Round the World Paragraphs.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 9, 29 February 1908, Page 12

Round the World Paragraphs.

“Bunny” to Pay the Rent. Two London wen, Messrs. Collins and Garland, knowing that about £350.000 is spent in England every year on foreign rabbits, have conceived the enterprising idea of starting a rabbit farm at Edenbridge, Kent, and they have already more than 1000 does. In addition to breeding rabbits themselves, Messrs. Collins ami Garland invite the district to co-operate with them in the same business. The idea is that each cottager could easily pay his rent by keeping rabbits, and this is how Messrs. Collins and Garland propose to assist him. “We will lend you free of charge,” says the circular they have issued, “some does to start breeding with at once. We will buy the young rabbits from you when fat enough to kill and will pay you 3d or 3Jd per pound (live weight) for them. We will call at your house and deliver the rabbits and tell you how to keep and feed them, and we will collect the young ones and pay you cash at your door. Every doe you keep should bring you in 30/ a year, and it will not cost you much more than one penny a week to feed her. so that you should make a profit of 25/ a year on every doe, or £5 on four does.” © ® © Pushing a “Pram” Round the World. A quaint figure of a man, wearing an iron mask and an air of determination started from Trafalgar square on Ist January last to push a perambulator round the world—with the ultimate object, perhaps, ol pushing some other, more saleable, commodity; but, according to him. his walk was the outcome of a wager of £20,000 with an American millionaire, a friend of his. - “The wager is hedged about with a multitude of curious conditions,” he remarked in an interview. Among them he is to: Conceal his identity. Find a wife on the road. Make his living as he goes along by selling photographs and pamphlets, his initial stock of which must not cost more than £l. Forward an account of his progress, signed by the mayor or some other responsible inhabitant of every town he passes through, and also patronise the post office of each town he traverses by buying a postage stamp. “The wager was laid by a friend of mine, a well-known American millionaire, aa the outcome of an argument, which took place at a club in Pall Mall," the world-walker said. “He declared that no Englishman would walk around the world masked and pushing a perambulator.” The honour of his country was at stake, and the “man in the iron mask” took up the haughty challenge. The initial route taken by this peram-bulator-pushing sportsman for his worldtour was via Fleet-street. London Bridge, and the Old Kent-road. © © ® Wanted, a Widow. A strange series of mistakes has been made by the officials of the Menston Asylum, near Bradford, in connection with the death of an inmate named Johnson. Mrs. William James Johnson, of Bradford, was informed that her husband had died in the asylum. She arranged for the funeral, and the interment took place at Sebplemoor Cemetery, in the Roman Catholic portion. On returning home, however, she received a telegram from Menston saying that her husband was still alive. She at once proceeded*to the asylum and found her husband alive and well. The death certificate heat's the name of William Johnson, woolsorter, Prospect-Street, Bowling, and, on inquiry being made, it was found that there is a Mrs. Johnson at the address given. She in her turn was informed of the death of her husband. But there was another mistake. Thia *ka. Johnson lives apart from her husband, Joseph Johnson, who was discover-

ed at Queensbury recently enjoying his dinner. Thus there: are three Johnsons, and there- is ho trace of the relatives of the man who is dead. Meanwhile Mrs. William James Johnson is looking for someone to reimburse her for her expenditure on the body of the man who was no relation to her. © © © A Tramp Worth £ll5. A sum of £ll5 in half sovereigns was found in the possession of an old tramp named Patrick Halloran, who was arrester for vagrancy at Middleton. Co. Cork. Halloran has spent thirty-five years in wandering all oyer Ireland wheeling a primitive wheelbarrow of his own make. He lias lived in Australia, and told the police that fie never drank or smoked. Besides the money, which was contained in two tin canisters, Halloran had a box full of locks of his own hair in the wheelbarrow, with bedding and cooking utensils. He was committed to the insane ward of the Middleton Workhouse. While under arrest he made his own tea with lumps of ice which he melted and boiled. © © © London’s Historic Pageant. Ten thousand London citizens win be given an opportunity in July next to play a part in the forthcoming historic London pageant. In a few days each metropolitan borough will have its committee and its honorary local secretary, to whom applications can be made by" willing pageant players in the neighbourhood . Some of the parts to be filled are:— Pagan worshippers, cave-dwellers, Christians, Crusaders, soldiers, rebels, rioters, apprentices, and notabilities of Pall Mall in the eighteenth century; there are also opportunities for aspiring “pageanters” to appear as galley-slaves, and a few out of the ten thousand applicants may succeed in assuming the dignity of temporary kingship. The role of Henry VHI. is already assigned—Mr. Bourchier has volunteered. Mr. Beerlwhm Tree is to read a paper on the subject of the London pageant, and it. is anticipated that he will give many desirable hints and suggestions. © © © Japanese Ideal of a Good Man. General Kuroki, the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Army, gives in “Everybody’s Magazine” his definition of a good man. “As one serving in the army of my august master,” he writes, “I am not without my own ideal of a good man. Any person who will act up to the spirit of the Five Imperial Commandments given to those serving in the profession of national defence is worthy of the name of a good man. I might also add that the commandments are just as applicable to those not belonging to the profession (the army) in their daily lives.” The Five Imperial Commandments to which General Kuroki refers are:- — (1) Tfe who serves in the army (or the navy) shall make it his duty to do his utmost in l>eing loyal and devoted. (2) Shall punctiliously observe the principle of decorum. (3) Shall value and esteem personal courage. (4) Shall be trustworthy and honourable. (5) Simplicity of living (frugality) shall predominate in the life of him who serves in the army (or the navy). ® ® ® A Submarine Wedding. A reward of £ 1,000 was, early in January last o fie red to the happy couple who would agree to lx> married under water at the Hippodrome, in Ixmflon. The idea of a submarine wedding was suggested by the performances of “Honeyland,” in which five young fairies dive into a lake of coloured water and are not seen again. Where they go is a mystery. But the mystery will bo

explained when the wedding takes place, for the lake will be lit up and uncoloured water will be used, so that their hiding place beneath the waves will be perfectly visible. The proprietors have offered £ 100 to agy couple who will be married in the fairies’ dwelling under the water. Beyond this, Miss Lelra Roze and the other members of the company are contributing gifts, as well as the many manufacturing firms which do business with the Hippodrome. Altogether a wedding portion of something like £ 1,000 will be provided in cash and in kind. Twelve actresses will act as bridesmaids at this novel matrimonial ceremony. A clergyman or a registrar, as the parties prefer, will perform the ceremony. after which the happy couple will be invited up on to the stage, in full view of the audience, to sign the register. Within a week dozens of letters and telegrams were received from “intending” couples willing to contract a submarine marriage, and to receive the £l,OOO wedding gift. © © © An Innocent “Ogress.” The court at Bourges on January Gth acquitted Jeane. Weber, who had become known throughout France as “the Ogress." and ordered her to be set free immediately. This is so far the last act of one of the most extraordinary judicial tragedies in the history of the country. Nearly two years ago' Jeanne »Veber was denounced by her srsters-in-law and her neighbours as a murderess. The crime of which she was accused was the horrible one of having strangled two of her own c : Idren ard two of her little nephews. In each case the child had died after it had been alone with Jeanne Weber. The newspapers gave the woman the title of “the Og’-ess,” and, as French newspape-s often do, prejudged the case and found the woman guilty. During her trial all sorts of terrible stories about her past -7erc published. but not one. of. these storied could be proved, and eventually, after a long trial, Jeanne Weber was acquitted and set free. She was obliged to change her name, as no landlord would take her in, for nobody with children would live in the same house with her. For a few months site lived unmolested in a wretched lodging in Paris. But one day a former neighbour recognised' her in the street, followed her home, denounced her, and she had to go again. She decided on suicide, and threw Iterself into the Seine, but she was rescued, and the magistrate before whom she wa« taken gave her money to go into the country where she could live unmolested. But a strange fatality dogged her footsteps, and a little over three months ago in the bouse of a wood-cutter, where she had taken refuge a small child died of convulsions. At first there was no excessive fuss. A doctor saw the little body, signed the necessary paper, and the child was buried. Then it was discovered that the woman on whose knees the child had died was Jeanne Weber, and her prosecution began again. The unfortunate woman was imprisoned again, and subjected' to ferocious crossexamination by the examining magistrate, who declared himself convinced of her. guilt. The body of the dead child was taken from its coffin, re-examined by several doctors, and it was proved that the child had died from natural causes. Yet there was another trial, which ended in the Bourges tribunal acquitting Jeanne Weber. ® ® -® A Boy in a Boat. A runaway sailor boy named Edward Gray has had a terrible experience. He was afloat all night in an open boat in the North Sea, early in January. ' Gray was found lying on the beach at Walton-on-theNaze, shivering with cold. Beside him lay' a grounded boat. A man named Southgate made the discovery, and, seeing the lad was in a state of collapse, took him to a policeman’s house. A. warm fire revived him, and he told a most extraordinary story. He ran away, he said, two days previously, from the

newly-erected Royal Nava! Barracks at Shotley, where he was stationed as a second-class boy. He walked to Manningtree, and there found a boat. The idea occurred to him of seizing the boat and rowing out to sea. He plied the oars till he had passed through Harwich Harbour into the North Sea. Soon he began to feel the terrible cold, and his numbed hands could hold the oars no longer. He was at the mercy of the waves. All through the bitterly cold ’light he drifted along, almost insensible. At daybreak a steamer hove in sight, but his feeble shouts were unheard. Hope rose again when three barges came into view, but despite his shouts and signs they passed by unheeding. At last, when he was too helpless and hopeless to see or feel, he heard the grating of shingle. Lifting himself up. he saw the boat had grounded on a beach. He made one spring and landed on the shore. Then he knew no more till he found Mr. Southgate bending over him. © © © An Oil Ship Explodes. The Anglo-American Oil Company’s steamer Housatonic, laden with petroleum, recently struck the Maiden Rocks, off the north-east coast of Ireland, and subsequently caught fire. Two lives were lost. The Housatonic left Barrow for New York, and safely passed Belfast Lough about midnight. Just off Larne, however, the mate found the currents so strong that the vessel would not answer to her helm. He at once called the master, Captain Henry, and a moment later the ship struck on Ruffel Rock, about a mile from the Maiden Rocks Lighthouse. Rockets were fired and one dropped on deck. In a moment the whole ship, which was saturated with oil, was in flames. The crew of thirty-four took to the two available boats, with the' exception of second engineer Hutchinson, of London, who jumped short and was drowned, and a fireman named Adrian, of Liverpool, who was washed overboard. The ship blew up with a terrible explosion after the boats had got clear. The survivors reached the’lighthouse after a terrible struggle, where they remained for a day and a-half. ® © © A Lady in Lonely Labrador. “Journeys through Lonely Labrador” was the subject upon which Mrs. Leonidas Hubbard discoursed at Burlington-gar-dens. London, a few weeks ago. It was ait interesting, at times almost a thrilling, tale which Mrs. Hubbard had to tell of a journey which she made through the north-eastern portion of the Labrador Peninsula, between the latter part of June and the latter part of August of 1905, in completion of an expedition of a like character which her hiisband had undertaken at the cost of his life, a couple of years previously. The expedition was conducted in a couple of canvas, covered canoes, each 19ft long, and the provisions of the party weighed about 7501 b, chiefly flour, bacon, tea, sugar, and chocolate. , Her own equipment included a rifle, a revolver, a hunting-knife, a compass, a sextant, a barometer, a thermometer, and a couple of Kodaks. Among the outstanding episodes of the journey was the sighting, near Lake Michikamatz, of a tremendous herd of Barren Ground caribou (reindeer), who ultimately made for the lake shore and swam to an island some three-quarters of a mile out, forming a sprt .of living bridge between shore and island as they did so. Other incidents were a meeting with a large party of Montagnais Indian women and children, whom the members of the party at first mistook for hostile warriors, and the breathlessly-exciting descent of rapids at toliogganing pace for five whole days on end. The party travelled 350 miles without seeing a single human face other than those of their own number. The entire journey of GOO miles was completed in a few hours less than sixty-one days—forty-three days of actual travel and eighteen days spent in camp, for they never travelled on rainy days, and sometimes they did not travel on Sundays. There were days upon which they did not cover more than two miles. At the end of their journey they had 150 lbs of provisions in hand. 1051 b of which consisted of flour.