RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 156, 28 March 1939, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights On Current Events

(By Kickshaws). Italians are being repatriated to Italy at the rate of 10,000 a month. We thought Italy was so full up she simply had to expand. The Germans turned out Einstein, but for practical relativity there is little that can beat the scheme to pay tomorrow’s taxes with yesterday s money. The way for the average man to appreciate good music, it is claimed, is to play the same record every day for several weeks. Anyway, it seems a good enougii way to break records. 4- » « Two creditable sporting achievements on the part of two brothers at a college iu Wellington at least throw doubt on the belief that brothers never excel iu the same line. These days of comparatively small families, it may not be easy for brothers to get together. Nevertheless, there have been some inspiring efforts to keep excellence in the family. Some three years ago Ernest and Reginald Whitcombe were chosen to compete in the Ryder Cup. This created a brotherly record, in that three brothers had been selected to play in the same international golf team. It will be remembered that C. A. Whitcombe, the third brother, was captain of the team. Further proof that brothers have the team spirit was indicated by the 11 sons of Mr. and Mrs. C. Shaw, Islington, London. These brothers issued a challenge to take on any other team of brothers at darts, cricket, football or swimming. As reserves, the six sisters were nominated to fill the gaps in the team caused by sickness.

As a matter of fact, the challenge mentioned iu the previous paragraph is not such an impossible one as might be imagined. There have been instances of brothers forming teams iu cricket and other games ou several occasions. A Kentish family by the name of Christopherson was famous in this respect. Between the years 1877 and 1880 the father and his 10 sons played all the leading clubs in Kent, Surrey and Sussex at cricket, football and hockey. We would point out, while on the subject, that a general in the Chinese army created a modest little record, assisted, it must be admitted, by the co-operation of bis 27 wives. The wives subscribed 40 children to the family circle. Enough, to be sure, to equip several cricket teams and both sides'of a Rugger match. The Chinese general, however, was above the more mundane types of sports. As each child arrived it was allocated a 'musical instrument. The All-Sen Band has now been in operation for years. Each year adds to its complement.

If football teams and the like run iu families of brothers, there have been other instances of the way things run in the family that are a little discouraging. For example, the Courtenays are one of England’s oldest families. Few English families can boast of bluer blood or, for that matter, bluer records. The sixth and seventh beads of the family were beheaded. The eight was attainted, the tenth imprisoned, the eleventh beheaded, the twelfth imprisoned twice. The present head of the family had to sell up his family estates. Just where all this is going to end is a matter entirely for the future. It would seem though, that things have a nasty knack of running in families whether they be of happy augury or the reverse. In happy contrast to the long lists of misfortunes of the Courtenays we have the case of a recruit who joined the Hampshire Regiment. It was revealed that previously two grandfathers, father, and seven uncles had taken this bold step.

The way some things run iu the family was emphasised in 1934 when grandfather, father and son entered as competitors in the King's Prize, the most prized shooting trophy. Grandfather won it in 1888, father iu 1936 and 1931. Whether these instances prove anything or not is a matter for biological experts. They will tell you that the genius is usually not transferable. Fathers may pass on to their son their money, their good looks or otherwise, and their bad traits. It is most unusual, however, to pass on that extra mental brilliance which we call genius. It may crop up later on among the descendants, but not in the sons. Nevertheless, there are some things which do seem to mark a fellow as the son of his father. An instance is known in Rumania where one family traces its descent back for more than 2000 years. The descent is marked by the regular occurrence of a sixth finger ou the hand on the part of many of the offspring of this family tree. Oh boy! those lucky descendants should be able to rattle the typewriter o.k.

It it be true that sons rarely inherit the genius of a father, it is only fair to point out that there are exceptions. The two Pitts were a pair. The elder was a famous statesman. The younger followed in father’s footsteps with incredible ability. Johann Strauss was a famous composer as also was his son, despite the fact that the “Blue Danube” is rather overdone these days. George Stephenson is a by-word where steam is mentioned, but it is little known that his son had a genius for building bridges. In contrast, Ben Jonson had a parson as a father. Shakespeare inherited no noticeable genius from his father, who was a tradesman. None of Shakespeare's brothers could write anything intelligible, much less blank verse. Turner, the artist, was the son of a barber, aud Napoleon came from mediocre stock. Indeed, one might say the same of Hitler. A child is not a mere product of its parents. It is a far more complicated affair: it is the product of at least four grandparents and eight great-great-grands. "What the child will become is a matter mostly of luck, except that statistics seem to prove that younger brothers usually shine the most —Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon, Shakespeare. Nelson, Bernard Shaw. Darwin. Washington and Foeh were all younger sons.

“Would you be ao kind as to give me the correct solution of the following problem?” says “J.S.” “A man, says, looking at a picture on a wall. “Uncles aud brothers have I none, but that man's father is my father's son'.’ Who is the photo of, my father’s son or my son?”

rwell, well, Kickshaws felt this was getting due and here it is. The usual family tree refers to a lack of brothers and sisters not uncles. The poser as usually quoted rims, “Brothers and sisters have I none, but that man’s father is my father’s son.” As the man indicated has no brothers and sisters he must be an only son. His father’s son, therefore, is the man himself. One may. therefore, replace “my father’s son” with the word “myself.” making it read, “that man’# father is myself.” The man speaking is therefore looking at a photo of his own soil]