GENERAL NEWS

Western Star, 18 October 1932, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS

SKATING ROUND THE WORLD

Four years ago 632 men left Los Angeles, California, on roller skates to race round tlie world and win a prize of £14,000. Seventy-three are dead. All but three of the remainder have stopped.

Th*» three men recently left Camden, New Jersey. They must sleep upright in chairs, eat no me.at, fish, or dairy produce, obstain from smoking, swim daily, and sleep for at least six hours. —Head Waiter Named “Satan.” — Thousands of men who served in Mesopotamia in the war will he interested to know that Satan has gone to Palestine. The name will bring back many memories. Satan (a genuine name), wa s the head waiter of what, until March 11, 1917, was known as the Tigris Hotel. On the day after the British troops entered Bagdad and the proprietor learned the name of the British Oom-mander-in-Chief, th e house became and remained the Maude Hotel. —Marriage Of Midgets.— Two English midgets, Miss Dorothy Kathleen Griffiths and Mr Vivian Paseoe. both of whom were born in London were lately married in St Barnaljas’s Church, Mitcham. Th e bridegroom is 4ft in height and the bride 3ft lOin. The bride’s sister Barbara, aged 10 years, who is a foot taller, was one of the bridesmaids, and a 6ft brother, Mr A. G. Griffiths, wa s best . man. Both midgets’ parents, who are of normal height, attended the wedding. —English For German Hikers. — The “Jugendherbergen” or Youth Inns scattered all over Germany have become so popular with young American and English hikers that, the Reichs verband fur Deutsche Judendlierbergen (Association for German Youth Inns) has compiled a, handy little booklet of English words and with German equivalents for English-speaking guests. With th e help of the booklet, the Inker from abroad can make his wishes known as to food, accommodation, routes, sights, weather, etc. It is given free of charge to all foreign members of the association. —Three Million Deaf People.— There are approximately 3,000.004 people in Great Britain with defective hearing in one or both ears. This statement appears in a survey of two years’ research by the National Institute for the Deaf and tlie Department of Industrial Physiology of tlie London School of Hygiene, published in the British Medical Journal.

The survey points out that th e vast majority of deaf patients can he enabled to hear accurately by means of properly prescribed electric aids. These instruments, which are likely to be further improved by more extended research, can be made and sold at jiriccs within the means of the poor.

—Miracle Of Loaves And Fishes.—

The exact spot whcr c Christ performed the miracle of feeding a multitude with a few loaves and small fishes is stated to have been, located by Dr Kvarist Andrew Mader, a German historical society’s representative in Pales tine, according to information received at the Vatican. ■ Dr Mader found by the Sea of Galilee the remains of ail ancient basilica answering to the description left by tlio pilgrim Silvia Aquitana at tlie end of the fourth century of a basilica built over the spot where the miracle took place. Under the main jaltar, Dr Mader discovered an enormous block of stone on which it is claimed the Saviour sat while performing the miracle.

—lnventor Dies In Povertv.—

Jean Leroy, who i s credited with having invented the film projector which made the motion-picture industry possible, died in New York in poor circumstances recently aged 78 years.

Failure to patent liis invention 38 years ago lost Mr Leroy untold wealth, and during his late years he made his living at a small camera repair shop within a stone's throw of Broadway’s immense picture palace s wher c fortunes have been made from Ilfs invention.

• Mr Leroy said before be died:—“l did not patent my invention because I did not realise what I had. and was ignorant of the patent laws. Like the average inventor, I centred my interest on the solution of the problem which I bad in mind.”

—lntoxicated Bees And Wasps.—

Beekeeper s are shocked —for their Uses insist on getting drunk, says a London newspaper. Tli c bees appear to be in helpless attitudes on the ground, falling off their floivers, refusing to work, and lapsing into drunk en stupors. "When consulted, a bee expert said: —“Drunk? Oil. yes, the bees are ieal|v drunk. Their condition is due to the nectar of the lime tree. It has some strange toxic ingredient which has not been fully investigated. Only on c or two other plants have tbe same effect. 'The bee has to visit many lime flowers to drink an intoxicating quantity of nectar but eventually he is overcome and falls to the ground. It is exceedingly dangerous for a bee to get drunk. If left alone he will come round in a few hours. But often, when h e gets so drunk as to be helpless, a bird eats him.

“Wasp s are dangerous when under the influence of an intoxicant. Overripe Victoria plums, eaten as they lie on the ground, make wasps drunk. When moderately drunk they go mad, and get busy with their stings, when thoroughly intoxicated they go to sleep.