SPORTING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11738, 3 February 1900, Page 2

SPORTING.

, — * .—. — TURF ITEMS. Boreas Avas scratched on Friday afternoon for the Taranaki Cup. Acceptances are due to-night for the First Hack Flat and First Hack Hurdles at the T.J.C. Meeting. Straybird has been scratched for the Hurdles at the T.J.C. Meeting. The committee of the local club has decided that St Vincent, cannot run as a hack, haA'ing run at an open meeting in the north. The nomination money has been refunded. ■ KoroAvai Avon the Maiden Hurdles at Takapuna this afternoon, paying £2 6s and £2 4s. Telephone Avon the Borough Handicap. Divs, £2 10s and £2 7s.

Ths St. Petersburg correspondent of the Londo.i "Daily Mail" telegraphed on December 8 :—ln: — In consequence of the concessions granted by Turkey to G ermany for the building of railways in Asia Minor and Mesopotamia, the Russian War Minister has decided to increase the troops on the Persian and Turkish frontiers to 40,000 Tien by the time the railway is completed. At the same time, the Black Sea fleet will be strengthened by four great transports md four coasting cruisers, in order to be prepared for any developments in the Sast. The Ad jutant-G eueral of the Shah and Commissioner for Persian Frontier Affairs in Karadag has arrived in Kharkoff, and is expected daily in St. Petersburg. He has concluded an agreement by which the lease for 50 years of ihe rich copper mines in Karadag is conceded to a Russian company, at whose head are the .engineers Grorjamoff and Senakijeff . The Russians will pay the. Persian Government 3 per cent of the net income of the mines.

This afternoon on entering the " Beehive Drapery " Shop one Avas struck' Avith Avonder to see the croAvds of buyers that made locomotion almost impossible. Hundreds of bargains Avere taken out of tho shop, but hundreds more are still left for to-night. Customers wishing to purchase before tho croAvd assembles to-night, should come early after tea. 0