BRIEF MENTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5733, 28 November 1896, Page 3

BRIEF MENTION.

_ « Of the 51,000 breweries estimated to be in the world, 26,000 are in Germany. A doctor in Ireland was biting an apple when a wasp Btung his tongue, causing death. Buluwayo, which'two or three years ago was the site -of Lobengula's royal kraal, ia lighted by electricity. Physically Mr Austin is the smallest poet laureate Great Britain has ever had. He is only a little over four feet in height. It is noted that the women of the royal families of Europe are, on the average, much stronger, mentally and physically, than the men. ; Eussia will the characteristic native songs of the country from oblivion by establishing "Professorships of folfcmusic," in the leading-Univeisities. - If the armies of Europe should maitsH afc an eight-mile * gait, five abreast, ___«___ inches apart, it would require nine and "a half days for them to pass a given point. A- case of mistaken identity occurred in Eussia. Some years ago-a, man washanged for murder, despite ' his protests of innocence. The real- murderer has just been arrested. The longest tunnel in the world is Sfc Gothard, wbich is 48,.540 ft. The next longestare Mont Cenis r 39,850f t jJßoosack, 25,080 ft; Severn 22,-9S2ft. Nocbistones, 21,659 f t; Suias, 21,1208;. A nrillionairs.is «aid*to ha.ye.had a glass house erected.at the botton of a lake/in which he can sit and smoke or dine-in delightful silence and coolness. It is reached by asubterranean passage. It is certain that the elephant, tke rhinoceros, the bear, the hyena, and o£ner wild animals-were at one tha&e-comme&in England. Several bones of these animala have been fonniin^Kenf e £a*-_ro,»_v_©__>a mile from Torquay. The largest kite ever __ade.m.E_3s_iaan_ was one owned by Mr George. P«_o«_k,_of Bristol (grandfather of *W. G. Gtace^ior the purpose of drawing a carnage along the roads. It was.l2ft bylßtt, andprovod the feasibility of snch a mode of conveyance. In Switzerland, from th&Bmallest'vil&ge it-is now-possible to telephone toanyplace in the conntry at a fee from omvpenny-fco fourpence for the most distant-points, on [ instruments on wbich one can hearwith \ perfect distinctness, and wtocLaraikßjjtdn thorough repair. A-boy, in his fourteenth year, was •arrested as a suspicious character in London. He was lookingfor a piece of string^ -___aa& some chestnuts, but being 6ft 6_n in height the police had mistaken hintifor a man. The magistrate told the mother-to look after her boy, who would develqjpdnto a .giant. The forty-second anniversary of the battle of the Alma- has just been-celebrated At dinner the Queen proposed the usual toast, "To the glorious, immortal. memory of the blessed dead who fell fighting _or . me." The Queen merely puts the .glass to -her lips, as she is forbidden to drink ■champagne by her doctor. A Birmingham grocer, in monetary difficulties, who disappeared fram-home, is charged with throwing his-two^danghters, aged four and twelve,- over the <3li£fcon Suspension Bridge<&t three o'clock in the morning. The children fdl into the water, 2ooftbelow,.but.*were«j«fedaip3jy-a boatman who-chanoed to be-passing. .The younger *child s waß-_tfcQe __a-w<n^_brifothe elder one receivedynjurieswhichaiiayprov© fatal. Afresh development of the advertising nuisance isdescribed in-the Lancei^irhkih. states how in certain of the- newest and largestdiotels in-this country-the visitor, after being "elevated'" to iris bedroom, finds himself surrounded by varkra, packages containing toilet articles an_* quack remedies. Each packageds-dulyse-cured by a gummed label, and to-each is attached an announcement to the offect thatdlf-the packagehe removecbor -opened tbe price of it (which is gisen). will -ba ■charged to^he v-Bitortesaccannt.