From Many Lands

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1058, 23 August 1930, Page 19

From Many Lands

tabloid reading for the week-end.

brothers. BROTHERS-IN-LAW A FAMILY AFFAIR Two brothers, George and Frank Lane, of Australia, married two sisters, Emily and Alma Gibletf, at a double wedding last year, and now it is announced that Ernest Lane, a brother of the two bridegrooms, has become engaged to Florence Giblett, a sister of the brides. The affianced couple were best man and bridesmaid at the double wedding. There is yet another sister, Vera, not yet engaged or married, but the supply of brothers is exhausted. NIGHT BATHING VIENNA’S NEW FASHION The Vienna municipality is trying night bathing until 10 o’clock during the summer at its big establishment.. A blaze of electric light makes the bath almost as bright as daylight, and the lawn and the halls for changing also. In view of the heat, night-bath-ing is popular among the crowds of employees in stuffy workshops and at offices, who cannot have a “dip" in the daytime, and who for the most part have no bathroom of their own. BLISSFUL OBLIVION COSTS NEWLYWEDS £ls “Keep off-*-just married" was the label which accompanied an old shoe, which Frederick Joseph Skatulla of London affixed to the motor-car in ■which he set off on his honeymoon. The car later knocked over a motorcycle and side car, but did not stop. The police tracked Skatulla by the label on the shoe. When summoned for dangerous driving, he agreed that be was too interested in the bride, and did not keep a good look-out. The bride when told that there had been an accident, replied: “"We didn’t feel anything." Skatulla was fined £ls, including costs. STRANGE DEATH CORPSE IN ICE-BLOCK George Albadie, of Oakland, L'.S.A., •was recently found frozen into a block of ice in the cold storage plant where he was employed. Evidently he became ill and fell into a vat. where he was drowned, and then the water was frozen. A “ROYAL” HOAX BOUQUET FOR “PRINCESS" Members of the South Croydon Liberal Association were surprised to learn recently that they were hoaxed at a garden fete held to raise party funds. Printed notices announced that “their Highnesses Prince and Princess Henry of Bosnia-Hertzgovina,” who were Btaying with friends, would be present. When the “royal party,” with a lady-in-waiting and equerry, arrived, an address of welcome was read and a bouquet was presented to the “princess.” The visitors stayed nearly two hours and the hoax was not discovered. BRIGHTER COLOURS 5 ORNAMENTAL TYRES Even tyres are to become things of beauty when the 1931 luxury motorcars enter the market in a blaze of harmonising colours. Tyres to match the paintwork are the latest novelty. Birmingham dye experts having devised shades of blue, green, maroon and yellow, which can withstand the most severe road tests. ''Purple” tones in time of punctures. however, will retain their universal vogue. “DEAD” GIRL'S HEART BEATS FOR 90 MINUTES It was stated at an inquest in London recently that a girl was kept alive by heart massage for an hour and a-half after breathing had stopped. Dr. Woodham Morris said that he had begun an operation for goitre Jmen he discovered his patient’s heart had stopped beating. With assistance he massaged the heart for an hour and a-half and It recommenced heating, but the girl died. LONDON’S PILLORIES USED 100 YEARS AGO It Is just a 100 years since the last Person stood in the pillory, the victim being Peter James Bossy, who was subjected to the indignity outside the Gin Bailey, London, on June 24,1830. oeven years later this instrument of Punishment, which had already fallen into disuse, was abolished by statute. London had pillories outside the fioyal Exchange, in Clieapside, at iomple Bar, at Charing Cross, and other places. In those at Temple Bar ®ud Cheapside Daniel Defoe stood, on ■lune 29-31, 1703, for some offence he had given as a publicist, but the crowd decked the framework with flowers and sang the “Hymn of the Pillory,” which the author of “Robinson Crusoe” had composed in prison. Fleet Street a very renowned pillory at the end °t Shoe Lane. From this offenders Were sometimes whipped back to Newgate.

The pillory had a life of about 600 Jears. Instituted to punish bakers and Butchers for giving short weight, its use was extended to perjurers and People obnoxious to the authorities. :.h® r emoval of the ears of the victim, “uttlng his nose or lips, and other barParities, were sometimes added to the torture of the “stretchneck.” The nest fearful pillory sentence was Passed ou Titus Oates, who was condemned to spend five davs annually in the pillory .The Old Bailey pillory was removed .Bortly after Peter Bossy stood fn it ■IOO years ago.

“CHAIN” SMOKER 144 CIGARETTES IN 15 HOURS World’s champion continuous smoker is the title claimed by M. George Tzanoff, an habitue of the Phoenix Cafe, at Sofia. Before an admiring committee he sat in the cafe for 15 hours, during which time he smoked continuously and consumed 144 cigarettes. He had previously claimed a record by sitting in the cafe and smoking continuously for 24 hours, but on that occasion he smoked only 121 cigarettes. During his “lung marathon” Tzanoff drank coffee and ate chocolate. Doctors who examined him at tile close of his performance reported him to be in excellent “physical” condition. THE ROPE FEAT PERFORMED FOR WAGER Somewhere in Sydney is a man who has crossed Sydney Harbour by swinging himself along a rope. The two arms of the bridge arch are now joined by rope. One afternoon recently, ferry passengers were amazed to see a figure dangling from the rope over the tremendous drop to the harbour. Slowly the man swung himself along the narrow strand. Nerve was needed, ! because failure meant certain death. Watchers heaved sighs of relief when he reached the northern panel and clambered to safety. He had achieved tame; but for various reasons he prefers to remain anonymous. It is not surprising to learn that the feat was done for a wager. SAVING PEDESTRIANS NEW TRAFFIC LAWS The chief of the New York police says he is going “to save the lives and limbs of the pedestrians in spite of themselves” by means of a decree which will regulate pedestrian traffic in the same way as vehicular traffic is controlled, and which will provide for corresponding penalties on the disobedient. The main points in the new decree are:— (1) Pedestrians may cross the road only at corners or specially marked crossings. (2) At cross-roads where traffic is controlled by light signals or by policemen, pedestrians must wait for the “all-clear” signal before crossing. (3) Vehicles must give way to pedestrians at points where neither a constable nor a light signal Is in control. HIDEOUS NIGHTS PARIAH DOGS RETURN The pariah dogs of Constantinople have begun to reappear, and, as in times past, their barking in the streets is again making the nights hideous. Dogs used to he one of the characteristic features of the former Turkish capital. They could be seen basking in the sun in every part of the town. In 1910 their extermination was decided on by the authorities. They were all caught and taken to the desert Isle of Oxla in the Marmora, and left to die of hunger. For weeks and weeks their lamentable howlings could be heard from the Anatolian coast. The difficulty of keeping dogs and of paying taxes has caused many people to restore them to liberty. Many of them are descendants of the former pariahs. The municipality seizes, as far as possible, dogs which are not on leash, and hands them over to the Association for the Protection of Animals, which puts them to death with gas, if they are not claimed within five days of their capture. JUNGLE MOTORS FILMING BIG GAME A new step in the study of big game has been taken by Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johnson, famous explorers of Africa. They have succeeded In shooting the first sound movies of swimming hippopotami, crocodiles and elephants from a small open boat in the treacherous rapids of the Victoria Nile River. Machines supplanted native power in negotiating the rapids, and seahorse and outboard motors powered the crude craft from which the pictures were made. HORSE’S KISS A FRIENDLY LONDONER If you ever see a London businessman being kissed by a cart-horse you can be fairly sure that he is Mr. Charles Ivanlioe, of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London (says the “NewsChronicle”). He is making a study of the personalities of London horses, and he declares they have moods and fancies like men. There is “Old Tax,” a horse to be seen in Knightrider Street, East London, who is so powerful that he can shake a man like a rat. Mr. rvanhoe is in the habit of giving him dainty morsels, but one morning, while conversing with an acquaintance, he failed to notice the animal.

“Old Tax,” becoming impatient, thrust the intruder out of the way and opened his mouth to the fullest extent. The interloper fled! One dismal morning Mr. Ivanhoe noticed near the churchyard of St. Olave’s a delivery horse which looked far from happy. He gave him an apple; now they are fast friends. “I await his arrival every morning —hail, rain, or sunshine,” says Mr. Ivanhoe. “I give him something from my pocket and tell him to laugh. And he laughs by wrinkling his nose and upper lip in a most amusing fashion.” Among Mr. Ivanhoe’s other horse friends are “Tony,” the wise horse who shakes hands for sugar; “Joey,” in the teashop line, who begs with his off-fore and tries to do the Charleston, and “Railway Tom,” of Whitecross Street, who kisses Mr. Ivanhoe on the cheek.