SPORTING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 10372, 30 July 1895, Page 2

SPORTING.

A deputation, consisting of the Hon. G. McLean, Messrs G. W. Russell, Lawry, Stevens, aud other members waited on the Minister for Railways at tho end o£ last week to ask for a reduction in tho railway rates on racehorses. The deputation urged that racehorses should bo carried tho return journey at single fare, on production of a certificate that they had performed at the meeting. Mr, Oadinan said that demands for concessions were coming thick and fast. Those already asked for, if granted, would total at least £100,000. He would, however, carefully go into tho matter, arid .forward an answor in a few days after ascertaining what amount of loss would bo entailed on tho revenue. Probato has boon granted in the will of the late English jockey, Fred. Barrett, tho amount being sworn at £15,520. The Aucklaud trainor, Mr J. B. Williamson, was in town to-day, boing a through passseugor to Lyttelton by tUo Takapuna. Ho is taking down Despised, Ulster, and Marochal Noil for tho Grand National Meetiug.

INGLEWOOD. [I'EOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] July 29.— Alexander Laing, 14 years old, son of Mr A. Laiug, of Inglewood, met with a very serious accident on Saturday last. At tho natural gas springs recently discovered on Mr Laing's farm. A quantity of gas was stored in an iron reservoir, to which a gas pipe was attiched, and this exploded, throwingiyoung Laing about ten feet up in the air. Ho received a large cut ou the right <<ide of his face, and tho paralysing of his lower limbs. The veservon- was blown to I atoms. Dr. Yalintino was sent for, and did all in bis power for the lad. It appears that young Laing lit the burner, which was faulty, and caused the explosion. Mr M. Sutherland has sold his business at Inglewood to Mr H. Mace. Mr Sutherland says he has made his pile, and wishes to give another the same chance. There are a few more buildings about to be erected in Inglewood. It won't be long now when we will be entitled to a Mayor. Mr T. Eawlinson has" sold the lease of his building and five quarter-acre sections to the Inglowood Co-operative Butter Factory. I was told the sum received was £330. Mr Rawlinson has purchased the house and quarter-acre section on tho Junction Road South from Mr Higgius. I understand the sum paid was £105. A social in aid of the organ fund will be held at St. Andrew's schoolroom on Friday evening next. Visitors to Auckland will find excellent accommodation at the Prince Arthur Hotel, lately acquired by Mr"D. Norden, who has an announcement in our advertising columns. A lecturer, who is travelling round with a magic lantern, got a decided shock at the natural gas springs at Inglewood on Monday evening. He had resolved to work his lan f ern with Eome of the natural gas in order to tesfc its quality, and accordingly he went over to Mr Laing's property to fill the bag that is used in connection with the lantern. He got the bag half full, when, in order to exclude some gas from the bag, he started to roll it down. While thus occupied a bystander applied a lighted match to the escaping gas to see if it woruld burn. No sooner was the match applied than there was an explosion, and the bag w.as scattered to pieces. Fortunately the lecturer was not injured^ but he got a terrible scare. Many rumours have been spread abroad, says the British Medical Journalf in regard to the health and treatment of Oscar Wilde, now confined in Pentonville Prison. They aro, however, absolutely without foundation. Notwithstanding all that has been said, it ia the fact that Oscar Wilde ia in good health, and is not in the infirmary. It is impossible to avoid s feeling of indiguatiou at the reckless diffusion of such unfounded stories as have been lately current. When once the prison door olosea on the prisoner he is cut off from the world, and nothing that can be said can either aggravate or lighten j his punishment. It is otherwise, however, in regard to his perfectly innocent relations. For three months they are absolutely debarred from all communication with him. If they write, their letters are returned, and he is not allowed te send a message of any sort. Under these circumstances, it is hard that the feelings of relatives should be so gratuitously harrowed by an irresponsible Press. An amusing story is told of Lord Carrington in his younger days, before satiety had converted exister/ce into a condition of perpetual weariness. He -was taking part in a small sporting meeting in Buckinghamshire, and had just enjoyed the supreme honour of " chairing " in recognition of a winning event. Suddenly he noticed a disturbing incident. An unhappy creature, against whom the cry of "welsher " had been raised, was mobbed by an infuriated crowd, and was in danger of being torn to pieces in the struggle. Lord Oarrington interfered with dignity and effect. " Gentlemen," he said, "if this man has robbed any of you, I will see you paid, but the land is mine, and I will not have murder committed on it.' 1 When the 80-called " welsher" was able to collect his scattered faculties sufficiently to explain his position it turned out that he waa neither bookmaker nor welsher at all, but a raojeourso evangelist whose business it was to save bouls under the shadow .of the grand stand. At a recent country race meeting in Victoria, Farmer Hodge was induced to" put in appearance, and at the solicitation of his friends was further induced to place £1 on a horse. Tbe odds, as announced in the usual stentorian tones of the Bookie, were "3 to 1 bar one." Hodga's fanoy won, and consequently he was entitled to £4, being £3 odds and his own £1, as every child brought up in our state schools ia perfectly aware of. When Hodge presented his ticket in all the exult-tion of his first successful gamble, Bookie took tho- measure of his man and handed him £3. Hodge accep- j ted it thankfully, chuckling over his adroitness ia getting the best of his man when his friends pointed out he had been "done" out of£l. " Not at all," replied Hodgo, " the man |is right enough ; he said 3to 1 bar one, so he barred £1." Bookie at once chimed in, " Bully for you, old man. They are trying to tnako a fool of you." The friends, however, insisted, and Bookie was forced to disgorge. Hodge still believes that he has wronged the man of £l,and as a solace to bis conscience he handed the amount to the nearest hospital. " When I was in London in the fifties," writes one of Macaulay's biographers, " among my haunts was nn old low-ceiled tavern, with a sanded floor two feet below the level of the street. I used to go there and drink 'alf-and-'alf. One day, while I was sitting beside a table, a large man in a cloak entered. Hia face was round, pale, and heavy ; but hi 3 eyes were bright, and hia bushy eyebrows slid up and down with quick changes of expression. Ho sat down at the table noxt to mine, nnd a waiter came in directly with a big plato of bread and cheese and a glass of ale, and set it before him. He ato and drank hoartilj', aud after finishing his lunch, sat upright andrested his hands on a heavy cane. Suddenly ho reached for his empty glass, and hurled it on the floor with all his strength, smashing it into shivers. He sat for a minute longer, then got up slowly, ' tipped ' the waiter, pnid his reckoning at the bar, and passed out. Ho had not uttered a word The waiter got a broom, swept up the pieces of glass, and cleared the table. I asked him if the gentleman's intellect was a littlo in need of repair. ' Oh, no, sir,' said he. That't uothiuk unusual with 'im sir W'y o's broke maybe a "undred glahasses since Vs beon-a-comin' to this 'ouse. 'E don t know it when o" docs it. 'E's a-thinkin , aud it Beoms like as 'o got mad at somethink 'c was thinkin' about. ' Who is he?' ' Lord Macaulay, sir.' ■' "Sticking Together in all Sorts ov Weather." — The friendship between man and man which enables thorn to stick togethor in all sorts of weather is a friendship worth having. -In times of pros- { perity some of us can hardly distinguish a friend, of this kind from one of the other sort. But let tho storm clouda gather and wo soon know who the true friend it. Aud whon tho clouds of sieknoss gather about ua wt* turn naturally and instinctively to Holloway's Pills and Ointmont. They are the only frionds whose friendship is worth a rap at »uch times. Wo know it, snd wo turn to them, confidont in tho knowledge llmt they will txstore us to health. Messrs Whito and Carter are !iO\v Opullill" Up fit<-t H'TlV.lui Ot" !u>W JllLiilllll and winti-r dr.ipcry from both thi* Uophj arid (Jjliinh.l markets. Th'MHW'it'MNk". in Drc.v <:-i-.i<;-i ( I\\ n • &, '! >•• ''ir>''. .f.f'un,-, ;,n.i \nhiP.< cy will "ov "ii -.' oi. a , both lhoJJpuriiOiitt.y-b(i*uc>i ißhd Down sU'ccst 03$3>YishmvnU on and lYnni IMdu} 2«iid iutitiiiit. liibnoction invitul.- -Auvt.

A WALL STREET CHARACTER. Jack : Going to the fancy ball ? George : Ctm't afford a costume. . Got a threadbare coat ? Of course And an old pair of baggy trousers ? Certainly. Well, put them on, and go as a millionaire.