Miscellaneous Extracts.

Hastings Standard, Issue 278, 23 March 1897, Page 4

Miscellaneous Extracts.

A BAND OF BOBBERS. The Brussels police have received numerous complaints of the exploits of a band of highwaymen working the road between Brussels and Antwerp. The party is said to be led by a woman, described as of herculanean proportions, and endowed with extraordinary bravado. Like the rest of the band, she always wears a mask and carries a revolver. Recently the highwaymen have " held up" and robbed a number of farmers returning home from market, and they have also attacked isolated houses. Their audacity has inspired so much terror in the district that the peasants are afraid to venture out of doors at night. A special force of gendarmery has been despatched to search out and break up the band. MICROBES ON THE BRAIN. " Marmaduke," in the current number of-the Graphic, says that medical men appear to have become microbe mad. Some of them are declaring against skirts and petticoats, for they declare that women pick up millions of microbes with these every time they walk in the streets. It would be somewhat amusing to work out what the costume of an absolutely harmless and sanitary woman should be. Hairpins induce madness ; the hair must, therefore, be let down. Hats and bonnets are also injurious in a similar manner ; they must be abandoned. Veils, especially those with spots, bring about blindness; veils, therefore, must be removed. Skirts and petticoats pick up microbes; away with them, then ! It is better not to proceed further with this perilous enquiry, but enough has been written to show that the harmless and sanitary woman would be exposed to considerable cold, both from the elements and Mrs Grundy. TRAGIC SIDE OF MONTE CARLO The tragic side of Monte Carlo is becoming a crying scandal. Mr Lund, the American gentleman whose mangled remains were found on the line near Gros cle Cagnes, left Paris the other day with a large sum of money, which he lost. The authorities adopt Turkish methods in theis concealment of suicides. A lady was left at Nice by her husband, who was summoned to England on business. On his return he found that she had sold 25,000f. worth of bonds payable to bearer, and had lost them at tn-nte ct qiiarantf. Her jewellery was all pawned at a bric-a-brac shop. She had just purchased some poison at the chemist's when her husband returned unexpectedly. The registration of deaths, according to the Monegasque law, is a sham, for the books rarely, if ever, mention suicide. An old resident of Monaco declares that he has repeatedly found corpses along the lower esplanade, and that he has given up early morning walks for this reason. People supposed to be missing from Paris tire very often traced to the Riviera. Since the beginning of this season there have been G5 cases of suicides.

MILK BATIIS. Milk batlis (so the Globe informs us) are the latest fad of the women of New York. They take them in the interests of their complexions. A magnilicient bathing establishment for thh purpose is now being fitted up in Thirty-fourth street. That a department is to be apportioned oft' for the use of men is a significant fact. The new baths are nothing if not luxurious. The interior is to consist chiefly of onyx and white marble. A single bath is to cost r>dol. It is curious enough to note that tho ftti-nn- in favor of this sort of bath took its rise solely from a suit brought against a Parisian singer in New York by her milk dealer for enormous supplies of that necessary article. The second and third stories of the establishment are to be reserved for ladies. The bath rooms are to be walled with marble, and each leads into a dainty little boudoir with a divan, mirrors, and other dressingroom decorations. There is to be a smoking room for ladies. Each bath requires 20 quarts of milk, and it is to be hoped that the necessary notice has been given to the cows in the neighborhood of Manhattan Island.

DRUNKEN DI'C'KS. Dr. (iorden Staples writes to the Scotsman : -I have often seen the evil effects of drunken habits in dogs and cats, and I know that carters' horses are often willing to hob-nob with their masters, hut birds even are arc not averse to taste the draddie. A burn runs in tin- Loehy from a Scottish distillery, and into this intoxicating refuse often finds its way. " One morning," says Mr Andrew Lang in Longman's, " when we crossed the bridge to fish, the ducks from the farm opposite were behaving in a drunk and disorderly manner - llying, beating the water, diving, spluttering, and greedily devoring the stul'f from the distillery. Their antics were funny but vulgar, liv two o'clock we found the ducks sleeping off the effects of their debauch. \Ve wakened them, and they all staggered eagerly away to a bucket of water, from which they quenched the torments of thirst. A small sea bird hehawd in a still more deplorable way. He slowly dtifted down the Loehy from the fatal intoxicated burn, nor could pebbles judicioulv thnmn at him induce him to take tin wing. Hi tried to dive, making < 1 >rt comic and un-ue- <•« >-ful. AfU-r drifting through the bridge, 1 regret to <av he r.-turn. d to the burn and ' look a cup of kindm-s yet," getting all the more into\ie,tted, and drifting back in a vet nion deplorable condition. What a le>-«>n, we said, is this to mankind, who, after nil, need not speak ol their boasted

reasonableness. The wild and tame things of stream and ocean are as unwise as we."

A ROYAL BETROTHAL. It is rumored in Court circles that the betrothal of Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Prince Feodore of Saxe-Meiningen will be shortly announced. The Hereditary Prince Alfred was born in October, 1874, and he has never enjoyed robust health. Princess Feodore, who was born in May, 1879, is a niece of the Emperor William, and great-grand-daughter of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert being an only son, his early marriage is an object to his parents. Failing Prince Alfred, the next heir to the Crown of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and the large settled estates which pass with it, is the Duke of Connaught. If the English male line failed, the succession would pass to the Hungarian branch of the family. A WONDERFUL PEDESTRIAN. According to the Wrexford Free Press, a wonderful feat of pedestrianism was recently accomplished at a town called Ennisworthy. One day a man who would be described in polite circles as belonging to the " itinerate class" strolled into the market square of the town. On his breast he carried a placard with the announcement that he was open to run any man in the world. A crowd, among whom were several cyclists, immediately gathered around the visitor, who said his name was Harris, and that he could cover eleven miles in less than an hour. It was decided without delay to give Harris a trial by running along the public road to the village of Ferns, five miles and a half distant, and back. An impromptu set of officials were formed from the cyclists. Harris started at clipping pace, and reached Ferns well inside the half-hour, and turning back completed the journey, according to four timers, in 55min. The previous time for 11 miles is 56min 52sec. by "Deerfoot." at London, in 1868.