Local and General.

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9833, 4 January 1901, Page 4

Local and General.

The sugar season at Mackay (Q.) shows a yield of 22,500 tons. The new Dunedin railway station will cost between £27,000 and £28,000. The Government- of South Australia propose spending £38,000 on' produce stores at Port Adelaide. Christmas novelties at the Beehive: New yicnic hats 3d, 5d 9d, Is—A. Cour*-.,.direct importer.—Ad^*Fifty tons of natural soda water has been forwarded to Sydney from the Cooma springs during the past two months, purchaser" at 640 guineas. At the Wellington Park . yearling sales in Auckland yesterday the highest price wag paid for a brown colt by St. Leger from Hilda, Mr. G. G. Stead being the purchaser u,t 640 guineas. * ■ Mr. Chamberlain has a favorite exqjajnation which he uses with great effect at big meetings, and which is never correctly reported. The reporters invariably make it, "Ah! gentlemen." What Mr. Chamberlain says, however, is "Ha gentlemen." That, observes the Sketch, is much more expressive^ Bowlers take more green and buy your hats from the Thames Drapery and Clothing Co. Linen Washing Hats, Cotton Washing Hats ,and all kinds of up to date Summer Hats at bedrock" prices.—Advt. It wis mentioned at a meeting of the' Hawke's Bay Education Beard the other day that the teacher of an inland school, sent up from town, had lost himself in looking for the school. At Lancaster Quarter Sessions recently

a clerk in holy orders, recently vicar of Butler's Mansion, Warwickshire, -was found guilty of obtaining £10 by means of cheques,: subsequently dishonored. The prisoner had been previously convicted" at tha Warwick Assizes. He was now sentenced to five* years' penal servitude. A marriage under peculiar circumstances took place at Sydney recently, when a German fireman Mas bfting prosecuted byajilteu ladylove oh a charge of stealing a chain, 'which she had given him 1 oh his ; promise to marry her. When a court friend sought to convince accused of his faithlessness, and said that if he did not marry the girl he would be put in gao,. i "Will I?" exclaimed the German, excitedly, "then I'll marry her." A clergyman , waa summoned, and the ceremony performed in the presence of the court officials. The accused was,'needless to say, discharged.

Promiscuous kissing was carried to. an even greater extent at the C.I.V. reception than in the recent carnivals and on Mafeking day. Groups of young volunteers and apprentices struggled about among tne crowds, kissing eveiy woman and girl they could get at, and "passing the choicest prizes on to their companions. No unescorted lady had a chance of escape. Shouting would not have been of the slightest use, for in that maelstrom of yells and shrieks a hundred piga might have had their noses ringed without anyone noticing their protests. The mad carnival reached its height between ten and twelve, but was continued with diminishing force but greater wildness' far into the early morning.- ,