HOME EXTRACTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 697, 27 August 1875, Page 3

HOME EXTRACTS.

o—- “ Tho Thief,” “ tin Univcr al Reading Rvom," is tho candid title of a French weekly journal. A veritable wild man of the woods has been encountered near Darjeeling, India. Tho Times of India tolls us that he is of small statue, dark in color, has bis toes where his heels ought to be, and wears a beard extending far below his knees—his sole habiliment. This wild man inhabits tho jungle, and occasionally rushes out on people, howling like a jackal, and frightening them out of their senses. A French journalist says that tho number of public-houses and breweries in Loudon is so great, that if they wore placed side by side they would reach from tho metropolis to Portsmouth. An energetic pedestrian has walked from Amsterdam to Vienna—a distance of 702 miles—in twenty-six days. He wagered ho would do the distance in a month, and thus had four days to spare. The distance he travelled dady averaged 27 miles. Feminine Football Clubs are being organised in America, and twelve brunette lawyers of the gentler sex have arranged a match at St Louis against a similar number of blonde damsels also belonging' to the legal profession. ■ ; ‘ " ,L " ”" A warning to actors is conveyed by tho misfortunes of a Comedian at one of ibe Baltimore theatres. Whilst on the stage he was suddenly seized with paralysis of the throat together with the lips, tongue, and salivary glands, and it was’ found on examination that ho had been poisoned by cosmetics used for coloring his lips and cheeks. A clever excuse for pocket picking was invented by a Parisian thief at the Anteuil a’eeplechases. A detective pounced upon him just as he had his hand in a lady’s pocket. “lam no thief,” the pick pocket indignantly protested, “ I am in love with this lady, and was only slipping a note into her pocket,” and he produced as proof a love-letter hidden in the palm of "his hand. As, however, the lady was old and ugly, and forty-one purses were found on the ingenious Frenchman, he was taken] off to durance-vile. , Tho Obituary, is the cheerful title of onr last London Journal. It is published weekly, is illustrated, ami appears to be devoted entirely to funeral subjects. Thus there is a full list of the deaths for the week, notices of the principal personages, a poem “In Remembrance—in anticipation,” pictures of a monastery tomb, a cemetery church, and a memorial window, various epitaphs, wills and bequests, &c., an undertaker’s guide, and a story, ‘‘The ill-used Undertaker.” Curiously enough the publishers’s name is Croke ! Recently, a man who had spent most of his life in prison, and who, in tho opinion of the Recorder, was one of the greatest ruffians in Liverpool, was sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude for violent assault, on the police. He committed suicide the same day by hanging himself to a bar in his cell. At Nottingham a rude young man took an orange off a stall kept by a young girl, whom he kissed several times in lieu of payment. He was charged with assault and fined two guineas, the Bench remarking that an orange girl was entitled to as much respect as a lady. • ! Mr Blacker, who for many years has been chief cashier of the Bank of Ireland, and has for the last few months held the position of accountant-general, has been arrested cn a charge of embezzling L 2,400 worth of bonds. The warrant was issued on tho sworn information of the governor, secretary, and solicitor of the Bank. Strange and melancholy incident.—Mr f help), a Town Councillor of Bodmin, was called to order by the Mayor, while addressing a Council meeting. He became excited, was seized with a fit, and died within three minutes. Brutality meeting its reward.—At Redruth a sandsmau has been sent to prison for three months for barbarous conduct to his doukey attached to a cart which was greatly overladen witli sand. The man had beaten the poor animal on the head with a shovel until its jaws were broken, its teeth knocked out, and it was covered with blood, Tho Prevention of Cruelty Society took up tho case, and the man was punished by imprisonment and by his donkey being destroyed, Father and son.—A lad, seventeen years of age, was charged at the Hammersmith Police Court, with assaulting Iris father, a laborer. Tho complainant said the prisom r was his sou ; but he dll not wish to press the ease too hard. He threw the things about and dropped tbe “ old un a hot nrr.” He thought his son had got the “needle” (laughter.) Ho threw a* plate on the fipor, and he (the witness) thought it was' time for the “ old un ”to speak.—Mr Bridge: Did he hurt you ?—No, rny head'is as hard as an iron pot.—Mr Bridge. What did ho hit you with ?—The witness hold up his hand, and said with his “ number fives” (renewed laughter). Evidence went to 1 r jve that the father was continually getting tlruuk, and neglected his home. Mr Bridge dismissed the prisoner, and told the father to keep sober. Duping the Paris Doctors.—Several doctom of Paris have been duped by ingenious rogues who advertised that they would lend from 500 to 1.000 francs to doctors upon tho production of their diplomas. Several requests for loans were made under those easy conditions, and when the claimants presented themselves they were asked to leave their diplomas for examination. After collecting a number, the rogues bolted with them across tho French frontier, and sold tho documents to men -whose names were cleverly substituted for those of the real owners, and who thus found tho means of starting a doctor’s practice. Tho wreck of the Cadiz.—The official depositions, taken at Southampton of tho survivor of the wreck of tho Cadiz show that the ship was going full speed at tho time she struck, that her engines wore inimediately reversed, but that she went down bodily two minutes after striking.

Sctknce and Anr.—A striking instance of the immense value a small piece of steel may acquire by the great power of skilled mechanicvl labor, is the balance spring of a watcli. From its extreme fineness and delicacy four thousand weigh not more than one ounce, and exceed in value £ 1000. A most interesting little work, describing the rise and progress of watchmaking, has been published by J. AV. Benson, of 25, Old Bond street, and the City Steam Factory, 58 and GO, Lndgate hill, London. The book, which is profusely illustrated, gives a full description of the various kinds of watches and clocks, with their prices. Mr Benson, who holds the appointment to the Prince of Wales, has published a pamphlet oh Artistic Gold Jewellery, illustrated with beautiful designs of Bracelets, Brooches, Ear-rings, Lockets, Ac., suitable for wedding, birthday, and other presents. Illustrated catalogues sent post free for two stamps each, and they cannot ho too strongly recommended to those contemplating a purchase, especially to residents in the country or abroad, who arc thus enabled to select any article they may require, and have it forwarded with perfect safety.