FACTS AND SCRAPS.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 2351, 22 October 1889, Page 3

FACTS AND SCRAPS.

King Doin Luis of Portugal is dead. The Methodist Free Church and the New Connection in Britain are uniting. Father Kenn} 7 , Superior - General of Jesuits, will shortly visit Australia. Mr Tillet, chairman of the Laborers’ Union, is organising the Bristol dockinen. The Socialists throughout France threaten to go out on strike and close the Exhibition.

The order giving M. Joubert power to seize the Victorian wine kiosk aud bar has been cancelled.

It is believed that the German Emperor William will attend the manoeuvres of the Russian fleet next summer.

Tho Empress of Austria, who is paying a visit to Italy, has been hissed by the populace in some parts.

H.R.11. the Prince of Wales will hold a review of Englisii and Egyptian troops at Cairo on Saturday next.

It has been decided to exile tho Zulu chiefs Dinizulu and Undabuko to St. Helena for 12 and 15 years respectively.

The Cunard steamer Malta has been wrecked at Cape Cornwall, five miles from Lands End. The passengers were all saved.

Count Kalnoky, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has accepted an official apology from Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, for visiting England. The Agents-Generul have paid a visit to Glasgow for the purpose of inspecting Mr Lubrig’s coal-dividing plant, with the view of introducing it into use in Australia.

Tho Loudon dock companies are making efforts to induce the dock laborers to become permanent hands at £1 a week, but the Union has refused to sanction the proposal.

Earl Granville and the Marquis of Ripon confirm the remarks delivered by Mr Gladstone at Ilavvarden that the recent strike is pregnant with the hope for the future of labor.

The strike among the coal miners in tho northern districts of France is spreading, and serious riots have occurr. d. In the collision between the strikers and s une soldiers two of the miners were killed.

Owing to a fresh outbreak of the foot and mouth disease in Germany Mr Ilenry Chaplin, Minister of Agriculture, has refused to remove the restrictions placed on the importation of cattle into Great Britain.

In referring to the Zalinski gun, General Sir Andrew Clarke, InspectorGeneral of Fortifications, declared it to be the most formidable weapon known at present, but admitted that it had not yet been brought to a state of perfection. No one can afford to miss Frank Lincoln, who is to appear at Waipawa at the end of this month. He is a perfect wonder.

A fire occurred in Napier yesterday morning which destroyed a boarding house in Clive Square. The inmates had a narrow escape, some of them only getting away with a blanket wrapped round them. There was a splendid muster of the Brigade and Fire Police, and good work was done.

The German Emperor has banished French from the kitchen and menu card. There is no longer a “ chef '’ in Germany ; he is now “ ober-kock.” What used to be “ vol-au-vent a la Plenipotentiaire” is now “ Gcflugel Pastellen in Berolhnachtigewoißegarnirt.” This is delightful ! An extraordinary suicide by a Birmingham lady named Sampson, against whom divorce proceedings had instituted by her hujhand, is reported from Lincoln. The lady, who has been on intimate terms with a Lincc In gentleman who, shot himself dead, has taken her life by trusting the handle of a lady’s hand-mirror down her throat causing suffocation.

Some interesting experiments are about to he carried out at Cherbourg with the view of testing the possibility of establishing telephonic communication between vessels forming part of the same fleet at sea. It is stated that a preliminary trial which took place recently demonstrated the fact that a torpedo-boat can be kept in communication with the command afloat and receive direct orders as to where to steer and how to act in general operation. According to an amusing French arithmetician, 178 members of the last French Chamber were thin, while only 97 were fat, and the remainder were betwixt and between ; 184 deputies were tall, 121 small, and the rest of middle size. As to hair and whiskers, 131 wore beards, v hile 85 were shaven ; 173 sported the mauly moustache, while 68 favoured “ muttonchop ” whiskers d la M. Jules Ferry. Finally, 438 were smokers, and 139 avoided—if not abominated—tobacco.

The Birmingham Gazette states that Lords Knutsford and Hamilton have entrusted Earl Hopetoun, the Governor elect of Victoria, with proposals for extending tho naval partnership between England and Australia. Primarily, the proposals are to be submitted to the Victorian Parliament, and afterwards to the other coloniul Parliaments.

The London dock laborers have passed a vote of thanks to the Melbourne Age, the South. Australian Advertiser , and the Sydney Daily Telegraph , for their sympathy and support in the laborers’ recent struggle against the dock companies. It has been decided that the surplus shall remain in hand until November next, in case of a breach of faith on the part of the dock owners.

The fleeces of 10 goats and the work of several men for half a year ore required to make a genuine cashmere shawl a yard and a-half wide. No wonder they are so costly.

In one of the South Pacific Islands there is a small desert of s&ude, which, on being stirred by a trade breeze, emit a faint tiukling music, that has a soothing effect on the ear.

An extraordinary military fact is the increase of suicide atnoog German officers says a Loudon paper. During May, 23 sliot themselves. The number increased in June, and, it is feared will go on increasing.

Liverpool bought 700,000 barrels of American apples and London 350,000 barrels during the season recently ended. Tho importation ot American apples by the United Kingdom is on a rapid increase.

There is every probability that Japan will soon become entirely independent of other countries as regards its coal supply, vast coal fields having been recently discovered on the islands of Kinsio and Yesso.

When a small savings bank comes to grief, or is believed to be in danger, and a run is made on it, well-informed authorities declare that those who lose or draw out their money very commonly cease to save altogether. They lose heart, and make sure of their money by spending it as fast as it is earned.

Sir Edward Cecil Guinness has notified to the trustees of tho People’s Palace his intention of increasing his original donation of £9OOO for the erection of a winter garden to a sum of £14,000, in order that the people of East London may be provided with a complete and perfect winter garden of the best possible design.

It is asserted that the smallest screws in the world are those used in tho production of watches. Thus, thefourth jewel-wheel screw is the next tiling to being invisable, and to tho naked eye it looks like dust ; with the glasp, however, it is seen to be a small screw, with 260 threads to the inch, and with a very tine glass the threads may be seen quite clearly. At an inquest on a child run over by a Chinaman’s dray on Thursday last, the evidence showed that the driver had not seen the child, and when called upon to stop he thought those who called were teasing him as usual, so he drove on. A verdict of accidental death was returned, with a rider added to the effect that the Chinaman did wrong in not stoppiug when called on. Tho coroner (Mr Beetham) told him he acted like a coward, and was a bad man ; excrybody was ashamed of him. During the Czar’s recent visit to Berlin Princo Bismarck informed him that he considered an agreement between Great Britain and Russia in regard to the possessions of the two Powers in Asia was possible and desirable. He also expressed liiimulf convinced that the Czar would never begin a war against Germany. In replying the Czar denied that Russia had doubled her strategic lines on the western frontier.

Tho Shah has a peculiar way of eating asparagus not altogether unknown in England. At Lord Rosebery’s dinner the dusky potentate from the East threw his asparagus ends over his left shoulder, in accordance with a persiun superstition, which says that no luck will persue the aparagus cater until this rule is complied with. In accordance with the couit etiquette the Prince of Wales and suite were obliged to follow the example of the illustrious guest. Tho sight, as may be easily imagined, was a somewhat ludicrous one.

A truly singular mode of preserving historical ruins has been discovered in Ireland. On the Castle Hill, near Belfast, there was a short time ago an ancient castle. In order to protect its ruins from tho ravages of time and of passing Vandals, some local antiquarians deteimincd to surround it with a wall, and employed a contractor to execute the work. The wall was finished in due course ; but when the antiquarians caine to admire the castle it was gone. The contractor had used the ruin for building material, and not a stone of the castle remained.

Messrs Dalgety and Co. report as follows We held our opening sale There was a good attendance of buyers”, numbering over 1600. Competition was extremely brisk, and we practically cleared our catalogue. Greasy sold up to 13£d for good light combing, being the top price of the season. Good merino realised to ll|d; medium, 91 to 10£d. Good crossbred realised lOd to 12}d ; medium, 8d to 9£d. Good greasy pieces were in good request and readily realised 9£ to 10£d. Scoured merino was iu active demand, and ranged from 18jd for good pieces to 21d for good bulky fleece wool.