Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-14
North American Surgeons Are to
Convene Abroad for First I 'ime
Clinical Congress of Western World Doctors Will Meet Lon
don in Week of July 27--King George Offers Capt
SCOTS Widow a Home-Other Foreign News.

and in the case of Americans, such
proofs are almost impossible. Even
the cleareSt claims are usually barred
by the statute of limitations. About
the time of this report the .inquir-
les became so heavy that they over
loaded the correspondence of the EN-
bassy, and a printed form of reply
was adopted and this is in use to-
day.
Last year when one of these swim
dlers persuaded a number of alleged
descendants in America that the es4
tate of their ancestor Sir Francis
Drake was ready for distribution by
the Court of Chancery, the swindle
was widely exposed by the Ameri-
can newspapers, with the result that
the inquiries practically ceased until
within the past few weeks.
Mrs. Scott, mother of the Captain
Scott who lost his life in returning
from the South Pole, has been Of
fered one of the apartments in Hamp-
ton Court Palace. These are at the
disposal of the king, who usually
grants them to widows of men who
have distinguished themselves in ma
tional service. Although the apart
ments are finely appointed, they are
not always a delight to those to whom
the king offers them rent free. Ii is
customary for the tenants to pay the
rates and taxes, which amount to
something like 5000 year. For this
price fairly good cottage can be
obtained in the vicinity. Hampton
Court has it's advantages, among
them gossip and misunderstanding
as the life is somewhat like that of
a community. Many of the apart
ments also are very high up and
have no elevators. This Inconvenience
is not altogether met by basket at
the end of a string let down to the
poStman or tradeSman. On the other
hand, the rooms are very beautiful
and the tenants have the use of the
gardens in the early morning before
the crowds of visitors arrive.
P. Amaury Talbot, of the Nigerian
political service, who has travelled
much through Africa studying the va
rious tribes, says the Ibibios, natives
of Southern Nigeria, who are of such
a low type that they are called mud
fish," rank among the most ancient
of Southern Nigerian tribes, and
speak different dialects of a very old
and primitive tongue.
Witch doctors dominate the life of
the race AS a protection against
farm thefts certain spells are recited
over the long hoe used for breaking
up the ground, and medicine"
poured over it, after which it is given
back to its owner to be hung up in
some conspicuous place on the plan
tation. No sooner does the thief
creep over the boundary than the
magic hoe springs to his hand. I'm
consciously his fingers clasp them
selves around the haft. He is bent
down by a power there Is no resist
ing and finds himself forced, against
his will, to hoe and hoe.
Not for a single moment can he
pause, even to straighten his back,
so long as a single weed remains on
the farm, a single yam needs bank
ing or a single clod would be the
better for breaking. So long must
the eVil-doer continue to work for
the man he had intended to rob.
Only when the owner arrives on the
scene, should he so wish, can the
magic hoe be released from the hand
of the thief. 1t is not said whether
the magic has ever worked.
Quaint burial customs prevail.
Slaves are frequently sacrificed at the
death of a chief and buried with
him. Until prohibited by the govern
houses with strange ritual and sacri-
Ilce.4 n DuI1dl ElldlIDci was pACpdi Gu
underneath one of the rooms, and in
This the chiefs body was placed. His
best loved wife and two of the most
beautiful OF his slaves entered the
room and seated themselves at a
table opposite their lord. After some
ceremonial, all but the women with
drew, the chamber was sealed up and
the unfortunate women yere left
to a lingering death.
Arthur Balfour, once prime minis
ter and also formerly Unionist leader
in the House of Commons, is to take
a very prominent part in the nego-
tiations for the settlement of the
Irish question. He acquired n very
extensive knowledge of the situation
during his term as chief secretary
for Ireland, and he has had an ex-
perience in the handling of delicate
political problems, not the least of
which was that arising over the split
in the Unionist party over tariff re-
form.