The herald., 1912-04-25
Taxing Death.


To illustrate, a young American was
drowned in the Rio Grande. and his
body drifted down the river, lodging
finally on the Mexican side. When the
relatives came to claim the body they
were received with the utmost cour-
tesy, but were somewhat amazed when
Informed that the remains could not
be sent out of the country except upon
the payment of a tax Of 500, that be,
ing the law in such case made and pro
vided. The moral, if there be any, as
serts the New York Mail, is this: Don't
die in Mexico.
Three Poor Gums.
Don't talk TO me about what is IN a
name"
"Why not7'
81 employed. on the urgent request
Of an interested friend three brothers
named Gum. From one could never
get a report. another was promptly
fired. and the third kicked because
objected to his being loaded."-Balti-
more American.
The bad News" Bell at LIoyd's.
The bell of the British frigate Lu-
tine. which sank off the Dutch coast in
1893 with a cargo of coin and specie
valued at S6,OOO,OOO. is the bad news
bell at Lloyd's. Whenever news is re-
ceived that a ship is overdue or when
definite news comes of the loss of a
ship the bell is rung by the caller"
At its tolling all transactions are sus-
pended until the news it heralds is
read.
Underground Mountains.
A curious result Of operations by the
trigOnometrical survey in India was
the conclusion that there was in the
middle of India an underground or
buried mountain range thousand
miles in length and lying about parallel
with the chain of the Himalayas.
This conclusion was based on the
singularities of the local attraction of
gravitation In central India. the plumb
line being DETECTED southwark on the
north side of the supposed subterra-
mean chain and northward on the sou b
side. leading to the inference that a
great elongated mass Of rock of exces-
sive density underlies the surface of
the earth between the two sets of OBJ
serving stations.
Getting Out Of Il.
Constable. the English painter. at
tended an exhibition of landscapes and
other eminent artist whom he detested.
Like putty" be growled as he scan
ned them over. 1t happened that
friend Of the painters was present and
was so stupid as to repeat Constable's
When, later. Constable. meet
ing the gentleman whom he had con.
demned. congratulated him upon one
Of his works. the latter said. why.
I'm told yop say my pictures are
putty" What Of thatT replied Con-
stable. II like putty"
Hopeful.
at was a terrible sensation" says
the man who is narrating his expert
ences while almost drowning. After
i went down for the third time my
past life flashed before me in a series
of pictures"
"You didn't happen to notice." asks
the friend. edging forward with in
terest. "a picture of me lending you
that $40 in the fall of 1908. did your
Life
lightnine's Affinity For Oak.
Electricity in the clouds, like its com.
panion lower down. loves to seek the
earth. the great reservoir Of all cleo
tricity, and It finds the most available
way to do so, choosing always the best
conductor. conspicuous among which
are the much maligned lightning rods.
the high trees or the elevated steeples.
1t has its choice Of trees as we'll as
other things and will leap over half
an acre of trees to find an oak. for
which 1t appears to have a special at
traction. and 1t will pass a high point
to find building that has metal about
It
Beating Him At His Own Game.
A solicitor looked 10 great astonish-
hent at yokel who had just offered
him threepenny bit in payment for
advice. What is this for?" be asked.
My fee is six and eightpence" The
smiled. That be all right.
zurP' he replied. six and eightpence
make fourteen pence; fourteen pence
be one and twopence. and. sure enough,
one and twopence make threepence
Good day. zur"-London Mail.
Chinese Students Answers.
In answer to the question. what
are the FIVE great races Of mankindT
a Chinese student replied. said Bishop
1.-The 100 yards. the bur
dies, the quarter mile. the mile and the
three miles.
In another paper Chinese student
said that tout of sight. out Of mind"
could be explained in two words. I'm
visible, insane" -London Mail.
The konso River.
The Kongo river IN all its windings
Is about 5000 miles long and at its
mouth Is fully twenty miles wide. II
Is one Of the great rivers of the world.
being second only to the Amazon IL
the volume Of water emptied into the
ocean. The Kongo basin is greater