Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-27
Stories
From the War
ASSOCIATED Press Correspondent

Baron Won Schoen from the Embassy, Is
rue de Lille. August Bird. 1914. they left
there on parole, as guardian Of the
building and premises the gardener
Fritz. a Prussian employed there since
1892 The blinds are closed and the mag
nificent mansion is dark and lifeless, but
the garden thrives the more in that the
Gardener Is obliged to stick closely to 1t.
II adored Paris,'' he says regretfully,
but all I see Of 1t now Is a little cor
ner of the blue sky"
Fritz gets no news from Germany, but
he learns something Of what is going on
across the Rhine from the French pap
ers. He knows that potatoes are grow
ing In many Of the flower gardens In
Berlin and he has fallen in with the
movement. The superb flower beds of
the embassy gardens were all dug up
this spring and planted with potatoes,
string beans and cabbages.
London. Aug. 16.-The raising of the
general interest level in the British
money markets through the issue of the
war loan has had many unexpected con-
sequences. One Of these, just noted by
the financial journals. is disposition on
the part of mortgages to call In their
mortgages. so that they may invest the
money to better advantage.
THE movement is not perhaps I'M
natural. but it's effect upon the owners
Of mortgaged property is in many cases
embarrassment of a disastrous nature. -
remarks the Times. "Freuuently the
nortgagor regards the mortgage not as
a short term loan, but as an investment.
and he is placed in extreme difficulty
when the loan is called in, not because
he had defaulted on the interest pay
ments. which he has kept up regularly
for years. nor because there is the slight
est chance of his defaulting. but because
the lender can use the money to better
advantage under the new conditions
which have arisen"
London, Aug. fisherman spies on the
western front are both resourceful and
daring. especially on the line occupied
by the British.
ON one OCCASION says a cavalry Off
Ger. three German officers came right
through our lines in a motor car. Two
OF them were disguised as French otn-
GERS who were supposed to be bringing
pack the third as prisoner; he, of
course, being in German uniform. They
got close to Army headquarters before
they were detected and captured.
They are up to all sorts of lodges and
we have to be wide-awake all the time
to spot them. A plough with white or
grey horse has sometimes located the
position of battery or artillery to an
enemy aeroplane. The movements of a
flock of sheep. driven by spy disguised
as peasant has sometimes given similar
information.
London. Aug. 1O.-Instructions have
been issued to all post Offices in the
United Kingdom that in order to
strengthen the gold reserve they must
make all cash payments in poper money
instead Of gold. Paper money has never
attained any popularity in England and
the postoffices will probably have some
difficulty in getting the common people
more used to it.
London, Aug. 16.-The big grocery firms
In various parts of England have sent
circulars to thay customers, asking
them to exercise the greatest possible
economy in the use of loaf sugar, which
is very popular in England for cooking,
canning, and similar purposes The
grocers suggest the substitution of
brown sugar for most uses.
Before the war the bulk of the loaf
sugar used in England was imported
from Austria, Germany and Belgium.
This supply has been cut off. and there
Is therefore a considerable deficiency
which the few loaf-sugar refiners in
England cannot make up. There has
been no advance in price, however, and
this is controlled by the Royal Commits
sion on Sugar.
The Dardanelles, Aug. 2.-(Brtish Eye
Witness) Gold has been discovered near
the British positions on the Gallipoli
Peninsula. A few days ago a squad OF
Australian troops was digging hole in
expectation of tapping u spring. One
old miner went on digging long after the
others had given up hope Of reaching
water. When asked why, the old miner
replied:
well. this bit of country is just like
Western Australia, and if there isn't any
water. there's sure to be gold.''
Sure enough, his trained eyes soon
after did discover gold among the sands,
but not in paying quantities.
Paris. Aug. ia patriotic burglar
who broke into the house Of a govern
ment official a few days ago. found that
Notwithstanding the recent request that
citizens turn all their gold coins in the
public treasury, this official had $500 in
gold in his safe. The burglar took the
money. and left the following note ad-
dressed to his victim:
"Sir-I write you as an indignant pa
triot. How dare you keep 100 2O-franc
pieces in your possession when the coun-
try has need Of all its gold?
Il have helped you to do your duty by
taking the money myself to the Bank OF
France. Naturally have kept the notes
given me in exchange as a reward for
my trouble.
yours truly.
"A Patriotic Burglar"
London. Aug. 1.-THE much-abused
office boy has become such a scarce ar
ticle in the London labor market that
advertisements in the Help Wanted COL
umns now offer wages two to three