TABLE TALK

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 213, 20 September 1899, Page 1

TABLE TALK

War still delayed. "Graphic" published to-day. Troops entering South Africa. \ Board of Education met to-day. : Dreyfus pardon is expected to-day. Avondale races were proceeding this afternoon.

German, army! mobilisation plan* have been stolen.

Two thousand British troops art "off to Kimberley." Six British ' policemen have been dismissed at Bloemfontein.

It is said that the Rothschild family is worth some £300,000,000.

The Estimates were considered in Committee in the House last night. The new cargo steamer Waiwera is due here from London this week.

There, is coolness between Kruger and leaders of the Afrikander party.

There are numerous Transvaal spies in the border towns in South. Africa. It is rumoured at Capetown that Kruger has sent Greene another conciliatory despatch. The Auckland Harbour Board has authorised the construction of a new wharf at Chelsea. ' The election for the employers' members of the Conciliation Board takes place to-morrow.

The Transvaal will in future decide* war matters in conjunction , with; the Orange Free State.

The Gaiety Company continues to draw large audiences to witness the City Hall entertainments.

Natives of Ceylon believe the cocoanut tree will not grow out of reach, of the sound of the human voice. In Paraguay a gentleman is enjoined by the laws of good society to kiss every lady to whom he is introduced. Fruit bearing the New South Wales Government certificate of inspection has been condemned by Captain Broun. There are in the United States over fifty distinct Secret Orders, with more than 70,000 Lodges and 50,000,000 members.

It is expected that the erection of the much needed bridge across the Waikato River at Tuakau will soon be commenced.

The Auckland Women's Political League has passed a resolution sympathising with Madame Dreyfus aad her husband.

"England pensions its literary men: and women." "Does that make them stop writing-?" "No," "Well, what's the good of it?" A motion to reduce the salary of the British Kesident at Karatonga by £1 was lost in the House of Representatives last night. Freddie: "Ma, what is the baby's name?" Ma: "The baby hasn't any name." Freddie: "Then how did ha know he belonged here?'-'

Twenty-five years ago France was able to put as many soldiers in the field as Germany .To-day it falls shorti

by about 1,000,000 men. James Meredith, last Heard of from Corbn^aijde] 15 "years. ago,_iis inquired, for by his sister throygh; .'Lloj^s newspaper of August 13;. * '. Book ' Ageitt: ~ "Is ' the lady 'of the house in?" Cook: "We are 'all ladies here, yez moonkey-faced diyil! -If yea mane the misthress, say so!"

A British battalion is under orders to protect the railway tunnel' at Laing's Nek, through which the train, passes from Natal into Transvaal. Austria is the country most lenient to murderers. In ten years over. 800 persons were found guilty of murder, of whom only twenty-three were put to death. . ■ ."...'

Pictures of the Avondale race meeting and a finely illustrated account of the cruise of the Southern Cr^ss in Antarctic regions are published in this week's "Graphic." The question of making the Freeman's Bay reclamation a recreation reserve has been referred to tl»e Works and Tariff Committee of tlfe Auckland Harbour Board. .

A local history of Cumberland, avers that at Kirton-le-Moor, in 1797, "a man and his wife and thirty children might have bedn seen proceeding to church to the christening of tfce thirty-first child." Boy: Mr Smithers Avants to know if you'll lend him an umbrella. • He says you know him. Gent: You may say that I do know him. He will probably understand why you didn't bring the umbrella. . ; Young Doctor: Congraiulate me, Henry, I have just secured myMirst patient. Henry (a solicitor): I do, my boy; but don't forget me when hewants his will prepared. Tramcars, it has been estimated, cost but iivepenee per mile to run when driven by electricity; by horse the cost is about tenpence; and bycable eightpence. Sixty per cent. <?f the whole ie tfee o»s* of tey«r tM* conductor. ' .••.''.

Mrs May-Fair: "I hear that ypwr son is a great student, and, snei»ds most 6f his time 6ver the midnight oil." Mrs Jones (a rich parvenu?): "Not a word of truth in it. We 'are Helectric Light hall over the 'ouise, and Halfred 'as a 'ole chanticleer in 'i? room!"

It is stated by an expert who liaa visited the Hunua coal scams that the coal is of a superior quality. It is considered that a tramway line could be equipped at a cost of Bdy £ 10,000 to convey the coal down to Clevedon, on the Wairoa Eiver, or the Hunua- station.

The Southland "News" hears that the electors of Awarua intend to supplement the gift of a landau and piece of plate to Mrs J. G. Ward by the English creditors who were paid in full by presenting to that lady a hansome pair of horses and s<?t of harness, so that the turn-out wiljl be complete. It has been left to Mrs Ward to choose the colour of the pair, which will be selected by a good judge of horseflesh.

A Sydney paper says one of the things best known about Thursday Island is that some years ago a crew of a pearling craft hailing from there —eight hands in all—united to take a ticket in Tattersall's sweep on the Melbourne Cup, and won the • first prize. To celebrate the occasion the happy winners, according to cherished island memories, presented £100 to the Quetta memorial church, and kept all the public-houses, which are fairly numerous, open free for one night.

Dress fabrics: We are now showing: a fine collection of the most popular makes in newest- shades. 1350 yards all-wool coating 1/3$ and 1/0J. — Smith and Cauffhey.-(Ad.i _y > jY lU^