SOME REMARKABLE HORSES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2064, 26 April 1907, Page 4

SOME REMARKABLE HORSES.

Some discussion has recently taken place in America as to the respective intelligence of the horse and the dog. A writer in the “New York Times,” after declaring that the former is the most intelligent of all animals, says: -Jin his letters to Lord Granville, published by the Royal Philosophical Society, who was greatly interested in natural history, Smithson, the founder - of the Smithsonian Institution in America, relates how the horse of Alexander the Great, Bucephalus, would at night, on hearing a blast of the trumpet from the soldiers on guard, showing the apjiroach of the enemy, run at great speed to his mastes’s rent, and with his teeth grab the sleeping monarch and slia'ke him, until he sprang into the saddle and galloped toward the enemy. Also that the great Caliph Haroun-el-Ras-chid, in the eighth century, in marching toward the forces of Queen Irene of Constantinople, constantly had a number of trainecrTVrabian horses (direct descendants of the famous horses owned by Islimael 4000 years ago) thrown forward as scouts, who from time to time returned to camp, and by a peculiar whinny and neigh reported the proximity of the enemy. Again, he relates the experiences of the Portuguese explorer, Albuquerque, who lived for many years, in the 16th century, on the island of St. Helena, where he and the natives taught the herds of wild horses there to not only dig potatoes, but to husk corn, and these horses descended from a herd brought there from Cappadocia, in the second century, as related by the' Greek historian Philistorgius. But, to come down to the present day, a man who spent the summer in the Borkshires, was told by a very intelligent retired New England clergyman, whose sands of life had nearly run out, that one day on leading his horse down through a lane to a brook to drink, the animal suddenly halted, and, turning its head round, grabbed up with its teeth ono of its hind shoos which had .just dropped off, and, holding it in its mouth with the nails dangling, it backed up against a stone wall and clapped it on its hoof, and with a few violent kicks nailed it on again.

Some funny combinations aro built up now and then on tho bowling green. At a Wellington groon lately (says the Wanganui Herald) Messrs Currie, Ginger, and Topper were oil tlio same side. Naturally enough, their opponents declare it was a hot rink I

The Times and several other newspapers strongly protest against Mr. Asquith’s proposal to transform the income tax without inquiry or warning into a permanent tax upon -which no further reduction may bo expected. Tlio Timos doclaros that tho London Stock Exchange holds that the declared permanency of the shilling income tax is certain to oporato injudiciously upon securities. Since the inception of tho turbine principle as applied to steam engines, the ingenuity of engineers ha* been exercised in ail attempt to dis cover some method of reversing, and vliat is claimed to be a satisfactory, solution of the problem has been discovered bv Mr. T. Falvey, of 'Wellington. Mr. Fillvov lias designed and patented a-”’machine, which consists In a combination of two turbines or -o', shaft, so constructed and ar•ungod that an almost instant reversal can he obtained from full speed ono wav to full speed the other. A

.'-(del of the turbine was for some Hi no on view at tho Exhibition vhoro it received the favorable notice of competent engineers. Ilerr Rebel, the loader of the Gorman Socialists, who has been so much in ovidonco of late, is a wheelwright by trade. Although entirely self-edu-cated, ho is one of the finest orators and debaters in the Fatherland; and, distasteful as his views may be to the majority of momebrs of the Reichstag, whenever he addresses the assembly, ho is certain of having a largo and attentive audience. In such esteem he is held by tho Socialists that millions will obey his will without thinking whether they aro, doing right or wrong. Herr Rebel neither drinks nor smokes, and besides being a celebrity in the political world has gained fame as a writer. Little mistakes about famous names are pretty frequent in these days, when a knowledge of the past is not considered a necessary part oi education —a fact borne out by a story now being told of Sir Will Crooks, M.R., who, at the end of a recent speech, lapsed—or, rather, rose —into poetry —the poetry of Horns; and, after quoting some Scotch in his familiar Cockney accent, he observed: “That is what Burns says.” Mr. Crooks’s audience knew of only one Burns, the President of the Local Government Board ; so they wildly shouted, “Good old John,” and Mr. Crooks had to listen to the cheers for the “‘only John’” with a sympathetic countena nee.

Shortly after liis first appearance In Loudon, Mr. Penley, tho comedian, was walking down Regent street, when he was overtaken by a wellknown bill-poster. “I say, Penley,” said the latter, “you are a young man, with your foot on the first step of the ladder of fame, and you won’t mind an old man saying that you cannot be too careful with whom you associate.” “"Why, what’s tho matter now?” asked Penley. “Well, the other day I saw you walking with a pawnbroker,” sajd tho man of hoardings. “Well, what of that? He’s better than you, anyhow.” “Why?” asked the other. “Ho has risen to diamonds, at any rate, but I’m banged if ever, you got beyond jiaste!” retorted the comedian.

Miss Edna May, who is to marry Mr. Oscar Lewisoliu, a son of the late Copper King of New York, was horn in the pleasant citv of Syracuse, New York State, and spent a happy childhood there. She has put it on record that she was not an infant prodigy, but she made her stage debut at the age of four as Little Willie in a dramatization of Tennyson’s “Dora.” At seventeen she went to New York to stud- at the Conservatoire, but “found it very confusing,” and, taking the matter into her own hands, went on the stage with the small part of Clairette in the opera of “Santa Maria.” Her next part was in a musical comedy, and with her third role she “struck it rich,” for Mr. Lcdercr engaged her to create the part of Violet Grey in “The Belle of Now York.” No member of Parliament has a hotter working library tlian Mr John Burns. Ho has been collecting books ever since be was a boy, and in liis early days made great- sacrifices in order to obtain them. His library now fills three small rooms. Several books are in French, for Mr. Burns taught himself that language. One of his most prized possessions is a copy of Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations,” which first turned his attention to economics. He found it, in a very dilapidated condition, buried in tlie sand under an old engine-house in West Africa, when he was working there as an engineer. Another much-valued book is one of his first works dealing with the unemployed, which cost him half a week’s wages as an engineer.

The new Lord Allendale might have been the Shah of Persia ! Many will remember how much the Shah of Persia, when he visited the Old Country, was smitten with his mother's beauty. She was one of the beautiful Cannings, sisters of the present Marquess of Clanricarde, and when she entered society was regarded as one of the loveliest girls.of the day. The Shah was so smitten with her charms that he not only wanted to marry her and take her hack to Persia, hut offered her parents a king’s ransom in consideration. Had the. then Lady Margaret Canning maried the Shah the courteous Ministerial Whip who has now gone to the House of Cords might have been ruling in Teheran! Nothing perhaps better illustrates the kindly character of the Emperor Joseph of Austria than the fact that twice a week he holds ail audience when he is accessible to the meanest and poorest as well as the most noble of his subjects. It is one of the strangest sights in the Courts of Europe to. see princes, peasants, and noblemen jostling together in an an-te-chamber of His Majesty’s apartments in the Imperial Palace waiting to speak to the King. Frequently it happens that a peasant who seeks to lay a petition before His Majesty is so embarrassed that ho becomes speechless. With a few kindly words, liowevor, the Emperor soon puts the man at his ease. His Majesty, by tho way, is one of tho finest linguists in Europe, and speaks tho languages of Poland, Bohemia, Italy, and Hungary with equal fluency. A Blue Book has just been published showing that when Lord Elgin was apprised of the letter which Sir J. A.. Swcttcnham was said to have sent to Admiral Davis alter the Kingston earthquake, lie cabled liin; that if the report was correct he was to withdraw liis remarks unreservedly, and express regret, inasmuch as it was a highly improper and unbecoming way of addressing an officer of a friendly nation engaged in an errand of mercy. Sir J. A. Swettenliam, in reply, forwarded to Lord Elgin Admiral Davis’s letter, and his reply thereto, showing but slight discrepancies, with the report that had reached Lord Elgin, and requesting Lord Elgin to forward Admiral Davis the following communication: “At the instance of the Secretary of State, I desire unreservedly to withdraw my letter and express regret.” Sir J. A. Swettenliain simultaneously sent his resignation, as cabled on the 11th inst.