RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 93, 14 January 1935, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events (By Kickshaws.) A- new deal has been tabled in France. This we presume is an example of Cabinet work in the kitchen. ••• It may be correct that blue evening suits arc the latest fashion in London, but there is reason to believe that they aj. - e no match for those blue shirts. There may have been food for thought in Ramsay MacDonald’s recent broadcast to Australia, but it is hoped that his broadcast was not full of meat. “Could you give me any information on the origin of the words ‘cocktail’ and "fox-trot,’ ” asks “Ignoramus.” Originally a “cocktail” was a drink much in favour in America at the beginning of the nineteenth century made of spirits, bitters, and sugar. It may have been so named owing to a habit in some places of mixing the drink with a feather. Its origin, however, is obscure. At any rate it is not a modern word, being well over 100 years old. The word “fox-trot” is still slang and in its modern meaning is not admitted into the best dictionaries. In the first place the word meant a fast pace with short steps such as was observed in the change from trotting to Walking. So far as can be discovered the Vernon Castles, well-known dancers, were responsible for the word “foxtrot” some 20 or so years ago. Incidentally they made £lOO,OOO out of the dance by establishing a chain of schools in America from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They hit on the “foxtrot” when they were young "and obscure, dancing in a small cafe in Paris for £5 a week. * » » Here’s luck to the person in Upper Hiiit who has discovered a violin in the garage bearing a “Strad” label. Stradivarius made some 3000 violins. It is therefore difficult to account for the fact that there are at least? 150,000 violins now known which bear “Strad” labels. The chances of a violin being a genuine “Strad” therefore are fifty to one. Indeed, the chances are more like 1500 to one, because there are only 100 genuine “Strads” known. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Stradivarius must take what comfort he can from the fact that factories have been erected with the express purpose of producing copies of his violin, complete with, the label and the exact replica of his own wares. In Germany and France violins have, been produced wholesale in this manner. In fact at this moment owing to a slump in violins it is? possible in certain parts of Europe to obtain one of these “Strads” for twopence. Their prewar value was 8/9. » • » It may be correct that a genuine “Strad” has a tone that- no other violin manufacturer has been able to equal. Probably there has grown around the name “Stradivarius” much that is mythical and in reality exaggerated. merit. For the sum of £5O or so it is possible to purchase to-day violins every whit as good as the best “Strad” if we are to believe some musical experts. Whether this be the case or not, it is illuminating to see that a test was recently made to prove or disprove this contention. The same piece of music was played .behind a screen by an acknowledged violinist. A “Strad” and a modern instrument, were used. The latter cost about £4O. Musical critics were asked to give their opinion of the tones of the two instruments. The modern instrument was easily the victor. The secret of the tone of the ‘Strads” is said to be in the varnish. It is said that Stradivarius placed the recipe in the hands of an Abbot friend. Tbe Abbot placed the recipe in a drawer. A carpenter, given a piece of furniture to be restored, is said to have found the recipe three or four years ago. * » * Whether or not Stradivarius had some secret process for treating the wood of his violins, the secret that died with him is not the only one that modern experts would like to know more about. Even to this day we know very little as to the methods employed to produce some of the best porcelains made in China thousands of years ago. The ash of bones nlayed an important part in the recipe. For many centuries we completely lost the art of tempering copper and bronze after the manner of tbe ancients. In fact it is doubtful if even to-day it would be possible to put as keen an edge on a bronze razor as tbe Romans could. Admittedly we can temper copper to-day and bronze, but the ancients could do it even better. It is a secret that would be worth millions of pounds if only it could be rediscovered. Probably in a quarter of a million years people living then will be wondering how we treated materials to make them crease-proof. Because as the world goes on it forgets. Even written recipes perish after many centuries, and the idea perishes too. Only memory persists, but we don’t hand down things by word of mouth these days. « « » Usually there is a delicacy of finesse in a game of cricket that only the shrewder onlookers can appreciate. The recent tactics in Barbados, however, were sufliciently crude for anybody to understand. Next to the game of chess, cricket affords opportunity for shrewdness that more often than not is undetected by the average onlooker. One example of generalship in Test cricket occurred when J. T. Hearne did the "hat trick” at Leeds in 1899. Admittedly, Hearne bowled the batsman, but AlacLaren’s remarkable perception made it possible for him to do so. Clem Hill was the batsman who was going in. His fame for forcing balls to leg caused most captains to place two men on the leg side. MacLaren. however, placed nobody on the leg side He dispensed with his leg fieldsmen, and had not even a short leg. MacLaren arranged with Hearne to send down his fastest ball just short of length. The short straight ball duly came along. Hill fell into the trap. He tried to hook the ball before his eye was in—and retired, clean bowled. Nothing .succeeds like success, and AlacLaren’s name was made. One can but wonder how many of the spectators appreciated the trap that had been set.

In another Test at Adelaide, AlacLaren showed a further instance of subtlety, when he opened the innings with Tom Hayward. MacLaren promptly smashed AlcLeod’s first delivery over mid-off's head, fl’his is a very risky stroke t<> make nt the be- „ ginning of an innings. MacLaren. however, had observed that there was no outfield, all available fieldsmen having been placed in the slips. AlcLeod used to swing the ball to off and take many wickets by catches in the slips. That one risky shot on the part of MacLaren diminished the number of slips by one lie was placed in the deep at the expense of the slips. AlacLaren’s purpose was achieved, and he settled down to obtain runs by less risky strokes.