GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2147, 24 March 1908, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

A rh-cnie for .I*2, written on n strip of leather, has been presented and honoured at a Pittsburg ban'k.

.President Roosevelt Jms incurred much criticism for dropping the motto, “In Ood we Trust,” from tho gold coinage of the United States.

The chief of the Paris Secret Service witnessed “Sherlock Holmes” at the Theatre Antoine, and was so much struct with tho accuracy of Sherlock .Holme’s observations that be decided to send a number of hia subordinates to see tho play.

Theydon Hois is a forest village now known to thousands of Londoners, but. before tho railway to lOpping it was practically as remote as any village a hundred miles beyond tho town limits. A government school inspector—probably the first to visit the place—saw over the window of the school a tablet- with tho inscription. “Theydon Hois School.” Upon which he remarked to tho Vicar, “Ah, it’s high time we routed you up hero, if that’s the way you people spell ‘boys.’ ”

An American lady had great trouble with a Chinese cook, who could only ho awakened in the morning by loud knocking and much calling at his door. She purchased an alarm clock, and. setting it at the proper hour, presented it to Ah Sam, who received the gift with a profound obeisance and a little speech u"on tho generosity of Americans. The next morning, at tho breakfast table, Sam, with solemn dignity returned tho clock to his mistress, saying, “Mo no likoy ; him wake me lip 1”

About ninety people in deep mourning gathered one Sunday at tho house of their relative, Mine. Godoroi, to whose funeral in Paris they had boon summoned by letter. To their astonishment the lady admitted them to the house, and explained that she had been declared dead on Thursday. Letters were sent out the same day, but she came to life again on Saturday morning, after lying in a trance for thirty-six hours.

Guiseppi Maruzza, 21 years of age, who has neither arms nor legs, land is dumb, has just arrived in Venice from Germany in a packingcase, from which his head protruded. He had made the long and uncomfortable journey in order (the Telegraph says) to present hiuisolf as a conscript to' the military autliorties, who naturally declared that ho was unfit for service. Maruzza was compelled, in spite of his affliction, to return to Italy, as otherwise lie would havo been condemned for evading military service.

“It may, perhaps, interest my readers,” says Mark Hambourg,' “ to learn that the life of a piano made for public performances on tho concert platform is a comparatively short one. _ I would never play on tho same piano in public more than fifteen times. These pianos are peculiarly constructed. They are infinitely more fragile than an ordinary instrument, and are not intended to last for a very long time. Sometime I have had to give up a piano after having played only six times on it.” No one who has seen Mark Hambourg playing would wonder at this.

Dr. McKenzie, of New York, declares that kite-flying is an infallible cure for neurasthenia, the pet complaint of jaded society. He recommends one hour before the breakfast in the open air. Plying a kite, he asserts, is infinitely more sensible than swallowing drugs. This unorthodox physician says: “The effect of n merry chat at sunrise in tho open air on topics of outdoor interest is sure to be of a beneficial nature. In two weeks I believe almost any ordinary case of insomnia or other nervous affection can be cured.”

A Russian peasant, making excellent chairs at a very low price, was patronised by a philanthropist, from St. Petersburg, who soon found that he could sell any . number of such chairs at a big profit. So he said to the mooshik, “My good man, I think I can do you a good service. Instead of ordering five or ten chairs at a time, I will order ten dozen. How much cheaper can you let me have them then?” “Cheaper, I can’t lot you have them cheaper. They will cost a lot more.” “Nonsense, my dear fellow. Why should they cost more?” “Why,” repeated the peasant, with a frank, open glance, “because I should have to buy the wood. I could never steal wood enough for ten dozen chairs without being nabbed myself.”

A Scottish tourist, wandering about Paris, found himself in a strange neighborhood, and he failed, through ignorance of the languago, to get anyone to guide him homeward. Then a happy thought struck him. By dint of signs he concluded a bargain with a fruit hawker for a basketful of gooseberries, and to the amazement of everybody, lie went about shouting “Pine Scotch grossets! A penny a pun!” This went on for a while, till a fellow-countryman rushed forward, and seizing him by the shoulder, asked: “Man, d’ye think ye’re in the streets of Glcsca, that- ye gang about like a madman crying grossets ?” “Ech,” ho replied with relief, “ye’ro just the man I was looking for. D’yo ken the- way to the Blanc Hotel?”

Mr Pierpont Morgan, whose support seems to have stopped the run on tho New York banks, differs from most American millionaires in not having been born poor. He was educated at the Uuiversity of Gottingen, and is a Doctor of Philosophy, as well as a yachtsman and dog fancier. Perhaps, however, his best title to fame is as a collector. He owns what is said to be the first piano ever made, dating from 1706, and exhibited at tho St. Louis Exposition; a rock crystal, once the property of Lord Anglesey, bought for £4OOO guineas; tho Raphael Madonna of St. Anthony of Padu, for which he paid £100,000; ten panels painted by Fargonard for Mme. Dubarr, valued at a still higher figure; the manuscript of Book 1. of “Paradise Lost” ; a number of Caxtons, and other interesting curiosities.