Something of Everything.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2185, 14 September 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

Something of Everything.

Sweden exported 20,032 tons of matches in 1906. The condor can go without food for 40 days with case. About 20,000,000 cigars aro smoked yearly in England. There are oyer 12,000 shops for the sale of milk in London. Tho only ostrich farm in Europe is in the south of France, at Nice. Gold is brought to the Mint in ingots weighing each about 180 oz. We call our day 24 hours, hut it is really 23 hours 56 minutes 5 seconds. Great Britain spends on tobacco and pipes about £14,000,000 every year. Of the 51,000 breweries estimated to he in the world, 26,000 aro ill Germany. A bridge between England and France would, it is estimated, cost £34,000,000. The late Lord Penrhyn’s estate is of tho estimated gross value of nearly £600,000. Dublin Corporation have decided to confer the Freedom of the City upon Mr. Richard Croker. A snail has been known to live for seven years sealed up in a glass case in the British Museum.

The first story ever published serially was “Robinson Crusoe.” It ran for a year in the London Post. The largest cigars come from the Philippine Islands, some of them being 18in in length. Italy lia6 the reputation of manufacturing some of the strongest smokes in the world. The Pied Bull Inn, at Islington,.is said to have been tlie first house in England at which tobacco was smoked. Mr. John Burns lias just celebrated his silver wedding. He was married on July 1, 1882, to Martha Charlotte Gale, daughter of John Gale, a working shipwright. There is only one day in. the year on which the inhabitants of Monte Carlo are allowed to gamble at tlie Casino tables. That day is the Prince' of Monaco’s birthday. Many believe that cigars marked with light spots are indicators of the predatory habits of an insect which attacks only a good leaf,, but, as a matter of fact, these spots are due to the combined action of sun and rain.

Hayti has a population of 1,500,000 people, nearly all of pure African descent. Only 200 persons of European birth, besides the French Roman Catholic clergy live ill th e country. Tlie color of tlie asli is not an accurate guide, hut if the ash displays a black “lip,” a thin dark line round the edge nearest the mouth, it -is proof qiositive of an indfferent cigar. The ash of a good cigar should also stand well. Switzerland is getting rich very rapidly. Latest statistics -.give the national wealth as 700 millions. Twofiftlis of this amount is invested in hotel property, and tlie annual income of Swiss hotelkeepers is at least £6,000,000. Laurence Oliphant, the celebrated author and traveller, is said to bavo first introduced the cigarette into England about tlie year 1844. They became quite common after the Crimean War, owing to their use by the Turkish officers.