SCISSORS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4175, 8 December 1884, Page 4

SCISSORS.

New Granada boasts of an ink plant. Virginians arc now making pea-nut flour. There aro seventeen quinino factories iv the world—two only in England. Pupils in France must be vaccinated before admission to colleges. London School Board use one thousand dozen slates per month: Tho London Fire Brigade costs £100,000 per annum. : Tobacco licenses are now issued for railway carriages in England, After ten years' growth the Japanese Post Office carried 95,000,000 letters in 1881. The number of penal servitude sentences in England is steadily decreasing while the population is increasing. Dr Patterson states that it is calculated that the deaths caused by diseases, that are quite preventable, amount to 120,000 a year in Great Britain alone. Some time ago the London Religious Tract Society commenced the issue of a new seriesof Biographical Tracts at the extremely moderate prico of one penny each. Blame is very rich—reported to be worth 2,0G0,000d01., all gotten in 20 years' holding of:a public office at oOOOdol. per year, with a family to support and educate. The Morning Post writes that tho long-talked-of Indo-European Railway appears to be in a fair way af becoming & fait accompli, as there is iiowovery probability of a : company being formed to carry out the scheme. ■ ■ . ' A very extraordinary book will, it is said, shortly appear under the auspices of the Theosophistu." It professes to have been dictated by the Mahatrnas within tho last six' mouths to an American clairvoyant, and an Indian Buddbist maintains that every word was dictated by the voice of their invisiblo masters, who, after they had finished their task, corrected tho MSB unseen with an imperceptible pencil, which loft:very perceptible marks. 1 ilt, was at a theatrical cricket match that a grand bat was to bo presented to the highest scorer. Pros, were one man short and poof Johnny'Hydes signified his intention of playing. This was considered such a joke that a sixpenny bat was purchased arid decorated with ribbons, for presentation to him. Johnny "'went in" amid much chaffing, but he was even with the boys, for -he curried out his bat for 3G and won the match to the astonishment of everybody. He received the genuine bat. Sir John Macdonald, the present Premier of Canada, is said to have started iii life as a boot-black in Glasgow. Ho emigrated to Canada at an early age. When only eighteen the daughter of a wealthy Canadian fell in love with him, and he ran away with her to a clergyman, who consented to marry them. The bride's father, after a time, forgave this escapade and started him in business. Thence he drifted into politics, and.displayed so, much shrewdness and tact that in a short time he was a leading member of the Ministerial party-in the Dominion Pariiumerii, ( Sir John's personal resemblance to the'late; Earl of Beaconsficld is so great that when he was in London he was not uiifrequently taken for him. ■ An attempt to escape from Look Prison, near Lille/ France, has been made by Thomas Maruey and Henry Watson, two English prisoners convicted of theft, and undergoing sentences of ten and five years, having been concerned in an extensive robbery at the Palais Royal. The plan for quitting the establish merit had evidently been arranged outside, its walls, and was to bo effected by the convicts secreting them- '. selves in hampers leaving the gaol on adray. An examination of the truck was made, and. the culprits were discovered in their, respective hampers by tho police. The latter changed places with the convicts, aud were carted off. On tjw arrival of the dray at its destination the outside accomplice at once untied the basket, when tho two police officers emerged and immediately arrested 'Mm,'.' ■■■' ' Artemus Ward liad a poorly painted panorama. When anything especially poor came up he would look admiringly at it, and then, with a look of reproach at the • audience, remark, " This picture is a great work of art. It is an oil painting done in petroleum, tf'is by the old masters. It'was the last tW did before dying, they did this and then expired. I wish you were nearer, so you could see it better. Iwish I could lake it to your residences and let you see it by daylight. y; Some of the greatest artists come hero every morning before daylight with lanterns to look at it, They- say they never saw anything liko it before, and hope they never will <i"-am " Then pointing to sonio known ..plashes of paint. '' These are intended for hoises I h noW th °y uro because the fold me so. . After two years he came to me Wsaid, 'Mr Ward,. I-cannot conceal it Sm you any longer. 1 hey are horses. ' 'Tnnh+rtvtive of .tho gullibility of the genus ■ , ■• •- ti.-said that in tho neighbourhood -I''slv.i dSh, in London, a°man deals • tKS traded paknng off tho emmurns tnnvm 0 _•* nH.ies _is those of ln(ll e,.of respectable iionentiuej. c With factors or other popuiai pcrso._ P , y . country bumpkins the perennial .f'JW 0l Jack 'Sheppards' iud a ; ready sale; and-about the time of tho te„ sSsDeare centenary tho proprietor of r.tjio to a friend, * There's a primo;trade-.doing m bhak;JST*^- nlne of 'em- last ■veelt!" • ■'. ' y -,