PARS ABOUT NOTABILITIES.

I have (says a lady correspondent in the course of some reminiscences of Davitt) one of his delightful epistles in answer to a request of mine. It runs: "You ask me-if Mr. -— would object to being interviewed by a charming lady journalist about the bill he is bringing in? Dp young cats like cream? Come to the House to-morrow at- three, nnd I will introduce you."

James Braid, the famous golf professional and champion, has recently confided to the public the secret of his long driving. He writes, in his newly pubr lished work, that it came upon Mm all of a sudden—"without, any warning and without any conscious alteration of my methods I began to drive a great length." This, Braid adds further, is a mystery in his career which he has never been able to solve. 7

One incident in the late Sir Charles Tennant's life is recalled in the political clubs (says a London correspondent). When the late Duke of Westminster sharply severed his political connection with Mr. Gladstone at the Home Rule split, one of his first acts was to sell his well-known portrait of Mr. Gladstone by x Millais; and Sir Charles Tennant at once acquired it and presented it to the nation. The Duke's act in selling the picture was a good deal discussed at the time, and eanie in for criticism from some of Mr. Gladstone's strongest opponents, ;

Miss May Sutton, of California, holder of the All-England Lawn Tennis Championship, who took part in the Northern Lawn Tennis Tournament at Aigburth, Liverpool, has been talking to an interviewer. "I do not go in for any special training," she said, "except to play tennis whenever I can, and to go to bed early. lam no believer in 'fad' diets. I eat most things that are good, except pies and sweets, but I abstain from those because I am beyond the average weight, and I might pet so that 1 couldn't move rcund the court if I ate pies."

During Lord Kitchener's recent visit to the* Indian frontier defences, he went ("MAP." relates) to a place where a new fort had just been erected. He was astonished to find the fort had been so placed that it was easily commanded from a high hill close by. The officer who hdd chosen the site was present with the party, and Kitchener called him. forward. Instead of the outburst that the staff expected, Kitcneher merely held out his hand, and said: "I congratulate you. Colonel ! What a capital place for a fort! When do you begin to remove the hill?* 5 ' n

The Rajah of Sarawak, otherwise Sir Chas. Brooke, 'was 77 last week. The ruler of a kingdom as large as ICngland, with his own army and navy and flag. Sir Charles is almost as active and alert to-day as lie was 50 years ago when fighting pirates, quelling insurrections, and working hand in hand with his uncle and predecessor. He often spends many hours a day in the. saddle, and when in England follows hounds with enthusiasm.

King Alfonso has taken to —gingerbread. Bride-cakes were not the first cakes to go out from England to the Royal Palace; but now this long cake- . walk is ended. An English weman in Stladxid has begun to make gingerbread, and to sell it,-though as little trained and accustomed to the process as was Miss Pynchcon in "The House with the Seven Gables." It is, in fact, an English nun who thus turns an honest penny makes gilt off the gingerbread; and the King goes into the convent to buy and eat it, like tbj" happy schoolboy that he

Two lovely Persian kittens, the property of Princess Victoria, the eldest daughter of Prince, and Princess Christian, were recently advertised for sale at two guineas each. Hundreds of letters from ladies anxious to secure a royal pet, enclosing cheques for £5: £3, etc., have been received at Cumberland Lodge, and, so pressing were some of the applications, that the Princess decided to sell eight kittens. This has quite depleted the cats' nursery.

The great comedian Shuter owed his education to an odd accident. When a pot-boy at a Covent Garden public-house he was despatched by a customer to fetch a coach. The coach was fetched, and the gentleman rode off, to find on. his arrival at home that he had left in the coach a pocket-book containing papers of great consequence. As, however, he had not noted the number of the coach, he called next morning at the publichouse to ask the pot-boy if he had taken note of it. Shuter, who could neither read nor write, nor express numbers in any other way than that in which he scored quarts and pints of porter against customers, answered the gentleman's inquiry with, "Two pots and a pint." "Two pots and a pint!" exclaimed the gentleman, turning perplexed to the landlord. The landlord explained that "two pots and a pint" answered to the figures 771, and that this must have been the number of the coach, as it was. The gentleman, delighted at once at the recovery of his pocket-book, aud at the smartness of the pot-boy, undertook the expense of Shuter's education, and continued his patron Avhile he lived.

Patrick James (Boyle) Viscount Kelburne, eldest son of the seventh Earl of Glasgow, who was married at London in June, is in the Royal Navy, as was his father before him. The present Earl of Glasgow, an ex-Governor of New Zealand', succeeded his kinsman the Isata Earl in his titles and estate of Kelburne in 1890. Lord Glasgow is the grandson of that eminent Scottish Judge, the Right Hon. David Boyle (himself the grandson of the second Earl) . of She-, walton, Lord-President of the Court of Session (1841-1852). Lord Glasgow's estate of Kelburne, Largs, has belonged, to the Boyles since.the reign of Alexander 7DI. (1249-128G). when Richard de Boill was Lord of Caulburn (Kelburne). Kelburne Castle, originally but a square tower, was much enlarged by the first Earl of,-Glasgow (er. 1703), one of the Commissioners of the Union. Special features of interest on the castle are a metal finial, with a two-headed eagle, the crest of the Boyles, surmounted by a thistle; and an "ingeniously ornamented sun-dial, where every inch of surface is made ,to tell the story of time, and where its pinnacle, by a series of grooves, imitates the crocketing of Gothic architecture/" Kelburne Park contains many fine old trees, and numerous . features of romantic beauty.

A. Calcutta writer remarks that racing is going ahead at Singapore, albeit the mortality of thoroughbreds imported' from Australia is reported to be abnormal. They are a warm .lot over there, especially the Kongsis (Anglice — Conspiracies or Swindles), and they have been known to resurrect a horse even after the skeleton has been deposited in the' museum. Bret Harte's Celestial card player was notorious for ways that are dark and tricks that are vain, but he could not hold a candle to the Celestial turfite of the Straits Turf.

In recording the death of Mr P. Bates, a wen known English trainer, an English exchange says: — Fred Bates, as-a light weight: jockey was a holy terror. He frequently had words with Hibburd, the starter. "Catch hold of mv liorse," he once called out to the astonished Sam Rogers, who was one of the old, staid, school of jackeys. -'and I will give, that long devil, something." This was at the starting post for a race at Newmarket in I&jS. Sam Kogers was flabbergasted at m?«, +£"< lty by a 5.7 boy like that, and still more so when he saw the lad proceed to have a round or two E.S* t fT \- starter A p w- this Bates was kept off Jvewniarket Heath for a time. w£ mc inrer ? sti nS facts in regard to street betting are given in an English ldome Office return just published. ThSSlocument sets forth particulars of the , summary convictions for street betting in the Metropolitan 1 olice District during 1003, 1004, and 1005. showing the number of persons convicted and,the total flues imposed. The salient facts will lie seen from the following-table: '.. ;Xo. of Persons . Convicted. Pines. 1903 '..-.. 1020 £10,120 l'JOl 1827 ! 20,475 1005 *.y . 1882 20,71(5 , For the last-mentioned year Tower Bridge, Police Court holds the premier place so, far as linos go, with a total of £2681 18/. During the three years under review 2241 per-: sons were convicted more than Once. : Of these, one can boast that he was convicted 54 times. Two were convicted 40 times, rive 38, live 20, twelve 22, and ho fewer than 380 three. -.-■■- • .

The American . two-year-old De Mund caused a sensation last May—which is equal to our September—by running half a mile on the training track at Sheepshead Bay in 4GS. '-The Horseman" states that the first furlong -v/as run in; lljs, two in" 22fcs, three iv 33ils. and four in 465. De Mund was bred in California by Mr J. B. Haggon, and a picture of him published. in "The Horser man," shwvs Wm to be a remarkably wellshaped, nicely pitched, and' well-developed youngster. After tiiis sensational trial Ms owner-was kept bilsy refusing high prices for him. He at finst intended to keep him for his own racing, but he .capitulated to one "Bub" Taylor, a New York trainer, who came down with a brand new, proposition, namely, an offer of 45,000 dollars on behalf of Mr Paul Bainey, 'and the colt changed stables. De Mund is by the English stallion Goldfinch, by Ormonde from Thistle, the dam of Common, by Scottish Chlpf. The youngster's dam, Gracioslty, ls an American-bred mare by -Juvenal, but \~ery inbred to Stockwell, the direct ancestor" of Ormonde. . . .

Says "Vigilant": — A most interesting fact to ponder upon is that races are now run in a space of time that- would have been thought impossible thirty or forty years ago. The 2.43 Derby time of Kettledrum in ISGI,- and Bh>ir Athol in 1864, «was for Tears unbeaten. Ellington was 3.4 in winning. SDearinint was only 2.36 4-5. The hill at'fhe start in 1864 was much more severe than it is now, and due cognisance has not been take nof the altered shape of the Course 'since that date. Not only at Epsom, however, but elsewhere, where there has been no such alteration.: do we find races run in much facter time than used to be fhe case. For this we have, ,no doubt to thank what is called the ."American invasion," but not altogether. We,believe that our horses are in. themselves faster than they used to be. In the Derby of 1864, General Peel,, who had won the Two Thousand Guineas, got - tlie better of his jockey going through the furzes, and made the pace tremendous. There was no dallying here, but the fast time of 2.4Z we should' now consider slow, even if allowing for the less severe" gradient. \

By means of a referendum the burgesses of Doncaster who were qualified to vote confirmed the action of the race committee in its decision to apply to the Jockey Club for a third flat race meeting, to take-place in autumn—say late October or November. .The action of both i*ace committee and bur-: gesses is easily understandable Out of the racing that already takes place at Doncaster the town Is relieved'of rates to the extent of about two shillings in the pound' and the burgesses can, of course, put up. with plenty more of that's*-* t-of thing. People who are able to let apartments at royalty prices during race weeks, or sell enormous quantities of butterscotch (hundreds of s persons being engaged in the sale of this famous commodity so long as racing folk are about), • have an .even more direct inliuence, aud although .those who would r-ither abolish racing altogether., than increase its volume, represent not a small proportion, it is not large enough to- carry tlie day, especially because some, live outside the voting zone. With the more re-; cent history of racing at Doncaster in remembrance, no one is likely to be impressed with the notion,.that a deep love,of sport is at the bottom of the proposal, for more racing. The appetite has grown upon what it has been fed upon, and half-a-crown off the .rates would look better-.than two shillings. If the Jockey Club accedes, to the request we -may'look forward at no distant date to a eerions attempt to make 'the neighbouring Yirk meeting one run :tor the benefit of the rates, for the burgesses have for a long while been asking why they cannot do as Doncaster does? That Lincoln would'follow suit may be taken as. a very tangible possibility, and when, in the course of a few years, the present' lease of the race committee there runs out, municipal trading in the form of race' manageineut may become a reality. . Yet in some towns where racing is prevalent steps are." being taken to suppress the betting at large.

The I)erby-. crowd-of 190G essentially bore tribut*i..to the fact that for one whole day at least we proved. ourselves to be a natlou of sportsman rather than shopkeepers. Oh the .road out of London there were lively happenings for hours before racing was due to commence, and, those (says an English . writer (who swore, hardest blamed the increase iv traffic as being the provocation for their outbursts of caustic cries and burning remarks. Instead of the journey by road declining in popular favour by reason of the better facilities offered by the railway companies, you find the tendency growing;-and certainly this year's enormous: crowd on the downs was fore-shadowed by tbc amount of road-traffic. ■;The occupants cf coaches, motor ears, motor 'buses, horsedrawn 'buses, brakes, shays, and every other fearful and wonderful make and shape of vehicle realised this long: before they passed the Epsom boundary. Still, though -the jamming, crushing, and swearing seemed to have no end, the chafing delays -were 1 borne with that stolid good nature so peculiar ' to this phase of the Derby carnival. And when liberation from this slow-moving stream of vehicles seemed the remotest of contingencies, and when in front and behind there appeared no outlet, but just the prospect of an interminable halt, the -holiday-makers made their merriest jests. A high-pitched cornet tearing out the air of a ballad, squeakers and tin whistles filling the air with raucous, sounds, aud corks "popping" like a Oatling gun "in things helped to lighten the' burdenVxf the many blocks in the progress. How the East-enders enjoyed their meal by : 'the roadside, with the sausage:-well sprinkled with dust and a flavour'of petrol giving a relish to the ale! They- too, are becoming more sophisticated In their ways of taking the holiday. Not content with a j table cloth provided Cy the tart, they [low bring out the real linen Itself, and

h-^nfi^o? 1 H n . In * t . hl^ part of tae world will the ?.*££??/, n tUe fo »owing reference, by '•»■?« Commissionei*," to the L<shiei who was sent- to England some .years ago:-"Anyone who has had long experience ,of> blood-stock , breedlnsr mnst have found that many unexpected Jl£ s , happ6n> but r have never known anything so curious in this connection as I now proceed to relate. Australian sportsmen will all remember the once flying mare Amiable, by Lochiel. She was by far the speediest animal in Australia soma ten years ago.. When, however, she -was brought to England by Mr Patton, she went utteriy off colour, and trainers could make nothing of heiv More than that, when it wis thought .that she would at least make a line brood mare, hopes were again disappointed; her system had become so disorganised that she declined resolutely to* have any part or lot lv the proposed newt phase of her life. Season after Season vain at-

tempts were made at Newmarket to reduce her to - reason; In" this matter. The very, sight of a horse she regarded as unendurable. At last she was given up as a bad job,' and someone hunted her for a season or two. Then she came Into the possession of Mr -G. Eiders, of the 'Deutscher Sport,' who tried to. have her mated with Orvleto, but she would not be a consenting party. Last year Mr Ehlers sent her -to- Paetlsson at Cobham, and there, after she had proved as obdurate as ever, she was put under the influence of a drug, and an alliance effected. This .was in March last year, and she was later/on turned out in what is called the Little Park, a 50-acre jiaddock, round which .a river runs. She proved to be barren to Pastisson, and this year Mr Ehlers took a nomination to Eh Garde for her. Curiously enough, for the first time in her life, she showed no objection, to the horse, and was duly mated on February 27 last. Now comes the strange part of the story. She was turned out as before, biit was taken up again about a month ago Into one of the boxesi as she was not doing well, and. her-i teeth needed attention. Once or twice v Shipley eaid-to'me that she was going to be ail right this time, for she was-already showing to be In foal, and .one night lastweek, the sth, she actually produced a lively little brown colt! it was more than four months ont of date as far as Pastisson was .concerned, co could not. possibly be by Mm, and, of course, her this year'*mate, was out" of the'question. What possihie exi)lahatibh -tfas such a phenomenonV At last the scales fell from our eyes. Mr W. Bellamy occupies the land on "the other side of the-river, which surrounds the liittle Park, and one night- in' July last year-some -stock-.whicll he ihad turned ..out there got. .across, the river in a shallow'place, and were found; in •the park next morning.,, Among them was a yearling colt hy- Collar out of Wearing of the Green, and;lt.:is..now' as plain;as.a,.plkestaff that- in this young gentleman the" old mare at last found her affinity, ahd lie sue-: ceeded; where all others rliad failed- these, many years. No one at tlie time dreamed j that such a thing had.happened, but happen it did heyond all question, and the: date -tallies correctly with the birth of the', foal. The yearling,* now.two years old, is n'amea : St. O'Brien, and though." backward as yet, he sfioWs/sotne racing promise. Not the least-remarkable incident Is that the old mare should under thi? circumstances have readily accepted the services of Kn< Varde this year. 7Xhe«*.fbal is very small, but .it looks like living, and its future career will be Watched with uncommon Interest.

Prom "The Field," we clip the follow-ing.—-Not the least notable fact in connection With the striking series of successes, which M.Biahc has secured as a breeder arid owner of racehorses is the rapidity with which, he has sold his principal-win-ners for high prices, almost as soon as they have completed their racing career. This began in 1903, the year in which he ran first, second, and third for the Grand Prix de Paris .with Quo Vadis, Caius, and Viniciuss the last named of whom had been second to Kock Sand at Epsom. M. Blanc sold Vinicfus to the French stallion Depots for about £16.000, while Quo Vadis 'was purchased by the Russian Government ! for £20,000. to take the place left vacant Iby the transfer of Galtee More - many. Vlnicius was ; sold at the close of his three year old season, but Gaius was kept In training for two more seasons, arid sold last for £12,000, his destination being Germany. At the same tims that he sold Cains from; £12,000, M. Blanc obtained nearly double as much for the. four, year old Gouvernant, .whose rac- . ing experience was very "brilliant"though, chequered, and : his former owner has" f 01-. lowed up these sales by the transactions of ' the last few weeks. Despairing of being able to train'Val "d'Or.'s Adam, and Juirdy for their ; four year old. engagements, he a has been so fortunate as to find purchasers for all three, the lowest price paid being £15,000 for Adam! the own brother to Ajax being purchased by Mr Belmont, the . president of the New York Jockey Club, • and a large breeder in the. /United States.' Adam was cheap at the price, as times go, for* he was always considered the best of the illustrious trio'of Flying Foxes, made up of him, Val dOr,. and Jardy. Val dOr and''Jardy still' remained to secure for ii. Blanc the goOd'things.;of the season, but Val dOr did not appear to be v at his. best ugain, and . his, owner could not resist the offer of a breeder in the Argentine, who was willing to give £30,000 for the son' of Flying Fox. and. Waudora. . But •it was hardly to be expected that M. Blanc . would part with .Tardy as well, for he and Val- dOr- represented the stable in the three, £10,000 races of the: year, to say nothing_of minor but still valuable events. 'But it would have been ta- pity to run any risk with a horse of bis calibre,.and Senor Laro, who purchased him for the Argentine, entertains no fears ;of his constitution having been undermined by the serious illness Which prevented him from winning the Derby and other great races. He realised the same price as Val dOr, and his destination is also the Argentine. which has also; it may be added, recently imported Diamond Jubilee (£30,000) and Pieterinaritzburg, (£15,000). Thus we find-M. Blanc selling since the autumn of 1903 seven stallions (four of them by Flying Fox) for a total of £143,000, and there still remain to him Flying Fox himself and his best- son, Ajax,: who shares with St* Simon, Ormonde; and one or two others" the distinction of having never been beaten* £ n , efeat ? d , record would be that of Val dOr and-Jardy bat for the epidemic which attacked the stable last soring and the sole defeats sustained by Jai*3y and Val dOr were in Uie Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris . Something, "t course, has. to be taken on trust in «,•,,„,! tion with both of them brifc it iV ??„ - ec " posed that they n a ye m a dean *Wl % %$& M. Blanc, having .parted with Ids three crack four year olds. Is left with r«sw sieJ*j; **»-. *