HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19849, 19 January 1920, Page 4

HERE AND THERE.

At Le Mans, an important junction, the French military authorities have just discovered a' - lost ambulance train , lts and two soldiers. Tim "hole outfit had been completely furRotten for fourteen mouths. What led to the revelation was the fact that the general commanding the district recently iound an order awaiting his 'denature lor a half ton of coal and “a. btUit 1 ! Nt \vinp for tho uso of an aiubu* lance tram Xo. X. He made inquiries as to what tram this might be. and Imdmg that no one knew anythin"auout it, went to the. siding himself I he general found a rather rusty-look-mg tram wth two soldiers playing cards m one of the compartments (savs tho van's correspondent of tho “Weekly Dispatch-’). “How long have vh ; i been here?' 1 he asked, “Since August. was the reply. “The train was detailed for the offensive of that month, and afterwards was.transferred to several stations in turn till at last it reached this siding. AVe have been waiting orders ever since.”

Many English mothers to-day habitually “make up” their children. Tho newspapers arc taking the matter nn ivith a- view to preventing this burlesquing of childhood. At a children's dancing class quite recently it was noticed that two out of every three of the little girls present were made up in some way or other. Powder of various tints was most prevalent; several of the children had touches of rouge on their cheeks and lips, while quite a number of pairs of eyebrows had i>een darkened with a. pencil. These things arc being done more and more in everyday life to sucli an extent that one “beauty doctor” has lately opened a children’s room, with special attendants. A wellknown hairdresser says that ho has sufficient regular child clients for artificial hair waving to keep one of his men always busv.

It the American Government insists on exhuming the bodies of American soldiers buried in France, the French Government probably will accede, but, opinion in French official circles is decidedly against any such plan® France believes t is more democratic to have the dead of all nations who fell in a common cause rest together in France. Franco will consider it her sacred duty to care for their graves with the greatest reverence. The expense of exhumation also would bo great, it was pointed out, and only wealthy relatives could afford to have bodies of their soldier dead brought home unless the expense was borne by the Government. This, the French officials _ declared, would be sure to cause ill-feeling among poor persons.

Despite the boom in celluloid and similar substitutes used in cutlery, manufacture, there is no diminution in the record demand for ivory halted knives, razors, and the like. Ono of Sheffield’s'leaning firms (Messrs Joseph [lodgers and Sous, Ltd.) alone use I'lO'J tusks a year. In cutting the tusks great.care is taken to preserve the ivory dust from contact with deleterious substances (says the “ Daily Mail.”) The dust is first drawn mechanically into a container, afterwards passed through a very fine sieve, and then sold to grocers and confectioners for the preparation of invalid jelly. Half a gallon of jelly can be made from a pound of ivory dust. ■

New experiences await the dancers of the winter season (says the “Daily, Mail”). At a recent hall the lights went low, and still lower, and out of the gloom sprang a single powerful searchlight, which picked out a couple of dancers. The others ceased to dance and lined the walls while-tho two chosen for the display performed thenpart alone, followed by tho vivid illumination. Another novelty is provided by a spider, largo and insistent, which, descending upon a roomful of dancers, as tho music strikes up, indicates the couple it is pleased to honour, who obediently rise to the occasion and show the intricacies of. the latest inspiration in jazz, ”, ,

In Now York the revenue authorities aro trving to overcome two evils whicli have arisen since the passing of the Prohibition Enforcement Act. Tim saloon keepers, it has been found, are buying barrels of commercial alcohol and colouring it with prune, juice or caramel to look like whisky, and selling it at ‘2s a drink, which, nets them a pn> tit of £240 a barrel. Dctors describe the effects of this drink on the stomach as being like a charge of dynamite. Deaths have already occurred. The other evil is the drinking of hair tonic, toilet water and bay rum. For tho purpose of identification of planes the United States War Department has authorised insignias for each of the forty-four airplane squadrons, devices to be painted upon machines and baggage having been selected by Uio members of the various squadrons. Th Thirteenth Squadron will decorate its planes with tho figure of a running skeleton carrying a bloody scythe! Some of tho others will have: A great snow owl, the American flag, an eagle beadsman on a dachshund, a. masked headsman with an axe, an American Indian, a wolf’s head," a winged Cupid in campaign hat, a pair of dice with the lucky seven up, tho “hat in the ring.”

Sentenced to a year’s imprisonment tor stealing postal mail orders at Dim. kirk, New York, a sixteen-year-old boy named Emery Billstcme became blind in ;v lit of hysteria which tho shame ; f lus conviction brought on soon after his ai rival at the reform school. The magistrates wero so moved bv the boy’! a Auction that they ordered his relea-e <m parcuo. A specialist proved the case to ho a genuine one of amaurosis, or absolute blindness, something very ra-e to he stricken suddenly with. ‘ With Hie knowledge flint he can begin life anov; and the chance of obtaining a picsulential pardon before he comes of age, the hoy is exQgoted to recover. Prohibition is beginning to reap its harvest m a hegira of Italians from ban I'rancisco according t 0 the announcement of the railroad officials who reported that a special train carrying 1,0 Italians, bound for New York en route to Genoa, Italy, left, tho Oakland mole.recently. This was' the second such special train to depart, Mom California m three weeks. The tram cost the travellers 17,000 dollars:! 1 iioir lotji] transportation oxnensps to their native land will he 43.200 dollars. At the local hank-.s it was learned that members ot tho party carried with them letters of credit aggregating more than 200.000 dollars. The nest d"v another party consisting of 70 nas songers loft for New York in two special cars. It is generally conceded that prohibition is the real cause of the departure of the Italians. It is also Hated that the fact that an AmericadoDar is equal to 12* Italian lire j s another reason.