6 Notes and Comments. 



FAIRIES OR BEER ? 



Notwithstanding the alleged shortage of paper, we find 

 a number of our ' Dailies ' devoting half a column or so of their 

 ' valuable space ' to such piffle as the following — in one case 

 five lines of large type headings being used : — ' Uncanny 

 Happenings in a Kentish Dug-Out — Alarming Adventures 

 — Builder's Story of Stones and Tools that jumped/ 

 It seems that while excavations ' in the form of a cave ' were 

 being made in the grounds of a county J. P. in Kent, the 

 excavator states that on one occasion a large stone hit him on 

 the crown of the head, causing a cut (the wound is still visible) ; 

 on another occasion he received a violent blow on his hand, and 

 again blood was drawn. Then a missile struck him with 

 violence on his right ear. ' Candles were repeatedly extinguished 

 by air and sand, to the accompaniment of a whizzing sound. 

 On several occasions pieces of rock varying from eight to 

 twenty pounds in weight were hurled from one position to 

 another. A lad name Penfold, working with him, states that 

 he saw the stones lift themselves perhaps an inch, then drop 

 again ; then about three inches and drop once more. Then 

 they would lift themselves and fall some feet away.' 



BOOMERANG TRICKS. 



' On another occasion there was a heap of stone at one place,, 

 and these would ' fly of themselves ' to another position. There 

 were bricks on the floor. These rose apparently of their own 

 volition and were hurled to other positions. Often these did 

 not come in a straight line, but took a semi-circular course.' 

 I had two days off,' says the excavator, ' and then, after 

 consideration, I determined to finish the job. On starting 

 again everything went well for a couple of days. After this 

 things became worse. Stones and rocks began to fly about, 

 so much so that an iron stove and iron pipe were smashed to 

 pieces. Then, to crown all, a short bricklayer's hammer 

 weighing about 4 lb. in weight threw itself towards me. The 

 boy Penfold shouted " Look out ! perhaps the sledge hammer 

 will move." Hardly had the boy uttered the words than the 

 sledge hammer weighing 14 lb. came over and dropped near 

 with a thud. That is not all. The pickaxe, lying in quite 

 another part of the structure, came for me too, in an ominous 

 manner. There were three chairs, too, on the floor of the cave, 

 and these danced and flew about in the most extraordinary 

 style. If some of those weighty stones had fallen on me 

 probably I should not be here now.' We understand Sir 

 Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir William Barrett are investigating, 

 and that Sir Oliver Lodge is to be invited. We would suggest 

 that the manager of the local brewery and also a well-known 

 member of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia might be 

 added to this investigation Committee. 



