GATHERINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3904, 21 October 1880, Page 4

GATHERINGS.

A polieennn saja that lio baa observed lliat Brine young fellows think that the best way of winding ui> a night is to reel home.

It is expected (says tho Otago Daily Times) that a saving of £-1000 a-year will bo effected in the Customs' Department.

A Prolo-Martyr two-year-old named Juniua won tho Galloway Handicap at Kensisgton tlie other day. Thi9 is a curioiu Btart for the imported Btullion.

A beer-drinking match recently took place at Wall3end, N. 3. VV. A largo barrel of beer whs consumed by six men in two days, and the smallest Yes3el used was a busket.

Abeddin Pacha, the Turkish Foreign Minister, who i 9 an Albanian by birth, writes and speaks Greek fluently, and has lately published a poem iv that language entitled " To the Almighty."

Signor and Signora Majoroni are playing English parts with great success. John Bushelle taught them JSBglish, and they first played in Sydney in our language, bub were not successful in a business sense.

People today are anxiously inquiring what is the height of " Joe," the New Hebrides native. Tho Herald says he meosuroa only " five feet two inches under the standard." Qhen he must be either four inches in height, or over ten feet.

Subscriptions are being obtained in the United States towards another monument to Edgar Fob. Mr Edwin .Booth gave a farewell performance, previous to his departure for Europe, at the Madison square Theatre, New York, in aid of the fund.

The Louvre has just acquired two valuable exnmples of the Florentine school. One is a large fresco by Fra Angelico representing " Christ on the Cross, with the Virgin and two Saints," and the other is a portrait of an old man by Ghirlandajo.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court has just affirmed the principle found in the old State decisions, that a man travelling on Sunday, except to and from church, cannot recover damages for injuries received on the highway owing to defective bridges and roads.

A scare was created- in Hamilton on Saturday by a report that two Maoris had decoyed away two little boys and murdered them. A large number of people turned out to search, but the rumour was found to be without foundation. The boys were quietly digging potatoes:

Miss Braddon (Mrs Maxwell), whose novels have shown such steady growth and finepower, is a notable housewife, and composes her intricate plots while going about her honsehold duties, and subject to the interruptions of butcher and baker and candle-stick-maker. She is not handsome, and bears a slight resemblance to George Eliot.

Mr James Caird, according to the Times, estimates the wheat crop of tba year in England at probably from threo to four millions of quarters better than the ruinous crop of last year. The same paper says that another bad hatvcst would, have been wellnigh a finishing stroke to the agricultural population of England.

It may not be generally known that the Superintendent of Locomotives in Canterbury — one of the most responsible offices under the Department — receives less remuneration for his services than an ordinary engine driver. For reasons well understood the wages of the engine • drivers was spared, or very lightly touched, whilst all otherß, amongst them the Superintendent aforesaid, were heavily reduced — hence the anachronism.

The following is the successful conundrum for the prize offered by the Saturday Advertiser .— Q. Why will the Retrenchment Policy of the present Government prove abortive ? — A. Because the scheme is not " sterling," although it hears the " Hall " mark. The Ministry, through a " Grey " mist (missed) having lost its " Ballance," things look very 'Dick"-y, leaving a good opening for the Opposition to play a Roland for its " Oliver."—" Dxtm Spibo, Spkeo."

It was currently reported in Christchurch the other day that a meeting of a certain class of showily-dressed and somewhat demonstrative young ladies ueually prominent in a certain portion of the stalls of the theatre, was to be held shortly for the purpose of petitioning the Hall Government to proceed atill more vigorously with their police reductions. Indeed, the views of this class are for a root and branch retrenching. Contingently upon the Government lending favourable ears to the petitioners, a testimonial in chaste yet highly ornate language to the Premier is in contemplation.