NEWS ITEMS

Colonist, Volume XL, Issue 8745, 19 December 1896, Page 3

NEWS ITEMS

(From odb Latest Exchange.)

Miss Priscilla Verne, well known throughout New Zealand, was the vocalist alluded to in the cable news a few days ago as having publicly thrashed a man who had insulted her at Perth, Western Australia. It appears that Miss Verne was singing a song at her Olde Englishe Fayre when a well known man about town ejaoulated an improper remark. Miss Verne took umbrage at this, and called him a "contemptible little cad." The ladies of the company met, and decided that the man should be chastised and a plan to entrap him was arranged. Miss Verne wrote a notioe, signing herself ' Alice Chambers,'" saying that she had fallen in love with him, and asking him to meet her at an appointed hour. He swallowed the bait, and strolled to the meeting-place, where Miss Verne met him, and, producing a cane, began to publicly chastise him. A crowd quickly gathered, and hemmed the two in, and before he could escape the man was severely punished. It is probable that the affair will be further ventilated in the Police Court

In the days when Jonannesburg was merely Ferreirra's mining camp, Kruger was one day riding over the witwatersrand in ordinary burgher attire. He off-saddl6d near a wagon owned by a German. The Teuton did not recognize the president, and held forth on many things he would do were he ruler of the titate. Suddenly Oom Paul, to the great astonishment of the German, who was a very small man, took off his coat, and, holding it out towards the stranger, said, " Put this on." " But " replied the latter, " it's too big." « Just so, 1 ' replied his honor, with a grim Bmile, " I'm Paul Kruger, and it is not too big for me."

When a Russian family moves from one house to another it is customary to rake all the fire from the hearth of the old domicile and carry it in a closed pot to the new residence.

Of two of the successful candidates at Dunedin, a correspondent writes : — ■ " Mr J. A. Millar, a few years ago, on account of his connection as secretary of the Maritime Union, and the action of the Executive of that society and Limself, was the most execrated man in Otago ; then another turn of the wheel, and ho is one of the chosen ones oi the commercial city that nearly suffered great calamity by the extreme measures proposed to be carried out at that time in connection with the seamen's strike. Then take the last, but not least, of the successful trio, Mr H 8. Fish. There has been no public man abused more in Otago than this gentleman, in season and out of season. There has always been some one "going" for him, and yet he comes up serenely at this auspicious time, and Mends and foes unite to place him in his present position/ ' Mazeppa," has compiled an interesting statement of Lady Zetland's doings on the turf during her seven years' racing, which comes out as follows : —

* Including a dead heat. In her 34 wins Lady Zetland has been ridden by exactly a dozen jockie3, R. Allan having had seven winning mounts on her. Frank Cochcane six, White five, T. Buddicomba dye, 0. Cochrane two, Dunn two, Derrett two, and Mathews, I). Holmes, McHroy, Ayers, and Higgott one each. It is proposed to erect in Rochdale Park a memoriaJ to the " /our Rochdale writers of the " Lancashire dialect," and an appeal has been issued foe subscriptions towards the cost, which will be at least £250, The obelisk is to bear the names of Edwin Waugh, John Traftbrd Clegg (Th'owd Weighver), Oliver Ormerod, and Miss Lahee — names that are honored by all students of Lancashire dialect writers, and that will live irrespective of any honor that can be done to them. Accorbing to the • Marlborough Ex« press,' Mr Buick, the defeated candidate for the Wairau seat, has received a letter from a lawyer acting for a prominent supporter of Mr Mills, threatening him with an action foe slander. Furthermore, it is said that Mr Buick has been called on to publicly apologise to a reverend gentleman who was opposed to him for publishing a certain letter in the columns of th.B Express, or take the consequences. By his friends, Mr Bnick is to be presented with a testimonial and purse of sovereigns in recognition of his services. A new watch is said to have a phonograph cylinder hidden away inside, and at the hour and each quarter of an hour a tiny voice may be heard giving the exact time. BY SPECIAL APPOINTMENT Pkab s Soap, makers to her Majesty the Queen Mrs Lynn Linton never misses an opportunity to gird at women. In " A Study of Wives " written for the ' Young Woman,' Bpeaking of the "modern wife," ehe says: — " Bet manding homage as the rightful in* heritance of her sex, she pays back scorn as the just reward of her father's and her husband's love. •So like a man' is the note of he contempt, ancl when she says this she implies all that is mean, cowardly and ignoble. Her favorite authoresses are those who vilify men, and the evil principles she has gathered from them she translates into her own acted life." Cannibalism as pratised among fish is one of the sights of tlie Wellington Exhibition. The trout turned into the fountain have spawned, and the goldfish are eating the young trout. In revenge the old trout are eating the goldfish. The law of compensation. — • Times. 1

(Starts Won 2nd 3rd placed won At3yra ..9 3 3 2 1 £71 „4yrs ..29 14 4 4 7 812 „ syre . . 12 3 3 1 5 204 , 6yre ..20 5 5 19 1193 „7yra ..14 5 3 2 4 914 „ Byra . . 12 2 4* 3 3 517 „9yrs ..2 2 0 0 0 1600