All Sorts

New Zealand Tablet, 11 October 1906, Page 38

All Sorts

♦ This meat,' protested the boarder, *is overdone.' ' Not. exactly,' replied the waitress,. '.it;' s done over. This is the same meat you had yesterday.'

A cheeses-cutting device is now made which enables one to -gauge the exact size of slice that shouldV -Be cut for a certain price. >,

Black Letter is -the ; modern name for : the Old Gothic or Old English letter, introduced into England about the middle of the fourteenth century. When, about a century later, printing • was introduced the types were cast in this character, in imitation- of manuscript. All the Bibles and .other books printed before 1500 are in this character, and are called Black Letter 'books.

The late John W. Mackay was, attending to business at the great Uomstock mine one day, when" a party of tourists approached, and asked if he- knew of a guide who would take them around. Mackay offered to escort them, and did so, explaining the whole mystery o,f gold and silver quartz mining When they emerged the visitors clubbed together and -"made _ .up a small sum for the guide. ' Here, my man, take -this,' said one : ' your explanation of the workings of the mine has been" singularly clear and informing.' < Well, it ougbt to -be » replied the guide, as he slipped the half-dollar in bis overalls ' pocket ; 'I dug 'em and I own. 'em'

Probably a sandwich may be called an implement of personal use. It was devised by John Montagu fourth Earl of Sandwich, a noted gambler and statesman, of the time of George 111. He invented it that ■he might not be disturbed while playing cards ' by having to eat regular meals ; and his great invention is said to have helped him to gamble for twenty-four hours at) a stretch. Loadstone, or, as it was originally called, leadstone, is one of those substances which still puzzle the world of science. We know how it acts, but it is beyond the power of the most clever among us to say why it does so. The magnet, which is only a piece of iron rubbed with the loadstone, is so called because the mines whence the Greeks first obtained this curious product, are near Magnesia in Lydia but the Chinese made use of it for the needle of the mariner s compass long 'before that, in what may almost be termed prehistoric days. Vulgarisms in conversation should be strictly avoided. A well-educated person speaks simply and tersely It is only the partially educated who indulge in fine language, and think it distingoiJSn-ed to use high-sound-ing phrases. Such expressions, however, as ' awfully pretty,' ' awfully jolly,' ' abominably stupid,' ' disgustingly mean' denote a poverty ioMamgu-a^e, and! should not be indulged in. Awkwardness of attitude too, does one the same ill-service as awkwardness of speech. Dolling, gesticulating, fidgeting, and the 'like take off a certain percentage from the respect of others. A nutmeg tree looks like a laurel and begins to bear at the age of ten years. It keeps^on 1 bearing until it is ninety. The fruit resembles an apricot and when ripe it bursts open, showing at its heart -the black nutmeg inclosed in a, network of scarlet The nutmeg after plucking must be dried over a slow fire, and the process is tedious. It- often occupies two months. Before shipping the nutmegs are always steened m sea water and lime. This is -to protect them from insects. They have nothing tout -insects to fear In an insect-proof condition- they keep—well they ko«i practically forever. . . ' . F

iC N £ Eur °P ean ruler uses the telegraph so much as the Emperor of Russia. " He has a secret code" both +L<}n S P rivate .and his official messages, arid expends £5000 a year an this kind, of correspondence. The" . German Emperor spends. £3000 a year in the Vame ■ way, and. he uses a- code which' he has invented him- ... self, and which he firids very useful whenever he <£- '" S li es to co . mmu nicate wi^ the .Cabinet Ministers '■■ or other , prominent officials.. The telegraph is "not used ■^o any extent .either by- -the, King°o&aly, tneEmp^ or 2l2 l Aus *™ a , or the King of Greece ; but, on the ? othe^ hand, King Edward and Queen -Alexandra use ■•^L oo^^ King Edward signs his private despatch** 'Albert Edward ' or 'Bertie,! and the - Queen - .who always- signs hers • Alexandra,' writes quiiT' as many =-m German as in English. . .