Traveller.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 376, 23 July 1903, Page 7

Traveller.

'A YANKEE'S TARN. "Ws#SP hj^ve always been given to tiMAifli nnderal »nd that America is a VJmMP big country, and that everything in it iB bigger, better, and more curious than this side of the Atlantic, but that even in-the. land of the Stare >nd Stripes there-are not many animals as described below. -It appears that soma men were relating their experiences of wonderful animals, and it came to the Yankee's turn to speak. ' I sever had any very remarkable animai,' he drawled, * but I oace had a goat that gave me alot of trouble. I got so mad with the things it did, I threw things at it that would hare killed any ordinary goat, and now and again, in the hope of ridding myself of it, I had a shot at it with my rifle. It did not seem to mind. Oae day when its behaviour got past endurance I, got a friend to help take it to a precipice a couple of miles off, and there in the early morning we threw it over the cliff on to the rocks 300 ft. below. Well, we were sitting at breakfast an hour later, when we heard a noise irit the yard, and looking up, saw that goat gambolling about, pulling the washing off the clothes line,- and chawing up a flannel .shirt. That waß too much. We dragged it to the railway track near by, and. fastened it firmly to the rail, then waited till the express came up.. Aa the train came tearing along, what do you think that goat did? Just coughed up that red flannel shirt and waved it for a danger; signal/ ' ■ 1 ■; ~ \f POWDEEED COAL. A great deal of interest has been arouaed in railway circles in England by the possibility of using powdered coal on locomotives, and thus doing away with all stoking. An automatic feeder is fixed to the front of the firebox, and it is claimed, that as all the smoke is consumed theref will be a large saving in Jfcke coil biil.| The system is somewhat similar|to oil'! fuel, the powdered coal being fed with; air into the furnace, and steam is very quickly raised. DEBT EECOVEEY. Of all countries, Germany probably offers the greatest facilities to foreigners for tho recovery of money owing to them by her subjects. A power of attorney ds, required for suing purpose?, and a sura of money has to be deposited as security for costs; but the deposit is returned in full at the conclusion of the action. All costs, together with interest, are recoverable from the defendant. '■ ■• ii

In France the collection of trade debts; is usuaUy relegated to the huissier Or 3 bailiff. This official is able to sue before justices of the peace, whose jurisdiction is k however, limited to debts of not more than 200 f. (about JEB). Where the amount evceeds this sum, and the efforts of the huissier to effect a settlement on conciliation prove unavailing, the only course is to employ an avoca and commence a suit in the civil court. Here the costs may easily run up to" ?t£8 01 '£12, and, whatever the result of the action maybe, the plaintiff will have to pay his avocat's charges, and a substantial por tion of tha court cosiß. In the event of ? the defendant entering a defence to the suit, at least one adjournment will in all probability be ordered—it is astonishing upon what flimsy grounds this is frebuently done—and the costs be thereby multiplied ad infinitum. The way of the foreign merchant in Italy, seeking to ester into his own by j ixdicial methods, is full of vexations in the shape of exorbitant demands for translation and other mysterious fees, every forward step of the slow moving legal machinery calling for ample lubrication from the pocket of the unfortunate creditor. ■ ; ' ~. v. ' " -■.•?/*': n l"l

la Spain the impediments in the way of debt by foreigners are on a par with those of Italy. In the Commercial Court costs may run up to 300 or 350 pesetas, and are recoverable from the defendant only if the judge is satisfied that he bas acted in bad faith, that, when ordering the goods, he had no intention of paying for them unless compelled to do so. As > may be surmised, this condition is usually amply sufficient to prevent the plaintiff recovering any part of the costs. Debts againßt private persons in Russia becoms prescribed by statute after a lapse of twelve months. Before an advocate in Russia can take any legal step to validate the rights of his foreign client, he has to be fumjshed with—(l) A lengthy power of attorney drawn up in the Russian language, certified by a notary j and vise by the Russian consul; (2) An [ extract containing particulars of the claim from the creditor's books, accompanied by a statement, in Russian, from the notary to the effect that the extract is a true copy of the entries in the books, which are found to fee kept in good order and in accordance with the English law. The extract has also to be vised by the consul. The expense connected with the preparation of these documents is very heavy. Should the creditor persist, he will b3 required to pay a substantial sum on ac| count of costs, and in all likelihood, before the matter has proceeded beyond the preliminary stage, it will be found that he has unconsciously run counter to some incomprehensible Russian law, either in the mode of delivering the goods or in some other particular connected with the case, which will afford the debtor a loophole of sscape, LIGHTS PLiCED ON GRAVES.

Sorrow has but limited modes of expression, and the fashion that grief adopts to show itself are not numerous. Here, m Ddlhi, one strange and unusual practice prevails. When the clouds of evening gather over the vast city of death and the sorrowing? friends are departing a strasge spectacle becomes visible. A tiny light is seen burning over a grave, and then another and another, until the illumination spreads all over. Aa night comes on and the darkness is more defined, the cemetery looks as if it were overrun by a settlement of fire-flies. On almost every grave a faiat and feeble floating light placed in a cup of oil, or a tiny candle within a l«atera, burns and quivers in the night bretzj. It is not only on tha graves of the poorer people that this strange illumination is to be seen, but likewise on the Pincetto, or wooded hill where the noble aud the wealthy have selected their final resting place. . > ' There also, the dead light sparkles and illumines a faint circle on the marble that covers the grave. Within that little illuminated ring one might read half a name, or a word of endearment, or a portion of the prayers which beg that the dead may rest in peace and in the enjoyment,of eternal light. Aad, as one looks back into the cemetery through the closed gates, for the people leave as the tiny lamps are lit, it is perhaps the weirdest and the saddest illumination one can look upon in his journey through lite. The tall, gloomy cypresses that overshadow the graves on the Pincetto, had a strange look in this uncanny Lght, and as the wind stirred the flower bearing bashes, one's l*st glance, as one left the cemetery, was an uneasy look at the quivering light and the movieg leaves.