NEWS ITEMS

Colonist, Volume XXXVII, Issue 806, 11 October 1894, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS

ii Q -ma in* (From our latest Exchanges.) An old lawyer in Paris had instructed a very young client of his to weep every time he struck the desk with his hand Unfortunately the barrister forgot himself, and struck tbe desk at the wrong moment. The client fell to sobbing and crying. " What is the matter with you ?" aßked the presiding judge. " Well, he told me to ory ac often as he struck the table," Here was a nice predicament, but the astute lawyer was equal to the occasion. Addressing the jury he said, " Well gentlemen, let me ask you how you can reconcile the idea of crime in conjunction with such candor and simplicity ? I await your verdiot with the most perfect confidence."

An American recently entered a bank, and, presenting a draught to the cashier, demanded payment. The cashier promptly proffered the amount less commission. The American objected to the deduction, and insisted on full payment. After considerable haggling, he received the amount in full, the cashier naively asking him if he was a Sootohman. " No, lam an American born, and the Mayor of B ," was the customer's indignant reply, as he left the building. A few minutes later re-entering the bank he threw a shilling on the oounter, and said — " I guess, young man, you'd batter have that shilling ; I don't want to be taken for a Scotchman."

Children should early be tanght the importance of a reputation for truth - telling. Many a boy has escaped censure, and many another has saved himself and bis companions serious tronble when it oould be said of him — " That boy made such and such a statement, and I know he can be believed." Such a character is a tower of strength in a community, and to deserve such a record should be the aim of all right-minded young persons.

Hebe is a bullock-driving feat reported to the Sydney • Times ' office last week :— Recently David Braid, with a team of twenty-four bullocks, carried from Ooree station, near Jerilderie, to a place 30 miles distant 151 bags of wheat weighing 17 tons, 18|cwt. Taking the waggon as weighing 2^tons, this makes a gross of 20 tons Bfcwt. The extraordinary strength of the waggon can be estimated, as it was fitted with Sin tyrea and was supported by 3Ha axlea. No mishap occurred on the journey, although gates had to ba opened and onlyerts orossed. Mr David Braid is a native of New South Wales, and it is claimed that he holds the undisputed title of champion bullock-driver of the Colony.

The Australian sportsman, <Mr D. Cooper, who has been racing for the last five years in England, secured a good race with his filly Saintley recently. This was the National Breeder's Produce Stakes of SOOOeovs, which Saintly won in fine style. I The Cromwell ( Argus • states :— The eons of a settler at Lowbnrn killed 200 birds in one night in his garden. The modus operandi adopted was to wait till the birds went to roost and then olimb the trees, catch, and destroy. ' ~

The immediate neighborhood of Rome continues to be infested by robbers. On 9 evening lately aDr Angelotti was attacked outside Porta Pia by four m6n, who demanded his money. He refused, and was then ovaroome, stabbed in the side, and robbed. An Egyptian coin was recently dag ap by a workman in the vicinity of Dun Conor, on Inishmaan, one of the Arran Isles. The coin, is one of great age, though the hieroglyphics both on the face and rovers o of it, ara disi tinctly legible. At Barnaboy, King's County, the other day, Mrs Hobbs, widow of Cap. tain Thos. Hobb3, who was wounded at Waterloo and fought in many of the easier engagements of that stirring period, celebrated her hundredth birthday, sarroonded by many members of her family, including one great«great-* grandchild. fcJhe received a telegram of congratulation from H.R.H. the Cora-mander-in-Chief.

Some Bhiniog specks have been noticed on the planet Mars. What oan they mean ? Some think they are the snow-coveiced mountain peaks, others that they are forest fires. Others again ask whether it is possible that the inhabitants are signalling to us.

A .London paper has the following regarding the British Navy :— " Of oar 80,000 able seamen no less than 27,000 aie foreigners, and half the remainder have had iesß than font years' aervioe." It is also said that tha Swede or German is batter educated, more sober, a better Bailor, and of better physique — unpleasant truths, if truths they are, for those who take pride in thinking that as eailora Englishmen can beat the world. Fault is al3j found with the Naval Keserve, who it is stated are drilled with obsolet 3 guns on lanS, though it is true they have a mon h at sea on a warßhip, and ajainst them are cited " the im« msn:e resources of tho Inscription Maritime of France, which calls every able-bodied seaman ?o the defence of hia coan'ry. It includes 118,000 available men."

Tubes of g'ass made by lightning are often found in sand. The electricity passes into the ground and melts the eiiiciou3 material, forming little pipas, the icside diameter of which represents the " cora " of the " ihunderbolt." Such tubes, measuring as much as 27 feet in length, have been discovered.

LortD CoLEBiDGtE left a private fortune of only £15,000, but this comparatively small sum was explained by the fact that a few years ago he settled about £100,000 on his family. Rearly all English judges of reeeat years hava as appears from a compilation in the 'Brief. 1 died pretty well off. Lord Coleridge's predaoessor, Lord Ohie! Justice Oockburn, left £40,000. Lord Justice Thesiget's and Chief Baron Kelly's estates were proved at £80,000 and £60,000 ; and Sir William Earle's at £100,000. The • Post ' say a :— " An experienced miner who recently left Wellington for Ooolgardie, writing to a friend here, sajs he has not a high opinion of the Field, It is only good for reefing. There are only half a dozen good claims, and a great many duffers. Tha Londonderry is just a shot of gold, very rich, bat six feet away from where they are getting the gold, you cannot see the color. The writer warns hia correspondent against investing in the field, and says he cannot advisa people to leave *New Zealand to go there,

A Nottingham enthusiastic has been occupying himself for a year past with the construction of a baat in which ha proposes to oross the Atlantic during the forthcoming summer. Tha vessel which is built of iron, is 10ft Gin long, with 3ft beam and 2ft 6in depth. Tha craft has a " whaiebaok " deck, and the cabin, [lighted by glass windows at the side, will be completely watertight when dosed, fresh air being obt iin9d by pipes. Should the vessel be overturned, the investor claims that it will automatically right itself. Sh9 will be fitted with a 10ft mast from the fore^ deck, with jib and mainsail, and additional motive power will be supplied by a geared hand-sorew. The inventor intends to start for Nottingham, and he expeots the trip will occupy him something over a month, According to Mr Whittall, of Roekhampton, a peouliar mode of judging potatoes exists in Queensland. At a recent meeting of the local agricultural society, Mr Whittall stated that at the late show the judging of potatoeshad given dissatisfaction. It had consisted in cutting a potato from each exhibit in two, and rubbing the pieces together and the man who owned the pieces that adhered to each other the best got the prize. He did not know whether that was the proper test ; bub if it were, it was desirable the farmers should know it. He moved that Professor Shelton ba requested to provide the Booiety with a standard by which to judge potatoes. NOTHING LIKE SOAP. i Fare soap, qoofl soap, hone 3» soap Pkapß Soap.