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Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4475, 16 February 1917, Page 6

Sir" Ernest Shacklcton has keen leadin<r the strenuous life tor moie than two years. He left Buenos Ayre s for the Weddell Sea at the end of October, 1914, and there has been no pause in his activity since that time. He pushed into strange waters in the Weddell Sea m his effort to find a landing place which ho might attempt a IiOO-nulo march across the solitudes ot the h - zen polar continent; be lost Ins ship m the grin, of the ice, spent ten months on a floating ice-floe, reached South Georgia after one ot the most adventurous boat journeys on record, and then achieved at fourth attempt, and in the face of stupeud our difficulties, the rescue of the men lie had left behind on Elephant Island. That part of the work completed ho raced 1 across two continents in record time, in order to get tlie steamer to New Zealand ami go south to the Ross Sea with, the Aurora, to the rescue of the men who were to have met him. at tlie end, of Unis ,trans-continental journey. He returned to New Zealand on Frida} with the work completed, as far as it could be. But lie looks fit and well, and he told, a Dominion reporter that he felt quite ready for fresh exertions. ■

During the hearing of appeals for exemption from ■ military service <\ u Rangiora a man who was*, m the pads of the court-room was seized with an epileptic fit, says the Sun. After lie had been carried out and attended to, it was found that he was an appellant who was waiting for his case to he caq ed on Without bothering having the man. brought before it then, the board deferred the heaving of his appeal for him to be medically examined.

One of the chief drawbacks of party lines fqr country telephones i s that some people ave inclined to listen to the business of others. A fanner was speaking to a friend over the wire when the friendl said: “It’s no good. All- Blank is listening!” Like a ffiosh came a voice (recognised as Air. Blank) “No’ he’s not 1” Some time ago a listener was caught very easily. . Two gentlemen were discussing ordinary affairs, when one thought he heard a sound of someone else listening. Having a fairly good idea who it was, ho asked, after making a statement to hi« friend, “Isn’t that so, X— calling the suspected listener’s name. The reply came, in the voice expected:: “What’s that,: Air. —— ” , ' „