General News.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3660, 18 September 1880, Page 2

General News.

Professor Proctor says that sonsation travels along a human nerre at about one* tenth the rate, of* sound, and hence if a child were born with an arm 92,000,000 miles long, and he stretched it towards the sun and got burnt, he would hare to lire for 132 years before he could know that the tip of his finger had been burnt.

At Folkestone Police Court recently Mr Wendel Sherer was charged with assault* ing his wife. The parties had separated by mutual consent three weeks after marriage. Mrs .Sherer was staying at Clifton Gardens with her mother. On the prerious afternoon she was walking on the Lees, when the defendant ran up to her, put his arras round her neck, and kissed her. An altercation followed, and a crowd of people gathering round, when he was given into custody. The magistrate bound him orer to keep the peaoe, himself in £100 and one surety in £100.

It is proposed to erect a monument to Adam. The Philadelphia Bulletin thus discourses on the subject .-—Adam was a cowardly man. The first thing he did when he was found out was to try to place upon his wife the whole blame for the offence. This kind of conduct has no^ flavour of heroism about it. It is a thing for his relatives to be ashamed of. In the next place, it was to his ill-behaviour that we most attribute the fact that the real estate in his possession was allowed to" go out of the family. A handsome property, eligibly situated, probably full of corners and exempt from taxation, was simply thrown away by. his folly and wickedness. It seems to us that the persons who would have been his heirt hare a right to regard this sacrifice with feelings of indignation. Furthermore, he seems to have negleoted to bring at least one of his boys up properly, and to have failed to maintain good discipline in his household. These, however are not the moßt telling counts against him. But for Aiam we should not be put every ten years to the expense of taking the census. But for him there would be no sorrow, no rheumatism, no undertakers, no gas meters, no wars, no unhappy marriages, no butchers' bills, no*" solid South," , and no Democratic party. Adam is per* sonally - responsible for the existence of every Democrat in the country. Mr i Tilden is descended directly from Adam; I go is Ben Butler. Ihese things arel legitimate grievances ; they place upon'

that miserable old man who lived over in Asia Minor a few centuries ago a burden of responsibility of really a frightful character. The harm that he did, directly and indirectly is iismeasurable in extent and terrible in proportions.. This seems hardly to be the kind of a man to receive a handsome public testimonial, even from such people as those who live in Klmira. Upon the whole, therefore, we are inclined to discourage the undertaking.

A certain doctor, struck with the large number of boys under fifteen years of age he observed smoking, whb led to enquire . into the effect the habit had upon the general health He took for his purpose thirty-eight, aged from nine to fifteen, and carefully examined them. In twenty seven he discovered injurious traces of the habit. He: informs the British Medical Journal that in twenty-two there were various disorders of .the. circulation and digestion, palpitation of the heart, and a more or less taste for strong drink. In twelve there were frequent bleedings from the nose; ten had disturbed sleep and twelve had slight •loeration of the mucuous membrane of the mouth, whj^ disappeared on ceasing the use of tobacco for some days. Tbe doctor treated them all for weakness, but with little effect until the smoking was discontinued, when health and strength were sow restored. -- " The Northern Argus, a paper published at Bookbampton in Queensland, tells an amusing incident of a " Bruce Anotion " held in aid of the building fund of St. Paul's Church. Our contemporary says: —"A funny episode occurred that is worth mentioning. The room was tolerably well filled, and the collection of , articles of all kinds grouped together gave it very muoh the appearance of a fancy shop.* Mr G. S. Curtis aoted as auctioneer, and managed to get very good prices for most of the lots. Considerable amusement was caused waW: he. afc* : nounced that Mr William Pattison, who had just entered the room, offered, 'by way of putting a little more life into the thing,' to sell the topcoat he was then wearing. Amid' much laughter Mr'l3at- f tison started the bidding himself at half-a-soverejga, and very quickly the bids, reached, a guinea, when" there :wac ;a pause. 'Go ahead, gentlemen,' shouted the auctioneer, 'he's not likely to part with his coat such a night as this for a a fiver.', •Miad,.U's o»h ©a the'fsftV-, said the wearer of the coat, and ■<■■ mr" bids were made by sixpences till 25s were reached, a^ which price the 'upper Berija-~~ mm' was knocked do#n, amid considerable cheers for Mr Pattison.. ' Oh, don't thank me," cried the latter; ' ifflkWttik me, it's Curtis' coat you have been baying !' and so it turned out. Mr Pattison had found the auctioneer's flowing mastfte ; lying about, put it on, and started thei owner on a tip to sell his own clothes. . When the 'sell* : was disclosed, the laughter was load and prolonged, aad it took Mr Curtis a little time to realise ttur situation. • v •-•• ~a