir exhibition of prowess, the lowest grade cal the ordinary food of the people, the next Jogs, whilst the " highest" while In the irenzied condition they work themselves into, tear human flesh.—Anas*" The I *topke ■>f the World.”