TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 289, 5 December 1900, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

"Graphic" published to-day. Outward 'Frisco mail to-morrow. Two million Chinese are starving. British Parliament has assembled. Conciliation Board met again to-day. Fresh cases of beer-poisoning1 in England. Hon. Hall-Jones goes South this ; afternoon. H.M.s. Mild ura has arrived from Wellington. The Teneriffe-St. Louis cable has been restored. McKinley's message to Congress was cabled to-day. . \ E.M.s. Alameda leaves for San Fran- ■ cisco to-morrow. An important find of alluvial.-gold! in the Botoroa district is reported. Tanners' and beamsmen's dispute was settled before tlie Conciliation Board to-day. The R.M.s. Alameda has arrived! from Sydney. She leaves for wayports and San Francisco at 5 p.m. to* morrow. The Primate and Mrs Cowie, have been invited by the Government of. New South Wales to be present at the inaugural celebrations of the Commonwealth of Australia, but are unable to accept the invitation. The cricket club of H.M.s. Mildura, now in port, are open to receive challenges for friendly matches from local clubs. Communications should be addressed to Mr W. Sparrow, secretary Mildura Cricket Club. The opinion is freely expressed la Sydney that during the festivities the population of Sydney will. be temporarily increased by at least 200,000 visitors and guests from all parts of >'ew South Wales, as well as from the other colonies. Old General (indicating points on a; chart of a battle field): "Now, sir, in ease you were attacked by a storng force.at this point, menaced by an--other' at this point, with a hostile de- •, monstration at this point, what would you do?" Young Officer (grasping the situation): "Surrender, sir, of course/ A Sydney paper says that Mr Portus (general secretary of the Organising Committee) has received over 400 odes and poems dealing with the inauguration of the Commonwealth. There is ai remarkable run upon the apostrophes, "•Hail! Virgin Queen of the South," "Arise! Youngest Daughter -of the Queen," and "Arise! Austral's Nation.'* A San Francisco paper reports'that' the old whaling- barque Charles W. Morgan (which visited Auckland years ago) arrived at 'Frisco' from the Okhotsk Sea lately with 1400 barrels of sperm oil, 270 barrels wliale oil and ~ 3000 pounds of whalebone. She had a very uneventful trip and only spoke , one oiher vessel of the fleet. The latter vessel was the California, and on September 9th she had 200 "carrels of sperm and 270 barrels of whale oil, and SOOO pounds of whalebone. The "Graphic" of this week contains a mote than # usually large and varied selection of * pictures. Among-..theni 'are the following: Bird's-eye* view of " the proposed Waitemata-Manukaai canal, the Pons»nby Naval Artillery in camp, the new Thames hospital, the Northcote tennis season, the Takapuna race meeting, hoisting the flag afe St. Stephen's native school, Parriell, Kawau re-visited, the Minister of s the Public Works, scenes on the Waikato, cartoonlet's, Chinese scenes^ and South African views. . ...■■■• . A clasp knife was recently found in a .secluded spot near the "Murderers*. Eock," on the Maungatapa. Mountain* Nelson, the scene of the murders by the Kelly-Burgess gang In June, 1866. The knife (says the "Colonist") is of old-fashioned make, and has evidently, been little used. Its handle is of wood, and the name Kelly is cut on the wood on one side. The knife has evidently been exposed, but it must have been! in a sheltered position or it would: not be in so good a state of preservation after the lapse of over thirty-fain} years. . . •. i "Banjo" Patterson tells some funny, stories of Tommy Atkins turned intc* . mounted infantry in South Africa. -He saw one Tommy sitting astride a, prostrate beast, and asked what was the matter. "I am waiting for the brute to get.up," the man answered. "Get up," said Mr Paterson, "don't you know he is dead?" "Dead," said the man, "is he? I'm jolly glad." Another converted mounted man was seen painfully toiling across a stretch of sand, with all his eeroutrements over his arm, ,ancE his horse's belongings as well. "What's up with you," asked the speaker, "don't you find that hard work?" "Yea I do," answered the man, "but it's a dashed sight easier than riding."