GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7824, 18 December 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

FISHING MADE EABY An Italian eavant has, according » Gazetta del Popolo, discovered . th » simple method of catching fish Th *J* * nl musical one. As we all know th tis * hearing is extraordinary develop ßeQße of It appears that while the si ? 6,b----scatters them in all direction!, a£„ • , noi " especially that produced by the hum Ot!! attracts them; on hearing it th V ° ice » suddenly in their course. Signer's Bt °? discovering this fact, embarked one m^ , on the Lake of Geneva with a D toit friends; he possesses a very ne j 7°* voice, and striking up a national blB, proved to his astounded comnani 3he truth of his assertions. They were "m th « means of an aquascope to percei» th* ness with which the piscine rl « i* 8 ? rgathered around the boat. Caatino „ tioi > nets they had brought, they instant!l J" th ' such a catch as has rarely, if „', known on the lake, and they m ,J ,I e " indeed to have made another "mi- aid draught of fishes." ""^alou, skobeleff's flag. Vereschaj?in, the distinguished Pn • painter, in the course of some remind laa of his friend Skobeleff, notes that the \V Ceßcei was very superstitious. Skobeleff haH fal him a present of a flag under which W gained twenty-two victories, It Wl l ai of red silk, with a yellow cross embroil in the middle, and it was torn £ " ed bullets. On leaving for his last ToorL?*" , expedition Skobeleff remembered the a asked hie friend either to give it back •or to send him another in exchange \r Vereschagin made an elaborate new P which was greatly admired on it a afri ,?' the camp both by the General and hi» n But Skobeleff was just then unauo p m The enemy made a sortie from SiW" 1, took a number of arms, a cannon » n d . n Pe, Skobdeff was in de ß pair. Give tnetlj Hag back, the new one is unlucky," h e 3 to me. 1 gave nothing back. Ano JJJ sortie, another defeat, and considerable loss. Another appeal: " Give back, give backmv uoky flag ; take the one away which has J luck. Still I did not give it back. Pi nil i° Geok Tepe was taken, large numbers of the enemy were killed, and an abundance of arm. and baggage fell into the triumphant General's bands. My flag regained it favour; Skobeleff and his Turcomans w er never tired of admiring it. Today thji lucky flag rests on the tomb of the General

AHMING OF MERCHANT SHIPS. The.Admiralty have just issued orderi that armaments for 30 merchant ehips are to be maintained in readiness at the dock* yards, weapons for fourteen being etored« Portsmouth, for nine at Devonport, and for seven at Chatham. Ten ships will oarry twelve, ten ten guns, and ten eight: one hundred and twelve 5-inch breechloaders sixty-four 7-inch muzzle-loaders, forty-eight 64-pounders, and seventy-six 40-pounders, Weapons and their fittings can be shipped and fitted on a few hours' notice, should circumstances at any time neceesitate th arming of the mercautlle marine, SELECT READING. Sir Theodore Martin, speaking at the opening of a public library at Llangollen oa October 19, said that there would soon be a marked difference in our land if thousand whose lives are now listless and colourless without aspiration and without hope, would turn from the ephemeral literature which dissipates and enervates their power of thought and feeling, and seek to grow familiar with even a few of the acthora "whose spirits rule us from their tombs." What nobler company could men or women desire than that of the great poets, the great historians, the great philosophers of the past? How would such companionship quicken their appreciation of what ia of true worth in contemporary literature, and save them from wasting precious hours and bringing creeping paralysis upon their brains by steeping themselves in the trivialities of flimsy magazines and catchpenny novels, " that grow up and perish like the eummer-fly —things without name, no more remembered/ 1 NEW BEPEATING RIFLE. A new repeating rifle, the invention oi Herr Joseph Schulhof, of Vienna, has been tried at a rifle range there, when it is said to have proved its efficiency as a firearm of that nature. The weapon may be used either as a repeating or as a single-firing rifle. When ueed as a single-shooter it discharges twentyfour shots per minute. On being changed into a repeater, which is effected by touching a spring setting the repeating mechanism in motion, fifty-two shots may be fired per minute, and this includes loading, the magazine holding only ten cartridges. As a magazine rifle the new arm is said to be the most perfect weapon yet invented.

SPORTING MEN. An extraordinary fracas occurred at the Curragh races between two sporting men, The actors in the incident were Captain Quin, who is one of the officials of the Tar: (Jlub, and Mr. Charles Thompson, of Hollywood Park, both well known in sporting circles. They were both in the scalee-room, when some high words passed between them. Mr. Thompson called Captain Quin a " scoundrel," and at the same time struck him a blow in the face, drawing blood. Captain Quin retaliated with energy, and the result was that both gentlemene faces were considerably damaged in the fight. Finally, they were separated, and both had to retire to get their wounds dresed. The affair created a little excitement, and the matter will be taken cognisance of by the turf authorities. PARENTAL NEGLECT AT SHEFFIELD. An inquest has taken place at Sheffield on the body of Arthur Coleman, aged U years, son of Michael Coleman, a hawker. The boy was seen to drop in the street from exbaus« tion, and he and an elder brother were taken to the workhouse. They were found to be in a most emaciated and starved state. Arthur died, and when weighed he was only 2st 41b lOoz. The average weight of a boy that age is 6st. The father said when he had left home in the morning he had always given the mother 4d or 6d to buy food for the day, and he now believed she had spent the money in drink. The inquiry was adjourned for the attendance of the mother, who wm ill, the Coroner remarking that in all probability one or both would be committed for manslaughter. MB. GLADSTONE AND THE LIBERAL PARTY. Mr. Gladstone has written the following letter to Mr. Andrew Reid, author of " " h { am I a Radical ?" &c, in answer to a reqoes. from Mr. Reid that he would contribute to a new book edited by that gentleman, whictt will very shortly be published by Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein and Co., under the title of "The New Liberal Programme :- "Hawarden, October 15. My dear Sir, -1 am obliged to make an answer to your kind letter which I fear will disappoint you. W friends forget my years. I hold on to politics in the hope of possibly helping " settle the Irish question; but the general operations, both of party and particular subjects, 1 am obliged and intend to leave in Mβ bands of others.—With all good wishes to the Liberal cause, I remain, yours very »" n ' fully, W. E. GLADSTONE."

A NOVEL REASON FOR A DIVORCE. A summary way of getting rid of an oW wife (writes the Paris correspondent of tn Daily Telegraph) has just been discovery by an elderly satyr, ' named Grichois, w< lo dwelt near the woodlands of Baa Mendon, outside Paris. Grichois, when brong" before the magistrates on a charge of having sent his wife adrift, and thus caused newt■ w beg on the public roads, coolly replied u»» she was too old, that she was skin-oneu. and that he wanted to replace her oy youthful person who could radiate mor° heat. This species of argument did not convince the magistrate, who ordered Grionoi to take his wife home, which he did reluctantly. Hβ now threatens to obtain ajoo'j cial separation, opining that the ing Court will pay more attention to his exu ordniary logic. CENSUS OF WORSHIPPERS, The British Weekly publishes the results of a census of the worshippers at the mow s and evening services at the churches chapels of London on Sunday, Oc °° 24. Out of a population of over four nuiuo" • about 460,000 were present in the morn * and about 410,000 in the evening. *« Paul's, in the morning 1662 were pre«>»' and in the evening 3403; at VVesttuw" Abbey,, in the morning, 1721; «f in deacon Farrar's, in the morning, 1/3U,» , g the evening, 1362. Mr. Spurgeon % the Dissenters by a great ance A e j, attendances being 4519 and bOiU- ~ G followed by his pupil, Mr. Archibald Brown, of the East Tabernacle, who reiu 1696 and 1S31; and by Dr. Parker, « •* City Temple, with 1325 and 2415.