The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-13
FRENCH PUBLIC
 SERVICE POPULAR France Has Taken Lead in
 AerOnautics
  THE GAS WAS SHUT OFF Couple Try to Commit Suicide on Ac- count of Poverty and Are Saved By Poverty-French Noble
 men in Court

Paris, February 12.-tSpeciall-Th pub lie service is as popular in France as 1t | is elsewhere and the government has no | trouble in filling any vacancies which may occur. Proof of this is furnished by the recent occurrence of 49 vacancies in l the office of tax collector
 | When this fact became known d flood of applications began to come in. There are now on file the names of not less than 900 patriotic Frenchmen who are anx- ious to help the government in the col | lection of its revenues.
 | The multitude of applications has com peled the authorities to impose the strict l est possible conditions in the examipa- ton of candidates and there is reasonsto | hope that the 49 men who will get the vacant places may be held up to the world as absolutely ideal tax collectors. Almost from the time the Wright broth CTS made the first heavier than air flying machine France has taken the lead in aeronautics This is not unusual as from the time of Mongolfer flying has had peculiar attraction for Frenchmen.
 
 first aeronautic power Now another fly ing record has been established here.
 Mr. Busson. a noted aeroplanist, the other day followed fox hunt by the Pau pack. He was flying for 45 minutes at q height of from 600 to FOO feet witnessing every incident of the chase.
 A short time ago the fashionable thing in Paris seemed to be to commit suicide; but fortunately the craze has now blown over. A commissary of police recently received a letter from an elderly man. | begging him to come around and convey | the remains of himself and his wife to the mortuary with as little display as pos slble. The elderly man explained that having lost all his money in business and being tired of life he and his wife had decided to go home, and after stopping up all the crevices In the doors and win dows. to turn on the gas and go to sleep forever.
 Immediately on receiving the latter tic commissary sent representative to the address in question. The elderly gentle man and his wife received him, and ad- mitted having written the letter. and they admitted also having resolved on suicide the night before.
 Their plans, however, had been frus- trated in most commonplace manner. As arranged they had plugged up the door and windows and composed them selves for death, and then the husband, on turning the gas tap. was disappointed to find that there was no gas there. The fact was elicited that, the gas bill having been unpaid, the company had cut of tho supply. thereby unwittingy saving two human lives.
 Extraordinary dishes figured as Is the custom of such occasions at the annual banquet of the French Nantional Acclima- tizatlon society. which took place today at the buffet of the Care de Lyon here. Rare animals, hailing from the most re- mote lands. were pressed into the ser vice, together with fruits and vegetables quite as exotic. and the guests are said to have thoroughly enjoyed this curious meal. Indeed. the head cook. who had de- voted a fortnight to preliminary experi- ment. was warmly compimented at the close of the banquet by members of the society on the marvellous success that ho had achieved, and this fully rewarded him for the skill and attention which he had devoted to a by no means easy tas6.
 A new dish in Paris has been quite the rage during the past week. It is "Le Beriot au gratin, pastry in the shape of an aeroplane filled with forced meat.
 The Paris courts have been busy with the trial of a French nobleman the Vi- comte Emmanuel de Gosson de Barin whose history as 1t came out In course of the proceedings Is entertaining. The Vicomte Brosson de Barlln comes of an old stock. which traces It's lineage back .t,. cused of the misappropriation of the funds of brewing establishment to the extent of 5000.
 The origin of the ease reveals how Ifs noble family became very democratic In it's occupations. His father. deprived Of his hereditary estates. had become com mission agent at the Central markets. His business having failed his only resource, it is alleged was to become a conjurer The son sought to embrace the judiical career and obtained the post of notary's clerk after which he qualified a pro- cess server and secured the office of a "huissier.'
 It was as process server that the Bras serie de Ia Mouse called upon him. The brewery had an account of 37,0O0 francs with a bankrupt. The Vicomte dc Cos son promised to collect the debt. The company gladly advanced him all the money that he required. He drew, 1t Is argued, so frequently on the brewery that before they were aware of 1t the ad vances made to him amounted to s55 .0ro. The vcomte had pursued the recovery of the fugitive debt for seven years, and had instituted lawsuits in Belgium and Switz- erland, which served as pretext for drawing on the funds of the company.
 The Brasserie de la Mouse made an in- ouiry on it's own account, and considered that il had grounds for lodging an action against the vcomte in the criminal courts. M. Le More Frenchman, aged 2i. has just accomplished a journey by camel across the Sahara from Agiers to Tim buctoo, in the French Sudan. His object was to mark out the route for {. proposed aeroplane flight across the desert He was away from civilization for 13 months and covered over J000 niles At Ain salah. which was reached after l3 days. the traveller met another Frenchman and