GENERAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4734, 8 October 1886, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

The Rev. Ralph Brown, iv a lecture at Ballarot rpcently, pointed out that the Mormon community at TJtah does not include one Irishwoman the wife of a Mormon.

The Bullionist states that it is able to put its fingers on syndicates that would be "happy to purchase the entire Australian railway system at the sum which it now represents in the national debt."

According to a Melbourne telegram in the Sydney Morning Herald a successful test'• has been made of a new gas invented by M. Le Blann for the destruction of rabbits. It is stated that one shilling's worth of will kill 150 rabbits; a self-generating meter costs 4s. It Is also said that the invention can be used with equal effect fertile destruction of phylloxera. The promoters are in correspondence with the New South Wales Government in connection with rabbit destruction.

Sir Frederick Milner, one of the candidates for a West riding- constituency in the recent home elections attributes? his defeat to betting. The followingbetter from his opponent's pet working man he gives as an instance of the forces at work against him: —"Dear , I have heard with greni gnof you aro going to vote for Milner. I trust it may not'be true. Think what the Liberals have done for us working men.' I have a lot of money on Leake. Don't help to ruin your own friend. Vote for Leake and back Cambusmore for the Liverpool Cup. One good turn deserves another. Yours, &c."

The Sydney Morning Herald correspondent at Cossack, Western Australia, telegraphed on the ,20th September that the steamer Otway had arrived from Derby, tanging about 40 disappointed diggers. He says that the rumor that MrO'Donnell had been shot at by enraged diggers is confirmed. Many of those on the field are suffering from scurvy, and the best reports are that some of the diggers are doing fairly welL The captain of the Otway says that it is impossible to get authentic information about the diggings, but he himself thinks that they are a complete failure, and will enrich none, but will prove disastrous to' thousands. The rains, which are eagerly awaited, will bring sickness and death, and May next will be ample time to leave for the diggings if they prove payable. ' ■ •

Lady Randolph Churchill, who is universally understood to have aided her husband greatly in his efforts, to attain political eminence, intends (says a London correspondent) to distinguish his tenure of the second post in the Government by a succession of brilliant entertainments. "This social duty in connection with the Conservative leadership used to bo discharged by Lady Salisbury, and with marked success; bii(; she is now, like the Marquis himself, va, somewhat ,we|tk health.' Randolph is,' as is well' known, the eldest of three American ladies, whose maiden name is Jerome, and all of whom have made aristocratic marriages on this side of the Atlantic. She brought her husband a modest fortune, which as a y6un/r«r son he found very acceptable, and her uncle, Mr Saul Jerome, is one of the most successful financiers in New York. It is one of the stories of the Conservative clubs that Mr Jerome, when ho hoard of Lord Randolph's elevation Inst year to the Indian Secretaryship, sent his niece a blank cheque to be filled up-at her discretion by, way of congratulation. . At Maying's reception the. other night there ni an American gentleman who man cSfme Sffi '&$ to present M {6B Terry witfc a tribute j«g|

eh ape of a book. This was a beautifully bound volume containing cleverly etched portraits of the actress, and a number of passages from her various parts, finely engrossed. The frontispiece represented four people silting in the front row of tho gallery absorbed in the performance, and by these four people, two brothers and a sister of the little deformed man, the book JfsA been entirely manufactured. They ■were at the theatre every night, and used to Bit in the best seats; but ns tho expense became serious they gradually went aloft, like Tom Bowling, till they settled in the gallery, where they were to bo found nightly with unfailing regularity. When Miss Terry took the gift that was the product of much loving care, she burst into tears, and tho little deformed man cried too, and wont away perfectly happy to fill tho hearts of his three companions a 8 full as his own.

Another sensational and daring gymnastic feat has been added to the attractions of the Japanese Village. This is known as the great "Lulu Leap," and at a private exhibition yesterday morning the gymnast Ala, who performs it, gave a very fine exhibition of skill and nerve. The gymnast, standing rigidly upon a platform, and ■without any visible means of propulsion, suddenly shoots up to a height of 65ft, as far, indeed, as the roof of the building permits, whero he catches a suspended trapeze. This leap is, in itself, sensational enough, but not so much so as the feat that follows. Stretched on a level with the platform boneath is a large nut, and standing upright on the trapeze Ala falls headforemost a clear drop of 50ft, as a diver might plunge into the water. A broken neck appears to bo the natural sequel, but a clever twirl in midair at the last critical moment briugs the gymnast round safely upon his shoulders and back, and he drops unharmed into the net. In ths wivy of gymnastic sensations the feat is certainly one of tho finest ever seen in Melbourne In addition the name gyiftuflsfr goes through another wonderful and highly interesting performance upon •what is known us the electric platform, a novelty in the colonies. The performance ■will take place publicly for tho first time at 4 o'clock this afternoon, and also in tho evening.—Melbourne Argus.

An entertainment, which is said to be rapidly gaining favor in sorao parts (A the United States, was givon recently to some jtouug people of Hartford, Conn. The title for the new diversion is " Quotation Party," and it is a vast improvement upon the progressive euchre, which enjoyed such popularity last winter. Each guest comes prepared with a popular quotation, and the wise guest brings two or three in case some of the other guests should steal his number. Cards are distributed on which is a number and a score. Tho guests then seat themselves in a circle aboiit the room and No. 1 recites his or her quotation. The guests are then given a minute to set. down tho name of the author against No. 1 on the score. If yonr neighbor is a particularly pretty girl you may help her out, provided she doesn't know more about it than you do ; but, as a rule, the players are requested to keep their own counsel, and neither borrow nor lend. After each one has givn a quotation, the cards are passed one seat to the right, and No. 1 repeats his quotation and adds the name of the author, each player correcting the card in. his hand by crossing out the author's name, if wrong. Every quotation turns out a genuine surprise to some one, and generally to half a dozen or more, while it not infrequently happens that the giver of the quotation is wrong.