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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 286, 5 December 1893, Page 2

A curious phenomenon, in the shape of m subtorraucan fire, is reported from Barbotan-les-Bains. in the department of the Gers, France. About forty years ago the country was marshy, and the inhabitants often suffered from malaria The land, however, was drained, and is now well cultivated. Some months ago smoke wae seen issuing from the soil, and it was at first supposed that these emanations were caused by the intense heat. However, the evaporation!, which still continue, are now believed to bt produced by fire. The old marshes cont »inc-d a stratum of peat several inohes ia depth ; and the opinion is entertained that it ignited daring the high tduperatare which prevailed during the month of Hatch, and that it has been burning ever since over an nrea of nearly sixty hectares. The conflagration is steadily spreading, aad is making it 3 way in the direction of the village and the pine fores tß* Operations have been commenced with a view to preventing futther mischief, and deep trenches are being dug all round the scene of this extraordinary phenomenen. There is a story circulating in fashionable circles, writes the Yorkshire Post's London correspondent, which deserves a wider currency than it has yet receivedi Recently a select party was assembled at a country house, and as the time hung somewhat heavily on the hands of the guests, it was proposed that cards should be intro« duced. All present acquiesced with the exception of one lady— the wife of a welKknowu American millionaire. On 1-eing pressed to give her reason for standing out, this lady said that she made it a rule never to play cards, as when she played she uniformly won, and she found it extremely unpleasant in practice to be so invariably lucky. The company declined to accept the plea as sufficient, and much against her will the fair American was induced to join the circle at the t'lble. The result, however, perfectly justtilied her confidence in her luck. Before the evening closed she had completely divested her fellow-players of all their spare cash. There was not the same anxiety to secure the lady's attendance at the card* table on subsequent evenings* About 50 gamblers commit suicide at Mon c Carlo each year. An electric light has just been put up in a flourmill close to the Damascus GaVe at Jerusalem <