Not to be Beaton.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXVI, Issue 3453, 3 November 1915, Page 4

Not to be Beaton.

Lord Lonsdale, the leading spirit of the recent great horse show, has, of course, travelled very extensively ; and he can tell some rather staggering travel tales. At a dinner once he related bow he had come across a petrified forest somewhere in Africa, and found in it a number of petrified lions and elephants/ \ There was an admiring "Oh, oh J" from the company, and at o'nee an American colonel rose to uphold the reputation of his countrymen for the telling of tall stories.

"Texas has also its. petrified forests," lie said, calmly,, "but though they contain no petrified lions they are remarkable for having- petrified birds flying over them."

"But such a. thing'is absolutely contrary to ,the law of gravity !" Lord Lonsdale exclaimed. ".If the birds were petrified the laws of gravity would make them fall to the ground. "Not at all," replied the American, blandly; "the laws of gravity also are petrified !"