MAIL NEWS

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 576, 21 November 1902, Page 4

MAIL NEWS

ECCENTRIC MIL LION'AIHLS. CHARLES ROTHSCHILD'S SILLY ! HOBBY. London, Sept, 27. j The Rothschilds are nil noted as collectors of strange things, but Lord Rothschild's second son, Charier, prides himself cm having tho largest collection of ilea s that was ever brought together. This

strange hobby has been brought into notice by tire fact tint sonic polar explorers liavc just brought him a number of fleas that live on animals within the Arctic circle.

>• Every mammal and bird lias a particular kind of flea,” he says, enthusiastically, “ ami very many of them have several d'ilVcrcnt kinds. So, you see, the lloa affords more diverse material for a collector than any living creature. I have fleas from every corner of the world-over ten thousand different varieties. Whenever an expedition .is about to start for a foreign land I engage one of the party to collect specimens of liens from every species of mammal and bird that is encountered. The variety is endless and it affords me as great delight to find a new Hea as any of my relatives derive from securing a great masterpiece of art.” Charles Rothschild L twenty five years of age, and iris eider brother, Waiter, is a noted naturalist. Ruth have their collections at Tring Park, Lord Rothschild’s country place.

CARNEGIE AND K i NIL GREAT INTEREST IN' CARNEGIE ESTATE. London, Sept. 27. King Edward in visiting Andrew Carnegie, who never has been presented at court, created an innovation in royal etiquette sufficient to give the court officers a great shuck. Mr Carnegie had, of course, met the King more than once when he was the Prince of Wales, but he had never sought to improve the acquaintance. At their meeting at Skibo Castle Mr Carnegie was dressed in usual golfing costume and raised his cap as tire King raised his. They shook hands warmly. There was no formality, and the steel king immediately became enthusiastic in show ing his beautiful place and all his wonderful works and improvements to his royal visitor. The King was inteicstcd, and pleased with everything. hJinee then the Carnegie factor lias been entertained by the King’s factor at Bulmoral to exchange views on estate management and maintenance. The King on iiis way from Dunrobin with the Duke of Sutherland bad traversed mile after mile of the Carnegie estate, bad noticed the comfortable cottages in which Mr Carnegie’s crofters arc housed, and complimented him warmly on his beneficent utilisation of his wealth, saying ho wished he had the resources to do as much for his poor.

RUSSIAN GRAND DUKES, BORIS AND PAUL, Paris, Sept. 27. Paris now possesses two picturesque Russian Grand Dukes. The first is Boris, who immediately upon his arrival at Havre gavo several amnsing interviews. The gist of these talks was that the American newspapers were irrepressibly enterprising and surely coustilutc tire greatest curiosity in the United States. He declares that American society is dolightful, and American progress is so stupendous that it should bo considered as an ever-present problem for every European nation. About the reporters Boris said:

“ If you talk to him ono minute about the weather the next day he prints a whole column about your love aliairs. If you simply shake hands, remaining perfectly dumb meanwhile, he will print two columns. If you rofuse to see him at all you must expect a full pago of mixed dialogue and life sketches. Since ordinary champagne drinking was not picturesque enough for them, they represented me gulping it from a dainty chorus girl's slippers.” All of this Boris calls amusing. The second Grand Duke is Paul Alcxandrovitch, who is now installed at the Hotel Riix with Mine. Pistolkors, the companion of his fourth elopement. Boris visited Paul and a lively scene ensued. What they said to each other is not known,

The Auckland Star says:—lt is easy to form a class of legislation that will temporarily ele\ate Labor by depressing Capital, or will, on tho other hand, aggrandise Capital at the expense of Labor. But tho crowning glory of tho Scddon Administration is this, that while laying duo stress upon the just and long-neglected requirements of Labor, it has not destroyed the industrial equilibrium of the country by concessions to one side that would needlessly injure the other. We know that under the Liberal poliev which has been in force here for tho last ten years, our industries are llourishing, our prosperity is constantly growing, and that all classes alike have benefited through the measures taken to promote the joint interests of every section of the people. It is only when we plainly realise that the wellbeing of every class in a community is inextricably involved in that of every other—if tho country w to prosper our legislators must do justice both to Labor and Capital—that v.c clearly understand the true meaning of Liberalism and grasp tho secret of its success,

A cruple of years ago I crossed tho Alps on a motor bicycle, and no one lias, as far as I know, dune so since. I then maintained that the motor bicycle was the coming vehicle. Of course. I was universally laughed at. To-day, everywhere. this is admitted. The other day a two-horse-powcr motor bicycle made the run from Paris to Vienna in only 10 hours more than the fastest, a 70 horse power, and our run out to Nice was done in remarkably good time —far better than made by the average ear. So far as I remember, there was not a day without a storm. A racing car could easily have beaten us, but we had not the slightest trouble in passing the two or three touring carriages we saw ; 'while, as for ordinary j bicycles, considering we only rode a few j hours a day, I am afraid their riders would ! have had a bad time if they bad tried to follow us. Some who did seemed to find a mile quite enough. The motor bicycle is a thing of moods. But the worst motor bicycle I ever saw is better than tire best pedal-shoved safety I have ever ridden. — Joseph Pennell, in the Daily Chronicle. ;

Speaking of the candidates for Auckland City, the Observer says : —There are Labor candidates, and they have claims of their own. but to the great body of electors the election of candidates in the interests of one section or" the community alone will not readily commend itsc-lf, There are Prohibition candidates cdso, but outside the immediate circle of their own followers, they are not taken sc-riouslv. The ticket recommended ij Messrs Withe, iord, Napier, and Kidd.