Griggs courier., 1893-10-13
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

FOREIGN GOSSIP.
The prefecture of police of France
has established a service of identity in
order to identify released convicts.
Since 1905 there have been one thou
sand five hundred sentences recorded
against men named Louis Lefevre in
that country, by which innumerable
innocent Louis Lefevrcs have been
brought into trouble.
I'm Siam, when there is q question
at law between two parties and q
scarcity of witnesses to establish the
truth in the case, it is customary to re-
sort to the water test. Both parties
are required to dive simultaneously in
to deep water, and the one that stays
the longest under is adjudged the truth
teller and gets the verdict.
Africa to see a male ostrich strutting
about followed by three or four dis
tinct broods, all of different sizes.
When the incubating process is COM
pleted the cock bird leads his young
ones off. and if he meets another proud
papa engages in terrific combat with
him. The vanquished bird retires
without single chick, while the other,
surrounded by the two broods, walks
proudly away.
The Germans have legend that
Frederic Barbarossa is not dead, but in
an enchanted sleep in cavern in the
Harz mountains. His long red beard
is believed to have grown during this
long enchantment until it covers the
table at which he sits and descends to
the floor. He has been there for CEN
turies, and must remain Cor centuries
still, but he will finally be freed, SO the
legends say, and lead his knights to q
glorious victory.
Beef, says writer ON Chinese GUS
toms, is much supplanted in the celes-
tial empire by horse flesh. The poor
eat horses that have done their work
and died, but for the rich special
breed of horses is preserved, whose
function is to be fattened and nothing
else. These horses are tiny of stature,
and possess but little strength. Their
inherited capacity for waxing fat on
the cheapest straw and garbage is a
tribute to natural selection and the
genius of Chinese breeders:
I'm China before letter is mailed
or delivered to the carrier its contents
are displayed, and the keeper of the
letter shop then signs his ''chop," or
sign, SO that it's point of origin may be
determined. Parcels may be trans
mitted in the same manner, the charge
for carrying being q percentage of
their declared value. The shopkeeper
gives a receipt for the letter or pack
age, and he thus becomes responsible
for its safe delivery or its return to the
sender with seal unbroken.
The odd little paper weights, cups,
seals. trays, bowls, boxes, teapots, ami
NAL figures, idols and knickknacks in
soapstone of various eolors which trav-
elers bring from China are made, for
the most part, from the output Of mines
near Wenchow. When the steatite is
taken out it is very soft, but hardens
quickly in the air. AS to the colors
there found the British consul at Wen.
chow enumerates purple, red, mottled
red, black. dark blue, light blue, gray,
white, egg-shell white, jade color bees
wax and ''frozen" color. The white,
jade color and ''frozen" are considered
the finest, and bring high prices There
are two thousand miners and carvers at
these mines.
The dress coat of the 'kellner' is
shortly to disappear from the leading
Swiss hotels; SO that it will no longer
be possible to confound the waiter
with guests. At recent meeting OF
the union of hotelkeepers the question
was solemnly debated whether it was
not practicable to clothe the waiter in
a more rational dress than the hitherto
obligatory swallow-tail. The precedent
for such resolution hes already been
set in Germany. A few months ago
the Deutsche Gastwirths verbund Of
fered prize for the best example of q
convenient dress for the waiter. The
design accepted was tailess jacket
joppe) of dark blue cloth, after the
fashion of the stewards uniform on
board ships. This has met with a wide
approval in the profession. and it is al.
ready adopted by the kellner in many
of the large German towns.