HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16323, 12 January 1921, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

NEW TEETH AT 10P. “ Uncle Jack ” Terry, 106 years old« who is living in the eastern part of Union County, not iar from Albany* Mississippi, has had the unusual experience of having cut his third set of teeth. The fact is vouched for by the Rev S. V. Guile it, minister of the place (says the “ Central News ” correspondent). The leeth proved of Tittle practical value, being easily broken oui*r.f tlie mouth of the veteran. “ Uncle Jack.” it is said, had a num- * her of brothers and sisters, all of whom lived to Ik- at least one hundred years $ old. At 104 he could walk a mile tc church. MEDALS AND DECORATIONS. 1 am informed at the War Office that throe million war medals have now been distributed, says “ Clubman ” iu the <£ Pall Mall Gazette.” This distribution includes 350.000 1914 Stars. 1.397,45 b T 914-15 Stars. 990.421 British War Medals, and 59 Victory Medals; 275,000 1911-1 o Stars. over 600.000 British War Medals, and 50 Victory Medals hare gone to overseas dominions and colonies. Up* to the end of September the following issues of clecoraiions and other honours gained for war services have been made- M.C., 32.097: M.C. clasps. 2903; D.CTM . 23,971: M.M.. 118,607: M.S.M.. 20.989: Silver War Badge. 1,199.620; 1914 Star Clasps, 65.427 : Silver Roses, 123,579: Oak Leaf Emblems, 78,116. . SEA LION LEATHER. Large numbers of sea lions on the* British Columbia coitst which destroy annually vast quantities of fish, food may be slaughtered and -coheir hid e.s placed on the world’s leather market, if a proposition which comes from Premier Oliver and has the approval of many experienced fishermen is carried out. The sea lion weighs from 2000 to 2500 pounds, the hide** being nearly an inch thick. These hides made a .tough and durable rough leather such as is used m workmen’s gloves aud in saddles. It is stated that these animals will eat fifty pounds of fish in. a day. Four hunters recently killed several hundred sea lions in one day in the Charlotte Islands. LONG RANGE WIRELESS. It is intended that the Be!-# gian wireless transmitting station shqll hs* in permanent communication throughout the twenty-four hours with the powerful American stations, whilo a twelve-hour service is to be maintained to the Argentine and an eight-hour service to the Congo. B ielgum Is some 37-50 miles from the United States and from the Congo, amr about 0875 miles from Argentina- The transmission oP an average of 60,000 wottis a day is to be provided for. For such a powerful station considerable force will ba necessarv. probably 750 to 1000 kilo-* watts. The antennae and the surround - ing buildings will occupy a space of about 250 acres. For various reasons of capital importance, the station ia ta 1 erected in Flandcra. SHUT OUT, A rich Paris business man caused a family vault to be built in. Pere Lachaise cemetery. While he was abroad flis sister-in-law, whom he detested, died, and was the first member of the family to -be buried_ in the vault. Hie man came hurrying back to Paris and made a complaint to the Prefect ofl the Seine that somebody had been 1 buried in his vault without his pvrmis--gion. He gave instructions that l.enceforth nobody was £o buried ii *ia. vault without his penAission in writing. After having given his instruc-* tions the business man promptly cied- : * The sequel may me imagined. family wanted to bury him in the vault, but the Prefect refused pernisrfiion because he had not received t'io dead man’s permission. After prolong ed discussion the coffin was placed outside the entrance to the tomb, ard there it will remain until £he law courj have settled the matter. VIENNESE WOMEN. The old Austro-Hungarian monarchy was very reactionary with regard to the rights of women (writes the Vienna, correspondent of the ** Sunday Observer”). Of course, women had no votes either in the elections for ilia National Assembly or for local purposes, and they were admitted to tho high schpols (except of music) only under great difficulties. The war brought a complete change, and in the new Republic all women hold the same political rights a 3 men, and maj vote from the age of twenty. "Women iiave been returned to Parliament and the municipality. There is a great rush of girls to study at the Vienna, University. Female physicians and doctors of philosophy are now quite common.

The last barriers "harp now fallen, and women may also devote themselves to studying tho law. A large number of daughters of solicitors aud barristers have availed themselves of this opportunity to be able to carry, on their fathers’ business. This year they are also to be admitted to tho Academy of_ Art, and may officially study painting and sculpture. Many of the leading Vienna litterateurs. artists, and scientists have been rather pessimistic- a.s to the capacities of women, especially in painting, but it must be said in defence of the latter that so far they have not had much of a chance here. A rather heated controversy has arisen over the fitne-s of women in creative art. but it would be onlv fair to the Viennese women to give them some time first before passing judgment. SCENT-MAKING AT GRASSE Lying some thirteen miles to the north of Cannes, in the French Riviera, is Grasse, famed for its flowers and its scents. It is the centre of the perfume industry. Practically everyone in Grasse and its neighbourhood is engaged in this picturesque vocation—• cultivating the flowers, gathering the blossoms, or extracting the oil from which the scent is made. The annual turnover in flowers and ethereal oils (says the Newcastle “Weekly Chronicle”) amounts to a million pounds sterling. Official reports show that 2000 tons of orange flowers, 1500 tons of roses, 1200 tons of jasmine, 400 tons of violets, 300 tons of tuberoses, 100 tons of mimosa, 60 tons of reseda, and 50.000 tons of jonquils, in addition to many othei plr«nts, annually enter the manufactories at Grasse. These thousands of tons of blossoms, carried into the ancient town in baskets and piled up in great heaps in the storerooms, constitute one of the sights of the place* From month to month, practically throughout the year, they form a glori** ous symphony of colour and scent. It is very essential that the blooms are gathered just when they will be of most value to the scent manufacturer. Roses are picked when just about to open, as soon as the dew has vanished. Violets must not be. picked when wet nor when the sun is too hot*; They are gathered in the early piorm ing. after the dew has disappeared. i Then the scent of some flowers is so evanescent that they will not bean transportation, to the factories, so the manufacturers send their distillation apparatus to the fields. The essential oils of thymo, rosemary, and lavender are thus extracted almost on the very spot where they gixrw. To obtain the scents from the flowers, the manufacturer resorts to various complex processes, different perfumes demanding different treatment.