GENERAL NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 17 January 1913, Page 7

GENERAL NEWS.

STOLE THE EMPEROR'S BREAKFAST.

The theft of the Emperor Francis Joseph's breakfast at Budapest caused great excitement in the palace. Tho Emperor risers at it.3o a.m., and breakfasts immediately after undergoing cold-water treatment. The palace cook, like the other servants, rises at two o'clock, as the Emperor is impatient of any delay. The Emperor's attendants rang tho bell for breakfast, and the cook went to the larder to fetch the cold meat which he had prepared overnight. To bis horror, the "Daily Mail'' says, he found that a large ham and other meat had disappeared. The cook, -suspecting a plot, informed the Emperor's detective, and the palace was quickly surrounded and a strict scorch made. Traces of sooty boots were found on the inlaid floor of the larder, while black finger-marks were seen on tho white painted shell.. Suspicion fell on the chimney >sweop om-p-loyed in the palace, and, detectives going to bis flat-, found him ill the act of eating the breakfast prepared for the Emperor. The sweep was arrested, with a member of the fire brigade whose duty if was to stand on guard in the kitchen. A BAN UPON CABMEN.

Cabmen had a very genuine grievance against Charles 1.. who. having granted Sir Sanders Duncombe the sole right to let -sedan chairs on hiie., strove to protect his friend against the competition of hackney coaches. He issued a proclamation' in which these were described a-> "a great- disturbance to his Majesty, his dealest consort Queen, the nobility and others of place and degree in tlier,passage through the streets. . . Hie common passage is thereby hindered, and the price of hay and provender thereby made exceedingly deal. Wherefore we expressly cc-iumand that no hackney coaches or hired ferriages be used or suffered in London, West-minster, or the suburbs thereof, except they lie to travel three miles out of the same.'' THE WHEEL OF I'OR 1 I 7 NK

There is to-day in Paris a concierge who is reaping a small harvest of tips from visitors to an attic. wlt:c:i. quarter of a century ago, was tenanted by no less a personage than the present Tvinjr of Sorvia. in tho J^ ss ' palmy days of his pretendership. 1 e agreement can also be seen bv «It Peter Tvarageorgcvich hired tho attic for the annual rental of 750 francs, which was really rather exhorbitant considering the neighbourhood in which this erstwhile abode of royalty is situated. The concierge has been offered large sums of money, chiefly bv Americans, for tlie agreement, which contains King Peter's autograph, but he refuses to par! v | such a valuable -source of income. 1 PENNY POSTAGE:

Seventy-tlirec years ago on Friday tho penny postage -system was introduced into Great Britain. The result more than exceeded the most saiiguine expectations of its instigator. Sir Rowland Hill. It. was some considerable time before letters oouid be sent out of England for a renny but now the red penny stamn will convey a letter to the most distant British colony or dominion. Tni'versal penny postage wa.s adopted in New Zealand on .Tamnrv Ist, IW)L' In Rowland Hill's original r/'heme, the affixing of a '-tamp was no material point, in fact ho only .suggested it as an afterthought. But it was soon realised that, if letters were prepaid by th« affixing of a stamp, -much trouble would be avoided in collecting the post-age from tho recipient of the letter. LONDON STREETS. There are too many Cros?. streets in London (says the "Daily Chronicle"). The.ro used to be. over secenty, but judicious renaming has hrn-mrht them down to under a score. Yet: can olio sympathise with those residents of Cross street. Rat-cliff, who do not .wish to address their letter -; from "Periwinkle street." There nre sonio recent changes of name, howwas that bridge at dockland, for instance,. which was long, known a« Stinkh'ouse Bridke: it. is of much sweeter savour to-day as Lavender Bridge. And -Camberwell ha-s done wisely t if prosaically, in reehristenin-g its Cut-throat lane as Copleston passage. But what shall we say to one of the newest names it comes from C-hisiviek? Dead Donkev Lane! THE ORTGTN OF "THANKS- | GTVING DAY." I

.Tbaiiksgivin»- Day, which falls now on the last Thursday of- November, is probably the oldest institution in the United States. It arose from a desire of the first Puritan settlers to find some equivalent of the Biblical F->nxt of Tabernacles by way of substitute for the "Popish" observance of Christinas,.and ca'n be traced back to the year following the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Rock. Thanksgiving was formerly observed on varying days by the different States, and t-'he present date was definitely fixed by a proclamation of President Lincoln in ]BOB. Tt ha.s always been a peculiarity of the En-glish-speaking people to honour anniversaries by eating some particular dish, so on Thanksgiving Day all good Americans .solemnly devour turkey I and cranberry sauce.