Items.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 7492, 15 April 1899, Page 3

Items.

VisconntHinton,■claimant to the Ponlett peerage, having, it is stated, failed to bring about an amicable settlement, intends fighting his battle in the law courts. A man who died in an East London infirmary, at the reputed age of 107, claimed to have fought at Trafalgar, and said he was the lad who fetched the glass of water when Nelson fell. A widow, residing at Bunbury, who has just completed her 105 th year, received a warm shawl and a good supply of tea, cocoa, and other provisions from the Princess of Wales. A wealthy young lady in America is known as the "Queen of Fiancees." Although not yet out of her teens, she has been engaged 17 times. She allows a courtship to run on for a time as a kind of probation to enable her to discover a man who loves her for herself and not for her money. An agitation has been started in the hanking circles in London in favor of an autumn national holiday. The first Monday in October is suggested, the spell between the August Bank Holiday and Boxing Day—nearly five months—being considered too long. Sir John Lubbock, author of the Bank Holidays, does not favor the proposal, but suggests the establishment of an extra bank holiday in July, to be called "Victoria Day," in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee. The Dominion liner Labrador, while on the voyage from Canada to Liverpool, after a summer-like passage, encountered a three days' fog, and, getting 60 miles out of her course, at midnight ran on Mackenzie Rock, off the west coast of Scotland, and became a total wreck. There waa no ptnlc, although the terrified people had hurriedly to leave their beds. It was feared that the vessel would break up, and the 61 passengers (includinz nine women and four children) and a crew of 94 left in the steamer's boats. Their belongings and the mails (156 sacks) had to be abandoned as lost, and 19 horses were left to their fate. One boat-load made for a light-house four miles distant and effected a landing. Here they remained prisoners for days, it being impossible to rescue them owing to the rough sea. The occupants of the other boats were quickly picked up by a German vessel and safely landed, none the worse for their terrible experience. A meeting of the creditors of Charles Godfrey, the English actor-vocalist who visited the colonies a short time ago, has been held. The debtor attributes his insolto losses on his New Zealand tour and in betting on the turf.