LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLVII, Issue 12272, 5 September 1904, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

I ; The usual, quarterly meeting of the WangAnui Licensing Committee will be rheld at itih-e,,C<nu'tjhou6Q.;at noon to-day.

, Four "bull1 operators on -the Chicago wheat market, cleared -a milliou sterling in a fortnight. ' °

King Edward has started on his homeward journey from Vienna. He is in splendid health.

It is reported that the Congo State is -constructing formidable forts along the entire western coast of .Lake Tanganyika, fearing German .encroachment.

Mi" C. W. Naylor received a wire from Auckland oil Saturday morning to the effect that .Paderews-ki had abandoned his trip to Wanganui for the- present.

Tlie draughts match between the CosmopoiriEan Club and the T.Y.31.1. was held in the rooms of the former on Friday, when, a very interesting and wellfoitght contest resulted in, a win for the T.Y.'M.I. by 26ghmes to 17.

At the ..premises "of -the "Wellington. Piano Company is to be seen just now the finest collection of pictures shown in Wamganui for a very considerable time. They are reproductions of some of the art masterpieces, ,and tih.ey.aro so faithfully reproduced 'that it is only on close inspeciiioni that one perceives "i hat they are not the orig'-nals. Of co'-u-jis. the price at which the pictures are being sold speaks for the fact that .they aa-e •not direct from the masters' brushes,' for, magnificent though the pictures undoubtedly' are, they, are being oifer-ed to the public at very moderate figures. Mass M. Newcomibe is the Wr.nganui agent, and will be pleased.to take orders. . We may. add that the pictures have attiracted considerable attention, diirinis; the past day or two upon which they have ibeem onl.view,, and a number. of ordeais'have been taken.

Members of the Highland Rifles are reminded of the company parade, this evening. A full muster is requested.

Members! of the Cadets' Council and Shooting Committee are reminded "of tKe meetings at tihe Drill Hall this evening at 8 sharp.

A hundred thousand people hare: been thrown idle at 'Maa-seilles. A strike has occurred: on the Lyons quays in sympathy witih the dockers'.

During tlie recent hearing at the. local Court of breaches of the School Attendance Act, one case was adjourned in order that the parent might produce his child's forth, certificate. This was done on Saturday morning, and the case was dismissed.

A fire in the premises of Yates and Co., seedsmen, in Queen 'Street T Auckland, at midnight on Friday destroyed a large stock of agricultural implements in the top storey. The fire was confined to this part of tihe building, but a large stock of seedfl on the ground floor were seriously damaged by water. The building was ineraied for £1000 in the South British, and the stock was covered by policies in tihe 'Commercial Union, the Royal, the National Union, and the iWited.

Friday, last (September. 2) was tihe aiiniveimry of the capitulation of Sedan, ■when 'Mairshal Baaaine. with 100,000 Frenchmen, surrendered) to the Gerjruiiis. On Friday last the Japanese and Russians were engaged in a. terrific encounter outfeid© Liaoyang. It may be .simply a coincidence, but it would be interesting to know whether the Japs, at the time when they made tiheir attack, had in view ■ tin© intention of forcing General Kuropatkiii' to imitate the humiliating action 'of (Marshal Bazaine. It would also be interest ing to know whether, in view of the supposed friendly feeling of France and Germany towards 'Russia, Japanc wished to revive tho memory of t3re evenly which caused Franco so much heart-burning.

A most enjoyable function took place in the Assembly Rooms on Friday evening, when the local Foresters' Lodge "held their annual social and dance. There was a very large attendance, including visitors from. 'Hawera, Palmerston North, and Raetihi. ; . The local lodges 'were also represented. Excellent arrangements for the social had been made by the committee, which, consisted of Bros. J. Love, R. Croton, W. Perrett, W. Hodges, H. Braiver, J. Armstrong, A. O'Connor, and Geo. R. Price (secretary). Bros. B. Price and J. Armstrong -were responsible for the decorations, wih.:ch, -svere of a very tasteful nature. Tha music for the dancing:, was supplied by Mrs Lockett. Mr T. Hodeon provided an excellent-supper, which yras much appreciated. DTiring the eveninp; tlie following rendered' vocal solo&— Messrs W. Armstrong, W. Palmer, and Geo. Larking- A olaaionette solo was played by Mr* Matthews

On Friday and Saturday last there •were en view in the window of -Mx W. Nettleship's shop two beautiful specimens of the skilful silversmith's handiwork. They© were the challenge shields presented by Mr J. G. Swan, to the Cosmopolitan Club as prizes' for t3ie annual senior and junior billiard tour aliments in connection with the club. The shields consist of polished' slats of American oak. At the top of the shield are crossed cue-i with .billiard balls. Beneath this *is a beautifully-worked billiard! table, with pockets made -of fine gold wire.' Beneath the table is the inscription, and tastefully arranged around the shield are silver plates on which will be engraved the names of the successful competitors. A handsome gold' swan adorns the lower portion of tlie ehield. The two shields, wfc'.ch are almost alike, ere in every way most artistic, and reflect the highest credit upon Mr Nettleship and his staff. Mr. Jerome's "More Idle Thoughts" is very amusing on the subject? of "Make Believe." He says it is the characteristic of the age. "A servant enters to say tha'b Mr. and Mrs. Bore are in the drawing-room. "Oh !" says -the man. "Hush," says tho woman. "Susan, how often am I to tell you never to leave the door open?" The man creeps 'upstairs on tip-toe, and shuts himself in his study. Tlie woman does things before a, !ook'ing-gTiass. waits, until by force: of will she feels she is sufficiently mistress of herself not to show her .feelings, and then enters the drawing-room with out. stretched hands, and tho look of one welcoming an angel's ,■ visit. She says how delighted .she is to see the Bores — how good it was of them to come. Why did they not bring more Bores with* them? Where is naughty Bore junior? Why does he never come to see her now, ■she will really have to be too angry with him- And sweet littfte Flossie Bore? Too young to pay calls! Nonsense! An "At Home day is not worth having where aill the Bohss arc* not. The Bores, who had hoped she was out, who have only ■called because the etiquettet-book told them that they must call at least three times in a season, explain how they have be*e;2i trying and trying to come.. "This afternoon,1' recounts Mrs. Bore, "we wei-e determined to come. 'John, dear,' I said this morndng, I shall go and sco dear Mrs. Bounder thi's aft-ea^noon, no matter what happens. The idea conveyed ia that the Prince! of Wales-cm catling at-the Boretf' lias befen1 told lie cannot come an. Ho can -'call1 'again in the evening, or come some other day. This afieriToon t-lie Bores are going to enjoy tb-eimselves in their own way ; they are going to see Mrs. Bounder. In "Mako Believe" over weddings, we are told that "every bride is beautiful, every bride is charming. Every marriage is an occasion for imivei-sal rejoicing. AVith. our wins glass in our hand "we picture the beautiiful life we know to be in store! for them ; how can it be otherwise 1 She is the daughter of her mother. (Cheers.) He—well, wo all know him. (More cheers, also involuntary j?uffaw from young man at end of ta'Wle, promptly suppressed)."

The same storting qualities that have brought tli© McCorcnick triumphantly through ceveuty-tiwio ha-rvefeits will bring sucos'ss to the nsw McOorm^ck Binder in the fharvesib of 1904-v5.

Dr. Roebstrow, of Palmerston North, who is now visiting Germany, writes that he .had delivered two "Lectures on Now Zealand^ and was surprised to find that little or nothing was known of th-a colony or dts locality fey. his audience, and that they had nev>3r heard the- name "Seddon!"

The earthquake which was experienced in New Zealand on th© 9th was very plainly retoorded in Wes'b. Australia on the seismograph at the Perth Obsex-va-tory. Preliminary tremors commenced at 7 a.m.; tiho prino.'pal shock was at 7h. 'Gmin., reaching a maximum at 7h, 7miin., and lasting altogether till Bh. smin. a.m. Tho corresponding New Zealand times can b3 obtained by adding 3-2 hours to the above.

If Napoileon had had his way in the y-aar 1812 the aspiration1 of the Finns to ■have their 'iand incorporated with Sweden -would Have been accomplished, and there would now have been no RussifL cation of the country crushing down the national sentim-ant, and of course no murder of the Russian Governor. Sweden at that time held the balance of power in Europe, and both sides were 'bidd.'ng for her support. Napoleon offer. Ed Bamadotte Finland and the country between the Elbe and th© Weser for 40,000 Swedish soldiers. The Czar Alex ander off-eced him Norway, and dazzled him with prospects of accession to the throne of France itself. -Bemadottei decided to throw in hits lot with the Allied Powers, .and this decision was the principal factor in Napoleon's ultimate ruin.

A departure from th© orthodox in fimeraiis was witnessed in Dunedin on Saturday. In, place) of the-stately and sombre-nearse. the- remains, enclosed in a white coffin, wens conveyed upon an open vehicDci known to the undertaker as a station waggon, the sable horses and trappenga bang replaced by a pair of beautiful greys, with silvei'-inounted harness. The mourners were conveyed in thi'eo cartages, also drawn by grey 'horses, while the drivers discarded tho crape-trimmed silk hate and gloves, and the services of (him who ■usually wal'.ks before the cortege wasi dispensed with. The deceased, it is understood, Ihsild the opinion that death was not a circumstance which should be the occasion for gloom, but rather the reverse.

'Mr. Holland,, the inventor of the sub. marine, &aj Ts that Ms new flying machine will be- in as igen&ral use as bicycles in fivo years. It cciisists of four wings, ciach ten feet long. Two are fixed to the shoulders and the hips, and they are worked by handles and pedals. The machino weighs about 20 pounds. The frame is-of .aluminium and steel wires, and the coverings of tha wingsl will probaUiy be silk. The start has to be made from a; slight elevation, and Mr. Holland saj's that violent exercise will on>!y be necessary during a. faw flaps of the wings. Then the wearer" will sail along as easily and gracefully as a bird, and may attain a. speed of forty or fifty miles an ■■hour1 with net more effort than is necessary to ride a. bicydle. Should th© mechanism gat deranged during flight, Mr. Holland says the machine will come gradually and lightly to earth. For over forty years he has been experiment, ing in aerial flight.

■China has a, way of getting hold of somo of the first principles of things, even though she may not have developed them into ©laiborate and scientific systems. Tha method, of calcuikition used in the .Chinese banks may seem primitive to the foreigner; nevertheless it is carried on with rapidity and accuracy. An officer wanted a, lai'gei piece' of niontey changed into email coin. Instead of going through the weariness involved in counting out the 300 pieces included in this transaction, a simple, -ingenious device was employed. A' flat wooden tray was pro-duoed ' containing 100 recesses, each just big enough to lodge one coin, and just shallow enough to prevent the possibility of two lurking together. Tho pile of smaM coins Avais poured out on this tray, and. with one jerk of the clerk's wrist- the hundred recesses were filled and t2te surplus sweipt off. During the performance the clerk kept his enormous sleeves tucked up woill, in order to disarm.any possible suspicion of dexterous pilfering. The officer's change was correct to the last penny, and was obtained in an •incredibly short time.

The King has (honoured one of the .survivors of the great charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava "by conferring upon him th-a medal for meritorious conduct and tli© annuity attached to it. Having, in the recent Birthday honours, confer, red marks of favour upon officers in commemoration of the jubilee of the Crimean war, bis Majesty proves that lie has not forgotten the gallant rank and file; Sergeant Nunneiiley, formerly of tha 17th Lancers, the recipient of the medal, is over six feet in height, and, in spita cfi his years, ho retains a fins soldierly appearance. In simple words he tails tlio story >of the) famous charge, j f!We had not gone far,' 5 he said, "be- I fore the men in the loft division of my ) ©quadron were nearly all mamed down, j including a sergeant whose head was ' blown off, his body remaining upright while hio 'horse galloped thirty y.ivds before it foil from the saddle. Every shot from the enemy's guiis came with\V.adly effect; -a few yards' of the Russian giyis ;myjhorse was shot under' nifi. Oil foot I succeeded in catting my Tivay tlirougli "the 'Russian cavalry, and when I got ckiar 6T my foes I a^iyted several fallen comrades, after vOiich I mounted a stray horse and returned up the valley, passing scores of dead men. 1 found that out of 145 of the 17th Lancers who joined in the charge, only 35 lived to tell the tale. • On the morning of the battle there were-tliirtfron of us in one tent; in the ©vening I was alone"'