Interesting Items.

Manawatu Herald, 8 December 1904, Page 3

Interesting Items.

''"'"During the recenf visit of Lord Boberts to South Africa, the people of Kimberley presented him with two rough diamond-' to ron'k hi;:; birthday. Fifty children who wore horn during the seigo of Kimberley drew lots for the honor of making the presentation. Th ''-vw.v dtiughtoc, who was also horn the Siege, presented m Lord Robert:-; im album of siege views. Lord Roberis responded with much fueling, and was afterwards photographed on the steps of the town hall in the midst of the siege children. The Irish Ladies’ Association presented the Countess with a rough diamond. The “no tipping ” I’estanrant opened in Piccadilly, London, is reported to have made a remarkable beginning, “ The number dined on the first day,” said Mr Lyons, “ was 20,800.” “ Have you succeeded in overcoming the tipping habit ? ” Mr Lyons was ask> d. “I think,” he replied, ,! we may claim to have done 80 effectually. A few shillings were left altogether on the tables, hut they were promptly handed over to the management by the waiters. Fresh relays of cooks as well as waiters had to be put on, otherwise we should have been all dead-” The scene at the cafe at 1 o’clock resembled a theatre first night crowd. People were literally scrambling for admission, and the door attendants re quired police assistance to stem the rush, fMr L, A. MacDonald writes to the Hangitikei Advocate as follows: Mr Wragge relies on the sun spot theory to bear him out in his late prediction of the coming drought. But, fortunately for ourselves, the sun spots have a different tale to tell, A drought accompanies the period of sun spot minimum, which will be theoretically past at the end of the present month. We are now therefore about to enter the sun spot maximum period with its six years of rains and floods. The years of sun spot minimum were 1900, 1901, 1002, 1903, and 1901. Those of the sun spot maximum will be 1905,1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910. Thus it may be seen the lean years are over and the fat years ai • to come. For the next six years there will glow in the sun a 1 greater power, and fresh vigour will be given to the soil. Where every blade of grass now grows two shail spring up, ami the seed that now increases fifty fold shall increase a hundredfold. So we can eat, drink, and be merry till 1911. The Wellington correspondent of Christchurch Truth says : —A marriage epidemic has boon noticeable during the last quarter, and there is speculation as to the cause. One explanation is that it is a sure sign of the prosperity of the country; another that it proves the opposite—no independent employment for girls, and they have had to look for husbands. However, whichever the cause, business has been brisk and the fees prolific both to church and registrar. Fhopkeepera say they are feeling the loss of many assistants at what is generally the busiest season of the year, and a firm noted for its fascinating milliners complains that it hasn’t been able to keep a good looking girl for any time lately, and talks about compelling i's staff for the future to forswear matrimony for a settled period in order that it may know “ where it are ! ” The experience of the match factory where they are supposed to manufacture lucifers, not matrimonial alliances--is said to have been distinctly unique. In a period of three months no fewer ‘ than 25 girls have precipitately thrown up their billets and sought the altar. There is consequently a shortage of female labour in the factory, which is a serious matter in a business where girl labour is chiefly employed, not so much because it is cheap, but because experience has shown that girls perform the work more dexterously than lads.