NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3008, 9 March 1926, Page 1

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A woman grand juror who failed to answer to her name at the Middlesex Sessions was fined £lO.

The sootiest town in England is Rochdale, in Lancashire, where the impurities deposited from the air, measured in tons per square mile annually, weigh 793. A tray for standing perambulators in when they are brought into the house dripping with rain, was the subject of a patent taken out by a woman in England last year. A cheque for £321,796 was recently handed to the London County Council by the London General Omnibus Company or the renewal of bus licenses. This works out at £B4 per bus. “I was the oldest private in the retreat from Mons,” said Edward Thomas M<en|drell, 66, a taxicab driver, when summoned at Marylebone for causing an obstruction. The case was dismissed.

Among the tradespeople entitled to proclaim themselves “By appointment to H.M. the King,” are a chiropodist, shirt makers, hairdressers, plumbers, hot-house manufacturers, and makers of lamb food.

The Camberwell Borough Council has prohibited wreaths with glass shades being placed upon graves in the cemetery, as accidents from broken glass have resulted to employees and members of the public. There is an old superstition that nine holly leaves tied in a handkerchief with nine knots, and placed under the pillow on Christmas night, will cause the sleeper to dream of his or her future wife or husband.

Ants were the first wireless operators, say the Rev. H. Sanders, Wiltshire naturalist. When in difficulties the ant sends S.O.S. messages on its antennae, and other ants immediately come to the distressed one.

A curious Rumanian Christmas custom is the “blessing of the river.” A service is held on the bank of the Danube, and a small wooden cross thrown in through a hole in the ice. A scramble follows to recover the relic. Peter Feriehtanoft', a Bulgarian, has performed the feat of supporting without difficulty th weight of a motor-car containing nine people, which ran over him on an inclined ing without difficulty the weight of a two tons.

On the motion of the Lord Provost, the Dundee Town Council has resolved that in future, until otherwise arranged, no exciseable liquors be provided by that corporation at its public functions. There was only one dissentient. Miss Mary Fewell, aged 94, spent her 77th Christmas in the Billericay, Essex, workhouse, where she took up her residence when she was 17 years of age. :She declares that she has felt scj,.comfortable that she has had no desire to leave.

The first honorary diploma of the Ancient and Honourable Society of Apothecaries has been awarded to the Prince of Wales. Under it the Prince is duly licensed to practise medicine and surgery,” and may write the letters “L.M.S.S.A.” after his name.

A remarkable goal scoring feat was accomplished in the Northwick District Schools League recently when Winnington defeated Hartford by 39 goas to 1. Only thirty minutes were played each way, which makes the accomplishment more astounding.

Telephone subscribers in Britain whose delay in paying accounts lead to their service being cut off are in future to be fined 5s before the service is restored. It is stated that the cost of temporary suspension of the service owing to non-payment is now about £25,000 a year.

Distinguished keepers of the British Museum take it in turn to guard the great building. Two or three times a year they disappear from their homes and go into retreat into one of the wings of the museum, where the- trustees provide apartments, servants, and a housekeeper to attend to their wants. Out of Tennessee’s recent trial of Air. Scopes for teaching Darwinism and evolution theories there has been evolved a craze for naming children after persons who figured in that trial. There are several children baptised “Evolution,” and twins recently born were given the (Christian names of “Evo” and “Lution.”