MISCELLANEOUS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 937, 2 April 1880, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

At Higbgatc, near London, stands a pub-lic-house, from tbe window of which a skeleton cat challenges the notice of passersby. In its teeth is held a skeleton rat, caught no one knows how long ago. Just as we see them now, cat and rat were taken from the chimney, whon tho house was undergoing alteration. . A. . more grisly chimney-find foil to some workmen a few years ago in an [old house in tho High street of Hull,’notable as the birthplace of Wilberforce, tho slave emancipator ; for the skeleton they’'disturbod was a human one. A banking business was carried on in the house, so the'boncs were set down to belong to a thief who, hiding in the chimney, either preliminary to committing felony, or to escape pursuit after committing it, had been suffocated. Lord Odo Russell, while calling upon Prince Bismarck a short time ago, asked him how he managed to rid himself of that class of unfortunate visitors whom he could not well refuse to see, but whoso room he found preferable to their company. ‘ ‘ Oh, ” replied the Chancellor, “ I have a very simple method ! My wifo knows them pretty well, and when she sees that they are with me, she generally contrives to come in and call me away upon some pretext or other.” Ho had scarcely finished speaking when the Princess put her head in at tho door and said, “Otto, you must come and take your .medicine. You ought to have had it ten minutes ago.” Lorel Odo Russell had not till then had any idea that his room could beTnore welcome than Ills company. The Irish have two schools of critics, ono complaining that they arc ton prone to submit to the inevitable misery of their lot and fall into degradation, tho other that they are always discontented and striving to get their share of tho world’s prizes. The cry of each is different, yet similar. If you are not [willing to starve at home, says the Englishman, why don’t you go to America? If you are not willing to accept a secondary position hero, says the Know-nothing, why don’t you go back to Ireland ? Both arc as indignantly surprised at the Irishman’s obstinacy as was the drummer who remonstrated with his victim on the triangle : “If I whip you on the back you hollers, and if I whip you on tho shoulders you hollers—confound you, there ain’t no satisfying yon !’’ The Lancet is often very good reading, oven to tbe folks who have nothing tho matter with them, and are not looking for “a paraded case.” Tho last number describes a gentleman who swallowed his false teeth, and felt them in his pharynx (wherever that is ; ray own medical knowledge cuds with the larynx). A doctor was sent for, who introduced a probang, which touched, tho teeth (so the patient said), but he was afraid to proceed to extremities with that instrument, because they were described to him “as a complete set of molars.” He then “bout a 10-iuch military silver probe, and tried to hook the teeth up,” but the spasms of the larynx were too severe, and tho secretions from the pharynx so excessive, that these dredging operations had to be suspended. The patient began to get in extremis ; so presently another doctor was telegraphed for, who found tho missing teeth on tho top of a chest ol drawers. Tho gentleman reporting on the matter, very justly observes that this carious effect of imagination upon a strong and healthy man throws light on many ; case of supposed hydrophobia. An extraordinary case of accidental hang ing has just occurred in Aberdeen. It appears that a Mrs Gibb was returning fron the gasworks with a bag of cinders strapper to her back by a rope, and when half waj up the stairs she had placed her back againsl the railing with a view of resting, when thi bag slipped over tno railing, jerked the ropr from her breast to her th'-oat, and choker her. Tho Duke of Argylo was once giving ovi deuce before a committee of tho House o Commons on tho temperance question “ But,” said a member enquiringly, “ om Bailie M’Phcrson, apparently a person o authority, deposes that bo never saw an; one drunk in his district.” “ Very likely,’ replied Ilia Grace, “ Scotchmen will hardly allow a man to ho drunk so long as he cai lie still on tho floor.” Ono of the very funniest cases that eve appeared in the records of a civil Court i reported in a recent number of the Londoi Graphic —“ A lady who has unfortunate]} i a Very shrill voice and little ear for 'mush , was summoned for “ vexing, troubling, am disquieting” the Vicar of St. John's Parisl Church, Hampstead, by joining in tho cho i ral portion of the service “at the ntnlos pitch of her voice,” the annoyance being si great that at one time he had thought c closing the church altogether, and loavinj the churchwardens to write to the bishop The defendant protested that she had m intention to annoy, her whole heart was ii the services, and for twenty-seven yean she had sung in tho church, and no com ! plaint was mad: until tho choir came. Sh<

had never been complained of at other places, and at the parish church tin choir broke down a great deal more when ohe did not sing than When she did. The summons was ultimately adjourned for a month to see if the annoyance ceased, the defendant being told that she was liable to a fine of L 5, or two months’ imprisonment. We have never smoked a "Tin-tag’’ cigar, but from what the manufacturer, who it appears lives in Connecticut, says uf them they must he the very perfection of smokes. We quote from his circular : “ Tho tobacco from which tho 'Tin-tag is made is grown entirely in conservatories, and tho cigars are mails on mahogany tallies by thoroughbred Cubans in swallowtail coats and white kid gloves. When a man smokes one of these cigars he walks on sir, and dreams that he has a diamond scarf pin and a Go dollar suit of clothe* on, and just married rich. It makes the breath sweet, and keeps tho teeth white, and Will force a moustache on the smoothest lip in five weeks. It improves and beau titles tho complexion, eradicates tan, freckles, and dandrilT, and is enjoyed by all the smoker's sisters, cousins, and aunts—especially his cousins and his aunts.”