NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1926, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL.

5 ESCAPED i,TONS. ROME, July 4. The whole city of Cremona was thrown into a state of panic yesterday by the escape from a travelling circus of two lions and three lionesses. The beasts appeared in the market-place at its most crowded hour and caused scene'! of terror, men, women,"children, horses and oxen fleeing in confusion. One of the lionesses entered a house, penetrating to a. terrace where chickens were kept. The lioness spent so much time chasing and eating the chickens that it was surrounded f?nd reduced to impotence. “ Tlie last lioness entered the porter’s lodge at tho local ga'sworks, where before the eyes of the frightened porter she ate a cat which was sleeping on a chair. Tlie animal then jumped over a. wall into a monastery, scaring the monks out of their wits. It wau eventually run to ground in the cloisters. The lions altogether were loose , for three hours. The attendant responsible for their escape has been arrested.

£400,000 GIFT. NEW YORK, July „4. Ruling, in Texas, a small town of I, inhabitants, is indulging to-day in a saturnalia of money. Mr Edgar J. Davie, the oil promoter, who recently disposed of holdings in the United North and South Oil Company in the Ruling field to the Magnolia Petroleum Company for £2,450,000, distributed £400,000 in bonus money to his employees. Five leading officials of his company receives £40,00u each. Those who had been three years with the company received 100 per cent, of all’their salaries since they entered its employment. Even employees who had served the company-less than a year wore given a bonus of 25 per cent. x \ The. inhabitants, as soon as the bonus was paid to them, began buying all kinds of luxuries with the result that they boast to-day more new and expensive, motor-cars than any community tlie same isze in the United States. Mr Davis gave £400,000 for the endowment of a home for children and for agricultural research. He has also presented Ruling with two large public parks.