SCRAPS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 723, 25 February 1876, Page 3

SCRAPS.

--o A free reading room for Americans, containing all tho principal journals of tho world, has been established in Paris by tho Now York Herald. Ballooning in tho United States is once more to tho fore, and a steerable air-ship to the old world is the latest invention. A curious breach of promise case was decided the other day. Tho defendant having promised and afterwards declined, on being threatened with an action at law, wrote to the lady a very curt note, telling her that ho had made arrangements for the wedding and must “ trouble her to meet him at church the next day.” The lady could not get ready at such short notice, and her counsel suggested that tho’letter was merely intended as an insult. The jury gave her a verdict for L3O. A woman who was formerly in the service of the Tichborne Claimant, and who is said to be afflicted with “ Tichborne on the brain,” has been sent to prison for a month lor robbing her mistress. The jewels of the ex-Empress Eugenio, which were sent to India for sale, have been bought by the Maharajah of Puttiala. An amusing telegraphic mistake was recently made in India. A gentleman, the owner of a racehorseacalled Saturn, wired to a veterinary surgeon of the name of Pogson, to “ come and look at Saturn’s ring-bones.” The clerk, however, thinking to correct the sender’s apparent ignorance, telegraphed to Mr Pogson, the Madris astronomer, to “ look at Saturn’s rings.”. Mr Pogson accordingly began to study the planet through his telescopes, and has sent the result of his observations to the various journals. A juvenile criminal sentenced to five years’ penal servitude cried because the judge would not send him to sea, and as he left the dock exclaimed, “ I hope you will send me to sea next time, my lord.” A curious will has just been proved in the Probate Court. The testatrix, a lady named Balls, leaves L 50.000. Legacies are bequeathed to various hospitals and asylums, and a sum of L7O per year is left for the support of a mare and a greyhound which belonged to her late husband, and are never to be sold. The mare is to he kept in a comfortable, warm, loose box, as it has been kept since her husband’s death ; not to do any work, in or out of harness and its hack is not to be crossed by any member of her iate husband’s family, but is to he ridden by some person of light weight, not more than four davs in each week, and not more than one hour in each day, at a walking pace. Mr Justice Denman was lately engaged with a very amusing dispute between an oilman and an inspector of weights and measures. The inspector called one day at the oil shop, and after testing some benzoline went away quite satisfied. Subsequently, however, he came back, and asked for a sample of the contents of a large can which was labelled “benzoline,” and stopped with plaster of Paris. He was told that he must buy the lot, which he accordingly did, but had no sooner paid os for it, than he was told that it contained, not benzoline, but “soap-suds.” On examination, this statement turned out to be correct, and he then summoned the oilman for obtaining money by false pretences, and on the failure of that charge, tho oilman summoned him for perjury ; this charge also fell through, and cross actions weie then commenced for “ malicious prosecution.” Mr Justice Denman said that it was a pity the time of the court should he taken up with such trivialities, and after some discussion it was agreed that the money and the soap-suds should be returned to their original owners, and that a stel processes should he entered in each case. On his lordship’s suggestion, the litigants then shook hands in court, amid ranch laughter and applause, his lordship remarking that “ that was a fusion of the law.” India intends to join tho International Postal Union. This will be a real boon to the public, as the postage rates at present are abnormally high for those modern days. Another emption of Vesuvius may shortly he expected. Professor Palmieri states that he has observed clouds of black smoke issue from tho great crater, whence the last eruption took place. Tho Statue of Prince Albert under the Hyde Park Monument has now been completed by the addition of the head The Prince is represented sitting robed, with his left hand on his knee, and his right hand on a hook, whilst he looks towards Buckingham Palace. The statue, IS ft. high, is entirely of bronze, and when gilded and finished will be unveiled by the Queen. Joan of Arc’s Suit of Armour, given to her by Charles VII., has been placed in the Paris Musee dcs Invalides. This armour was deposited at St. Denis by the Maid of Orleans when she had been wounded under the walls of Paris. Tho suit, composed of steel scales, weighs about, 56 lbs., and is exactly similar to that in tho Musee of Fiorefonds, which was worn by Joan on her capture by the English. The grain harvest in lowa, U.S, has been so plentiful that farmers are proposing to use corn for fuel. Tho com, say they, possesses only a nominal value, there is no market for it, and as wood and coal command such high prices, why not burn the grain with which agriculturists are overstocked ? A little of this superfluous corn would he welcome in England just now, when everybody is prophesying an exceptionally bad harvest. Speaking at tho opening of an Homoeopathic Hospital at Birmingham, erected at a cost of L 17.000, the Earl of Denbigh said he had been an homoeopathist forty years, having begun to practise the system when at Eaton. Ho wished to see homoeopathic hospitals established in all tho great centres of tho country, as that wonld afford the only safe and sure opportunity of testing tho system in its entirety He regretted tho apparent hesitation on tho part of the hospital authorities to admit homesopathists A word to the wise—keep so.