CHIT-CHAT. UP TO DATE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 10048, 6 July 1894, Page 2

CHIT-CHAT. UP TO DATE.

Fine mild morning with bright sunshine.

Thermometer " under the verandah " at 2 p.m. to-day/62 degrees; in the sun in front of office, 9G degrees.

Sir W. B. Perceval informs the Government that the Bank of New Zealand guarantee has been favorably received in financial circles.

Sir Patrick Buckley is seriously ill, inflammation of the kidneys having developed.

Cholera has re-appeared in St. Petersburg.

Russian Government have advised both China and Japan to withdraw their troops from Corea.

Proposed to dynamite Matabooke's men from caves where they are seeking refuge.

Italian subjects at Rio having been treated badly, two Italian warships have been sent to obtain redress.

Prince of Wales and Duke of York are shadowed by detectives.

Owing to the strike, 1200 armed police have been sworn ill to guard the Chicago railways.

Premier says '' There is too much Government in New Zealand."

Reporters are not admitted to the Canadian Conference.

Premier has been 15 years in House, been a Minister, and has not a single relative in Civil Service.

Half a mil'ion of English tailors are preparing to strike for shorter hours.

All the Royal personages are threatened by the Anarchists.

A President of Hawaii has been elected.

Mr R. Cock, who has been laid up with influenza, is yow about again.

A yacht, whilst racing in Clyde river, Scotland, ran into the yacht Valkyrie, and sank her.

Since the closing of the Christchurch hotels, bedsteads, bedding, and furniture have been going cheap.

According to thelocal Press, Prohibition is killing Christchurch and Dunedin.

People are leaving those cities, as if a curse was on them.

Damage done to Napier breakwater is estimated at between £4000 and £40,000, the latter being nearer tho mark. Since Parliament has assembled, tho unemployed trouble has ceased to exist in Wellington.

Tho Labour members have had to give a part ol their " screw "' to the loaters, so-called " unemployed."

- Bertrand, the author of the sensational murder which convulsed Sydney in tho sixties, is now in Melbourne.

A bolt, fortunately unattended by serious results, occurred in Duvon--.treet East this (Friday) morning. Mr J. Kibby Lad occasion to leave his twohorse express fora few moments in front of Mrs Peareo's shop, and %\ hile his back was turned the horses moved off to the water trough in the locality. When approaching the trough the horses became startled through a bo} r putting up his hands as if to check them, and bolted along the sti'eet in the direction of Fitzroy. Just across the Hcnui bridge, Mr Mclndoe, driver of the Fitzroy bu.i, made a plucky but unsuccessful attempt to check the runaway team, and the horses continued on, passing their stables, and bolting through a closed gate which leads on 10 Mr N. King's run, near Mr Clemow's property. The team pulled up here, none the worse for their spin, and strange to say the express sustained only trifling damage.

At the Tower of London recently one of those quaint old ceremonials which link the city of the past to that of today took place in the beating of the bounds of the ancient Citadel and its Liberties. The observance is an extremely old one, but at the opening of the last century it was allowed to drop into desuetude for some years, and in the records of the Tower there is still preserved the order of the Deputy Lieutenant of 1713 setting forth the programme of the procession and the amount and character of the refreshments 10 be provided on its revival. It is held triennially on Ascension day.

Perhaps the most remarkable bird iv the whole Zoological Gardens is the " more pork," as it is called by the Australian colonists, orPodargus Cuvieri, as it is more technically termed. The fowl looks exactly like a caricature by Leech, with its enormous head and bhrunkon body. The mouth is large, even for the head, and its pair of largo yellow eyes complete a picture which is most ludicrous. This bird is simply a goatsucker, only more so ; it has the same crepuscular habit as the " Churn owl" of this country, and tho identical and uncanny habit of sitting on a branch lengthwise instead of crosswise. In its native country (so the Daily Chronicle avers) it is said to prefer tombstones to any other temporary resting place, from which habit it has gained tho not unnatural reputation of being a bird of ill omen.

A very interesting social experiment has just been conducted by Mr Fisher, the Assistant Professor of Forestry at Cooper's Hill. Mr Fisher has inspected a considerable area of what is to outward view the most hideous and forsaken district in England — the Black Country. The soil is covered with the wreckage of abandoned coal pits. The ruslrof men too hasty to be rich has passed over its acres and left them black, bare, apparently sterile. But Mr Fisher is convinced that one or two hardy trees would flourish there, and that a careful experiment in planting would turn the country green again. The trial would not be a costly one.

In an old cafe in Venice there lived a magnificent cat, the pet of all the guests. This cat lately died peacefully, and when the news got about, some neighbors made a collection of 200 f . for the purpose of erecting some sort of monument. The work was confided to two artists, who modelled the statue of the cat in clay, and took a plaster cast, painted like bronze. The other evening this little monument was inaugurated at the cafe, aud so great was the crowd that tho doors had to be shut. Tho ceremony was conducted in serio-comic stylo ; speeches were made, poetry was recited, the monument was placed into position, and finally the masters of the cafo was pesented with an album containing prose aud verso, and a number of pretended lottors of condolence signed with the namo of high personages. Ak the sculptors refused any remuneration, the sum collected was distributed among the poor.

At Longcbing, in China, a young fellow from Tainingfu in Chihh was practising at the last dates on the credulity of the people. He represented himself as possessing a bowl of marvellous virtues, which ho proposes to take to Pekin this year and present to the empress-dowager, whose birthday ia to be celebrated this autumn. Ho represents himself as having lived at one time in Shansi, and having then been suddenly spirited nway to tho Ling Mountains, where he dwelt 18 years and made tho acquaintance of the gods. Seated in the room which ho has prepared for him, ho " kowtows" to all who come. The number of tho doluded ones is immense ; men, women and children flock to him by tho thousands. A wooden aword which ho carries is able, ho asserts, to dissipate all evil influences. In order tv have him flourish this wonderful weapon, presents of cloth, food ami cash pour in upon him. Molheid take him their children to name, and consult him as to proper amulets to hang around their necks to keep of disease and ill luck.

DEATH OF MRS PENN, Sen. We take the following from the Egmont Settler: — One of our oldest and esteemed settlers passed away on Monday night in the person of Mrs Perm, wife of MrThos Perm, sen., of Harbro', Stratford. The sad event was not altogether unexpected (though tha end came rather suddenly), as Mrs Perm has been ailing for some time past, and her family knew that the end was not far off, During last week she was sufficiently well, however, to get out in the garden on one or two of the fine days, but a slight cold thus caught undoubtedly hastened the end. It is satisfactory to know that death came in as peaceful and painless a form as possible. The deceased lady came out to the colony with her husband and family in tho latter part of 1881, and with them has resided in Stratford since November, 1883, during the whole of which time she has been very much esteemed and respected by all who were so fortunate to be acquainted with her. Though of a quiet retiring disposition, she tooka deep interest in all matters connected with the social well-being of the town and district, and before her health broke down, her interest was an active one. The erection of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford, of which she was a member, was also largely due to her interest in the undertaking. Of lato years she has been compelled, by the state of her health, to live a very quiet aud retired life, but her quiet influence for good will be greatly missed by her family, and a very large circle of friends, by whom she was much beloved. Besides her husband, tho deceased lady leaves a large family behind her, consisting of six sons and three daughters. Two ®f the sons, Mr T. H. Perm (the much respected Town Clerk) and Mr Charles Penu ure in Stratford ; Mr W. R. Perm is in Auckland ; Mr J. H. Perm is iv Samoa; Mr W. J. Perm is the much respected manager of the Takanaki HniSAt.D, New Plymouth ; and Mr A. V. Perm is an officer in H.M. Customs at Dunedin. The daughters are all married ; one to Mr W. H. Trimble, of the Land Office at Gisborne ; another to Mr W.> t G. Maloue, solicitor and County Clerk of Stratford ; and tho other to Mr H. N. Liardet, the well-knovvn auctioneer, also of Stratford. In expressing our deep sympathy with the bereaved family, we only give expression to the feeling of a very largo number who deeply regret the loss the community has sustained through the death of one who will be so much missed.