NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2058, 22 November 1919, Page 1

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The costliest watch in the world is a jewelled timepiece in possession of the Pope, which is estimated to be worth £61,600. - Gf all the ground animals that are also tree climbers the leopard is the only one that will run down a vertical trunk head foremost. Records show that dwarfs have been known to live to the patriarchal age of 90 years, whereas giants usually die while comparatively young.

Complete collections of official recruiting posters, window cards and war loan posters issued in Great Britain during the war are now selling for more than £IOO each. Among the members of the canine kingdom there are three varieties that never bark—the Australian dog, the Egyptian shepherd dog, and the “lion-headed” dog of Tibet. In the English city of Chester the man who fails to raise his hat when a funeral is passing becomes liable by an old law to be taken before a magistrate and imprisoned. A favourite wedding day in Scotland is December 31st, so that the young couple can leave their old life with the old year and begin their married life with the new one.

Immense deposits of potash have just been discovered in the province, of Caltaniselta, Sicily. Preliminary investigations indicate that these are the richest in (he world. One of the newest uses of aluminium is its employment in making the soles of shoes to be worn in

damp and wet places. The alumi-nium-soled shoe lasts much longer than an ordinary shoe, and is said to be impervious to moisture. It is not easy to estimate the amount of food consumed by each of us in a year, but one dietetic expert who kept a record of his meals during 12 months declares that he ate 180 loaves of bread, 1801 b. of meat, drank 61 gallons of milk, and ate no fewer than 300 eggs. An ingenious contrivance consisting of a frameworkof bamboo tubes is fastened to the bodies of earnerpigeons in China. During the flight of the birds the air passing through the tubes produces a shrill whistling sound, which frightens birds of prey and keeps them at a distance.

Probably the worst landslide in modern times was the fall of the Rossberg in Switzerland. The Rossberg is made of sandstone and “conglomerate.” The whole thing wont suddenly, tilled a large valley, and within a few minutes had completely buried three villages and 900 people.

, Actors and actresses frequently insure themselves for large sums. Parisian actresses and English actresses have insured their eyes, hair, and shoulders. Paderewski, the famous pianist, insured his fingers; while that famous dancer Mdlle. Napierskowski, has insured her feet for £IO,OOO.

Twisting plays a great part in the manufacture of silk. The more it is twisted, the less brilliant, but the stronger it becomes. In the making of some silks that, are semi-trans-parent and dull (such as crepe), there are about 3,000 twists to every yard. In satin there are 900 twists (o every yard, but the average “twistage” to the yard is 650.

America had a record birth-rate la.st year, despite the war. Statistics just compiled show that there were 270,000 births in the United Stales in 1918, or 27,000 in excess of the previous year. This extraordinary war-time record is due to the fact that the Government did not.call the married men to the colours, the American Army being composed almost exclusively of bachelors.

The Bank of England Ivan the right to .sell beer without a license. This privilege was granted to the Bank in its charter of incorporation under date of July 2Tlh. 1094. And so the Bank, if it liked, could open a bar in Threadneedle Street, or could send waggons round and deliver beer from door to door. Needless to say, however, it has never attempted to'exercise' the privilege.

A considerable increase in vivisection is shown in a White Paper issued by the British Home Office, giving a return of the number of experiments on living animals in 1918. There were over 22,000 more experiments in 1918 than in 1917, and in the former year 23 new places, mostly laboratories, connected with military hospitals or municipal establishments, were erected. •

It .is not generally known,;,that the Marshall Islands,' which are- taken from Germany and given to Japan by the peace congress, were discovered by an Englishman, and take their name from him. John Marshall, master of the ship Charlotte, and Thomas Gilbert, of the Scrabo.rough, sailing for China in 1788, ran into the islands, and that is how the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands got their names..

Mr Frank Arnold Wood, of Russell Square, Lodnon, whose will lias just been proved, directs that his body should -be cremated, and the ashes conveyed to Southend-on-Sea, “where I have spent most enjoyable days,” The ashes are to be thrown from the end of the pier by George Childs, or some other person to be appointed, and £5 is to lie paid to the person who carries out these wishes. Mr Wood leaves estate valued at £5,373.

The Ricoletif Cemetery, Buenos Aires, -is- probably one of the most remarkable burial places in the world. Prom the roofs of the surrounding dwellings one appears to be gazing down upon a conglomeration of miniature churches and cathedrals, for the greater majority of the monuments are faithful replicas of the church at which the deceased worshipped. Some of these Lilliputian structures are really clever artistic creations, the cost of many of them running into four figures. For the most part the monuments are of pure white marble, and in the bright sunshine they present a dazzling picture.