Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

22 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

[No title]

i■ ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

■ ITEMS OF INTEREST. C \v;a; the £ rsfc trsnrtvr of Eric.an. lie v. a co.'ivurt from heathenism to Christianit-v, :uid was pat to death at t! commence- ment of Diocletian's persecution of the Christians. His anniversary is eele lira ted on the 2-m i June. The t"w:t of St. Albans isbclievcti to have been the scene of his martyrdom. THE BAYONKT.—The bayonet v.as first made in Bayonne. in France hence its name and it was lirst used by the French army in 1G71. It was successfully employed by them during the reign of William 111. in an attack on the British :'?:.th Regi- ment of Foot. It afterwards became generally recognised as an indispensable military weapon, and has been used on both sides in nearly aU the preat bet ties in Europe and America in which the British and other troops have been engaged tor the last l."»0 years. Loso :m SHORT DAYS.—At Berlin and London the longest day lias sixteen hours and a half at Stockholm, the longest day hascichteen hours and a half at Hamburg, the longest dny has seventeen hours, and the shortest, seven at St. Petersburg, the longest day has nineteen, and the shortest, fiv- hours at Tornca, in Finland, the longest day hae- twenty one hours and a half, and the shortest two hours and a half at Wanderhus, in Norway, the day lasts from the 21st of May to the 22nd of July. without interruption and at Spitsbergen, the longest day is three months and a half. MOSQIMTOES AT THE NOKTII POLE.—The popular notion that mosquitoes are chiefly resident in tropi- cal and sub-tropical countries is quite a mistake, the home of their mightiest legion- being within and about the Arctic circle. On coasting trips to the North Cape even, vessels are invaded by mad- dening swarms at every stopping place. It in reported that irt Alaska they form clouds so dense that it is impossible for sportsmen to aim at objects beyond. Native dogs are sometimes killed by them, and even the great grizzly bear is said to be occa- sionally blinded by their attacks and finally starved in consequence. CownoY VKuxAcri.Au.—The cowboys have a lan- guage of their own which no "tenderfoot" may attain unto until he has served his novitiate. They call a horse herder a horse wrangler, and ahorse, breakera"bronchobustcr." Their steed is often a cayuse." and to dress well is to rag proper." When a cowboy goes out on the prairie he "hita the flat." Whisky is family disturbance." and to t His hat is a cady," his whipa "quirt," his rubber coat a his leather overalls are chaps or cappcrals and his re- volver is a 4.V Bacon is overland trout" and unbranded cattle are mavericks. AURKD TilE <;R:I.AT.—Alfred the Creat had reached his twelfth year before he had even learned hisaiphnbet. An interesting anecdote is told of the occasion on which he was lirst promoted to apply himself to books. His mother had shown ( him and his brothers a small volume, illuminated in different places with coloured letters, and such other embellishments rs were then in fashion. Seeing tha t it excited t he admiration of her children, she promised that she would give it to the boy who should lirst learn to read it. Alfred, though the youngest, was the only one who had spirit enough to attempt obtaining it on such a condition. He. immediately went and procured a teacher, and irk a very short time was able to claim the promised reward. CRKIO?ITTKS OF DIVORCE.—In Cochin-China, if the partie- choose to separate, they break a pair of chopsticks or copper coin in the presence of a wit- I • :_I. 4-1. UV muii aunun tin; uuiuu ja. uQ husband must restore to his wife any property belonging to her prior to her marriage. Among the American Indians the pieces of stick given to the witnesses of the marriage are burned as a sign of divorce. Usually new connections are formed without the old one being dissolved. A man never divorces his wife if she had borne him sons. The husband, among the Tartars, may put away liiep partner and seek another whenever it pleases Iiim, and his wife may do the same. If she be ill-treated, she complains to thu magistrate, who, attended by some of the princ'pd people, accompany her to the house and pronounce a formal divorce. TIIK DisoovKiiEt ror NATCKAL GAS.—There is one man who is deserving of a place in the history of rlie discovery of natural gas. Dr. Osterleni, of Findlay. knew of the presence of natural gas there lifty years ago. He was passing n stone quarry and detected its presence. He made a little cone of mud over a fissure, and put a bucket over the orifice. In a few minutes he struck a match under the bucket. When t he doctor picked himself u{K in the adjoining cornfield the bucket was still in the air, sailing north in the direction of Toledo. It was through t'r. Osterleni's energy tifty years later that the first natural gas company in the town v-«s organised. He had been laughed at and derided for half a century, and even after the flow had been. struck in ISfl, they say a good many of the people thought Old Nick h-.d a hand in the thing some- where. i LOUD P.YTinvs STur.L-crr.—Tlie skull from which LOcil Byron used to drink M as composed of the bones from the crown of the head only, beauti- fully polished, the lower or death's-head portion having been cut off. The edge was bound round with a broad silver band, and it was upheld in its. reverse position by a handsome silver stand with which the handle was connected, forming, in fact, a very handsome drinking vessel. The famous verses given in the poet's works were cut in the silver, not in the skull, and it held an entire bottle of wine. The great poet generally drank from it. when he entertained company at Newstead Abl-ey. The story runs that it was mounted and prepared by a Nottinghamshire artificer, wdio, when severely reproved for accepting such a commission by a certain reverend neighbour of Byron's said he would be glad to earn as much as he had received for tl.:i,t task by malting such another cup from the worthy divine's own skull, the bafe idea of which so upset the clergyman that he was taken ill, and was for a little time confined to his bed. TJIK CAKKKKS OF Two SISTERS.—At Hinilon, in Wiltshire, there lived a honesetter of the name of Y\ ail in. This Wall in had two daughters "ivho became famous in different ways. One was an actress, WhOSd Polly Peachum fascinated the Hqke of Bolton, who married her. The other bad an unhappy life at home. She quarrelled with her father, tied from the house, and wandered about the country, the common people knowing her as Crazy Sally. In 173d Crazy Sally canie nnd settled at Epsom. She had some training 4n- her father's art, she put her skill and knowledge and strength to use, and got to be very famous. People vvho needed her services flowed from all jmrts of the south to Epsom to consult her and adopt her treatment. Her earnings amounted to twenty guineas a day. The surgeons of London ot alarmed. A very strong man sent, who comnh.ined that a bone of his wrist was out. Crazy Sally saw at once that he was an impostor. She took the wrist and gave it so violent a wrench that she did put the bone out, and then she told her patient to go back to the fools who sent him, and that they would cure him if they could. Some years ifterwardeigw married. Her husband squandered her money, and she died in such poverty that she was baried at the expense o f the parish. .+-

[No title]

"H03I CITY ca!:i:i'SroXDKXTS.|…

[No title]

CUTTINGS FROM THE COMIC TAPERS.

I I Pontypridd Police Court.

ELECTICN OF GUARDIAN FOR EGLWYSILAN…

SINGULAR DROWNING CASE AT…

IMPORTANT INQUEST AF HAFOD.

Advertising

VIOLENT . S3JULT ON A WOMAN…

FATAL ACCIDENT AT BLAES-RHoNDDA.

VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS AT 1.…

THE EIGHT HAD IN THE RIGHT…

PUBLIC PRESENTATION TO THE…

TdE COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION…

[No title]

---.-----! GRAND BECEPTfOK…

YSTRADYFODWG SCHOOL BJARJ.

FOOTBALL.

LOST.