GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2177, 5 September 1907, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

The Cheviot News states that during" the past year the business a.t.the Cheviot Post Office lias increased to such an extent that the office had been raised from the third to the second grade, and is now on an equal footing with such offices at Rangiora. An amusing bit of ancient history was mentioned at the launch of: the armoured cruiser Inflexible at Brown’s yard, Clydebank, recently. Refering to the Inflexible’s predecessor (the battleship of that name) at the siege of Alexandria, one speaker mentioned that she was plated on one side by Brown and Co. and hy another firm on the other. The latter side 'was being rather heavily dealt with hy the Egyptian artillery, when the voice of “Jack” came soaring up from below : “Put ’er abaowt on t’other tack, cap’ll, and give Brown’s harmor- a chawnst.”

In the Arbitration Court at Christchurch recently the representative of Messrs. Whitcomhe and Tombs produced two copies of the “Life of R. J. Seddon,” one of which was published in London, and the other in Christchurch. The letter press of the Loudon edition was printed in New Zealand, and the sheets sent Home to ho hound. The colonial edition was printed and hound on the firm’s premises. “I don’t suppose there is a work which should have appealed more to tho people of New Zealand than this,” said Mr Whitcomhe, “yet we sold 200 more copies in London than wo did in the whole of the colony.” He proceeded to state that the binding.of the London edition was superior, and that it would have paid the firm hotter to have had all the work done in London and the unsold hooks sent out to New Zealand.

One day three friends in Paris were

taking a walk together. “I should like to have an exquisite lunch,” said one of tlie three. “I should he satisfied with a lunch,” said the second, “which is a little short of being exquisite.” And I,” remarked the third one, “should feel content with any kind of lunch.” Unfortunately, non e of them were possessed of the necessary money. Presently one of the trio was struck hy an idea. He led his friends to a music-publisher and made liim an offer. “Buy from us a song. This gentleman wrote the text, that one set it to music, and I shall sing it, as I am the only ono of us with a. good voice.” “Well, sing it for a trial,” answered the publisher. The young man comxilied, and the publisher seemed to he satisfied. He paid fifteen francs for tlie song, and the friends hastened joyfully, to a restaurant. The author of the text was, says Harper's Weekly, Alfred de Musset, the musician was Mompor and the singer Dupre. The song,

which was bought and paid for with fifteen francs, “The Andalusian Girl,” yielded the publisher -10,000 francs.

Miss Ellen Terry, describing in M.A.P. the bard work of Ibe days when she was n novice On (lie stage, says:—-‘‘.l used In get up in Hie middle of the night and watch my gestures in tile glass. 1 used to try-my voice and bring it-down and up in,the, right places. And all vanity -Toll away from me. At* the first rehersals of ‘King John’ 1 could not do anything right. Mrs. Kean stormed at mo, slapped mo. 1 broke down (inil cried, and then, with all the modification and grief in my voice, managed to express what Airs Kean wanted and what she- could not toae-li me by doing it herself. “That’s right 1 that's right I” she cried excitedly. ‘You’ve got it I Now, romember wliat you did with your voice, remember oyerything, and do it!’ When tho relioar--ul was over she gavo mo a vigorous kiss. “ ‘You’vo dono very well,’ ” she said, “That’s wh.it I want. You’re a vory tired little girl. Now run homo to bed.” ’

Tho now regulations for the registration of Asiastics in tho Transvaal came into force in July. Tho Indians aro oxcitedly protesting against the establishment of the finger-print system, which is one of the main points of tho new regulations, and it is predicted (says a message in a London paper) that 6000, or fully half tho Indians who wish to enter the Transvaal will have a way of impersonating Indians who havo already been registered. Last year there were nearly 900 of these unauthorised arrivals from Natal, and between May 1903 and eDcember 1906 there were over 8000, who came in and swamped the small Boer and English traders. For the last four years thumb prints have been used as a means of registration, but this having proved to be useless, the prints of all tlio fingers a.nd thumbs are now required by the ordinance cased last September. Against this must he set tlio removal of tho registration tax of £3. The Indians, besides objecting to the more stringent regulations, regard the application of the -methods to their women as offensive to Mahommedan scruples. Tho United States is beginning to a[Vply the same system to intending immigrants. In May it was applied in Sweden.