TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 217, 12 September 1900, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

9 "Graphic" published to-day. Terrible disaster at Galveston. V\ Tidal wave on the Texas Coast. There are 6000 troops at' Shanghai, Botha accuses the Boers of cowardice. Supreme Court civil sittings opened to-day. Germany is sending reinfqrcements to China. Ehrman sentenced to two years* hard labour. Donald Macdonald's farewell lecture this evening. Baden-Powell is now chief of the Transvaal police. Quarantine restrictions are to be removed next Monday. Bullet attacked and carried a strong Boer position on Saturday last. The estimates were debated in the House of Representatives last night. It is reported that the Premier will visit America at the close of the session. - South Island members, met last night, and discussed the railway question, North v." South. There are evidences that diplomatic relations between the Powers and China "will not be resumed for a long time. - The Devonport- Borough Council has carried a resolution approving of the system of rating- on unimproved values.' , . .; ' '■ y "' : Pitt-street Wesleyan Church, with /' views of the interior, the choir and the trustees, appear in this week's "Graphic." Tutor: Just look, Henry, at those magnificent ruins. Henry: I wonder why, in olden times they built ruins instead 'of proper castles. "Have you seen my black faced antelope ?" inquired the keeper of a menagerie. "No," said a visitor. "Who did > your oiark faced aunt elope with?" The o-overnment-state that* the New Zealand national flag for use in the colon}* will still be the blue ensign with, the stars of the Southern Cross. The annual meeting of the Auckland United .Cricket Club will be held in the club room, Amateur Sports Club, Durham-street, to-morrow (Thursday), evening. An announcement is made by advertisement in this issue relative to tho first of a series of advanced nursing lectures to be given in the Municipal Chambers next week. The Boer prisoners at St. Helena are reported to be enjoying themselves very tolerably. They are allowed a good deal of "freedom, and find many opportunities of spending what money they have in their possession in personal luxuries. ' It. is no uncommon, occurrence nowadays (says a Cape paper) for newspapers to be returned unclaimed, endorsed "Rebel-^left no address,' 'and "Prisoner of War." Batches :of the Cape dallies and weeklf-sy so endorsed have Jieen returned by the Pos-t Office authorities. A native woman, was recently, charged at Salisbury (Rhodesia) with murder. She had had twins, and first boiled the-children in- a large pot and | then put them in the river. Accused and witnesses thought it was nothing remarkable, and it was stated to be according to their custom. ' A correspondent with General -Bui--ler's force says:—-"it is not empty, phraseology to say that Buller is the idol of the army—the now grim-vis-aged, hardened, and mud-stained army he led through the mountainous country of northern Natal, through All-man's Nek to the foot of Majuba, and oyer the -flats of : the . Transvaal." ■ -._ ~- , A Yorkshire vicar tells how he once received the following note from one of his parishioners: "This is-to give notice that I and Miss Jemima Brearley are coming to your church oh Sat- yyj urday afternoon nex' to undergo the operation of matrimony at y /your hands. Please be prompt, as the,cab is hired by the hour. Forewarned is yy forearmed.':' Four British guides had a narrow escape, lately near , Greylangstad. They saw somd Boers leaving a house, flying, as usual, the white flag. As soon as they reached, the hqyse, the Boers opened fire from a kopje, , the range being 70 yards. The guides made a dash for a donga, and cut a wire fence. A bullet passed .through the sleeve of one of .the guides. They • reached cover, and opened fire, forcing the Boers to fall back. '.' " The describe the terrible effect of one of the .British shells afc Witport. Just before French's advance, nine gathered*behind tfie shelter Of a tree, when a British sinch fired a shell, which pierced-the trunk,.exploded a few yards off, blowing four to pieces' and wounding -the rest. So complete waS the foi-ce of the _3-pl-*-' sion that they found shreds of fleshhanging, on the branches.-Uncle Boi^ , .was"among the killed.. . r