From Many Lands

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 816, 9 November 1929, Page 19

From Many Lands

TABLOID READING FOR THE WEEK-END,

CHEAP LIVING FASTED FOR 67 DAYS! After fasting for 67 days at Barry wland South Wales, in a successful attempt to beat a rival faster named Sacco, Billie Brown rested on his lß When Brown was examined by doc,nrs he was found to be very weak and his heart was beating feebly, alfhough he was in good spirits. He Inst 151 b in weight during the fast. ‘ ‘ co who styled himself the world's champion faster, began his fast at Blackpool one day after Brown. Two •ears ago he fasted at Southend for 50 days. HEROIC FRENCHMAN SAVES 7 LIVES IN SUCCESSION \ young mason, aged 24, named Emile Lebas, saved the lives of three cirls and four boys who were in danger of being drowned in the sea at Creances, near Cherbourg, recently. The seven youngsters were bathing when they were caught by a current and carried away. None of them could swim. . . . , The young mason, who is a noted swimmer, went to their aid, and succeeded, after great difficulty, in bringing them all, one by one, safoly to the shore. Three of the children had to be attended by a doctor, but all recovered. LIFE WORTH £1,400,000 AMERICA'S HEAVIEST INSURANCE The largest life insurance in the whole of the United States is stated to be held in the name of Mr. Pierre D. Dupont, a manufacturer in Delaware, whose policies amount to a total of £1,400,000. Ten Americans have policies amounting to five or more million dollars, and 312 have policies of over 1,000,000 dollars. Jack Barrymore leads the stage profession, being insured for 2,000,000 dollars, while Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Constance Talmadge are each insured for 1.000,000 dollars (£200,000). USEFUL RHYME TWO LIVES SAVED BY A JINGLE The recollection of a rhyme: “Dress on fire, roll on floor; Room on fire, shut the door," saved two lives at Wellingborough, in England. An elderly woman, Miss Nutt, was doing some cleaning with petrol when suddenly there was a burst of flame. Her clothes were ignited, but suddenly remembering the couplet, she at once rolled herself over and over on the floor and put out the flames. Then, finding that In trying to pie vent the fire spreading, her sister had also set light to her clothes, she wrapped rugs and mats round her until the flames were out. Then both sisters devoted themselves to attacking the fire in the room. DEAD MAN’S GLANDS A REJUVENATION OPERATION Hassan Mustar, an Albanian soldier who was found guilty of the murder, four years ago, of three Serbian officers, was executed at Ujvidek, Jugoslavia, recently. With his permission, glands grafted on his body in accordance with Dr. Voronoff’s rejuvenation principles were removed immediately after his death and sent in a special receptacle to a hospital, where two patients, 67 and *2 years of age respectively, were waiting on the operating table. The operations of regrafting the glands were performed by Dr. Uzelac, a pupil of Dr. Voronoff. “GREENGROCERY” RECTOR'S UNUSUAL PROTEST The following announcement by the Rev. J. o. Evans, rector of Saltford, near Bath, appears In the parish magazine: As the hospitals are not, as a rule, anxious to receive the vegetables that are sent to them after harvest festivals, we beg that such things as cables' 53 . vegetable marrows and potatoes be not brought to the church. Also, the writer has a rooted objection to turning the church into a temporary green grocery shop. The secretary of a hospital at Bath has rejoined by sending a letter to a Saltford resident stating that all hospitals are most pleased to receive vegetables. HYSTERIA IN DOGS experts in consultation The mysteries of canine hysteria Tere discussed at a session of the national Veterinary Medical Association Congress. Professor Frederick Hobday, prinuipal of the Royal Veterinary College, ®aid that the disease would make a Pack of dogs suddenly act as if it j>ad seen a ghost. Recent inquiry had wrought details of outbreaks in all Parts of Great Britain, and he had hever met with a disease more wides Pread among dogs. It was more common among the active and sporting breeds than amoug *ap dogs. Sudder noises, such as another dog barking or the passage °t an airplane, were apt to cause a return of the symptoms. The general opinion amoug owners and surgeons was that errors in dietary predisposed to the hysteria. Professor Hobday said he believed that tie best treatment was to keep the dog quiet and if possible in the dark, ’he diet should be meat or fish and rown bread, and exercise should be limited. The disease was rarely fatal, j

SMALLEST SCHOOL SINGLE ROOM, SIX PUPILS Scotland’s smallest school, situated at Tweehopefoot, six miles from Tweedsmuir, has been spared. The school, which consists of a single room, has at present only six pupils, three of whom will leave before next April. In view of the small attendance the Peebleshire Education Authority has been considering closing the school, but has now decided to keep it open in preference to sending the six pupils by motor to Tweedsmuir school daily at a cost of £IOO per annum. THE JONESES POPULAR NAME IN WALES Eight out of nine persons mentioned in a case at Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, Police Court were Jones. Bessie Jones, wife of Robert Jones, labourer, was charged with stealing a pair of boots from Mr. Robert Arthur Jones, jun., of Bwthynhedd, Llanfyllin. Mrs. Ruth Mary Jones was a witness and a constable stated he had communicated with P.S. Jones, of Llangollen, regarding the accused. The case was heard before the Mayor, Alderman David Jones, and Mr. Robert Jones, and the magistrate’s clerk was Mr. A. E. Jones. The defendant said she worked for Mr. Jones, of Corwen. The case was dismissed under the First Offenders Act. SAVED BY SCRATCH A CAT TO THE RESCUE. A pet cat saved the lives of three small boys when their playhouse at Niagara Falls, N.Y., caught fire. The cat scratched the face of one of the boys and aroused him, and the youngsters kicked out the side of the playhouse and escaped uninjured. Firemen said the boys had a narrow escape. When they went to sleep, they placed a lighted candle in a bottle. Shortly before 5.15 o’clock in the morning the bottle tipped over, and the flames from the candle set fire to the playhouse, constructed of frail boxes and canvas. The cat and the youngsters’ pet dog were in the shack, but the dog ran out. The cat, alarmed by the flames, tore clothing from the youngster’s bed, and scratched the face of one of them, who, when aroused, awoke the others. The boys are all under seven years of age. WEALTH FROM BEGGING A POLISH MENDICANT A miserably-dressed old man has, for years, been seen begging every day on tile steps of the St. Gervais Church, near the Paris Hotel de Ville, or in neighbouring streets. It is now found by the police that he is a Pole, named Mosck Bok, a well-to-do landlord. He owns three houses, including two sets of suburban flats bringing in about £9OO a year. To the police, the old man '•-id that he left Poland at the outbreak of the war and took refuge in Paris, where he has been living on charity ever A co-religion’it merchant gave him shelter in an attic, where he was still living when arrested. All these years he had always begged for his food. He sold his surplus food to poor people. He never spent a penny and saved all the money he received by begging. He has collected as much as 300 francs a day. Lately his average begging income has been 175 francs a day. He is still In custody. VERY BLACK MAGIC! AN INDIAN “RECONCILIATION" A diverting story of how a so-called magician duped an Indian who was anxious to end a family feud is told in the “Times of India.” It seems that the native, a man named Gangabishen, had been involved in litigation with his mother, who refused all subsequent overtures for a reconciliation. He confided his trouble to a magician of sorts, who assured him that he could help him. The magician got to work and performed daily incantations. After three days a boy came riding post-haste to Gangabishen and informed him that his mother was suddenly taken seriously ill and wanted to see her son at once. Gangabishen set off, but was intercepted by the magician, who impressed on him that the mother’s summons was the direct result of his magic. He demanded his fee of 2,000 rupees. After some haggling Gangabishen (who wanted to pay on direct results only) parted with 500 rupees as first instalment. On arriving at his mother s house he »ound that not only was his mother quite hale and hearty, but she slammed the door in his face! LAUGHING AT THE LAW H.M. THE BABY’S DEFIANCE A bored baby with no respect for the majesty of the law created a diversion at a British Police Court recently. Its mother was giving evidence, and, in the traditional manner, a burly policeman was holding the baby gingerly in his arms, so that the mother’s attention would not be distracted. „ ~ The case had reached the most interesting point, the interest of all in court being gripped, when the shrill alarm of a police whistle interrupted the proceedings. Everyone jumped to his feet, and for some moments there was confuHad a criminal escaped into the court" Had someone dared to commit a' crin-e in the very home of the Then a chuckle drew all eyes to the baby, who was smiling broadly. The policeman had been so intent on following the evidence that he had not noticed the baby draw his whistle from his pocket and blow it with all the force of its tiny lungs. The case proceeded with everyone in a better humour.