Something of Everything.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2074, 28 December 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

Something of Everything.

The visit of tho King and Queen to Aberdeen cost tho Corporation of Aberdeen £3034.

Seventy thousand pel-sons, eighty per cent of whom wore British, have settled in Canada, during the present season.

Every member of tho crew of the French' cutter Ibis can tilk Esperanto. Tile Ibis is at -present on a visit to the Clyde, and the Scots Esperantists -are having a good time.

A Barefoot Brigado is trying to make, converts in Faris. Their chief is a painter of talent, who believes that going barefooted is absolutely essential for tho health. In his 6tudio he wears no foot-covering of any kind, and when he is out ho wears specially-made boots, which are perforated so as to allow free access to the air, water, -and snow.

If a report from America is to bo believed, there will ho big developments in tho poultry -business before long. - Tile invention (the apparatus, not the report) consists of a machine on the incubator principle, into which not tho eggs, but the -liens themselves are placed. The result is that the season’s laying is obtained in a few days. The advantages are obvious.

G-reat interest has been aroused by the movement started in Cleveland, Ohio, to organise a clergymans union to force an increase iu clerical stipends. Within two years twenty clergymen in Pittsburg have been unable to live on the salaries the churches pay, and have loft tho Jiulpit to make more substantial salaries as life insurance agents. They find -it more profitable, they say, to Insure lives than to try to save souls.

Wills ill real life are not quite so funny or eccentric as the one that figures in “Brewster’s AJullion’s” but occasionally they contain some queer provisions. - For instance, Mr. Hen-niker-Heaton is bound by the will of his father-in-law, tho late Samuel Bennett, proprietor of the Sydney “Evening News,” and “Town and Country Journal.” to visit Australia at least once in every two years. Ho is now fulfilling that obligation.

In order to save the life of his sister (Airs. P. H. AA’elcii), Air. John S. Cook, a well-known Chicago millionaire, and president of the Cook Brewing Company, submitted to an operation whereby five pints of blood were transfered from an artery ill his wrist into Airs. AVelcli’s arm. Airs Welch, who was at the point of death, rallied immediately, and recovered, while Air. Cook suffered no ill effects than a slight faintness for several days after the operation.

The latest article in daily use to he condemned because of the microbe is the serviette. Slowly, hut surely paper ones are ousting the linen in popular -favor. Doctors say that the building together of the serviettes aftei meal 6 is a sure source of infection. In the . boarding-house this is said to be productive, oftentimes, of most serious results. As ’it is impossible for most Households to provide fresh (linen for each meal, the paper substitute, if it can bo had’cheap enough, is sure to become popular ,

La Belle Otero, tho Paris dancer, who lias ilono manv extraordinary things during her stage career, has had her ankles insured for £15,000 each. Several months ago Otero slightly sprained her ankle, and was compelled to cancel an engagement in consequence. The financial loss prompted her manager to follow the example of Kubeli'k, the violinist, who has insured his fingers for a considerable amount. Kubelik’s fingers are to him what Otero’s ankles are to her. Sho is now being advertised as the only dancer whoso ankles are worth £30,000

According to the “Public” tho l’ow r n Council' of Schoneberg, a sub* nurb of Berlin, having 180.000 inhabitants, has adopted an ordinance providing that tho owners of unoccupied land shall pay twice the amount levied on occupied land. Schoneborg, although not the only one, is the largest municipality to ; adopt this form of taxation, and it is considered probable that tho municipalities of otlioT Berlin suburbs will follow tho example of Schoneberg, os otherwise more than the proper proportion of capital will bo invested in building in the Schoneberg suburb.

A visitor to Brazil records a tact which seems to show that in 'South America, as elsewhere, one use of the law is to increase the sum of human ingenuity. Tnc climate is very vet, and a sloping roof is in universal uso. It is easily put on, easily repaired, affords excellent shelter from tho tropical rains, and, wliat. is deemed a capital advantage, it is readily taken off. A law of tho country forbids the eviction of tenants for the non-payment of rent. AVhen the (landlord's xiatience is exhausted. therefore, instead of warning tho delinquents out of the house, lie takes off the. roof for repairs, and the first heavy rain does the rest.

A German waiter, who until recently was staying at- one of tlie British Tea-table Company’s (Peace and Plenty) hotels, in London, fountl £35 in hank notes hidden in the lining of a second-hand jacket. He bought i suit of clothes in a seeooidlianil shop for a few shillings. He wore it for a few cliiys, niul wusstruck kv the unusual -rustle of the jacket. AYhile brushing the iaeket he held it. hr the shoulder. There was something peculiar about the padding, which led him to rip the lining, when he found carefully hidden away there three £lO Bank of England notes. Elated with his discovery, he proceeded to rip up the otlier_ shouklej, liut only found a £5 note in it. The jacket was neatly finished, the stitching being perfect.

BY MOTOR CAR TO THE POLE. 110 W LIEUTENANT SHACKLETON PROPOSES TO DO IT. Lieutenant Sliackoltcii wjio 'is shortly starting on an Expedition to Antarctica, on tile course of which it is proposed to try- and motor to the South Pole, is the officer who accompanied Commaudor Scott, of tho “Doscovcry,” on his record “furthest south” journey in 1902-3, on which they got within 463 milos ojf tho polo. In an interview ho said : "it would ho impossible to uso a motor car in tho Arctic regions, becauso of tho hummocky naturo of the ice. One might almost -us weld attempt to run a car along tho ridge of the Alps. “Ico conditions in Anarctica, however, arc quite different from tlioso in Arctica. Owing mainly to tho presonco of a continental land mass, which is known to bo of vast extent, the sea ico is comparatively level. “It is also of enormous thickness, /two thousand foot, or more in places, thus adding immensely to its stability and immobility. Tho ico south of the Great Ice Barrier of Ross is, in fact, ail ice-cap covering a sea which was frozen up during tho Glacial Period, and which lias never been unfrozen. Over anil upon this the expedition will travel, whenever possible. THE SPECIAL MOTOR CAR. “They will take with them for transport purposes nine Siberian ponies, and tho motor car. This latter will be of unique construction, and will have special arrangements for lubricating, etc. Tlie engine will bo air-cooled, and the chassis will bTi made to travel either upon wheels or on runners like a sledge. Petrol will he tho propelling agent, and as tho journey will take place during tho Antarctic summer, when the temperature is usually somewhat- above zero, it as not expected that the cold w.il’l effect; it in any way. Indeed, motor cars of very much the same construction internally ns the ono they have taken out liavo been run up-hill at twenty-five miles an hour in Canada and elsewhere with the thermometer at zero and below.

THE GREAT DISTANCE TO BE COVERED.

“Altogether, the three explorers reckon to liavo to travel, assuming they are to reach their objective, the South Polo, 730 miles from their permanent-winter quarters. Of this distano Mr. Sliackleton has already traversed approximately 270 miles, leaving 460 miles to bo covered under more or less unknown conditions. Then there is of course the return journey, so that- they will have to traverse altogether at least 1460 miles, t-o which may very- possibly bo increased to 1600 miles, or oven more, by detours due to obstacles or other unavoidable causes. “Of these, the occurrence of land across the proposed line of route is the most- to bs feared. But of this Air. Shackelton is certain: the coast of Queen Victoria Land, along which, parallel to, his route will lie, does not turn directly across his path before tho 86th pareHlcl is reached, if at all. Nor docs he think it probable, or oven possible, that any portion of King Edward VII. Land can encroach upon his path until then. So that he and his two companions reckon to have a dear route over sea and dee to within 240 miles of the Polo. Beyond that, all is conjecture.”