GENERAL NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 17 October 1913, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

A MISTAKE IN MNEMONICS.

Mnemonics is a valuable science if applied thoroughly; Pupils not thoroughly grounded; may come to shipwreck as is proved by a story told in the German "Jugend." The commander of the Tenth Army Corps, General von Meerscheidt-Hullessem, was paying a visit of inspection to a regiment in which Poles predominated. One of the officers had spent a good deal of trouble in trying to impress the name of the general, which sounded very foreign in their ears, on his men and for the purpose had recourse to mnemonics, making use of words similar in sound to the syllaIbles forming the name. Thus, to get them used to the word: "Excellency" lie Bade them think of the expression often used by the marker at the targets "Sechse links," (six to the left). To remember the tremendous name of Meerscheidt-Hullessem, thCy had to think of "meerschwein" (porpoise) and "liulsenputzen" (shelling peas). The men were drawn up for inspection and the officer began, in the dreaded presence of the general, to instruct his men. Now was the time to give effect to the mnemonic lesson. He asked one of the scholars : "What is tlie name of the general commanding our Army Corps?" Proud of his knowledge, the honest Pole answered in a stentorian voice, 'His Seche links Commander Meerschwein von Hulsibutzi," which is, / being interpreted, "His Six-Left Commander, or Porpoise von ShellPeas." WEIGHING PAPER WITH GOODS. Mr Charles "E. Price,chief inspector, of weights and measures to the Bradford Corporation} has issued a special report on the subject of the sale of goods by gross instead of by net weight. In the case, of tea, he says, many dealers in Bradford include the weight of the wrapper along with the weight of the article, and the deficiency of tea caused by the wrapper being included varies from 3.8 per cent, to 8.2 per cent. Great variations existed in the weight of bags or wrappers used. For example, bags used in the sale of lib raising varied in weight from 42 to 336 grains. Yet he found in some cases that the lighter paper, costing 32s per cwt., wrapped 14,473 packages, -while the heavier paper, 1 costing 9s ,per cwt;*, wrapped only 3,431 packages, and to wrap 14,473 packages' the paper would cost;, Mr Price also pohrts out that; ■ while the heavier paper co,st» 8s mors 1 ,than the lighter for the same number " of packages, it is more than made;-up for by^.the sale of the extra 3cwt, 2ilb |of paper used, which is, of course, sold at the same price per lb as the article wrapped in it. In the .case of a low-priced article like sugar, at, say, 2d per lb, this 3cwt 241b brings in 60s and by deducting the extra cost of the pttper, it is seen that the trader makes ai> extra profit of 525.

HENRY ROCHEFORT'S CAT. Everyone who knew the late Henri Rochefort could not but' be ed with his cat, Kroumir (says Paris correspondent of the Evening Standard")- A beautiful Persian, it was inseparable from its master, dining at the same table, sleeping in the same, room, going with him on his journeys. In fact, Kroumir is always to be sedn in the photographs of. M. Rochefort. It appears that the poor animal, has died of'grief at the death of its master. For days it wandered round the house searching, and invariably returned to the bedroom in which M. Rochefort died.. Finally Kroumir starved himself to death. Was it suicide or lack of interest in life ? That is a problem for the naturalists, but at any rate, it will be hard in future to argue that animals have no sentiments. And few people will be disposed to quarrel with the decision of the Paris Municipal Council to grant out of the Public Fundsf not only i free ground for interment of Kroumir in the cemetery for animals at Clichy, but also the amount to defray the erection of a stone wit'h an inscription stating that the cat died of grief at the death of his owner, M. Henri Rochefort. Whether the memory of Rochefort will 1 endure is a question of opinion, but'at any rate, justice demands that Kroumir should at least be remembered as long as his generous, though erratic owner.

LEARNING THE PART. It is a cu/ious feature of theatrical rehearsals that actresses ' have less difficulty than actors in memorising dialogue (says "Lloyd's Weekly News"). They have fewer leads and rely almost entirely upon constant reading of their lines to commit them to memory. Mr Weedon Grossmith declares that he cannot study a part from typewritten matter. It must in handwriting, and he must make the copy himself. "I always firjd it an awful difficulty to learn my part," he said, "and if it is urgent I get away in a train on a non-stop run of two or three hours, and hav6 nothing to read but my lines, and I am compelled to attend to them. If I studied at home I would get my e#e fixed on a chipped 'picture frame or some other silly thing and forget my part altogether." Like most actors, Mr Weedon Grossmith studies best wli§n his nerves are excited. Sir John Hare has been known to be so excited at rehearsals that he has kicked his silk hat about the floor. Oil one occasion he kicked someone else's. The owner retrieved it, and put a cap down in its place. "But this is no good," Sir John said, "it makes no noise." Mr Charles Hawtrey memorises his part during the rehearsals of the play, and Mr G. P. Huntley is another actor who never looks at his lines unless in rehearsal. Stage" managers at theatres where Miss Gertie Millar has originated parts, state that she has never, cfrice her part has been read to her, forgotten a single instruction regarding her movements on the stage. She thinks out her own dances and learns" her eongs, and is the first to be word perfect.