The sun., 1907-12-01
NEW WONDER or GYROSCOPE


Books Of rsminlscences. books Of travel.
novels. memoirs. chBldran's books. and
every other kind OF book, pour from the
press In ever increasing numbers.
A plOasing feature In the lists te the IaSge
proportion of travel records and memoirs.
which bid fair TO stem the almost over
whelming food Of fiction. whereof at
liberal estimate not more than 10 per cent.
has the fainteSt chance Of surviving he
twelvemonth that seos its birth. The
continual. steady demand for books Of
travel is primarily responsible for the
creation Of a new occupation.
War correspondents and special COR
respondents, whose occupation is neoeS-
sarily limited to short periodS. and who
perfOroe have long spells OF idleness, have
discovered the hunger ON the part OF the
reading public for travel records and hll
up the time between their professional
engagements in exploiting more or less
unknown territory. Sick 90 death Of
problem novels and wishywashy tran
scripts of so-caIled society life. readers
accord the heartiest OF welcomes to these
xStsipy accounts Of foreign scenes, which
the adventitious aid OF photography makes
doibly welcome, and which follow on one
another's heels ever more speedily, for the
zest in foreign lands and strange peoples
develops day by day.
And along with II grows the fascination
of other years and ages At this moment
there are probably more biographies and
memoirs published than at any previous
time in the history Of literature.
A consular report issued on the trade OF
Kobe, Japan, states that motor boat build
ing is fast becoming an important industry
in Japan. The majority OF motors used by
river craft are now of Japanese manufact-
ure, and they compare favorably with those
Of other countries.
A boat OF ten horsepower costs Sas2.
against ssl6 for the American article. A
British made motor costs in Japan 81 200.
For many years past the Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty TO Animals has been
a thorn in the side OF the London Geological
Society. Particular objection has long been
raised 20 the practice of feeding the serpents
with live animals.
Lately r. j. Pescock has been testing the
question as 70 whether serpents could be
fed on freshly killed animals. To the huge
python were offered freshly killed goat,
Ave pigeons and two rabbits, all dead, and
il demolished the lot at a single meal.
The poisonous snakes, such a. the Indian
cobra and the rattlesnakes, were found
equally ready to eat birds and other crea-
lures offered under the new conditions.
The hoofbeats Of driven cattle and horses
are now heard nightly and often during the
day throughout Ireland. Ranch after
ranch is cleared and the police find it prac-
tically impossible to deal with the stock
raiders.
In the early days the animals were driven
away with the least amount OF violence,
and az a rule were brought to their owners
houses. Now, however, harsh treatment
of the stock 10 not uncommon, and the
beasts are driven 70 wander around the
countrywide.
Many farms have been surrendered. and
almost daily reports are received showing
that the obnoxious tenants OF grazing
ranches are anxious to surrender them 20
the people. Every cleared ranch not 20
surrendered 10 rigidly boycotted. Har-
vesters have had to be brought from dis
tances 70 save the hay on them. but nobody
will buy the produce.
There have been several shooting cases
recently, particularly in the County Gal
way, the worst county in Ireland. where on
Sunday a determined attempt was made
To shoot White Blake. a local magistrate
The shots were fired at noon from wood.
and Mr.. Blake and his wife were wounded,
but not seriously. A band OF police en-
tered and searched the wood. but could not
find the assailants.
Il is expected that the physical force
section OF the patriots will make things
lively during the coming winter months.
but beyond isolated cases of shooting az
obnoxious persons they have not shown
in the open up to the present. The con-
stabulary pretend to disregard the so-cailed
secret societies. and a police Official whose
duty is 70 keep his finger on the pulse Of the
political movements states that there is
really no secrecy about the organizations.
since nothing occurs at their meetings
that is not promptly communicated to the
police by members who receive pay from
the Castle.
Within twenty four hours of the swearing
in of a recruit his name is on the police
books, and everything said or done at the
meetings il fully recorded through the
agency Of spies. There is also constant
stream Of information from the States
warning the British authorities Of what
goes on among the societies that are In
1 sympathy with the Irish movement. and or
the whole the Irish police authorities pre-
tend 20 be in full possession Of the mos
vital information and in a position to dea
with any emergency that may arise th'
moment it is set on foot.
l A brave attempt TO solve the vexed
domestic servant problem is being made by
an association OF Berlin hausfrauen. who
like their sisters in most large cities. suffel
from the unsatisfactory conditions undeu