GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2244, 26 February 1921, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

A cable from Chicago states that Mr Earl Reynolds, a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, made his will recently, but instead of writing it spoke it into a phonograph. The voices of two of his friends witnessed the testament.

The Canadian Government has announced that there are now in Canada over £,OOO head of bison. This means that jm interesting and useful animal, which, owing to wanton slaughter, was on the point of extinction, is once more multiplying and becoming one of the world’s important animals. The census gf- the United Kingdom will be taken on the last Sunday of April, 1921. The first census of the country ‘ was taken in 1801. Although censuses have been taken every TO years, it is probable that a permanent departmeet will be created for counting the population at intervals of five years.

Mrs Susanna Ireland, who died at the ago of 99, at Stanford, England, outlived her family of twelve sons and one daughter. A doctor was called in when she was three days old, and he told her parents that she could not live many hours. A minister was called to baptise her.

The French Veterinary Society is carrying out experiments with the object of ascertaining whether, it is not possible to-vaccinate dogs against rabies. If the experiment succeeds it is said that the prefect of police will issue an order making it compulsory for dogs to be vaccinated, under penalty of the animal being destroyed. Researches at Vonublis, in Morocco, have yielded some hightly interesting discoveries. A sundial, bearing inscriptions indicating its origin to have been in the first or second century, and other relies, including a number of missiles formerly used in sling warfare, have been found. A Roman town, known among natives as Ehira, is now being unearthed.

Tetanus germs in vaseline caused the death of a baby at Portsmouth. It was stated at the inquest that the vaseline which was applied to the child was pure, but it was found that a paper disc between the stopper ~i: (ho bottle and the vaseline contained tetanus? germs. A verdict of “death from misadventure'’ was returned.

Air John Rinnner, an Ormskirk farmer, recently discovered both it heron and an cel dead near a pit, and there was evidence of a desperate light; between them.' The body of the eel was encircled round the heron's long neck, and the eel's head was fast in the bird’s beak, the lower part: of which was shut - (red. The heron was strangled, and the*eel almost decapitated.

All heels higher than one inch and a-half, according to a Boston despatch, will be forbidden by law .in Massachusetts if a Bill now being prepared by the Massachussets Osteopathic Society can be carried through the Legislature. The measure has powerful hacking, and its supporters are confident that it will become law. The proposed Bill applies to the manufacture, sale, and wearing of all bools and shoes. Severe penalties are to be imposed in every ease where the heels exceed the prescribed height. A young woman of prepossessing appearance, well-dressed, is known to the police in the West End as “the cat lady.” Late every night: .she is to he seen taking a walk, followed by as many as ten cats. “For years,” said one constable, “she has nightly visited her friends, most of whom she appears to know by name, Where they all come from I do not know, but she rarely goes far- before they appear on the scene. She gives them dainties to eat. What has puzzled me is how she gels rid of them when she goes indoors."

The light cruiser Yarmouth, which has returned to home waters afterhaving been on the South American Station since early in* 1919, look part in an interesting ceremony in mid-ocean over the spot where the cruiser Monmouth was sunk on November Ist, 191-!. by the German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisennu, under Admiral von Spec, As the vessel reached the spot, some miles off Coronel, the engines were stopped, the whole crew gathered on the quarter-deck, and a brief memorial service was held. The sunken Monmouth, which went down so gallantly with colours flying, was saluted, the “Last Post was sounded, and a number of wreaths —floral and laurel —were dropped overboard.