The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-05-23

Men often purchase new socks from
the regimental stores: simply for the
pleasure of pulling them to pieces
and reknitting them
From socks the natural transition Is
to Berlin wool work. This mostly
takes the form of waist belts and
slippers, and men with a good eye for
the tasteful blending of colors find II
an extremely profitable hobby. their
productions finding ready sale among
comrades.
A man of my acquaintance, who
evolved very pretty design in forget
me-nots. was inundated with orders for
ladies' slippers, the majority of which
found their way home to sweethearts
and sisters. being in many cases repre-
sented as the handiwork of the sender.
Another man was veritable artist in
Berlin wool. and his reproduction of
that famous picture, "The Huguenots. y
besides taking the first prize at the
Poona industrial exhibition. sold for
$50. ~ IVA
Hearth rugs. quilts and table covers
also occupy the time of many men.
being made of pieces of military cloth
OF various colors. The number of
pieces required for and the amount
OF sewing involved in the production
is simply surprising. These mostly
lind their way home as presents to
parents or relatives.
Fly dodgers" are the men who de-
vote themselves to securing the coun-
try In pursuit of the myriad varieties
OF fly and beetle to be found in the
tropics. thereby becoming acquainted
with the beauties of nature and keep
ing themselves in good health. Fly
dodgers also go in for snake, scorp-
ions, centipedes, lizards. ETC.; and,
familiarity breeding contempt, occas-
1onally a life is lost by careless hand
ing of venomous snake. Successful
fly dodgers can always command
money, either by supplying dealers
or setting up and selling their own
cases of flies. ETC.
Parrots and mfEas afford a never
falling source of occupation to those
gifted with sufficient patience to un-
dertake the task of teaching these
birds to speak. A favorits. method with
bird trainers is to lower the cage
down we'll and, seated on the edge
OF the coping, to pour forth for
couple of hours nightly monotonous
repetition of Pretty Polly" etc.
Others seek the seclusion of a dark
room for the same purpose.
Various places lend themselves to
particular hobbies. In the Andaman
Islands mother of pearl is plentiful,
and everybody goes in either for
polishing shells or making rings and
bracelets from them
Gibraltar has its staple hobby in
rock ornaments made from a beau
tifully veined stone which abounds.
is easily worked and takes a high
polish. This is very profitable
hobby as brooches. crosses, paper
weights. Bible and prayer-book
markers and other lnickknacks find
a ready sale among tourists.
In Burma. the land of teak, the car
wing of deliberately decorated photo
frames enables many a man to while
away hours that would otherwise be
dreary. And at Bhamo pleasure may
be combined with profit in fashioning
ornaments of serpentine.
In India soldiers recovering from
serious illness are usually sent to hill
stations to complete their cure, and
can find plenty Of wood to whittle into
walking sticks. For one of these
sticks which the writer has an offer of
G2 los was made. Its actual value
as stick might be about one shill-
ing, but it is covered with most elabor-
ate carvings of birds and flowers, and
represents four months work-Tid-
Bits.