NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1921, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL.

“SNEESHIN.” BOSTON (Massachusetts), Dec. 20 The cup that cheers was replaced by the snuff that exhilarates when the Scots Charitable Society revived an old custom at its annual banquet last night. To take the place of the antiProhibition toasts, Scots snuff from a siiver-mounted ram’s horn was passed round. The first to take a, cautious pinch was Governor Calvin Ooolidge, the vice-president-elect, who was the chief guest. Professor Charlton Black, of Boston University, related an anecdote directed to despondent victims of the Prohibition Law. It was the warning of an old Scotsman to his son against the too liberal use of snuff: “I’ve been drunker on sneeshin than I ever was on wluisky.” The guests sneezed again and then the speakers had their say. QUARREL AS A TRAP. LONDON, Dec. 21. A party of armed men, having first placed three boxes filled with explosives to which fuses were attached on the road near Elphin (County Roscommon) retreated into an ambush on Tuesday night. They made a considerable amount of noise and feigned a quarrel, which attracted the attention of a police patrol. Before the patrol reached the spot where the boxes of explosives were placed one of them went off. The fuses attached to the others failed.

The police were fired on and returned the lire, eventually driving the antlnishers out of their place of concealment, when they escaped across country. None of the police was injured. OIL-SOAKED HAIR. PARIS, Dec. 20. Oil-soaked hair is a novel form of coiffure introduced by the Russian ballet which lias just opened in Paris. The women dancers have cut their hair short and so saturated it with oil that it looks like a skull-cap. Their eyebrows are painted in a long . fine line which runs right hack to the roots of the hair, giving the face the appearance of a Polish doll. STICKS FOR WOMEN. NICE, Dec. 20. Three out of live women seen walking in Nice, Monte Carlo, or Cannes, carry sticks or cause. The types in use range from the plain stick with leather thong, favoured by officers during the war, to expensive mnlaccas with carved ivory handles. This latest fad will no doubt travel westward along old roads, the innovation first reaching Paris, where already several spasmodic efforts - have been made to introduce it, then ultimately arriving in London. Curiously enough jt comes from the Russian refugees. It was the latest fashion among the grandes dames of Petrogratj, whence it reached the Riviera, via Constantinople. While usually heightening the already somewhat mesculipe appearance of many athletic voting women, the cane especially if of the ivory handle type, (iiuses some users to adopt -a mincing gait reminiscent of 15th century pictures. COCK-CROWING CONTESTS. BRUSSELS, Dec. 20, Cock-crowing competitions, says Chasse et Pocho, now replace cockfighting in the coal-mining and industrial legions of Belgium, such as Mons and Liege. Cocks naturally crow about 6!) times an hour, anti intensive feeding on millet, chopped meat, beer, and wine and water increases the volume of sound and the frequency of the calls. Cocks can he trained to crow about l(K) times in 30 minutes—the duration of tlu* contest. BOULOGNE MYSTERY, PARIS, Dec. 21. Boulogne police are understood to bo watching two men in connection with the disappearance on November 30th of the Englishman Mr Ernest William Gourlay, after lie had been to Marquise, a market town between hero and Calais, anc( had sold a car to a M. Dagubert ,the owner of a local gar,,,o\ The suspicion of four play grows in the minds of the police, and ono of the watched men, it is said, lias been told to remain at the disposal of the authorities.

People in France arc greatly interested in the case. They point to its several curious features. Victor Bled, the chnfl'eur who drove Mr Gourlny to Marquise, lunched with him and M. Dnguhert, and later went to inquire for him and was told by M. Daguhert that he had driven off in a Vnuxhall ear with three other Englishmen. This ear has not been heard of since, and the number given by M. Daguhert cannot be traced. Tlie next day M. Dagubert said ho had received a telephone call from Abbeville, when a stranger informed Hint that Mr Gourlay was going on to Paris and wuuld not keep his next appointment with him. There is no trace of this call at Abbeville. M Daguhert also said that he handed to Mr Gaurlay, £IOOO ui French banknotes in payment for teio car. OAR RENTIER'S BABY. Paris, Dec. 20. Mile. Jacqueline Carpentier, the four-days-old daughter of the boxer, belli hei 9 first reception yesterday. The •''Hosts were introduced by her father. ” He held the pink-faced bundle carefully in his muscular grip, with an expression of mingled pride and curiosity on his boyish face. When he kissed her Jaequiine met his kiss with all the strength of her 911). When she puckered up her face to my Carpentier put ins finger gently into her mouth, and she opened her blue eyes and subsided into peacefulness, He was very anxious that she should be photographed with a happy expression, and talked encouragingly to her in English. 1 ‘Now, then, baby, lm said. But he delayed the. flashlight until the doctor had assured hnn that it would not hurt Jacqueline’s eyes.