HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17171, 15 October 1923, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING. SLEEPY SICKNESS DEATH. After returning from the seaside a boy of fourteen, named Roby, of Brierfield, Lancs., fell into a sleep which lasted six days, dying at the end of that time. Prior to his death the medical officer had stated that sleepy sickness should not be confused with sleeping sickness, a disease familiar among West African natives, and characterised by fever and wasting. The cause of sleepy sickness was unknown, and first came under observation during the war. The germ is conveyed by dust and the disease is infectious. THE “UNKNOWN” WARRIOR. On the tomb of the Unknown British Warrior in Westminster Abbey will be laid shortly a medal which is to be let into the marble under glass. The medal is the United States Congressional decoration, the highest in America. and the announcement of the picturesque manner in which it will be conferred on the Abbey’s “Unknown"* was made by Canon Storr when Commander Owsley, on behalf of the American Legion, laid a wreath on the Tomb. | Canon Storr pointed out that four ; countries were connected with the • Tomb. The coffin rested on British white sand, was covered with French soil and Belgian marble, while the connection of the fourth nation would He indicated by the Congressional Mena! Commander Owsley's wreath was composed of asters, lilies and pink tarnations. THE PILLOW. A man was on a- motoring tour w hen his car broke down near a small vil- ’ lage. It, was late in the evening, so I he decided to put up for the night at the only in nthe village possessed. After a rather scrappy supper he was con- | ducted to his bedroom, but soon after ! the landlord had returned downstairs : ins guest leaned over the balustrade ; and called: • * Landlord ! Do you think j I'm going to clean my own hoots?” i “What do you mean?'' grumbled the landlord. “What have you put a ! polishing-pad on my bod for?” de- ! manded the guest. The landlord came j upstairs to look. “Polishing-pad!*’ he v j snapped. “That’s not a polishing-pad! j That's the pillow !” A HERO. An old Scotsman, dictating his will, I said : *1 give and bequeath to mv wife ! the sum of £IOO a year. Is that writ !doon?” “Yes.” said the lawyer; “but she may marry again. Won't you make any change in that case? Most people do.” ‘ Ah. wee!, write again, and say: ‘lf my wife marry again J give and bequeath to her the sum of £’2oo a year.’ That'll dae. eh?’’ “Why. that's just double the sum she would have had if she liad remained unmarried.” said the lawyer. “Tt is usually the other way.” “Aye.” said the Scotsman, “but him that taks her wull weel deserve it.” PRIDE IN PRINTING. It is the standard lament of of industrialism that it has given ns merely ugliness. The critics take too little account of the later-day reaction against ugliness— a reaction 1 which nowhere shows itself more pleasingly than in printing. Indeed, it is not too much to say that this century has witnessed a renaissance in printing. There is still much j>rinting which is an offence to the eye—printing which seeks prettiness in needless ornamentation - but against this there is printing which, reproduces all the chaste beauty and dignity of the fine craftsmen of the past. What is being done is pre-sent-day printing is shown by the Year Book of the London School ■>s Printing and Kindred Trades, in which are given many examples of students’ work in the 1922-23 session. WILD CATS IN SCOTLAND. At Corrybeg, in Lochaber, a Highland shepherd saw an animal dash from, the woods and carry off a lamb. He tracked the intruder, and found it to be a wild cat the size of a tiger cub, which he afterwards throttled. Genuine wild or tiger cats are rare in Britain and arc found chiefly in the mountains j north of the Caledonian Canal. They are broader across the shoulders and | are more massive of limb than the do- | mestic cat, and measure when fully j grown from 40in to 4bin from the nos* to the tip of the tail. House cats iu | the Highlands, tiring of domesticity, j frequently take to the wilds anti interS breed with the outlaws. The kittens ! are speckled grey and on reaching cat- | hood they develop a wild shriek. Wife! cats mostly live on rabbits and young rhares. They have been known to kill roedeer, fawns and game birds. They get fish meals free from the otter, which, when he catches the trout or salmon, just takes one bite out of the shoulder and leaves the rest on th® river bank. A NOVEL EXHIBITION. The Shipping Exhibition at Olympia, London, is the largest and most reprei sentative ever organised. The main hall, annexe and galleries are filled with exhibits relating to ocean going vessels, while in the new building, the Society of Motor Manufacturers have arranged a great display of motor boat* and accessories. Under the organisation of Messrs F. W. Bridges and Sons th> Shipping Exhibition will be on popular lines in order to interest the general public ns well as seamen and engineers. There is machinery in motion, and demonstrations of welding and cutting metals, wave power transmission, wireless telephones, fire-fighting on board, life-saving at sea. a 40ft water tower at work, a ship’s navigating bridge on which visitors can take command, the j newest motor life-boat, an automatic j telephone exchange where no operator •is required, tho flashing of search- | lights, painting by compressed air. enI graving by machinery, and a hammer ; delivering 200 'blows a minute. Many i new inventions from various countries [ are being staged by an army of work--1 men, and features are made of splendid models of famous dockyards and craft ! of all kinds. THE *• BEACH MAFIA.” Many wonder why the police van which conveys prisoners to th*> court from prison is called a “Black Maria.” The story is this. Xearlv a century ago. in one of the great American sea ports, was a “ dive.” or saloon that I was notorious oven amongst the lowest ; boarding-liouses in the dockland of ! that place. The dive was kept by a Maria Lee, a gigantic negress, and so respected was her physical prowess, even in that lawless quarter, that tho very fiercest battle of rowdy “toughs'* could be instantly quelled by the presence of this A mason. Sometimes, indeed. when t?ie constabulary were called out to a more than usually serious riot, they would enlist the aid of • Blaek Maria." as she was <'a)J*d. Prisoner? might b»—and often were rescued from the police themselves bv their drunken colleagues, but- tb£ man entrusted to the charge of Black Maria, was never known to escape ! That sJorcis generally supposed to explain the origin of the phrase, although scholars arc still undecided.