CULLED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18566, 23 August 1922, Page 7

CULLED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

Plans io Americanise the Japan ese of the Hawaiian Islands have been evolved., and are now being carried out. Leaders of Japan, like Viscount Shibuswha, have endorsed the movement. They realise that so long as the Japanese immigrant in America remains a Japanese at heart

—refusing to adopt America as his country, as long as there remain little Japans unassimilated, misunderstood, and misunderstanding, just so long will there be trouble and differences. The public schools are having a greater influence on Japanese children in the United States than their homes, the Japanese language, of the teaching of Buddhist priests. Their ideals, their interests, their tastes and their ambitions are totally different from those of young Japanese of Japan. As Baron Goto said after meeting them: " These boys and girls are American in aJI but their appearance.”

Do you want your wrist watch to {keep time? Then carry it in your j pocket. So say observant French I jewellers whose repair shops are so ■ often flooded with wildly erratic watches worn from swinging wrists Through the newspapers the Associted Jewellers are advising the public that no watch can long withstand the jigsaw life on a wrist, where the majority of watches have been worn since the war brought in the habit. Ordinary watches must not be laid on a cold marble bureau top during the night, as is the habit of thousands, for watches require a certain amount of warmth afforded by bodily heat in the day time, and a cloth protection at night.

Experiments conducted by the United States Bureau of Entomology demonstrates that the house fly frequently journeys five or six miles in 24 hours, which emphasises the sanitary importance of destroying its breeding places. Some 2 34,000 flies of various species were dusted with flnaly-powdered red chalk and released. and baited fly traps were put at stated intervals in all directions; then the flights of different species were determined. The maximum distance travelled by the house fly was 13.1 miles.

Here is a true story', says the Morning Post, of an incident occurring in a Yorkshire village where a housing scheme is now in progress. Some of the dwellings have been completed and are occupied; others still necessitate the daily attendance of the various workmen. To one of these workmen, a plumber, there came the other day a woman from a house that had been occupied the day before. '' Will you come and look at the tap?’’ she said. “ I can’t get any hot water.” The plumber went, but the moment he put foot inside the house he exclaimed,

“ Why, missus, .you haven’t got a lire! - ’ "Oh. was the surprised rejoinder, “ I didnt know I wanted a fire; the tap said ‘ hot water. ’

The Aiystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm commenced its annual gathering in America. Although one of the most modern of American, secret societies, the order hets a membership of over 10 0,000 “ master masons in good standing.” but it is in no way connected with freemasonry. The ritual observed is most elaborate, being founded upon an old Persian manuscript discovered in a secret vault in Teheran. The nomenclature of the society is somewhat curious, the members being styled prophets. The branches are known as grottoes, and the chief is called the Grand Alonarch.

At the wedding of Mr A. Baldwin Raper, SLP., and the Marchioness Conyngham, the novelty consisted of two best men. This recalls the origin of the custom of having a best man. It is a survival of feudal times, when the particular friends of the bridegroom undertook to frustrate the designs of a rival sworn to carry off the bride before the nuptials could take place. in Sweden weddings formerly took place under cover of night. Behind the high altar of the ancient church at Husaby, in Gothland, a collection of long lances, with sockets for torches, may yet be seen. These were served out lo the groomsmen on such occasions, both for defence and illumination. These men were the bravest and best who could be found to volunteer their services.

A lady w’ho was visiting a friend the other (Jay was surprised when the small boy of the house informed her that he understood French. “ You don't really mean it, Ronnie dear, do you? Why, it’s wonderful.’’ “Yes, 1 do mean it,” he replied with emphasis. “ When ma and pa speak French at tea I know I’m to have a powder.’’

The doctor had left his instructions sufficient to carry on during the afternoon. All went well until the telephone rang and a sweet female voice inquired, “ Is the doctor in? May 1 speak to him?” The assistant, per instructions, explained the doctor’s absence. He inquired if he could be of any use. The lady was worried as she went on. “ Oh, lam so sorrv. I am ’phoning for Airs Blank, and it is very important. Tell the doctor immediately on his return that Airs Blank is having a gymkhana coming on, and she wonders if he could do anything for it.” The assistant made a hurried note and ic-assured his caller. “I’ll tel the doctor as soon as he i eturns. “ And ?n can while tell her to put a n. ustard poultice un it, and and renew every two hours.”

A giant crane has been invented in England which automatically weighs the coal as it dumps it. The full car is held suspended until the balance attached to the suspension comes to rest and indicates gross weight; the same thing is done with the car after it is emptied, and the deduction is made put onia tioally, registering the net weight of the coal dumped.

The childs reaction to the movies was recently tested in Chicago, and come unexpected results were obtained. The 5000 children were blase toward elephants: bison thundering! over the prairie met with a heartier 1 ireception; but it remained' for the skunk, above all other animals, to excite their enthusiasm. The picture of a boy stealing apples and wading in shallow creeks put many of the J children to sleep. A pin in the left lung of a little! Kansas girl was removed by the aid I of one of the latest devices in sci-l ence, the bronchoscope. The instru-J ment was inserted in the bronchus I through the mouth. and forceps,! liwered through the tube, brought I out the pin within two minutes. A lecturer, expatiating on the nature of man. remarked that on point of ■ distinction between human beings' and the lower animals consisted in a capacity for progress. “Man," he exclaimed, ‘‘is a progressive being; but other creatures are not. Take the ass tor instance. Always and everywhere it is the same creature. You have never seen, and you never will see. a more perfect ass than you are at the present moment.”

“The Garden of Eden was a lovely spot in the spring of the year,” said one writer. Perhaps, but they had one bad fall there.

There is one time a man will not say anything against his neighbours, and that is when he is trying to sell his house.