TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 102, 1 May 1889, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

<» — Caledonian Social to-night;. Samoan Conference has commenced. Change of programme at the Minstrels. Nev Moanataiari call of sixpence due today. Tenders; invited for the new Greyhound block. Melbourne needs only one policeman to 645 people. There are 141 males and 21 females in Mount Eden Gaol. The R.M.s. Tonga.viro left Teneriffe for Plymouth on Monday. The French general election hag been fixed for September ii2nd. The Sulfcan is one of the most enthusiastic chess amateurs in Europe. Eaton won the three-mile handicap race ab the Zealandia Rink last night. The Czar has given orders for the construction of two gigantic ironclads. H.M.s. Raven has gone to the New Hebrides, and the Lizard to New Guinea. Of 26,000 criminals arrested in Paris, 16,000 had not attained the age of twenty. Operations are proceeding at Gisborne with the object of floating the brigaatnie Clansman off. Cambridge School Committee has chosen Mr R. C. Dyer as head-master of the Cambridge School. The annual increase of the Esquimaux population is estimated to be not more than sixty or eighty. In Paris a big company has a monopoly of the funerals. This company handles 50,000 bodies yearly. Bertha Baumgarten, a wild-beasfc tamer, was killed by a tiger during an exhibition at Hohenmatb, Bohemia. Girls are more courageous than men. They are ready to make a match with a fellow tvrice their size. Patient : "Is there anything wrong, doctor?" "My friend, I really cannot say till after the autopsy." The members of the A. Battery are ■warned to attend an inspection parade to be held to-morrow evenine. Southey mentions that the first settlers in Brazil pad £300 for a cat, and for kittens their weight in gold-dust. The Duke of Edinburgh is debarred by his medical attendants from receiving visitors until he is improved in health. A daringl burglary was committed afc Simmat's jeweller's shop, Sydney, and £3,000 worth of jewellery removed, There are in Vienna at present six coeqt panics who make a business of hiring cub steam boilers to small manufacturers. " Don't ye know ye shud lay up your treasures in Kiven, Mistress Q.uinn?" " Och, where I'd niver see them again ?" Ib i 3 said that Napoleon did not read^his letters until they were six weeks old, by x which time events had answered most of them. Captain Wissmann, who is in command of the German operations on the eastern coast of Africa, has 6ccupied the destroyed rebel position at Bagamayo, with 325 of his troops. In consequence of the discovery of a plot against the Czar, domiciliary visits by the police in St. Petersburg have becomo general. Low' crossbred wools are a trifle easier in London, but other wools are firm. Sugar is relapsing. German beet is now quoted at 21s 9d. The R.M.s. Ruapehu left Capetown yesterday on her outward voyage. The steamer has been delayed fitting a new blade to her propeller. A Maori, aged 84 years, living by himself in a whare at Mntihiwi, near Rangitikei, was burned to death through the wharo catching fire on Friday night. A gentleman was speaking of the kindness of his friends in visiting him. • One old aunt, in particular, visited him twice a year, and stayed six months each time. A football match was played last Saturday between the Tuakau and Pukekohe junior fifteens and resulted in a victory for Pukekohe by three points to nil. Mr3 Williams, mother of Mr J. B. Williams, of Russell, died on Monday night, aged 60. She was a very old resident, having lived in the Bay of Islands for over 40 years. In consequence of the defiant attitude of the Thibetan Lamas, it has been deemed advisable to reinforce the troops in Sikhim, and the 32nd Pioneers will be sent to Gnatong. Minister (dining with family): "This ia a very nice dinner, isn't it, Bobby ?" Bobby (enjoying it): "It ought to be. Pa figured it out that it would cost him over five-and-twenty shillings." The Selwyn County Council estimates that last season small birds destroyed grain in the country to the valuo of £15,000. It is proposed to levy a rate for raising funds to check the pest. 100,000 acres are in grain in the county. The attention of property owners in the Mount Edirn district is directed to the property tax notice in our advertising columns, that the Board of Reviewers will meet at the R. M. Court on May 14th to hear objections in respect of property. The half-yearly meeting of shareholders of the Bank of New South Wales was held yesterday,-when a dividend of 15 per cenb. and a bonus of 2^ per cent, per annum were declared. £10,000 wa-i added to the reserve fund, which now reaches.£93o,ooo. There has been a great revival of values in London real estate within the last 12 months. Throughout the populous sections of England prices have shown a steady advance, which is said to be duo to the tendency of investment at the present time.