INTERESTING EXTRACTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1436, 20 December 1886, Page 2

INTERESTING EXTRACTS

A REMARKABLE BOOK.

The most curione b ok in the world Is one that is neither written not printed. Every Ict'er of the text is cut into the loaf, and as the alternate leaves are of blue paper, it is as easily read as the best print. The work is so perfect that it seems as though it had been done by machinery, but every character is made by hand. The book is entitled “The Passion of Christ,” and is now kept at a museum in France. FRENCH VETERANS. There are at present seven hundred and forty old soldiers in Franca who served under the First Napoleon, and each of whom receives a life amnnlty of two hundred and fifty francs. It is said that this venerab’e battalion loses annually on an average one hundred and e'ghty-five of its members ; and It may thna be expected that within the next four years the last ve.eran will take bis departure fr >m this life.

AN OUTRAGEOUS SENTENCE. Clerical Magl-tratoi,” writes a correspondent of a London papa , “do not often err on the side of mercy, but I venture to suggest that, for eoveHty of sentence, the encosed beats any English record ; Durham Quart r Sessions, (Before the Bov Q. P Wilkinson, Chairman, and Mr Richardson)—John Yourg, ■lily-nine, p-<ot, was ohsrg; 1 i h steal-, log a cotton shirt, the property of Joseph Chambers, at South Shields, on September 2. Five years' penal servitude. ” SLEEP-IKS AND SLEEPERS A sleeper Is one who sleeps A sleeper is that In which the sleeper sleeps A sleeper la that on which the sleeper which carrle* the sleeper while ho sleeps runs. Ther-Jore. while the sleeper sleepin the sleeper the Bleeper oa-ries the sleeper over the sleeper under the sleeper until the sleeper which carries the sleeper jumps off the sleeper and wakes the sleeper in the s’eeper, by striking the sleeper noder the sleeper, and there Is no loaner any sleeper in the sleeper on the sleeper.

FRINGE ALEXANDER. The Chicago News is responsible for a statement, which has been widely reprinted fn the States, that under th- name of Alexander Marie 'Yllheltn Lugwig Maraschkoff, Prince Alexander of Bulgaria Is the owner of real estate in Chicago, Kansas City, Denver, and Omaha, and part owner of one of ths largest sheep ran ches in New Mexico Colonel J S. Norton, a well known Chicago at orney, looks after the Prince’s interests in America and a ivg he should not be snrrlaed if the l*te ruler of Bulgaria should co net» reside in th- Unit-d States

EMPRESS OF GERMANY. The Empress Augu t». wife of the Qer man Emperor, attained her 75 h year on the 30th September. Her M j -v bavin ; b a en born on v- 'ep ember 30th 1811 She (. tt-e dauehter o the late Grand Dak*< Karl Fredrlch <.f Saxe-We mar. by his marriage with the Grand Duchess Ma is daughter of the late Pan l I , Cza of Ruaria; FJor marriage with the German Emperor then Prince Wilhelm of Brass's, was solem--:z?d on Jim- ll'h 'B2l. the issue of the union b< icg a son (the Crown Prince of Germany) and a daughter (the Grand Duchess of Baden.)

A ROYAL ALLIANCE. The P.-inca of Wales is said to be erectly pleased at the prospect of effacing a marriage between hie eldest a>n and the Prince’s Alexandra of AnhaltDessau, who is the moat heaatlfn! of all the possible candidates for the ultimate reversion of th* high place of Queen Consort of this empire. She also possesses the very rare advantage of a dowry of El 5 000 a year This consideration has pr-ihahly had as much ioflu*no’ with the Prince as the lady’s bsauty, because H vt.H has a rooted dislike to going to Parliament for a large grant for his son, whom ha still supports on bis own greatly strained resources. AN ICE CVVERN. It Is reported from Vienna that a great ice cavern baa been disovered on the southern slope of the Daohstein or ttahneeberg, the very conspicuous lofty mountain in Lower Austria, which is visible from the rajspa p ts of the capital. The general direction of the cavern runs from south -o north, and it has been ex plored for n distance of 600 metres, a sharp precipice, seemingly fourteen metres deep, having stopped farther progress for the time; The cavern is from five to six metres broad, and very loftr, giving the impression that the ice is enormously thick. The explorers are of opinion that a subterranean lake will be found in the cavern.

CENTENARIANS IN FRANCE, Ce'-t'nnrians are growing common In France At Aueh a very old maid of tbe name of Benoite has been unearthed. She has reached her 109th year In consequence of tbe great frequency with which authentic centenarians are being unearthed in France, a patriotic movement has been set on foot to give a banquet next year exdos vely to persons who have attained or passed the century. Hopes are entertained by some persot s that ninety-nini of them can he procured In Franco, and M Ohevreul wi'l be asked to preside at 'h < head of the table, making up a hand ed. Altogether their united a./rs will thus amount to something over 10.000 years.

A BANKRUPT B<X'KMAFER. An Australian paper has the following reference to a bookmaker well-known in New R-atand It is not often that a bookmaker has to take the benefit of the Insolvency Act, but on this week’s list is Mr Abraham Snider, who has had a bad time t one t : m? it was hoped that he w-iuld pull through, fir a strong effort was made by some of his friends to help him to tide over his difficulties, but one U»u-er who had promised support backed out at th( last moment; he considered “hishoase vos too critical,” and so the poor booty had to file his schedule. He hopes, however, some day to be able to pay every b ,-, dv in full. His liabiliriea were set at £I7BO. and th? assets at £l, leaving a defi noncy of £1779 The causes insolvency were stated to have hern lossea in business as a turf commission agent, be having daring the lest two years lost £6OOO. All the debts are owing for money lent, and the following are the inadvent’s creditors, all of them being on? secured ; Aaron Waxnaan, fi.iaooier, £SOO ; Miss Solomons, tobacconist, £250; George Patterson, turf commission agent, £210; Reuben Barnard, money lender, Leonard Levy, money lender £200; Laurence SJqoker, turf commission agent, £200 ; Joseph Harris, turf commission agent. £150; Solomon ‘ Eyams, pawnbroker, £SO