NOTES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 233, 8 December 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

NOTES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.

In Charleston, \V. Va., a horse wearing a pair ol trousers on its front legs is a novelty .>een daily on the streets. The annual is attached to an express wagon, juid tbe owner dresses him in order to protect his lore logs from flias. The trousers are .supported by the Veasthand of the harness.

A l.tt; i printed in the "Private Correspond, nee of Lord Granville" gives an amusing account of a visit by Charles .lames Fox to Paris in 1802. He was invited to d:ue at the house of Mme. Cabarrus. a celebrated beauty. "The moment he cam? into the rooia a It! ick-looking, oldish man (the famous Chevaliei des Boufflers) ran up to him with open arm* and k;sed him. This put Fox completely out. . . He said that :u first he looked round to seu f he could jump out of a window or run downstairs again, but sat down r*. signed. To his great sin-prise, after :i few moments the conversation bec-.iiue > i extivmcly amusing, so brilliant and Hover, Mme. Cabarrus looked so handsome and was so good-humoured, that he was delighted, stared the whole evening, and has several t:mes since. He said he had no idea Frenchman could be so pleasant as these were/'

The lata Joseph Fels, philanthropist, i.'ix reformer and millionaire business man, once described himself thus: —"I am two men. With my right hand I can skin a man for 5 c, while witli my left band"! can give away 5000 dol." This characterisation not inaptly applies to many shrewd s-df-made men. hard in making a bargain iTut openhanded when a good cause appeals to them.

"Gladys," remarked a somewhat irresponsible young girl, aocording to the New York "Times,"' "I am wry much afraid my bank is in a had war." "Nonsense!" said the other; "why, that bank is one of the strongest financial institutions in the country. Wherever did you get that idea?" "Its very strange "replied Gladys, still unconvinced. "They've just returned a cheque of nunc for 30 dol. marked 'No funds.' "

Spanish railway companies have under consideration the advisability of (hanging the gaugo of their lines to the uniform European gauge of 4.69 feet Should the change be made, it is urged by thase in favour of it, Spa'in would become a centre for the transhipment of vast quantities of European morchand'se for Africa and America and of African and American merchandise for European markets. Under present conditions all merchandise must be unloaded and reloaded at the Spanish frontier. Spanish merchandise, it is also pointed out, could be sant direct to the heart of Europe, which would greatly facilitate the export of mineral products, the weight of which makes transhipment difficult. Furthermore, products like fruit, vegetables, ete, grown in Spain, would be saved from exposure and delay. The principal obstacle in the way of the change is the expense. One project, involving double tracking of many existing lines, would cost, it is estimated, over £'10,000,000, and take ten years beforecompletion.

The iT]>orter was sent to write up \ charity ball. His copy came in late—it was carelessly edited—and the editor said to him the next day: " Look here, Scribbler, what do you mean by writing in this ball story, 'Among the most beautiful girls was Alderman Horatio Dingley.' Old Dingley is not a beautiful girl. He's one of our principal shareholders, you idiot." "I can't heln that," said the realistic reporter. "That's where he was."

Notwithstanding Great Britain's absorption in tho war, she is building more merchant ships tlinn a year ago Among the 432 steam vessels on the ways at present in Mritish ship yards there are some large liners. Two vessels of between 30,000 and 40,000 tons burden are under construction, and more than a score of over 10,000 tons. The Mauritania, it will be remembered, is of 32,000 tonnage. hwiTe the New York, of the American line, hai. a tonnage of about 10,000. As an example of made to order

"funny" stuff, with a certain edge of wit, this extract from the "Chaparral" has its appeal:

Downan Out. Jo Cose: "Is Mr. Downan in. l " Ima Stenog: "No, he went out to lunch. : ' Jo Cose: "Will he be in after lunch ?" Ima Stenog! "No, that's what he went out after.'' Sometimes there are profits in the insurance business, even when run by a Government. Since the United States Bureau of War Risk Insurance was started, two years ago, it has received dol. in premiums and suffered net losses of only 712,51S dol., Laving a balance of 2.237,859 dol. on the right side of the ledger.

"Signs were put up in hotel rooms notifj mg guests that no one could sleep more than eight hours without being ch irged another dollar for his couch." This three-shift rule for sleepers, is said to have been adopted in Nederland, Colorado, during the recent boom in the tungsten industry. Tungsten is found in but few places in. America, and Nederland is one of*

them. The boom has quieted down now. 'ml, for a time the memories of ? 49 were revived in the experiences of this district.