MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 276, 5 June 1886, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

A Frenchman has taught a common house sparrow to speak. The Chicago University is in debt $250,000, and is about to abandon its property.

A man in London has been arrested for systematically starving his aunt to death. For years it has been his custom to lock her in a room every other day without food.

In Japan wealthy owners of cats have a high respect for them even when they are dead. In Yeddo, at a recent cat's funeral, the coffin was covered with a white silk pall. The Chicago people are getting nervous. The surface of Lake Michigan is rising four inches a-year. The Lincoln Park drive, faced by elegant residences, is being gradually encroached upon. A sensation was caused in Portland, Me., by the discovery that a secret attempt was being made to introduce about six thousand Chinese workmen into the State. They were to receive $4 per week. On the 28th of May, there happened a new episode in a famous drama which in its time concentrated upon the Court at Westminister the attention of the civilised world. On that day Sir Henry Alfred Joseph Doughty Tichborne came of age, and entered into the possessions that have accumulated during his long minority. The estate was deeply dipped into to meet the charges arising out of the case of the claimant, but it is said that it has since been so carefully nursed that the new baronet has come into a rent roll of nearly £30,000 a year. Arthur Orton claimed the property as the eldest son — the lost passenger in the Bella. The present baronet was many years younger. He was indeed a posthumous child, and was born right into the baronetcy, which was one of the most ancient, although not nearly so old as the family, who were great people in Humpshire before the Conquest. Whilst the young heir thus comes into full enjoyment of his fortune, the man who claimed it is earning a precarious living at pigeon matches, whilst the woman who called herself, and was by many hailed as Lady Tichborne, is with her two children living in a workhouse.

From an obituary notice in the Canterbury Times of the late Mr H. P. Lance, we take the following:—lt was in connection with the New Zealand turf that Mr Lance was best known, and since its infancy in the Colony he has played many important parts. As far back as 1859 his name figures among gentleman riders in Canterbury, and he was successful in many races both on the flat and across country. About 27 years ago he received a very bad fall from Captain York in a flat race at Eaiapoi, from the effects of which he did not recover for some months. In 1860 he brought Strike-a-Light down from Nelson, and a couple of years later was running Emmeline and Market Gardener, with whom he won numerous races. Golden Cloud and Revoke also were successful in his colours. He then joined the late Mr Creyke in turf matters, and bought Mr Redwood's stud, which ineluded Ladybird, Miss Lee and others. In 1862 he won the Canterbury Cup with Revoke and the Derby with Azucena, and the following year appropriated the former event with Golden Cloud. Egremont and Nebula carried his colours to the fore in the Derbies of 1864 and 1865. The stud was then disposed of, and Mr Lance paid a visit to England, where he was for some time connected with the stable presided over by the Messrs Bevill. On his return to New Zealand he went into partnership with Mr Mallock, and won numerous races with Foul Play, Nemo and others. On the dissolution of partnership, he acted for some time as handicapper to the Canterbury Jockey Club. On his retirement from that position, he again resumed racing, and from then up to the time of his demise, has been connected with the Hon. W. Robinson's stable. He has always been a most active and valuable member of the Jockey Club, being a thorough sportsman in every sense of the word, and his absence from our future race meetings will be much felt.