RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 96, 17 January 1935, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events (By Kickshaws.) The recent plebiscite is certainly a nice Saar prize for Germany. * * * Another attribute wanted, in an air Empire mail is tliat the letters get here before the others. * » ♦ A complaint conies from America that hats are disappearing. All those ■people who were going to eat their hats must be living up to their word under tlie new code. * * * “I noticed in your very instructive column some correspondent inquiring about the origin of the ‘Cocktail,’ ” says “N. M. Forbes.” “Cocktails were first introduced in America more than a hundred years ago, but their exact origin is rather a mystery, many stories being told to account for the origin of the cocktail. The one generally accepted is that the squire of a little country inn was very proud of his beautiful daughter, and he was'equally fond of a magnificent prize-fighting cock. Tim bird suddenly disappeared and could not be found anywhere. Weary of searching the country round, he swore and told everybody in the village that the man who brought the cock back alive would be allowed to marry his daughter. Many days passed, until one summer morning a young cavalry officer rode into the village, stopped in front of the inn, and handed the cock back to the owner. The squire, full of joy, produced drinks that all might toast the tail of the cock, who bad not lost a single feather. His daughter, either by accident, or from excitement at the sight of her future husband, mixed whisky, vermouth, bitters and ice together. Everybody liked this delicious concoction so much that it was christened on the spot ‘Cocktail/ The officer introduced the ‘Cocktail’ among his fellow officers. Soon it became known to the entire American Army.” [lce in summer in America 100 years ago sounds rather modern.] The recent intimation that millions are not lying in Chancery waiting claimants is perhaps timely. For some reason we are apt to imagine “Chancery” to be a place simply bulging with gold, and filled with title deeds to estates beyond the riches of untold wealth. There is'a great deal of money held in trust by the High Court but only a fraction sufficient to satisfy the claimants. The position in fact was investigated by a commission some two or three years ago. They reported that funds in the High Court amounted to £55,000,000. Some £53,000,000 of this was in the form of investments. It must not be thought that this total sum represents dormant funds exclusively. Much of the money is held in trust to “attend the orders of the court.” Payments are constantly being made from these funds. Only a part of the total comes under the heading of dormant funds; the sort that is usually referred to when one says “in Chancery.” As a matter of fact, this total is no more than £24 million. It includes numerous small amounts. The average value for each account is no mor<\than £2OO. » * » Perhaps it is of interest to point out in connection with money “in Chancery”'and “dormant funds” generally that a fund is considered to be dormant if it has not been dealt with for 15 years. There are about 6000 such funds in England. Only one twentieth of this total exceed £lOOO in value. As a matter of fact, a- current list of dormant funds in Chancery may be obtained from H.M. Stationery Office, London, or from any bookseller. Moreover, anyone who imagines that he is entitled to any of these illusive millions Iving dormant in Chancery has only to write to the Assistant Paymaster. Royal Courts of Justice, London, to get —a reply in due course. The older a fund the less chance there is of any one individual being able to prove a claim to it. Nevertheless, some dormant funds have been disposed of after an interval of 60 years of dormancy. Thirty years is, however, unusual and any fund that has remained dormant for that period stands a good chance of remaining dormant for all time.

The fact that there are not nearly so many millions as imagined lying dormant in Chancery does not mean that there are not numerous fortunes without owners. Every unclaimed fortune is besieged by claimants, but that is another matter. The relations and would-be relations of Jonas Fraenkel are said to subscribe money annually to a fighting fund to prove their family claims. The £23 million left by Matthew Janes Everingham still raises • hopes in countless descendants and others, of which there are nearly 500 in Australia. The Dutch Government is still the trustee of the £2OOO left by an old-time general named Wirtz, who lived some 300 years ago or more. The two thousand has now grown to £36 million. There are over 100 claimants. Thomas Duekham, who died worth millions in 1851, has provided a life job to many-people who have been paid to search old files for proof that claimants to his money should be entrusted with it. The Cox millions, some twenty, so it is said, still raise hope. The key to ownership is supposed to depend on the mysterious disappearance of a pioneer Cox in Australia. The Stock ewell, and Angell estates of London, £6O millions, are now syndicated and claimants join the syndicate in the hopes of receiving a share out this year, next year, sometime. never.

The fact that a fire brigade at Stockholm was reported to have been called out to put out a burning beefsteak by no means sets a standard so unique that it cannot be equalled. In Mexico City the brigade was hastily summoned to hold a net under a tall tree from which a love-sick girl had announced she was going to fling herself. The net was duly held for an hour, and it is with pleasure that we relate the girl flung herself to death and was caught safe aud sound. This little effort is' perhaps beaten by a call that, was put through in a town in England. When the brigade arrived thev were expected to treat a titled lady who swallowed a wasp with her breakfast marmalade. Catching stray swarms of bees is a regular sideline of the Berlin brigade. In fact so common has been this call that the brigade has developed quite a technique in the art. Another hurry call was received in an English town when an urchin got his head through some railings and was unable to get it out. The truth is that fire brigades do all kinds of queer jobs, but. a call by the resident of a village in England for the brigade to squirt water on a patch of gorse, to Stop the chirruping of a cri<“ket that interfered with his sleep, cost the individual five pounds.