NEWS AND NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 15 April 1901, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

An express train from Carlisle arrived at Preston the other day with a man's hat, and coat om the engino buffers. Subsequent search showed that two labourers, employed on the railway extension, had been terribly mutilated by the train. Over three hundred casual London waiters were said to be out of employment owing to tho fact that at all the West End hotels dinners and social functions that had been arranged forbad been postponed owing to the death of the Queen. The French Minister of Finance has published the result of the recently-ordered census of tho cycles and automobiles in France. It was undertaken intb.3 interest of tho projected taxation. The cycles in use in France are 755,541 in number; the motor-carriages of various kinds, 5081. Mr Henry Somcrs Somerset, son of Lady Henry Somerset, and son-in-law of the the Duchess of St. Albans, has had one of his eyes removed by Professor Pagenstechcr, of "Wiesbaden, who came over to London to see him. Mr Somerset was shot in the face while staying at Badimton with his uncle, the Duke of Beaufort. Professor Deschanel, father of the President of the French Chamber of Deputies, was shot at while lecturing at the College of France by a young Kussian lady, whose friend, another llussian lady, in her attempt to save the Professor, received the charge. The Minister of the Interior lias sent a gold medal of honor to the patient. It seems probable that difficulties in Cuba will be added to those the United States has to meet in the Philippines. The have gained the upper hand in Havana, and have been framing a Cuban Constitution, which assumes complete independence of the United States. Although Congress passed a resolution acknowledging Cuban freedom, it did not contemplate tho surrender of all American rights won by the sword. The Home Secretary, the other day received a deputation which urged the Imperial Government to deal with the licensing question. In reply to their representatives, Mr Bitchie recognised the earnestness of those who had urged him to take up the question ; but he was convinced that they would meet with the some opposition as before, and he thought it was of more importance to deal with the insanitary and overcrowded condition of the dwellings of the people, whilst he considered thero should be for tho working classes more recreation and amusement. "While the oath was being administered to tho members of the Kirkwall Town Council, Councillor Hewison objected to the part of tho Proclamation, ''Edward VII., King of Great Britain and Ireland."

He said the Proclamation was a disgrace to Scotland. Tho oath having been administered, Mr Hewison proceeded to sign tho parchment, when he exclaimed, "I sign this in allegiance to Edward I. There was never an Edward in Scotland before. There is only one Edward." The Town Clerk interrupted, when Mr Hewison, amid laughter, shouted, "If I sign this, I sign it for good old Scotland". At Oxford the other day an inquest was held on the body of an undergraduate who died suddenly on the running-track of the Oxford University Athletic Club tho previous day. After partaking of a hearty luncheon, the deceased proceeded to the running-ground, where he was in tho habit of practising high jninping and running. He was observed to s'. igger and fall on the track, and never regained consciousness. The medical evidence showed that death was due to failure of the heart' s action caused by distension of the stomach, and a verdict of death from natural cause was returned. Mr E. T. Barnard, whoso death was announced from Melbourne last week, became handicapper to tho Victoria Racing Club in 1869, and retired on a pension of £SOO a year in 1893. Ho was 75 years of a<,c, and his death was not unexpected. Mr John Hagan, of Chippendale, while fishing off tho rocks at Watson's Bay (N.S.W.) recently, made an extraordinary catch. Ho suddenly felt a hard pull, and thinking he had hooked a large fish, hauled up ; but much to his surprise, round that ho had caught a sea turtle. It was afterwards weighed and turned tho scale at 301 b. Mr Hagan was using a fine silk waterproof line. Few men have greater variety in their career than Mr Jack Wilson, who has just been made a lieutenant of the Com-manders-in-Chicf's bodyguard in South Africa. He began life (says tho Melbourne Age) as a telegraph messenger in New Zealand, and, later, got into the operating office. While so engaged ho studied for the law, paying all expenses out of his own earnings, and became a duly qualified solicitor, practising in Queensland and Western Australia. Going to tho latter State at tho beginning of tho gold boom, he made several successful coups, amassed a fortune, and became tho first Mayor of Kalgoorlio. Later on he explored New Guinea. When the Klondyke rush broke out ho made a route to the Arctic never before traversed by any one. On the declaration of war, Mr Wilson joined tho Light Horse as a trooper, and, after having being invalided twice, has now received his present appointment He is not yet 33 years of age. An Auckland gun merchant has received a letter from an American varnish firm stating that it is now using Manila gum to a muck greater extent than formerly, and find it to answer equally well for many purpose. The firm believes the great difference in price will be a strong incentive to varnish makers to substitute this gum now more than ever, when linseed oil and turpentine rule so high. WADE'S WORM FIGS arc most effective and not unpleasant; children thrive after taking them. Price 1/-