The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-11
SOLDIERS FOND OF KNITTING.
Other Ways III Which Men in Foreign Ser.
vice Amuse Themselves.

Soldiers abroad ESPECIALLY in India,
cut of from all the sources of enjoyment
o~btainable at home, are forced to devise
means of Passing their hours of idleness.
The elementary stage In hobbies is knitting
socks, hardly the work In which one would
expect soldiers to engage, but a hobby
which is extremely popular. That this Is
80 the following will show:
In a recent issue Of a service paper a
man Of the Cheshire Regiment, says
London Ti-Bis, threw out a challenge to
knit any man in southern India for the
championship and a stake of 300 rupees
(f2o). Men often purchase new socks
from the regimental stores, simply for the
pleasure of pulling them to pieces and re-
knitting them.
From socks the natural transition is to
Berlin wool work. This mostly takes the
foI m of Waist belts and slippers, and men
with n good eye for the tasteful blending
of coloIs find it al extremely profitable
hobby. their productions finding a ready
sale among comrades.
A man oil my ACQUAINTANCE, who evolved
a very pretty design in forget-me nots.
was inundated with orders for ladies'
sir reIs, the ma oIitv Of which found
their wav home to sweethearts and sisters,
beirg in many cases represented as the
handiwork of the sender.
Another man was a veritable artist in
Berlin wool, and his reproduction Of that
famous ii ture, The Huguenots. best les
tai ing tie first prize at the Poona In
dustrial L1kit ition, sold for $50;
learth rugs, CULTS 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 Of a quilt or table cover
r. a l.. do. NlDn lie p,,Nl1
These mostly find their way home as pres
ents to arents or relatives.
Fly Dodgers" are the men who devote
themselves to soourir G the country in pur-
suit of the myriad varieties of fly and beetle
to be found in the tropics. thereby becom-
ing acquainted with the beauties OF nature
and keepirg themselves in good health.
FLY dodgers also 60 in for snakes scorpions,
centireaes, ~lizarus, DC; and, familiarity
breeding contempt, occasionally a life is
lost by careless handlir 6 of a venomous
snake. Successful fly do gers can always
dealers or settirg up and selling their own
cases Of flies, DC.
Parrots and minas afford a never failing
source of occupation to those gifted with
sufficient PATIENCE to undertake the task
Of tea CHR g these birds to sreak. A favor
tie method with birdtrainers is to lower the
cage down q well, and, seated on the edge
Of the copirg, to pour forth for a couple
of hours mig .tly a mo%notonous reretition
Of pretty Polly" &c. Others seek the Sc
~clusion Of a dark room for the same pur-
pose.
Various places lend themselves to rar-
ticular hobbies, In the Andarran Islands
mot her Of pearl is plentiful, andeverybody
goes in either for polishirg shells or maxim
rings and bra celets from them.
Gibraltar has its staple hobby in rock
ornaments made from a beautifully veined
stone which abounds, is easily worked.
and taxes a higl polish. This Is a very
profitable hobby. as brooches, crosses.
raDer weights, Bible and prayer-book mark
ers, and other kniokknaoks find a ready
sale among tourists.
In Burma, the land OF teak the carving Of
! deliberately decorated photo frames enables
many a man to while away hours that would
! otherwise be dreary. And at Bhano pleas
ure may be combined with Troft in fash
ioni'g ornaments Of serpentine.
In India soldiers recovt ring from serious
illness are usually sent to hill stations to
| complete their cure, and can find plenty OF
wood to white into walking sticks. For
| one of these sticks which the writer has
an offer Of CO los. was made. Its actual
value as a stick might be about one shilling,
but it is covered with most elaborate cary
irgs of birds and flowers, and represents
four months work.