Rhyl Record and Advertiser

ION. FACTS AND FANCIES. INTERESTING FACTS. Swedish school children under the guidance of their teachers, annually plant about 600,0(X tret's. To protect an invention all over the world it is necessary to take out 64 patents in as many dif- ferent countries, the estimated cost of which is Mrs. Elizabeth Vanhart, a paralytic, 60 years old, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was killed by a r t, which severed an artery in her foot as ShE s it helpless in a chair, causing her to bleed tc death. A remarkable building is to be erected at the corner of Wall-st. and Broadway, New York. Its site measures only 29ft. by 39ft., yet it will ro^t The building is to be of 18 storeys and 235ft. in height. At Portsmouth no fewer than 2.5 obsolete war- ships" have just been ordered for sale by auc- tion. One of these, the Durham, was built as iar back as 1845; another, the drillship Briton, in 1860; and another, a cruiser, at Blackwall, in 1S59 Having cut up a large conger which he Lad just caught for the purpose of bait for his lob- ster pots, a Port I'aac (Cornwall) fisherman seized the eel's head some 20 minutes afterwards to throw into the sea. To his surprise the jawf opened, and the fish's shcrp teeth closed on his fo'.efinger, badly lacerating it. The fisherman to carry his arm in a sling for some time. -+- WHAT HE'D DO. H Whar would you do, Henry, if burglars got nto the house?" asked a lady of her husband. "Do?" replied the good man. "Just what they told me! I've never had my own way in this house yet!" MIGHT BE BORNE IN MIND. •Tt'dge: "Have you anything to say before the court passes sentence upon you?" Prisoner: "Well, all I've to say is. I hope yer Hon or'll consider the extreme youth of my lawyer, let me off easy." -+- HIS OVERSIGHT. The husband and father was looking over the paper hanger's bill. John," exclaimed his wife. vou mustn't nse such language before the children!" "You're right. Maria/' he said. "Send the f children out of the room." -(, QUITE ABLE. A ploughman in Lanarkshire who was think- ing of marria^t, was seen by the intended Irother.in-law who was anxious to find out about his means. He said he wa,s able to keep a wife, adding as proof: "There's hardly < mornin' but a' leave some o' ma' parritch." -+-- A BUDDING ASTRONOMER. The teacher, after giving lessons on the moon and stars, asked tho children what became of the old moon when a new one appeared. One little boy, who seemed very eager tc answer:— Please, sir, they chop them up into little bits and make stars of them." --+-- FAITH IN INSTALMENTS. Biphed has profound faith in progress," re- marked Brown. f. Has said Robinson. If Yes; he feels certain that the world will be able to get along without him after he's gone. although he can't understand just how it is going to be done." -+- ♦ FROM THE BARRACK ROOM. During a weekly kit inspection in an infantry regiment, stationed at a large town. a mop hac been accidentally left propped with the heac uppermost, against a tpare bed-cot. The cap- tain of the company, who was said to be verj short-sighted, on entering the room, pointed t* the head of the mop, and exclaimed, in a loud sharp voice: Colour-Sergeant, see that mar. gets his hair cut." The Colour-Sergeant, tnlririg in the situation, remarked: "Very good, sir," and smartly calling out "Attention" to stop ihe laughter of the men, passed on to the next inspection, ♦ ► HOLDING HIS OWN. A short while ago, a young man and his sweet- heart were walking out together through the lanes and fields of Hendon. The young man was rather of a bashful nature, and had been walking out with this same young woman—his Angelina "—for a con- siderable time. On this particular night, however, he mus- tered up sufficient ceurage to ask her how she thought he was progressing with his courting. At the same time his arm stole around her waist, in the approved Hendonian fashion. Well, Jack," she said, quietly, I think you're holding your own." -<>- THE POSTMAN. This is an unedited essay by a council school- boy on the postman.-—" The postman has to be up erly in the morning to meet the males at the station. Then he takes them to the G.P.O. where they are soughted out. Then he ties up his streets in bungles, and goes quickly from door to door. because the passengers don't like to have their letters dclaid. On his way back. he collects the pillow boxes, and conveys them to the G.P.O. Inside the postmen they art stamping letters. The postman is a simple ser- vent because he works for the government and wears a uniform. He has a good time at Xmas. I should like to be a postman then. He gets plenty of Xmas boxes and can read all the pic- ture postcards." --+- SOMETHING MISSING. In a certain police-court a man was charged with stealing a watch, but, by having a clever lawyer, managed to get discharged. The judge said: Prisoner, you are dischargsd." The prisoner stood still. The judge said: "Prisoner, you an dis- charged. You can go." The man stood still. The judge again said: "Prisoner, you are discharged You can go. Don't you understand?" "Yes," said the man; there's one thing I don't understand. Shall I give the man back his watch or keep it myself?" --+- NATURAL TOOTH BRUSHES. Natives of Somaliland have the whitest and best teeth of any people in the world, and the reason is not far to seek. Whenever they are idle. they might be found rubbing their teeth with small pieces of wood. little twigs which are covered with a soft bark. and which ravels out into bristles. This practice prevents the teeth decaying, and, of course, keeps them in excellent condition. Just as one might pick a wild flower in this country, so the Somali native picks his tooth brush. They are never without their small twigs of wood. Tooth-bruehea, rs wo know them, are unknown in Somaliland. Their own methods are undoubtedly the Wealthiest, and certainly the cheapest, and it is ÕI. matter for wonder that we do not take a leaf out of their book in this respect. --+-- WHAT THEY DO. A diocesan inspector, examining a class of bsvrs in a certain seaport town in Kent, received an answer not quite calculated to show the reli- gious knowledge of the boys. The portion of Scripture on which he was examining them bore upon salutations, which in Eastern coun- tries are exceedingly formal and lengthy. He tried, by a number of skilful questions, to draw from the boys the information he desired, but failed. Thinking to lead them from our com- mon everyday salutations, such as shaking hands, Good morning," How do you do ? etc., to the ornate and excessively polite Eastern salutations, he asked the simple ques- tion, What do two friends in Eaigland do when tiey meet one another?" Light dawned, and much to the reverend gentleman's surprise, one boy answered, Go and have a drink, sir." • IN THAT CASE. One day a very nervous, timid-looking woman, accompanied by a robust farm hand, came on the platform of a little railway station at a re- mote country spot. For a short time she seemed to devote her attention to the time-table, but not finding there the satisfaction she sought she stepped up to the station master as he came cut of his office. Will you please tell me if the three-fifteen has gone yet?" she asked, in apparent concern. "Yps: about twenty minutes ago," he replied. And when will the four-thirty be along, do you think ?" Why not for some time yet, of course." \re there any expresses before then?" Not one." Anr luggage trains ?" "No." "Nothirg at all?" "Nothing whatey-i- "Are you quite sui^ Certainly I am, or I wouldn't havlf Then," said the tii».»d woman, tun teisbancL 'J1 cross the I f

SCIENCE AND INVENTION. fill Experiments have been made at the engineer- ing laboratory of the Technical High School at Charloltcnburg to ascertain the temperature at which water of condensation ceased to be dis-. cernible when steam was discharged from a nozzle into a large chamber. The conclusions were that ordinarily no water would be found in superheated steam, but when found it was pro- bably formed in the steam trap, and the trap was therefore considered superfluous; but if provided 1: should be arranged with a by-pass, so that it could be cut out. + DEATHS DUE TO THE ANIMAL WORLD. A striking statistical ssifcirn dealing with the mortality due to wild animals and snakes throughout th", Indian Empire during the last administrative year shows that the human deaths due to wild animals in the last two years are 2.157 and 2.054 respectively, and the corres- ponding figures for snake-bite are 21,880 and 21,797. It is curious that the relative destruc- tiveness of mammals and snakes in the case of cattle is reversed, the latest numbers beinff 92,277 and 8.039. Thus the immunity of human life from ferocious assaults in comparison with attlo is about two per cent., whereas snakes are responsible for the death of nearly three human to every ruminant victim. On the other hand, the retaliatory measures are similarly dispropoi tioned, the wild animals and snakes destroyed being respectively 16,915 and 64>117. ♦ COLOURING BRASS BLUE-BLACK. To colour brass blue-black make a solution of ammonia and copper carbonate in the approxi- mate proportions of 10 parts of ammonia and one part of copper carbonate uy weight. Shake the mixture well until the copper carbonate is dis- solved, adding the copper carbonate to the ammonia little by little until the ammonia will not dissolve any more; then add a volume of clear water equal to about one-fourth of the mixture. The pieces of brass to be coloured should be polished bright either with fine dry ornery-cloth, taking care not to touch the polished surface with the fingers, or made clean and bright by dipping in a strong solution of caustic soda. Before dipping, agitate the com- pound thoroughly, and then immerse the pieces of brass, keeping them in motion two or three minutes. Rinse off in clean water, and dry in t ;awdust or clean cotton-waste. ( • ELECTRICITY IN PLANT JLIFE. What part electricity plays in stimulating the growth of plants is unknown, but a very good summary of the experiments that nave been made, which appears over the name of B. Tolks- dorf in a German paper points out that, on tho whole, it has been shown that the yield of many plants has been increased—on a laboratory scale—by providing them with an artificial supply of electricity and water. It is probable that the sap exchange of plants is stimulate by electricity, and Prof. Lemstrom has succeeded in showing that electricity greatly magnifies the capillary power of plants, and probably, therefore, enables them to take in a greater food supply from the ground—to feed themselves up, in short. It is fairly cer- tain, at any rate, that electricity does play an important part in nature in the growth and formation of vegetation. WTe may see this by means of another of Lemstrom's experiments. Piants were brought into a wire cage that wholly excluded the action of atmospheric electricity, though it admitted air and heat and light, In spite of all care, however, these plants died, which appears to show that electricity is a necessary factor in the growth and ripening of plants. In Spitzbergen and Finnish Lapland it is said that the larger yields are always con- nected with the earlier appearances of the Northern Lights. ■* THE INSULATION OF INSULATORS. Commencing with the green bottle glasv tele- graph insulator, the size of a teacup, about ten years ago, th", electric power-transmission engineers have been steadily increasing the siza and cost of their high-tension insulators, until, now they are using glass or porcelain in- sulators, the size of a cabbage. According to "Electrical World," there has been no help for this visible swelling of the insulator. The little ones simply would not stand the electric stress, as the electric pressure rose by leaps and bounds. Even now the manufac- turers would be ready to risk constructing transformers for 100 kilovolts if the line en- gineers would accept that pressure. Perhaps the line engineers may do so beforg long. The question is, What will their insulators then be? Will they be as large as umbrellas? Is long- distance transmission to be limited by the cost of conductors or by the cost of insulators? A now suggestion is offered from Italy. Instead of placing the high-tension conductor on the top of the insulator, and arranging a series of porcelain petticoats b neath, so that a beetle would have to walk some 60 centimetres in the shortest path over the surface from wire to pin. the new insulator hangs the wire under- neath the topmost petticoat, which is ex- panded into a relatively thin umbrella. The purpose of the umbrplla is only to shelter from rain and not to insulate; so that the umbrella can be made light and inexpensive. The actual insulator below the umbrella is stated to be considerably smaller than would be necessary in case the umbrella were removed. — ♦ THE ORTHOPTERE. Of late years there have been a number of flying machines invented, patented, and even made; but for grotesqueness it would be hard to beat the Orthoptere," a half-sized model of which has for some time been on view at Brussels. Looking like an enormous wasp or bee, it made' a conspicuous object at the end of the upper gallery of the building. This apparatus is the joint inven- tion of three members of the Aero Club of Bel- gium—Captain Marga, M. de la Hault, and M. Jansen. It is of that class of aeronautic contri- vances that, somewhat heavier than air, de- pend on the action of planes, propellers, or wings to raise them from the surface of the earth. The aerial voyagers have to take their places in the interior, which is lighted by four windows, two on either side of the monster's body The head with its eye" and the six legs are presumably provided for the purpose of balancing the affair, unless they are simply added to accentuate its resemblancg to a gigan- tic winged insect. But the wings, which are made of oiled silk, and the aluminium pro- pellers are meant for business, the latter re- volving at the enormous speed of 30,000 revolu- tions per minute. It is driven by a Buchet motor of 60 h.p There is a kind of inner skin with an air-spac? between it and the outer one, which—in the model—is covered externally with what looks like dark brown velveteen. In the extremity of the tail of the aeroplane are thres large balls filled with air, which are intended to absorb the concussion when it comes down to the ground. The efficacy of this latest attempt to conquer the air remains to be seen. ♦ CONCERNING NUTRITION. In opening the course of lectures on phy- siology at the Manchester University recently, Prof Stirling dealt with the means and mode of nutrition from the lowest to the highest animals. In tb-3 lowest animals, such as amoeba and infusoria, the whole process takes place withir. cells; but in animals higher in the scale the preliminary steps take place in tubes or cavities outside tho cells. In both methods, however, ferments play an all-important part. Some of the lowest animals find in their ex- quisite excitability and their digestive pro- perties their mean-; of defence against invading organisms. The remarkable development of the doctrine of Phagocytosis, as propounded by Metchnikoff, wherein it is set forth tha-t the colourless blood cells and other cells attack and destroy invading organisms, has proved a great incentive to the study of our natural means of defence. •» The fact that the lowest unicellular microscopic animals can take particles into their interior was first discovered in 1777 by Count Gleichen-Russwurm, who fed these animals on carmine. It was left, however, to Metchnikoff, who was led by the study of tkJ water-flea called Daphnia, to apply this fact and to found the doctrine of Phagocytosis. Just as certain flavours, odours, or the presence of certain chemical substances stimulate the secre- tion of the digestive fluids, so there has baen grafted on this theory the idea of opsonins i.e., substances which make the pabulum more attractive or palatable. One of the most re- markable facts connected with nutrition is the variety of specificity of the various ferments which are to be found both in plants and ani- mals for in both the problem is tha same. Each erment acts on a specific substance, and in e phrase of Emil Fischer the ferment and substrate fit together as a key fits its lock. ferment acts only on a class of bodies of ar chemical composition, but its action e strictly limited to & molecule of a cer- ^garation. --+-

BURGLAR AND BABY. Not long ago an oldish man received shelter and food from the preacher, but he refused to do any work m return for the help which was given tj him. "I have never done a day's work in my life, and I am not going to begin now," wac his answer to every order, or sometimes it waa t'n appeal. "Why, what have you done for a living, then?" he asked. "I am a burglar," wv hi" reply, and he relapsed into surly indiffer- ence, and sat in a corner of the workshop watch- ing the others at work. It was evidently impoet- Nible to aHow such a mutinous spirit to remain in the home with the other outcasts. for his evil example was sure to spread, so those Who were responsible determined to eject him. However, an idea came into the mind of Ker who was called the Mother of the Home. and she said: Before you turn him out let him come down into the kitchen, and I will see if I can per- suade him to clean the pote and pans." Her request was granted, and the moody burglar went down into the kitchen. He refused to obey i h, Mother's orders, but while she was engaged in another part of the Home for a little while the burglar noticed a baby in a cradle by the fire, and when the Mother came back she found him nursing it in his* lap, and talking to it in endearing terms, expressed in the strangest figures of speech, for he had lived some thirty years or more in prisons and his body was scored with lashes. The Mother smiled, for she knew that this Door little deserted baby had, by some marvelloas j:rocose which even science cannot guess at, touched that single chord within the outcast's bosom. The next morning she asked him if he would clean the pots and pans. H No, I won't," he answered I will nurse the baby." So once more he took the child in his arms, and another day passed quietly. The next morning, on en- tering the kitchen, he was surprised to find that the baby was not in its usual place. Where "9 he asked. If It has been taken away," plied the Mother. "What—out of the Home?" He spoke angrily, as though the child had been his own. "No." WeIl, then, I am going to fetch it." No," said the Mother. He stared at She met his gaze calmly, and said, If you to have the baby you must work for it." WTliat do you want me to do ?" he asked sul- lenly. "You must scrub the floor." He hesi- tated, trembled, and then seized a pail and brusb. Set to work It is said that never before the Mother's kitchen floor looked so clean Wi when he had finished his task, and he was thê6 allowed to nurse the baby once more. The baby. by the way, was an outcast, too. This was tho ftorv as nearly as I can remember it. The burglar was conquered, and he is now leading a-i honest and prosperous life in a British Colonv.—The Pall Mall Magazine," Newton-st., ITolborn W.C. NARROW AND LOB-SIDED EDUCATION. The tendency of the elective system as con- ducted at present is to confine the scientific boy to scientific subjects, literary boy to literary Bubjects, and the administrative boy to adminis- trative subjects. The result of this is that our engineers or physicians go out into life with their imagination uncultivated, and their sense of values (except commercial values) undevel- oped; that our preachers and our barristers lack the training which should give them clear and precise apprehension of the ordinary facts or life: that our merchants have narrow ideals instead of broad ones, and care for science and literature only as they can be subordinated to money-making. I believe the next generation will recognise that the engineer ought to have imagination just as much as anybody else; that it is the possession of this quality which makes him a first-rate engineer instead of a second- Tate engineer; and that we can cultivate imagina- tion by bringing books and affairs before him in the Tight way. I believe that the next genera- tion will recognise that precision of thought is what distinguishes the first-rate speaker or artist from the second-rate speaker or artist; and that this precision can be attained if, in- stead of hurling facts of science or language or history at his impervious skull, we "Oen his eyes to the infinite possibilities of ihought and precise expression in all fields of knowledge. And we shall, I think, come more and more to find that the truly great merchant or statesman is not man of a single narrow aim of money- getting or office-getting, but the one who has been taught to use science or language in such fashion that he ceases to regard them as mere instruments of his trade, to be hired and dis- carded at will, and has become insensibly per- meated by that breadth of spirit which leads him to make scientific truth his standard, and poetry OT history the inspiration for his conduct. With the growth of modern methods of educa- tion there has been serious danger that parents and childrea would believe that public education was private rather than public in its purpose; that it was dominated by the principle of giving the pupil what he wanted, Tather than of enabl- ing him to give the community what it wanted. But if we broaden the range of subjects taught, we can go back to the earlier ideal of education as a means of training for public service. If we select courses of study thoroughly adapted to the individual temperament and power, but designed to enlarge the mental horizon instead of narrowing it, we shall prepare the pupil for his lifework as well as the elective system did or better, but shall emphasize in his mind the interests that lie outside of that life-work, and ma.ke him feel that his professional service is not an end in itself or a means of selfish advancement, but part of a larger intellectual life and a means of service to the public.— Harper's Monthly Magazine/' 45, Albemarle- 1St., London, W. w MONSOONS. "Into thõ physical causes of the monsoons We nd not here inquire," wrote the late Sir Edwin Arnold; "the Hindoo peasant is contented by ascribing them to Indra., the God of the Sky. But what happens is this. During the month of May the lowlands and plains of India gradually dry Up. till you would scarcely believe that the parched soil would ever yield another harvest. The leaves have fallen from all deciduous trees; the nullahs, or watercourses, are full of dried-up bushes and burning sands, dotted here and there with the footprints of wild animals painfully seeking for water. The rich, black soil of the P<3ccan cracks with innumerable fissures, among which your horse may easily plunge and break his leg, and into which the grey and green lizards dive madly at your approach. Where any water has been preserved in well or tank, the trickle op it laces the land with ribands of green, and even the tiger goes gingerly on his soft, pink pads over that now burning earth. Along the roof- Tidge th", black and grey crowe sit with open beaks, and charitable shopkeepers fit up in front of t Ldr stalls a bowl and bamboo pipe, wherefrom the thirsty l castes may drink, without pollut- ing by their lips the household vessels. As I open the newspaper my eye is caught by a tele- gram which comes from India. The Vice- iv) j cables to our Indian Secretary of State these words: 'Monsoon has commenced on Bombay coast. There has been light rain in Deccan and Central Provinces; useful rain has tallen in Upper India.' Here is a message of supreme imperial moment for three hundred million human beings, as well as to those who govern them. They belong to each other as shadow does to light, or the glove to the hand, or the shoe to the foot. Many Americana reasonably inquire why the Viceroy should make a State business out of a shower of rain. The answer to this is well worth giving. It must be iirst understood that India depends upon the Indian Ocean quite as closely as Egypt on her Nile. The yearly inundations of that river create the crops of tho Egyptians, and there are also two meteorological events upon which the ques- tion of sufficient food for the Indian people always turns. These are the two monsoons. One of them, blowing from October to April, is all- important to the eastern side of the peninsula; the other and more valuable one feeds the wes- tern side and much of the great central table- land. At each epoch when famine threatens, a vast machinery of despotic beneficence starts into C<'tion; in every menaced district public works on an immense scale are afoot; camps are pitched where day by day food is served out to scores of thousands of starving folk, and the Indian Chan- cellor of the Exchequer grits his official teeth and nerves himself with a splendid recklessness to fling his surplus to the winds and to spend countless lakhs to keep down the death-rates and to carry India over the dajs of rice and mil- let. The impossible is frankly accepted as pos- sible, and Simla deliberately challenges the offended gods.—From an interesting artiele on The Monsoon and the Indian Peasant," in the ''Windsor Magazine." "Can you give me no hope? At some future time, perhaps?" She: Well, come to me again in ten years, and if I should be still unmarried I'll—I'll lÙnJI. of it." Lady (entering shoe store): "I would like to look at some No. 2's." New Boy (anxious to j show his knowledge): most *veryon« I looks at No 2'6 first."

LOST ON THE TRAIL. ENGLISH BARRISTER MISSING. Word has reached us from Saskatchewan, North-West Canada, says tho Times, which points in all probability to c unfortunate death of a member of the English Bar, Mr. iEneas Mackintosh, who was lost on the trail in one. of the severe storms of the past winter, and had not since been heard of. Mr. Mackintosh was residing with Mr. R. A. Franklin, near Uoo«o Luke, and en February 6th went to the post-otlice for the mail, about four- teen miles distant. Tiie postmaster, Mr. David- son, seeing that a storm wa.s coming, advised him to remain, but he was determined to return. Shortly after leaving the post-office he was seen on the frail. As he did not arrive at Franklin's a search party was organised, and the country traversed for miles without finding any trace of him. The Royal North-West Mounted Police were notified, and another search party was be- ing organised, but there was little hope of find- ing the remains until the snow melts. This usu- ally occurs during the second week in April. Mr. Mackintosh went to Winnipeg about two years ago, when Chtef McRae induced him to go to Weyburn, Snsk., wliere he lived until last autumn with James Dalgleish, a brother-in-law of Mr. ?>IcRae. Since that time he has been liv- ing with Mi-. Franklin. Mr. Mackintosh was a Scotsman by birth, but lived most of his life in England, and was called to the Bar at tho Middle Temple in May. 1389. He went, the South-Eastern Circuit. The winter in the Cana- dian North-West and the Northern States has been one of the worst within memory, and a iou'u^v pcross the, prairie alone when a storm is coming up should be avoided at any cost, as it is apt to be attended with serious or fatal results. But it is a fact that Englishmen new to tho country will often Jake risks, against the advice of old settlers, which the latter, would not think of doing. The nccor-sivy for care in such matters cannot be too strongly impressed upon those who intend going to the western prairies.

ENGLISH CHEQUES ABROAD. NO GOOD AT MONTE CARLO. Commenting upon the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in London that gambling dobts incurred abroad arc not recoverable in England, writes a Paris correspondent, a confrere- who knows his Monte Carlo well says that this judg- ment will have no effect whatever in the sun- kissed Principality. Nobody in Monte Carlo ac- cepts or cashes cheques unless they be cheques given by villa residents to tradesmen. A cheque drawn by a person staying in a hotel is without any value at Monte Carlo. No hotel-keeper would accept it, and the local banks would not cash a cheque drawn upon an English bank until it had been cleared. I remember the time, how- ever, when an Englishman's cheque was accepted on the Continent as readily as his sovereigns or banknotes. But when various counterfeit gentle- men came along and paid their obligations with cheques which were dishonoured after they had disappeared, hotel-keepers began to loot; npon cheques with sudden suspicion. Now in many hotels in Paris and elsewhere you will see a notice up: "Cheques are not accepted by this establishment." The late Mr. Kaiser, of the Hotel de Londrcs, at Monte Carlo, is said to have been one of the men who was-most often done by dishonoured cheques. He could have papered the hotel with them. "Mr. Crowe." from Johannesburg, was among those who swindled Mr. Kaiser. He was introduced to the hot-el-keeper by another man from Johannesburg, and after a visit to the Casino, where he did not do badly, he went to the management of <4ie rooms, made a tremen- dous to-do, declaring that he had lost thousands, nd. to save a scandal, he was given a viatique" of £20. Then he went to Mr. Kaiser, and said: "I find I have to go to London sud- denly for a few days. Cash me a cheque on my London bankers for jE.50, and I will pay you my bill and go by the next train." Mr. Kaiser made out the bill, receipted it. and handed the balance, about J635, in cash. to Mr. Crowe." of Johan- nesburg. Then, with many bows and much lift- ing of hats, he was conducted to the train. Need- less to say. the cheque was not worth the paper it. was written on. Mr. Crowe," of Johannes- burg, has not been seen in Monte Carlo since.

ENGLISHMAN'S SUICIDE IN CAIRO. An inquest has been held at Cairo on the body of Luke Talbot, late chief constable of Warring- ton, Lancashire, who wa- found dead in his room at a fashionable hotel there, with a revolver by his side. Mcdieai evidence shewed that the bullet from a discharged cartridge had pene- trated the heart. A note written in pencil was discovered, indicating that he was in a desperate condition, owing to what he alleged to be per- secution. The jury, says the Daily T> h/rraph, returned a verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane.

SOLICITOR'S DISHONEST CLERIC At Bow-street Police-court on Tuesday Alfred Thomas Ewart, a young man, was charged on remand, before Mr. Marsliain, with theft. The prisoner was employed as a county-court clerk by Messrs. Whitelock and Storr, solicitors, High llolborn. Recently tlnne was mirssed from the office a written order empowering that firm to the City of London Court, and it was subsequently discovered that the prisoner had withdrawn this money from the Court and had not accounted for it. Another similar authority rpspeding a sum of £ 5 9s. 6d. was found upon the prisoner when he waa arrested. Detective-Sergeant Bissill said the prisoner had a wife and one child, but he did not appear to have spent the money on his home. Tho magistrate pu-Jed a sentence of three imprisonment iu the secoud division.

MR. HALDANE'S ARMY SCHEME. In a printed reply to questions by Captain Baring, M.P., Mr. Ha!dane says the total num- ber of officers of the Regular Army provided for in the Estimates of 1905-6 was 11.707, and in 1907-8, 11,181. The establishment of Army non- commissioned officers and men on April 1st, 1899, was 228,923, and the strength of the Reserve was 81,384. Under the proposed scheme as shewn by the Estimates for 1907-8, omitting the 3rd Batta- lion Coldstream Guards, the establishment is 229,819, and the number of recruits to maintain this establishment is calculated at 37,710 annually. The numbers passing to the Reserve annually will fluctuate, but the Reserve is cal- culated to reach a normal of 115,000.

» --4 PHOTOGRAPHS IN DIVORCE CASES. In the Divorce Division, on Tuesday, Sir Gorell Barnes referred to attempts which had been made to take photographs during the hear- ing of a divorce case. His Lordship said that when, last August, he said he would have no more sketching in this court, he meant to in- clude photographing. The view was shared by his learned brother, Mr. Justice Bargravc Deane, that it was undesirable to attract atten- tion to witnesses in divorce cases by the publica- tion of pictures or photographs taken either in or outside the court. His Lordship went on to say that he noticed with gratification that since the order made last August with regard to sketching, the Press, with but one or two excep- tions, had obeyed the order then made. No doubt those photographs published had been duo to a misapprehension of the order really made.

HIGHWAYMEN AT STREATIIAM". The police at Streatham are investigating a highway robbery, the victim being Mr. A. H. IIsince, who for over forty years was connected with the Daily Chronicle, and who retired from the management last year. Mr. IJance was knocked senseless by three young fellows some forty yards from his home in Becmcad-avenue, Streatham, and while unconscious on tht ground the miscreants overhauled his pockets, a bstmct.- ing some £ 40 in notes and gold. Mr. Hance i said to be making good progress towards recovery.

INSOLVENT OPERA COMPANY. On Tuesday, in the Winding-up Court, Mr. Justice Parker had before him a petition pre- sented by Herr W. lIen,la. one of the leading aitAts in the Winter German Opera (Limited), for the winding-up of the company, on the ground of insolvency. The matter came before the court a fortnight ago as an ex-parte motion for the appointment of an interim receiver. It was adjourned to chambers when a receiver was appointed in respect of the funds in hand. —Mr. Eve, K.C., appeared in support of the petition. Mr. Martelli and the company did not oppose the petition, and the usual compulsory order was made.

> KILLED O: THE RAILWAY. Jameo Batten, a dairyman, of Brentor, Devonshire, was cut to pieCF:5 on Thursday on the Launceston branch of the Great Western Railway. It is supposed that deceased was ing the line as a short cut to his worl:, when ho was caught by the engine in the four-footway two miles from Marytavy Station. brother wad killed in a Eirnibr way near the wme spot about eighteen years ago.

.n_ A Dublin telegram states that John O'Leary, the former Fenian leader, who was sentenced to twenty years' penal servitude in 1865 for his share in the revolutionary movement, is seriously ill. Croydon has been placarded with large posters, advising the people of that town to utterly ignore the vaccination laws, to pay neither fines or costs. if summoned, and to re- frain from applying for the exemption certificate. A man whose name is stated to be Henry Douglas Anderson, of Manchester, has been arrested at Winnipeg, on a charge of having stolen £5,400 from the Bank of England. The accused is said to have been & fugitive since last Autrust.

BULGARIAN PREMIER MURDERED. THE MURDERER ARRESTED. :As M. Petkoff, the Bulgarian Premier, waw walking with some other Ministers in the Boris Garden at Sofia, says Renter's Agency. he was fired at with a revolver hy an unknown man. The Premier was hit three times and killed. M. GenadielT. the Minister of Commerce, was wounded in the arm. The assassin has been arrested. lie is a dismissed employee of the Agricultural Bank. "TO FREE BULGARIA." A Sofia message savs: The assassin of M. Pet- koff, the Bulgarian Premier, is a young man about twenty-three years of age. who gives the name of Alexander IVtrotf. a native of Widdin. He was in company with three ucl-er persona in the Boris Park when he made ihe ariaek. and immediately he had fired the fatal shots he fled into the neighbouring gardens. where, however, hj was arrested bv the police. When questioned, .he declared that he had killed M. Petkoff to free Bulgaria. According to the Tines correspondent, the as- sassin .uece.ded m djsfn:evmg tin attention of the gendarme who followed thf Mini-'ter*. and then discharged a revolver a, M. Genadief?. the. Minister of Commerce, whom he wounded slightly in the arm. He then fired 1' second time, when the bullet struck M. in the rnrhfc shoulder-blade and penetrated the lungs. The Prime Minister fell and expired. M. PETK01'L-"S CAREER. With his friend Stamboioff M. IYtkofT fought as a Volunteer in the Bulgarian continpront dur- I ing the Rtisso-Turkish War. a::d lost an arm in one of the engagements in the Shipka Pass. From the liberation of Bulgaria onwards his career had boon stormy and eventful. His phy- sical disability turned, the thoughts of the young soldier to journalism. A fiery attack against Prince Alexander sent him :0 prison with a life J sentence. The Prince & fail ied to his liberation after two years. He accompanied the Bulgarian, Dictator home from th-> Union Club in Sofia on the fatal day. July 15*1). 1895. when thev were attacked b.v four men armed with revolvers, yataghans, and _daggers. Srambuloff. who sue-, cumbed to his injuries two days later, received over wounds, and both his hands were nearly severed. M. petkoit was also slightly injured on the forehead. A COUNTRY OF ASSASSINATIONS. Now he has cone the way of Boltchoff. Vul- kovitch, Stambuloff. and Kanteh»ff, all of whom fell victims to the assassin's dagger or revolver within the past sixteen years. Belccheff. Minister of Finance, was stabbed to by con; ptrafors, who are supposed to have mistaken him for Si-imbuloff. Dr. 'X ulkoviteh, Bulgarian to the Sul- t :tIl, was stabbed in the back at (.Y-nstantinople by agents of tlie Secret Cominirtees. Kantcheff. Ministe1* of Public Instruction, was hot by a discharged schoolmaster in a. garden at Sofia on February ofh. 19C2.

DEATH OF M. CASIMIR-PEPJER. A DREYFUS VICTIM. M. Casimir-Perier, ex-President of the Repub- lie, died in Paris on Monday night, M. Casimir-Perier became famous when he was elected President of the French Republic in 1894 immediately after the a:-tfeassination of Pre- sident Carnot. He was not much heard of in de- bate in the Frenen Legislature, but ho was al- ways regarded as a safe Republican, who had adhered honestly to the regime from founda- tion. and who was free frojl; the tairii of seif- seeking. During the late seventies and tho eighties he had held one or two Ministerial offices of second rank, but his growing influence and position became apparent when ir. 15SC ho was elected Vice-President of the Chamber and President of the Budget Committee. In 1893 no enjoyed tho-e few months of tenure as Primo Minister which are as much as fail to the of most French Premiers, and his fall was made easy by election to the Presidency of Chamber. The feelings of respect and trust, which his character and career inspired speedily and effec- tively assorted themselves when in the crisis created by the murder of President Cd-not. the núerJ wag felt for a successor who should inspire confidence among all moderate and really patri- otic Frenchmen as well as abroad. Al. Casiinir- Porier's election fully achieved this purpo/se, hut it. did not stem the flood of intrigue whi/u began to assail him with persistent malignity from the first day of his installation at the Ely see. One writer. M. Gerault-Richard, carried his lampoons to such an extreme that he was prosecuted and condemned. So matters went. on, say- the Globe, for some eight- or ten mouths, when one morning, almost without, a word of premonition, Europe wa» astounded to learn that the but reeonl!v-ojeeted President of the French Republic had resigned. In the bewilderment caused by such an unex- peeted event wild surmises and imputations wore inevitable, and there was a plentiful supply of them. The President, however, bore himself with great dignity and self-posM-ssion. He was in the cruel position of being compelled to take a step which the higher welfare of his country fore bade him at the moment to explain to the public. He accepted the situation and withdrew into obscurity, with just one restrained rebuke to his traducers. "The attempt to mislead public opinion has succeeded." he wrote to the Senate. Perhaps in retiring I shall have lHarked out the path of duty to those who are solicitous for the dignity, the power, and the good name of France in the world." At the time this was regarded as referring to the campaign of slander against him and to differences with his Ministers. Only four years later —during the trial of the late M. Zola—did it. i ran spire that, the President had been deceived by his; Ministers during the earlier phases of the Dreyfus case, that document- of importance had been withheld from him, and that relations with Germany had been brought to the verge of war, which lie resigned to avert. Tho President had sacrificed himself in silence to save France. Europe lI1i,undersrood him at the time. But full justice is now done by the public opinion of the world to M. Casimir- Perier's patriotism.

A SHEFFIELD TRAGEDY. ATTEMPTED MURDER. AND SUICIDE. Sheffield was the scene of a terrible tragedy on Monday morning, a coal miner, named John French, thirty. attempt ieg to murder two women, and then committing suicide. French was out of work some time ago, and a grocer in Bailey-street; a somewhat poor thoroughfare in the centre of the city, took compassion on him and found him a home. At this house was a domEstic servant: named Alice Cole. aged nine- teen. and French tried to force his attentions on her. but she refused to have anything to do with him. This enraged French, and on Monday morning he went to her. the grocer, states that he intercepted him. and French shot at him first. He escaped, and then French found Cole, and fold her to prepare to die. She dropped on her knees beside him. and. with hands uplifted, appealed to him not to kill her. While she was in this position he fired four shots, only one of which, however, took effect. It pierced her arm. Mrs. Fitzsimmons was in the house at tho time, and when she ran to protect Cole French turned the revolver on her, and shot her in tho face. The bullet entered the nose and glanced off at the checkl:one. The injury was not seri- ous. French then presented the revolver at him- self. and the bullet passed through his head, death being almost instantaneous. Police inquiries shew that French had evi- dently premeditated the deed. In his pocket was found a pawnticket for a weeding ring. which had been pledged early that morning. With the money so obtained he had gone to the post-office and taken out a gun licence, then bought a re- volver and cartridges at a neighbouring pawn- broker's.

IIUSH JURY AND JUDGE. Opening the assizes at Roscommon on Monday Judge Kenny congratulated the grand jury on the'peaceable Condition of the country, but said he would be able to do so with more confidence were it not for the number of cases of veiled in- timidaiion over the grazing system. An indictment of unlawful assembly against nine small farmers residing ncar ToiihrfiX-jgrast! farm, over which the Jury .t Sligo Assize# disagreed, was heard. This hatt been taken- by a gentleman in opposition wishes of the people, and the charge Irate o.r the stam- peding of forty head-cattle on their way tc Toulagoe (to the owner of which they belonged) bv about a hundred persons$T*">f which the accused were alleged to have formed a portion. Despite police evidence, the jury acquitted the nine men. His Lordship asked the foreman what he thought the crowd at the cross roads was col- lected for at the time the cattle were scattered. The foreman did not reply, and his Lordship directed the Crown soluitor to see that no mem- ber of the jury was placed on a jury in any case coming before him for the future. The accusec were loudly cheered on leaving the court. Jn the centre ot a stack of hay which was being demolished three weeks after it was built, on tiie Eicho estate, a dog was found alive, but greatly emaciated, writes a Gcelong correspondent. Providing that no clergyman in holy orders of the Church of ■ England shall be compelled to ratify a marriage with a deceased wife's, sister, Dr. Napier proposes to move a new clause when the bill now before the Hotkse of Commons is dealt with in Committee.