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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1919-9-11, Page 2TINY ISLAND KINGDOMS Scattered abort the shores of the little retreat, covered with meadow British Islee are a number of Islands, land and charming old elm trees. -an largo and small, w'itose proprietorsideal place for bathing and sea fishing. are lsonatc:he of 1l1 they survey, In I Title island hue a hletery that dates many r speet;> they po>iseee greater from the time of Edward the Conroe. power over their "subjects" than is sor, from which time it has always Peeens;o 1I by King Ueurge himself, had a "king" and a small population, Although owing Mogi: :e to the The present "king" is the son of a British Cro,vn, yet tarliament bus no brewer who refused to continue be bowel' to tax Flute of these Wand es- thn.t business. In doing this he sacri- totes, nor can anyone land 00 their sherce without Liu' permissi.31 of the owner. Sony, of 1heee islands; ere but a few neves in extent, while one of then is the largest hand around ''he British heed more than a million dollars, so it is said, and has converted the island into a retreat for drunkards. His ef- forts have met with considerable suc- cess, for the isolation and the bracing sea air have worked wonders. coast, next. after Ireland. end boast; There are a number of theme diminu- of quite a large populatioe, rive water surrounded monarchies off The special priv!lcgee mentioned the coast of Scotland. Ono of then have been granted in tines past by is the Isle of Bute in the Firth of some eoeereigu to a favorite to whorl Clyde, which is owned by the Marquis he wished to give a merit of special of Bute. This kingdom eoatahns al - favor. Like titles of nubility, these moat fifty square miles and has a population of 11,000 people. There are as many as six little lakes in that monarchy, the largest of which, Loch Fad, is a quarter of a mile wile and bout nine times that to length. The land, which lies in the British Chan- famous old home of the Marquis. nen. Now Lundy is one of the best known of the tiny istulid monarchies. It 1s a delightful little jewel that was once the haunE >1f pirate, and smug- gler's, It was at one time centered by the French pirates and at another time fell into the hands of Turkish priva- teers. N., one can dwell or even visit this bit of the earth's surface without the consent of the owner. It is ex- empt from taxation. Lundy is probably not paradise, but it is actually the property of the Heaven family, and a clergyman by that name is the present owner. He rules over a kingdom of 1,200 acres and fewer than a hundred souls, special privileges were Made in per- petnt.y and still cling to the terri- tories. Those 'or us who have read "West- ward Hol" will remember Lundy Is- a The Smallest of the Kingdoms. Down noar I.and'e End a great rock rises out of the bay which is known as St. Michael's Mount. It is an is- land tied it is not, for at low tide a rough stone causeway connects it wit]' the mainland. It ie little more than a mile in. circumference and is probably tate tiniest of the island king - dome. Perched upon the summit of the reek, which is about one feet high, is the famous old castle in which the "icing." Lord St, Le,'an, resides. Clus- tered at the base, facing the land, is a tin;:- village composed of a score of houses where dwell the "subjects." Just south of the Isle of Man Is a little island called the "Calf of Maul" 'Phe original owner received from Queen Elizabeth a grant of this island, which was declared to be forever free from taxation. NO one can live there, or even on its shores, without the con- • sent or the owner. It is in every sense al the word- private. The late owner ' was so engrossed in his books and lived $o retired a life that years would sometimes (:nape() between his visits to the neighboring Isle of Man. Only a smell part of the lance is cultivated, and the whole ie overrun with rabbits and rats, both of which are tailless. This 113110 island kingdom was sold not long ago for $100.000, On the eastern cou1.t of England Is a tiny island called Osea. It is about a mile and >t half long and three-quar- ters of ar mil' wide. It is a delightful Rothesay Castle, dates from the year e098, Arran Is another of these sea girt kingdoms in the same firth. Has a Romantic History. The ruler of tine little principality is the Marchioness of Graham, and a wise ruler she has proven to her 5,000 subjects. Although only nineteen miles long and ten broad. Arran has had a romantic h!stoly. Robert the Bruce is said to have hidden himself there for some time in a cave end to have prepared one of his expeditions to recover the crown on the island. The ruins of a castle are shown which was one of the residences of Scot- land's kings. Another little kingdom is the island of Rhunl, whose potentate is Sir John Bullough. Nearly all the island is deep forest and moorland, and it is all mountainous. Only 300 acres are tillable, The subjects of Sir John number fewer than elghtseore. The whole island is one vast game pre- serve, where deer and other game roam to provide sport for the nobility. The largest of these island king- doms is doubtless Lewis Island, one of the Outer Hebrides group, off the west coast of Scotland, It covers an area of nearly 700 square miles and has 37,000 people. It has several lochs where splendid fishing is to be had. Over the moors and forest land the red deer still roam. This island has had a stirring his- tory,_for the people have always been fighters. Many times have royal troops been defeated by the islanders. Many members of the royal family of England have been entertained at Stornoway Castle, the residence of the owner. The present "ruler" is a Major Matheson, and he desires to sell his kingdom. At present the people are peaceable enough and are principally engaged in fishing. The girls go all over Scotland to assist In packing the famous herring of that country. Next to fishing cloth weaving engages the attention of the islanders, who are a hardy and thrifty people, the majority of whom speak only Gaelic. The Sense of Smell, It. is said that the tenon part of a melba of music will routine for years to fill a rem with its odoriferous par- ticles, and that at the end of that time It will not bo appreciably dimin- ished in weight. A cubic inch of air arising from the ;tante of a Bunsen Nutter has been estimated to mutate no fewer than 400,000,000 duet particles. A drop or blood that night be sus- pended from the point of a needle col - tains about 1,000,000 red corpuscles. Yet, although hatter is so marvel- lously divisible, the olfactory nerves dare infinitely more sensitive. Much yet remains to be investigated with roferenee to these eerves which will discriminate with such apparently mitaenlous accuracy. To Clean Leather Goods.. Do not use gasoline in cleaning leather upholstery. Plain water with a little ammonia will remove the dirt and a brisk rubbing with a clean woolen or flannel cloth will do the rest. For still more careful treatment use a regular dressing. A Country Scene. New, down weodhuul v.uys a harry Marks the ,invent of the day, As ueress the invent; scurry ('lands with trailing skirts of gray; And, there is a note of worry In the robin's morning lay! See! the squirrel's cheek is pouted With the ruddy, ripened grain, And the idea so long scouted, Now is obviously plain; For a night or so 'twas hinted Mr. Frost had made a call; Now his signature Is printed, To be read by one and all: On the leaves of maples turning To a deep, delclous red; • On the sturdy sumachs burning, And the ivy overhetul, From the thicket comes the whistle Of the bonny little quail; And along the air the thistle, Lightly now begins to sail. To the cider mill the golden - Fruited store the wagons draw; And there is the rapture olden, Sucking rider through a straw! Many other baskets heaping With the -orchard's ruddy store, Bear the prize for winter keeping Safe behind the cellar door. Oldest Canal In the World. The oldest canal in the world, dat- ing back nearly 2,500 years, and also the longest canal, measuring nearly 1,000 miles, is that extending from Hanchow, south of Shanghai, China, to Pekin. Most of this canal has been filled with mud by overflows of the Yellow River, but the southern por- tion of it still constitutes a very busy wuteru•ay. The canal Is now to be re- built and improved. The project is too vast to be done at a single opera- tion, and the funds are not at hand. At present about $6,000,000 is avail- able, and this sum will be used for the improvement of a section about a hundred miles in length, leaving to n later date, when funds can be ac- cumulated tits. reconstruction of other sections. Cornfields are appearing rather Like the Red Men came to raise Wigwams, as the farmers gather Tented shocks of golden maize! As the sunlight tints the tassels Of the sheaves they homeward bring, To no rulers aro they vassals, But each, reaper is a king! Round the stackyard pigeons cooing, Tell of all the garnered store; When the wintry storm is brewing, Winds in vain assail the door. For we know the storm's appearing Can be reckoned close at hand, By the lines of wild geese steering 1j, -shaped to a warmer land. Few bright days there are to follow Autumn's advent we may learn By the southward -speeding swallow From the rule of winter stern! And there is note of worry In the robin's morning lay, As across the heavens scurry Clouds with trailing skirts of gray, While down woodland ways a hurry Marks the advent of the day! A Psalm Among Flowers. I love the best the flowers that blos- som wild, The gentle spirits of the solemn woods, The solaces of meadow solitudes, That spring to mark where summer • morns have smiled; That wear those sweet, old-fashioned looks that grace Their Mother Nature's calm, un- studied face; River of Ink. Algeria has a river 1111>3 literally is filled with ink. being formed by the union of stream], one of witch Is inn• preguated with gallic acid, and the other with iron. Buy Thrift Stamps for children. The Parable of the Raindrop 0a a warm summer afternoon four drops of water lay in the bay. Re. spending to the blazing rays of the sun, these drops of Inter evaporated and aecenllet1heavenward, where they ,helped to form a cloud, and then, directed by the Invisible hand, this cloud coursed northward. Ono drop of water fell in a ,garden and helped furnish m1111. with 'food. Another drop of water fell in a field of cotton and helped to give man clothing. Tho third drop fel] in a forest and helped nonrieh a tree, and. so Wiped to pro- vide man with shelter. I3te the fourth drop of rain was net destined to fur- nish man with food, clothing and shed, ter, but to give him heat, light and Weer. So ou and on it went, further north• ward until it dropped in the form of snow on n barren mountain peals. Thera it waited malty months until the vaiell had gone half 1011)' around then eaten earn; and ante warm illy 1n the 5(311'14 Wee le: oue:4e the twee sage that its long stay in the moun- tains was at an end. Throwing off its. winter clothing it again assumed the form of a raindrop and crept down the edge of tho vast lee floe. Then it joined some brothers in a tiny rivulet, then tumbled into a mountain brook and soon, in u raging torrent, it sped ilow11 10' the lake. Thorn its progress was checked by a dant, but not for long. For sr>on, racing down tate pelt- stocic, it clashed itself against the steel blades of the turbine in the power house. i>t that brief instant it fulfilled its destiny, for it helped to create light, haat and power, For ages and ages this great cycle has been goilg on water, mist, clouds, rain, snow, 1111, water again; up and down fl'in11 nret.ic to tropic muds and Iraqi again co,nttleee billions of miles. Our eorc>f10110rs for thousaand:4 of year.: eiood beside the great urate tai t t w ee:.1, enable to nee Ca: prico- 114::4 rnr; : v:hielt w5.: nepsl]n 1t; o1C 01 0,1'1' 7, 1 re;,1. for, titr` 3433., 1111.;5- , .. , ••tt ,'.ty : That bear the culture of the lingering dew, And rise so simply thoughtless of their worth They clothe with modesty the glad- dened earth, Chastening the very dust they blos- som through; Content with all the fair, bright world, and gay With every wind that loiters in their way. I love to steal away from formal care, Froin all the pomp and glare of studied art, And take these artless darlings to my heart; Frail as the dew! and yet, they help me bear The burdens that the cold world can- not know, Or, knowing, cannot make the lighter so. CROSBY'S KID irnkTwns.rt 9UMPEPE• e. UTILIZING WATER POWER. Conserving Water and Regulating Flow Is Important Problem For Canada. A water conservation worlc of vast importance is that at present under construction at Big Eddy, on. the Span- ish River, Algoma Dletrlct, Ont., for the International Nickel Co. The Con- servation dam will raise the level of the river 100 feet, and will create a lake with an area of 15 square miles. Combined with the storage In the up- per.tbird of the Spanish River water- shed, it will increase the eminimum flow to over 1,800 cubic feet perr second, or almost three times the na- tural low-water flow, viz., 675 cubic feet per second. It will also create a power site where 15,000 h.p. can be continuously developed. ,The engineer who designed this work, Mr. Henry Holgate, of Mont- real, in reporting on the matter to the Commission of Conservation, states that: "When this work is complete, the waters of the Spanish river above the township of Hyman will be conserved to their full extent, and this will bo one of the most complete systems of water conservation in Canada. "Conserving water, and regulating flow on our streams, is one of the most important subjects we have be- fore us, and merits the co-operation and assistance of the Government, as it should be a cardinal principle in power development that the full ef- ficiency of the water in the watershed be made use of, and this cannot be done unless carefully considered sys- tems of storage are provided, so as to equalize the flow as nearly as pos- sible throughout all seasons of the year. SUDANS SWORD FOR KING. Son of the Madh! at Impressive Cere- mony in London. A gold sword, a legendary weapon supposed to have been sent down from Heaven and surrendered only as a token; of submission, was pre- sented to the King at Buckingham Palace recently by Sayed Abdel Rah- man el Maahi, the son of the late Mandi (whose troops killed Gordon) on behalf of a special Sudanese mis- sion. In presenting the sword he said: "The sword of victory, which was be- queathed to my father, I give as a sure token of my fealty and submis- sion to your exalted throne." Accepting the sword and then re- turning Vit, the King replied: "As a proof of your fealty to me, I take the sward and hand it to you and your heirs to hold on my behalf in tlee de- fence ,of my throne and Empire, and as a proof of my acceptance of the loyal submission of you and your fol- lowers," Sir Snyecl Ali el Mirghani, a des- °anclant of the Prophet, who headed the mission, in a loyal address re- marked that in the clays of the past wars only decided the fate of belli- gerent nations, but this war was to decide the future of all weals nations, among which was the Sudan, The King, replying, said; "The part played by the Sudan during the war ander the anile direction of Sir Reginald Wingate and Sir Lee Stack bee been very noteworthy, In no quarter except Darlur, which has not been directly administered by the Sudan Government, was there any disturbance, and the behavior of the whole population was one of com- plete loyalty." The sweet, unspoken language of a flower Hath often been for me a kindly prayer, And rung low curlews for the long -day's care, When doubt might else have knelled the evening hour; And ott at nightfall, on the silent plain, The flowers have brought 1110 hope and rest again. 011, 1inlees children of the solitndes— Heaven Iles among you in reflected calms! No art can magnify y01tr perfect charms! You Minister to all imploring moods, All, sure the voice of God is sweetest heard Wile's speech of plan haul never add- ed word! Salt From the Sea. Expel burets in Norwuy with a view to extracting salt from ocean water by means of electricity have been suc- cessful and two salt factories will be started for this purpose in tie near future, by the name of the De Norske Saltvertker, One is to be in western and the ether in northern Norway, as these districts, on account 01 the fisheries, are the best home markets, Each factory is calculated to produce 50,000 t0118 of salt a year for a start, but they will bo so built that the pro- dre:tion can be brought up to double the quantity, if necessary, Besides the salt different by-products will be made. The capital for tho two fee - tortes is calculated at 20,000,000 crowds ($0,360,000), Eacil of them will rake about 6,500 horse -power for the normal production, During -the war it has been difiicult to gel. salt From abroad and sometimes it bre been itnpoesible to salt down the fleet, The new snit wol'ks shouid greatly improve the a'Ltnu(iou, The Red Cross Drive "Cielly, are you cleaning house or colloeting for a rummage sale?" "A little of both, 1f you please, ma'am," Cicily Rolf retorted. "I'm Red -Cross driving. Have you forgot' ten it's Red -Cross week? Really, I hadn't realized how many things I had, tucked away that I wasn't using at all, It made me positively ashamed. But didn't 'I matte a good job of that swelter?" "You don't mean that you washed It!" "Certainly I washed it. I'd be ashamed to send a dirty sweater ovor under the flag," "You're queer, Cicily Rolf! As if they wouldn't be glad to get anything over there! How long do you think a white sweater will stay clean?" "I h tven't,anything to do with that part," Cicily replied. She always had thought Ethel's patriotism a shoddy thing. "All I'll concerned with is my end of it—my own self-respect and patriotism." Ethel shrugged lightly, "I call that being altogether too particular," she declared. Ethel soon took her departure, and Cicily was glad to see her go. She went on with her careful mending and packing, but Ethel tinged her thoughts. "She's the kind that would bundle up two or three shabby evening gowns and think she had given something," she said to herself. "How can people do it- How can they miss the joy of giving?" Clcily's bundle was ready then. She put the last stout wrupu>1(tg about it and started out. On the way aIle stopped at (Roush Joslyn's, • • "Red-Croesing?" Coes 111 Joslyn lisle - de. Cicily nodded, " And everything mended! she declared fiercely, with the taste of JIthel's (113.11 still bitter up- on her tongue. - "rut so>'' of it;' Conain Joslyn re- plied. "1 want to show you something; you will love it." She lett the room for a moment and returned with a lox of Ilt(00 flannel skirts, exquisitely made. "Isn't that a gift. Three dozen of them --all real woolen (oriel, "I should tl>ink It was!" 010113• agreed. "It's a gift somebody loved to make, too. Look at that featherstitch- ing! Who was it, Cousin Lyn? Can you tell?" Cousin Lyn ran her fingers lovingly, over the little skirts, "It was ;ally March," she said. "Sally March!" "Yes. She went without a new suit. She said that she couldn't bear to have a now one when thousands of litho children were suffering for clothes. 'You know what Sally's poor little suit is. But If you could have seen the look in her oyes! I've been wondering ever since how the rest of us could be content to miss the joy of real giving." Cousin Joslyn was not looking at 010117's new suit or thinking of it, bet the face under Cicily's new hat begun to burn. THE WEDDING OF THE FLEETS. America to Britain, Britain, yours is the birthright Of fog and gale and seal Never the flowing tide outruns The reach of your destiny. Yet from your ocean mother Likewise came my stock! Drake and Raleigh within me Led me to Plymouth Rock! What if my planet rises Here iu the West, apart? Mine is your Celtic vision, Mine is your Saxon heart!. Came the hour of your peril! God, how you -leapt and defied Hate that poisoned the roadways, Death that hid in the tide! Strained my ships at their moorings! Rose my admiral's cry: "Send us to fight by our brothers! Send—or our souls will die!" What Is Musk? How many of tate fair sex can ans- wer this question? Where does the delightful music perfume conte from, and of what is it matte? Practically is of the world's supply the whole exported from a town in Cilina called Taclilenlu, the gateway of Tibet. '1'itis musk is secreted h1 the pouch of the made deer in this region (luring certain seasons of the year. Those small ant - mals, about twenty-two inches high and three feet long, aro almost exter- minated in order to obtait this pone - (luting odor, and about 3,000 pounds was 010 tntal.obtained in one year, Musk, If exposed to the air, evapor' aces vary quickly, but a c;nhall"gnauti- ty will mite a1 large amount of per. fume, Farb:nate ie the Marl who acquires hit: ic1.x;:e.x , fram the experience of clitions deseribod by General Seeley the cth 5.v .:e 3f, as vital, namely, wide woos with al. Then were our squadrons wedded! There in the spume and mist Crushing the cmmon danger! Pledging the deathless tryst! This is our law, 0 Britain— What we have joined shall bo Bleat on the face of the waters Till God shall dry the sea! Whither our mandates lead us, Whither our keels may run, British and Yankee sailors - A world apart—are one! Slang In Ancient Egypt, An ancient use of a modern slang idiom was mentioned the other day by T. E. Peet, the lecturer on Egyptology at Manchester University. Ile said that the Egyptians always used the verb "to do" in referring to a visit to a country, just as a tourist to -day speaks of "doing" Paris or London. After this it will not surprise us to learn that Hannibal considered his ex- peditious as nothing more than "stunts," or that the Roman populace was rather annoyed when Julius Cae- sar was "done in." French and the Boy Soldier. The following story illustrates in the best possible manner the solici- tude for his men which is character- istic of Lord French, During a sur- prise visit behind the firing line he heated from below by stoves. 1'ago came upon a boy Territorial who was tables are spread on the door to n in the act 3.P writing a totter. depth of four to six Melee. and warm Lord Fr:suh was surprised to see that ho wits sobbing bitterly ns ho air 5318005 through them, taking away wrote, and questioned him as to the cause of his grief. The lad, taken unawares, made at- tempt to overcome his emotion, and stammered out some sort of excuses; but the Field -Marshal was not to be put off, and, speaking kindly, insisted upon knowing what was the natter. How Beavers Fell Trees. A naturalist, who has given par- ticular study to the ways of beaversp asserts that those creatures have an ingenious method of cutting the trunk of a tree that they wish to fell. Instead of attempting to gnaw it straight through they mance two cute, one above he other, and they pry out Pieces between tib cuts. The result of their operations is a V-shaped notch resembling that remade by a woodsman with an axe. l TAKING THE WATER OUT OF FOODSTUFFS We drink only about Milt of the water we 00(1snl11e. Tite other half le contained lo, the food we eat. Our foods are meetly water. Os- pealally vegelabies and Unita, Rolle 01 W11 1011, 111te the tomato (which is either a fruit or a vegetable as you happen r to look at it),` have only a s111a11 percentage of s0111a. Experts ore trying to develop dry - big processes that will greatly reduce the weight and hulk of food malaria's, incidentally rendering them tlecay- proof, and making it pns:eible to snore them for indefinite periods, Already ohne 're being dried in enormous quantities, Likewise eggs, for bakers' use. Grapes and other fruits are being "dchydret.ed" on a vast scale by exposure to the sun, The exports expect venal success with meats and fish, when the kayo milked the problem ort. That old standby, the dried codfish, illustrates the possibilities, With vegetables they have been wholly successful. Of course, some kinds are already on the market in dehydrated farm; but up to now pro cesses have been more: or less defer tivo, and the products quite cuauuunly are not u1) to standard, 'One method employs tunnels, it which the chopped, sliced, m' other wise prepared material is plae2ti 0r, screens or racks, and through which strong currents of dry, warm air are forced by stean>-driven taus. .The racks 1115.), be on trucks, run along tracks, so as to be introduced at one end of the tunnel and delivered with their dried contents at the other, Another method utilizes lc!llts, suei: as are used for drying hops anti al/ Pies, These are square ehntuhers with sloping roofs and perforntod floors, the moisture, whirl le concluctecl out thorough a ventilator in the roof, From time to time the material is stirred or turned over with a shovel. A third re -nettled operates on the 'Menton principle, The material is Mend on shelves in rlosee chambers to which warm air is supplied. But Thereupon the lad produced a letter the air is at considerably below the from a younger brother in England normal atmospheric pressure, so that telling of the death of their mother, the moisture is sucked out at the vegetables, or whatever the material may be. An objection to this process is that it is liable to break dawn cel- lular structure. Int the kilns, on the other hand, there may be lack of uniformity of Product; and in the tunnels there is a danger of overheating and scorch- ing. The experts have succeeded in working out the problem thornukhly, and before long publication will be made of the results they have obtain- ed, describing in detail processes that will befound thoroughly safe and sat- isfactory. These processes, employing relative- kins, F.S.S., F.12.5,9„ has been the out- by low temperatures, subject the food - standing authority on Canadim1 events products to a very gradual loss of and progress. He is the compiler of water, but with no loss of color or flavor, and without alteration of cell - structure. The materials, on being soaked in preparation for use, swell to normal size and, when cooked, are indistinguishable from fresh articles. following elle receipt of an unofficial report that her son had been ]tilled at the front. The family, it appeared, were in humble circumstances. Lord French sent the Territorial home on three weeks' leave. IIe gave him, moreover, a substantial sum to help to pay the funeral expenses, and he dismissed him with the words, "Bless you, my boy. Your mother, at any rate, died with the satisfaction of knowing that her son did his duty." Canada's Official War Story. For seventeen years J. Castell Hop - the Canadian Annual Review. Pre- mier Borden says "no Canadian writer could be better fitted to record the wonderful war achievements of Can- adians at home and abroad." He is the author of "Canada at War," the official Canadian record which has bad a tremendous sale in the Dominion. Included in the book is a sketch- of Capt. the Rev. John Reuison; the lat. ter was chaplain of the 4th Infantry Brigade, and has recently returned to his church In Iiamilton. He marched with the boys from Amiens, through Arras to Cambrai, Valenciennes and Mons toward the Rhine. Inspired by intimate contactlwith the victorious Canadians, he has written the Epic of 100 glorious days. Its title is "A Story 01 Five Cities"—with a sixth chapter, "The Invisible City." Thoke who have been looking for- ward to reading 111 comprehensive form the full story of the thrilling part played by Canada in the war will wet- come the publication oe this record of Heroism and accomplishment, Britain is the corner -stone on which our civilization Must rest,—Gen. Botha. The Airplane as a C ommercial Carrier Unquestionably we, who have passed through the stone, bronze, iron and steel ages and are now passlug through 1110 age of steam and gasoline are entering upon a new age—the age of air," said an official olt the Aero Club of America, Tho Canadian Pacific Railway has applied to the Canadian Government for a charter permitting it to operate an air service. Regarding this now ventue, Grant Hall, vivo -president of tho road, says: At present aerial transport: Is a dis- tinctly expensive matter, but the pro- gress being made both in airplanes and dirigibles is so rapid that it is quite In order for a company 00011 as the Canadian Pacific to be ready to enter the field so soon as air trans• portatton cones within the range of practical policies, Although there aro areas in Canada which will for a long time present dif- ficulties, there aro other aroas which conform to the roquiroments of the exports, Take, for instance, the western p113111es, which offoi the eon. most complete absence of mist and fog, It is there whore air traveling might be profitable. Three are, however, many costly features about an air service which w111 militate against any hope of vary low rates, particularly the necessity of suitable landing spaces at frequent Intervals in case of engine trouble, So that anyone who is under the im- pression that air transportation in the near future will reduce either rail or steamship rates is likely to be disap- pointed. In a word, the future of com- mercial air transportation is hound up in the question of cost. At present the fastest transeontl' Dental train in the world the new "trans -Canada" express of the Cana- dian Pacific, goes front Montreal to Van0onvol', a distance of 2,885 miles, in ninety-three hours thirty minutes, A special courier airplane the otilor day averaged 189 nines ail hour be- tween London and Paris. Taking aeon tied( this speed for an average flight an airplane could ounce tie dieteneo between Montreal and Vancouver in about thirty hours, The pnssibllflic.l for caasi-to-coaast travel are 111>p.lrent to every business man. Uses For a Cow's Horn. A cow's horn is susceptible of be- ing transformed into many objects of beauty when properly manipulated, First, the core is taken out of it and sent to the glue fa.ctoly, after which the horn is sawed into pieces. Ti>oso are boiled in oll, which makes tate nue terial so soft that it can be rolled out into a sheet, like putty, The sheet thus prepared is stamped, colored, and put through a variety of processes until it comes out in the shape of a most exquisite comb or other object in elaborately carved "tortoisoshelV' Cups and otilor vessels, so thin as to be translucent, and most elegant and ornamental, are made from cows' horns. Likewiso cane and umbrella heads, and handles for knives, forks enol spoons, Where Pigeons Flock, The pigeons of London are one of the sights to which the attention of visitors is always drawn, St. Paul's churchyard is a great place of gath• ering, and here the birds mock down for the more lavish midday meal spread out for their benefit, now that rations are less vigorously controlled. They feed but of the Bands of their benefactors, perch on their shoulders, and flap and glitter in tho sunshine as they fly up and clown, Pigeons seem to belong to certain places, Admiralty Arch is another favorite i'e. sort, but all over the city the birds have small colonies, and crowds of faithful friends. In Venice and in Florence the pigeons are as much (r part of the picture as the greatest buildings, a finishing touch„d's it were, With which nobody can dispense. • �ao Spiders Walk Straights Spiders have se many legs that it aloes not seen to matter which way they walk, but Meet of them really 0 at 1'f d Walk, straight lrt whoa in i direc- tion ahead (3.e d tion of their 000. it It is necessary they will tante a quick solo step, and 001110 of them can jump, but they can get over the ground pretty fast just by walking straight ahead, and that is what most of them do. Are you i1 W. 9, 9, "avt11