The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-01-18
Humanity In War.

Aildebrand, Lincoln Johnstone.
Humanity In War.
Ths Arst man, SO far as history can
speak on the subject. to do anything to
mitigate the hardness Of the usages OF
war was Marcus Aurelius, the n0blest
of the Roman emperors. OF this illus
trious man De Quincy writes. MAR
Gus Aurelius first res0lutely main
tanned that certain indestructible rights
belonged to every soldier simply as
man. which rights capture by the
sword or any other accident Of war
could do nothing to shake or dimin-
ish." Modern humanitarianism in war
dates from about the beginning Of the
eighteenth century.
ceronsrs In England.
In early times the coroner In Eng
land was q revenue officer Of the
crown. and his business was to find
out the criminals, extort their confes-
sions and conhscate their goods to the
crown. From records it appeared that
King Alfred had q prediction for
hanging his coroners because they did
what was unjust
At the present time practically the
only ONCE Of coroners Is to hold in
quests On dead bodies and on treasure
trove and to pronounce judgment in
0utlawry.-London Telegraph.
Sumptuary Laws Of Cape Town.
Cape Town once lived under SO Sc
we're q code Of sumptuary laws that
anything like display was restricted
to the governor and his immediate
circle. Thus runs article Of the
Dutch laws against luxury and Osten-
tation: mo one less in rank than q
Junior merchant and those among the
citizens Of equal rank and the wives
and daughters only Of those who are
or have been members Of any council
shall venture to use umbrellas" In
practice this restricted the possession
and use Of umbrellas to about fifty
persons in Cape Town.
A Literary ceineidsnes.
my father. w. Clark RUSSELL" said
Herbert Russell in telling Of q literary
coincidence, had finished maturing
the plot Of his novel The Death Ship
which is q version of the legend Of
yanderdecken. l was his amanuensis
at the time. He said to me, "Tomor-
row we will begin the story On the
following morning when I entered his
study to take his dictation Of the open
ing lines he showed me a letter he had
Just received. 1t was from w. s. Gil
bert the well known dramatist, asking
him why he did not write q novel
about the Flying Dutchman."
Made . Cigar Lighter.
Ma" said u nine-year-old prodigy
whose parents live in Oak lane, III I
change this box Of cigars into q cigar
lighter will you give me a nickelT
And he held up a box of his fathers
cigars.
NO." said his mother. But you
can't do it,
''Win you give me a nickel if dot"
"Er-yes. But you can't do it,
You just look. See. l open the box.
take out cigar, and now it's cigar
lighter. Gimme the Nickel Philadel-
phia Times.
When Water Was Avoided.
Until comparatively recent times
there was a medical prejudice against
drinking water Sir William Vaughan
in -his Natural and Artificial Direc-
lions For Health" declared that water
W1ght seldom to be drunk" Another
doctor admitted that 1t might be
healthful for children. but not for men
-''except some odd, abstemious one
among . thousand perchance, degen-
crate and Of doggish nature, for dogs
Of nature do abhor wine" Indeed. the
Recommendation of water rs q bever-
age was supposed to be the sign Of the
Quack. Even Wesley in his primitive
Physic' wrote Of 1t with caution:
Drink only water II It agrees with
your stomach: IL not. good, clear small
beer"
canjah Smoking.
In Jamaica ganjah. q variety Of In
dian hemp. ID smoked by the natives
with terrible results. 1t is stated that
It was this weed that was used by the
leaders Of the Indian mutiny to drive
The sepoys into the passions Of raging
mania which they exhibited during
that campaign. Ganjah smoking at
6ectS the beginner In q peculiar way.
While under its influence his senses
Of time, sound and distance are Oblit-
seated. A single minute may seem a
neoth. q child's voice sounds like the
rattle Of q machine gun, and q little
finger may seem . mile long. Con
tinued use, Il II said. causes cataleptic
Ats and eventually idiocy or raving
howdc16Al DAdne4a-