BRIEF MENTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5686, 3 October 1896, Page 3

BRIEF MENTION.

The late Shah left treasure to the value of .£IOOO,OOO. Not a single infectious disease is known in Greenland. The average family is larger in South Australia than in Victoria. Potassinitorthodiuitroeresolate as the appalling name of a new antiseptic in Germany. The London General Post Office pays .£1,250,000 a year for the carriage of English mails. Nearly .£1,000,000 worth of patent medicines are exported from the United Kingdom ea ch year. The 45th star—each star representing a State — has been, added to the American Hag. The new State ' is that of .Utah. ', - : V •.....:.. , ', .-■ 'flip capital of tho Rothschild firm is now said to exceed .£200,000,000 sterling. The Vienna' branch of the family, is the richest. . A scientist states that.the rise and fall in the price of cereais is synchronous with the rise and fall of crime — as well as of marriage. . General Booth says that Australasia hag done more, proportionately, than, any other nation, to help him in the evangelization of tho world. One of the latest . schemes of General Booth is to have a big exhibition of living pictures in London, to consist of converts from every nation. , A Boston genius named E. B. Bigelow •invented the first power-loom for. weaving ingrain carpets ; the date of its introduction into practical use was 1839. The jewels which were used to decorate the altar of the Virgin in the Cathedral at Toledo, Spain, have been stolen. They are estimated to be worth ,£12,000. Mr Gladstone usually lias three books in reading at tho same time, and changes from one to the other as he considers that his mind has reached the limit of its absorption! In 1893 the American pension-list amounted to . .£33,000,000 sterling. This list included some 6657 women, who claimed pensions as widows of soldiers who fell in the war of 1812 — 81 years ago. The King of Portugal is fond of roaming about the streets of his capital unattended. "On one'occasion," says a writer, "I saw him spring from his horse and pursue and capture a man who had fired a pistol at him." President Faure and Alphonse Daudet are among the notable Frenchmen who have lately become teetotalers. They have decided that drinking is incompatible with the hard work which brings success. President Kruger read one of Mark Twain's stories recently, and was greatly tickled with the American humour. His library now consists of the Bible, "Pilgrim's Progress," and a full set of Mark Twain's works. The Czar of Russia is said to have among his household an understudy singularly like him in appearance, who shows himself at the window of the railway carriages and the like when His Majesty does not wish to be disturbed. A curious new pavement has been invented of which the principal ingredient appears to be cork pressed into blocks, and it makes a delightfully silent and non-absorbent paveiuent, giving at the same time a fairly good foothold for horses. A Newcastle woman was injured by a large board which was blown down as she was passing. For the defence, it was contended that the March wind was an " act of God." The Judge said this defence was all nonsense, and gave the plaintiff damages. An International Congress for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, held at Pesth, resolved to take steps to bring about a general prohibition of vivisection by law. It was stated that during the last few years millions of beautiful birds had been destroyed ,to decorate ladies' bonnets. Mr Goschen's handwriting is probably the very worst among living statesmen. He is very near-sighted, and once in the House of Commons, having picked up one of his own memoranda, and having vainly attempted to read it, he exclaimed testily : " A man who writes like that ought not to be in public service." The German Emperor has a great objection to foreign terms being used in his presence. ' Even the imperial menu cards are invariably written in German. They average about six inches in width and nine inches in height, and are plain white with a gold border and eagle or monogram in gold at the top. Abraxas stones, which are very commonly found in collections of gems, were probably made in the Middle Ages as talismans; They are cut in various forms, and bear a variety of -cabalistic symbols, one of the chief being a figure consisting of a human body, a fowl's head, and serpentine extremities. They are represented as coming from Syria, Egypt, and Spain. The Sultan's presents to the Czar nnd Czarina on the occasion of the coronation consisted of a number of rich silk carpets and some other costly articles, including the decoration of the ancient Sadakat Order, set in. brilliants, for the emperor, and a diamond pin of the value of .£2OOO for the empress. A number of presents were also sent to the principal members of the Czar's household. The Czar has a slight figure by comparison with that of his Lite father, Alexander 111. Nicholas 11. most reminds us that of our Duke of York, only that hii hair and youthful beard are darker and his complexion paler. Nor is there that clear, keen, happy glance of the blue eyes which marks the Sailor Prince. Nicholas looks like a Russian autocrat who realises all his vast responsibilities and cares withont flinching under the load. Mr William Winans, the millionaire, is a remarkable man, and the most liberal supporter of the drama in London. He has been known on several occasions to give large sums — in one instance amounting to over .£looo— to be distributed among the minor characters performing at his favourite place of amusement. Not only does he take a box for himself every night, but he sometimes takes half-a-dozen boxes at a time and sends the tickets to his friends. His monthly theatre bill amounts to .£3OO. King Humbert, in the name of himself and of. Queen Margherita, and of the Princes of the Royal Family, has given to his Government for the families of the dead and wounded soldiers in Africa the sum of .£160,000. This stun is to be distributed without distinction between the Italian and native soldiers who fought side by side against the Abyssinians. King Humbert has also expressed his in tension of furnishing, if necessary, another sum of .£40,000, in his namo and. in that of the Queen, to be divided among the wounded. A curious case of mimicry is" to be seen on the; coast near Manila; in the Philippine Islands. The seeds of a beau fall among quartzpebblesj and so closely resemble them in shape, size, colour, lustre, hardness, and stratification. as to be distinguishable from them only -by a very close examination. The beans range from a' third of an inch to an inch in size, and vary greatly, in shape also, some ' resembling well-rounded beach pebbles, and others mimic pebbles that have been broken across. The colour, varies from dark to light drab, some with a greenish tinge, while others resemble pebbles of chalcedony or crystallised quartz. Nearly all show a series of dark bands, suggestive of stratification. The coronation of the Czar is the fifth which has taken place at Moscow in the present century. At the coronation of Nicholas I our Ambassador was the then Duke of Devonshire, iwho spent .£50,000 of his own money on the " representation," as it- is termed, and formed thereby a friendship with the Czar which lasted until the, death of that autocrat. Lord Granville represente I England at the coronation of Nicholas's successor, and the late Sir Robert Peel, who was never tired of relating his impressions of the function, was his secretary. We were not specially represented at the coronation of the late Czar, but a grant of was made to our Ambassador at St Petersburg for his expenses, which were much greater at Moscow.