GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10902, 5 November 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

VALUABLE BANXVOTrj I ' I'll ' Tnr. largest amount of a bantoWpti lation in 1827 was £1000. It, two note, for £100,000 each £50,000, were once engraved Lj"- ' W ° butcher, who had amassed an im A tunc in war time, went one dav\£l % f«tthese £50,000 notes to a private k. on ofV-v ing the loan of £5000 LdS posit the big note as security in til' k ' bands, saying that he had tent The £5000 was at ones handle banker hinted at the same til i 1 "fo butcher the folly of hoardiu K TJ" and losing the interest. "Werv ♦ replied the butcher ; "but I lib , e ' B #i". ont so werv well that I have t'htL e! - : #- the same kind at home." a gentleman in London framed , k? .Wcf-5 £30,000, and exhibited it for B™"'*krone of his sitting- TV fif.J eat ? in- « died, when the " picture" was it I„ ye ? fc■ down and cashed by hi&heirs a ago, at a nobleman':, house near Brlfc ft 6 *"- a dispute arose about a certain' n " H Scripture, and a dean who was J3)&s mg there Was any such text.4 ,1, h" was called for. A dusty old B ; ble cordingly produced, which removed from its shelf since the d*. f F®.' ' ! nobleman's mother, several V m?. i! ft*'' When,it was opened, a mark was founfc '■' which oil examination proved tn U , -V: note for £40,000. It might Slfe' been placed there as a reproof to I * - who, perhaps, did not consult the tt;u ° V ' often as his mother would have wished """

BLOODHOUNDS AS HAX-HUNtERS, ' The arrangements for the decision It man-hunting trials, under the ausnicl 1 K' i Association of Bloodhound BreedL ° • 6, ¥ but completed. Mr. E. Btough of^r' '' yates, Scarborough, president of tk ' ciation, has, after considerable trouble ceeded in securing a tract of country ' Yorkshire Wolds, in even- wav wiMj ! ' " the purpose of the trials. ihev-wiiu ! ° t; ' ' ever, bo brought off in semi-privacy {„?*: presence of a crowd would render running a matter of considerable diH? There .ill bin all pr.bibilit, Ibrea^ta l open only to dogs nominated by member - the association Ibe judge has net fo selected. Ihe Karl of Lonsdale, who i, 7 ' much interested in the work of the a,- ™ tion, was approached with a view to 3" as judge, but he has had to decline ft 2 honour, as he will be in Eevnt on il } selected for the trials. In view- 0 th 6 t# - tive attempt to prove the wonderful p„Z of the bloodhound in tracking ma / dD A the Jack the Ripper scare some yearsaofthe trials to be brought off in Yorkshire ran • not fail to be of very great interest ■ At ft, period named Mr. Brough, it may be * : membered placed his hounds at the ,en-i« : of the Scotland Yard authorities, tot S, to a misunderstanding as to their insaranl ■ against loss, they were not used, and mm returned to Yorkshire without bavins had an opportunity of proving their value. ' ■

BOY AND GIRL 'BOMAXCE.

The Pans police Lave arrested a m"' cocious youth named Emile Convert 15 on a charge of attempted murder. Convert lad' fallen in love with Louise Vallet, a neigh-' hour's daughter, and his junior by a year He declared his passion, which she apparently reciprocated, but when the?:' parents described their conduct as children's foolishness the boy resented the aspersion,and proposed to the girl that they should • elope. His efforts to persuade her to ran • away with him were successful, and her!' refusal and the circumstance that she had ■ • been seen talking to another boy so upset "' him t hat he bought a revolver. Armed with the weapon, he concealed himself in a road' by which she would pass, and when she appeared he fired twice at her. Fortunately i his aim <vas faulty, and neither shot toot i effect.

A BOOK THAT SHAKESrERE OWNED, ■■ A book which once belonged to Shaiespeie, and which is enriched with his signature in two places, is catalogued for sale at Sotheby's in tho course of a few weeks. This is Gio-' vannia Sarava's " I Quattro Libri Delia Filosofia," which was printed at "Vinenia" in 1565. The first person in modern timea'to discover the precious autographs was a Sirs, Taylor, whoso husband, 1824, had bought the book for sixpence. Twenty years after Mr. Taylor bought this remarkable relic of tie immortal bard for sixpence it was purchased for 21 guineas by Mi. Pickering, the wellknown bookseller, who also acquired the copy of Montaigne, with Shakespere's signature, which is now in the British Museum. No doubt is entertained of the authenticity of the autographs. CATS. '-{M All the cat's habits show it to he by : nature a solitary animal. Even in early life,; wlien family ties bring out the instinct of association, this is apparent. If you compare the play of puppies with tha f of kittens, you will find in one case that companionship of some kind is an essential, for if a puppy has no playmate of his own species, ho will always try to make one of the nearest biped; whereas a cork or a bit of string is all that is necessary to satisfy the requirements of a kitten. The way in which the cat takes its food is a sure sign that, in its natural state, it is not in the habit of associating with greedy companions. When given something to eat, it first carefully smells the morsel, then takes it in a deliberate and gingerly way, and sits down.to finish it at leisure. There is none of that inclination to snatch hastily any food held before it which we observe even in welltrained dogs; nor does a cat seem in any hurry to stow its goods in the one plate where thieving rivals cannot interfere with them. Indeed, no greater contest, in natural table manners can be observed anywhere than when we turn from the kennel or the pigsty and' watch the dainty way in which a cat takes its meals. That a. cat allows people to approach it while it is, feeding without showing jealousy,' proves that it does not attribute to human-beingl like tastes with its own. ' ■#'

THE emperor's reply TO tiib 'roFE.' V The Osservalore Romano publishes,®: text of the reply sent by the Emperor Fpwu Joseph to the Pope's telegram of condo- " lence :—" In the frightful misfortune ivhieh has struck me and my house the words ol Your Holiness, full of holy indignation am of affection, and inspired with that faith which is henceforth my only refuge, ha« conveyed sweet consolation to my I®®® heart. Holy Father, accept my profound® and most devoted thanks for your words m your paternal benediction, and pray ihb®" . ber with pity in your holy prayers MB* forward the saintly soul of my blessed BM. well-beloved companion, as also myself 5??, my family.—(Signed) Francis Joseph.

rouse socialist's suicide. -' j _. Some extraordinary letters were read atan -■ inquest held at Woollaton, near NottingW - on Thomas Smcdlcv (19), compositor, of «i Harold-street, Radford, whose body*---: found in the canal a few days ago. Tl |e fa''J . said his son was secret in* of the Labour Ec "i ■ a paper published and distributed gWj \y He was an abstainer and non-smoker, - ao had no trouble except that, indicated il!!l letters he had left. He had never th«atsrto commit suicide. One of the letters to uw. . committee of the Nottingham Labour Chorea g was as follows: —" Dear Comrades,—! 3 , tired of this world and its everlasting ®!. yv and monotony and hellish competition® ceaseless strife. Therefore I have decided W anticipate fate, and take my life. I a coward and all that in your opinion ; doing so, but I ought to know best. '1W • given my mother full instructions re La Echo money. In hand I think there isy 16s lOd, of which White has 2s, I think , have left two books in which the accoUD are kept, and mother will give them tcy®. ;( I think you will find a good secretory editor in Lawrence Hall. -May the Law"" Church flourish and prosper, and the So® . ist movement grow, that young men ® J no longer be compelled to commit suicM® order to escape from soda' tyranny. L 8 live Socialism! I can hear '(in toW % V jurors' verdict- (" Suicide whilst tempo?®'insane.") Perhaps it is right. Thcj', clear-headed and honest English i u , {v .; should know. I am loth to leave jm-j.f do so love the cause. From a sacr f, • i commercialism's altar.-Tom SmedlßJsecond letterjJaddresscd to his mother • , .tg as a last "dying favour" that not go. into mourning for him, and t«B'' <_ ■. funeral should be as cheap and slin .'| i :j' possible. The jury returned a ver "Felo de se." im %