HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20075, 11 October 1920, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

DEVOTION TO MASCOTS. hn^)nnl G I 0tl0! t. Of thG Bt °gO to mascotsi I \i ln A beca . ai() j Vn ’ nn( f m oro recenty f‘ aV( V marled tho playing field. usea uiom, and there arc. mavbc raw many county cricketers this have not some sort of charmto pockets when they go out to bat; while there ar 6 some who pm then faith. to an ancient cap or BrlrW ° | lCr equipment. Bridge players are noted for their at. tachments to mascots. It is quite c<>mmon, especially when W'omen are play!?S' to J e ,° a tmrious assortment ofi httle articles on the table. Certain once familiar mascots have gone out of fashion. No seai'nying man today would go up to thirty guineas for iV nC £ hI K%-Talued caul—which, ~ ~JT went wretchedly cfieap at David Ooppcrfield’s christening, V NEW LINCOLN STORY. A now Lincoln story is appearing in bo American papers. • Tho story is told by an old lady in Springfield, who knew Lincoln well. On one of his flat-boat trips down the Ohio River. Lincoln round tho other boatmen with hint to be a rough, drinking lot. They Palmed to go ashore and “ celebrate ” at the first town approached, and urged young Abo to go with them. Lincoln refused to be induced to join them, in smtoof taunts and gibes. They called bun ‘ sissy” and "preacher” and other epithets, but Abo only smiled! and said ho was responsible with thonl for the cargo, which, belonged to anoilier man. The men ■went ashore and spent the night m tho saloon while Lincoln watched tho raft. In the morning the men came aboard, rolling before them a barrel of whisky. Young Lincoln then said, “You call mo it ‘sissy’ and a ‘ mollycoddle,’ but I’ll stump you to lift up the keg and drink from the bunghole.” They couldn’t very back out, and so each ono tried to lift the keg to his moutlii, bub in vain. Then the young giant Lincoln, grasped tho keg by either rim and slowly muscled it up to bis knees, then to his chest, and then with a mighty shove up over his head until the bunghole was above Iris mouth. Ho didn’t drink a drop, but with a mighty hcavo tossed the keg overboard. V NEW METHOD OF STORING FRUIT, A new discovery in tho storing of rniit without tho use of refrigerating machinery and ice chambers, so that it may bo preserved in its original condition for many months, has recently been made in Melbourne, where thto tests arc now being carried out. It consists (says the Melbourne “ of wrapping tho fruit in specially prepared and treated fibre, rolled out and teased from tho bark of certain varieties of eucalyptus. Tho medicinal properties of the eucalyptus oil are well known. Used internally or externally, or as an inhalant, it has proved cura live and beneficial for colds and kindred complaints. It ia held that these same antiseptic virtues prevent the-multi-plication of tho micro-organisms which cause fruit to degenerate and decay, krcost tho development of rot, which, of course, is just wliat cold storage does. Tests of tho value of eucalypt berk fibre for preserving ■ apples have been made by Mr W. L. Billings, who has conducted research work into the uses of tho euoalypt fibre, and _he asserts that he has by its means kept apples in good condition for many months, including hob weather, in a small iron-roofed shingle sued. ■ v adjustment of prices. Conditions seem to favour a gradual readjustment of prices toward a lower basis, according to the August letter of the National City Bank, New York, «i discussing the current trend of business. “ This is what everybody should desire,” the bank says, “ because it means keeping the industries in balance, with continuous employment for wage earners, a continuous turnover in trade, a gradual reduction of inventories and indebtedness and al safe [reestablishment upon the foundation of normal solid values. The wise policy for tho time is one of ready adaptation and co-operation all round. Changes are impending, and it is no time for any group to take on arbitrary position and say that it will have tilings its own way. The problem is to lower tho whole level ‘upon which the exchanges of industry are being made without disrupting the organisation and interrupting production. If, as seems probable, tho farmers must accept a gradual reduction in tho prices of their products as Europe becomes more selfsufficient, some impairment of their purchasing power will result, andl they will buy less of the products of other industries unless those are correspondingly cheaper. It will bo useless for the producers in other industries to insist that they shall have tho same money income if tho great agricultural population lias less. Thera is a. natural equilibrium and reciprocity among the industries which is bound, to bo maintained, because it is fixed in tho very constitution of things. If the readjustments are not made reasonably and harmoniously they will be made any way by the force of economic law.” • • * PLENTY OF PETROL IN BORNEO. Although there is a desperate short-, ago of in some places, there appears to bo immense quantities available in Borneo. According to Mr A. T. Selmau, tho Australian representative of Messrs Dalgety and Co.. Ltd., motor-car agencies, who him recently returned from an Eastern tour, petrol could bo obtained in Japan and Borneo at Is lOd a gallon. At Balik Papan, in Bonco; largo quantities were stored near the wharf, and it was pumped into vessels requiring it. The steamer Roggevecu had her tanks filled in two hours. Up to January, while Mr Selman was in America, ho did not notice any petrol shortage, and when ho loft there tho price was iibout lid a gallon. » * • \ EARL BEATTY’S CHART SOLD. ' Earl Beatty’s chart of the sea, from . Peterhead to tho Pentium! Firth, widen was used by him at tho Battle of Jutland, had been sold at Christie’s for the insignificant sum of 160 guineas. With the famous admiral’s private markings on it, the chart will yet prove of great historical interest and,value. The purchaser was tho American Consul in London, and the chart was pro-, seated to the War Seals Foundation by Earl Beatty, to be sold for n war charity. ♦ ♦ * Unless .some drastic change occurs in tho rate of exchange as it affects tho American dollar, there is every probability that Now Zealand will, geo little or no American fruit this season. This .was tho opinion expressed to n reporter by one of tho leading local fruit importers. In the past, r. was pointed out, Bun Francisco ami Canadian apples could he landed heiv at a cost of 12s or 13s per bushel case. iVith tho rate of exchange ruling at present, and the high freight charges, however, the landed cost now' is about 23s a case, a price which merchants consider will make importations prohibitive. The position is the more unfortunate, as there is o surplus of ovor 3,000,000 barrels of American and Canadian apples this year, and the Dominion has nlwav" been a largo importer of the Amen" can surplus. The position will probablv result in a. keen demand for lotus 1 «i)>j))os, ul' which there h* ioj*tuiiutdv * a largo supply available till* '