NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1009, 20 February 1912, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

A novel strike occurred at a picture-show at Wouthaggi, Victoria. During the week the management of the show discharged the piauist, and a man engaged in his place was said to have accepted the position at a reduction of 10s per week in salary. While the first picture was being showu the piauist was pelted with potatoes, tomatoes, and fruit, and had to seek shelter. The show was stopped, and an explanation made by the management, but this was not accepted by the crowd, and at the cry of “ Unionists, leave the hail!” the audience rose and left the building, only a few women and children remaining. Had it not been for the police, serious trouble would have occurred. It subsequently transpired that neither ot the pianists is a member of the union.

A young lady who lived in Napier, up tiii quite recently, ami became fairly acquainted with Luc “high sassiety” of Bluff Hill (.says the Telegraph), was betrothed to a Sydney gentleman. The wedding day was fixed, aud presents and good wishes received from various sources, many from Napier. Several local residents were even invited to the ceremony', and preparations had been made by them for ordering new dresses. Before leaving Sydney, the bride-groom-elect was also the recipient of many good wishes aud presents. On arrival at Wellington, however, aiter an absence of some two years from his fiancee, he did not altogether meet with her approval, aud was informed at the eleventh hour that “ she would not marry him.” Telegrams were despatched to stop intending guests journeying to the capital city, aud, it is stated, the presents were returned.

Arthur Griffith, the famo.is lightning calculator, known as the “MarvellousGriffith” in the mu.-ic halls of America, was found dead in bed at an hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts, ou December 25th. The doctor suggests, states the New York correspondent of a London journal, that though Griffith apparently toyed with figures hurled at him during his stage performances he really underwent considerable mental stress, aud that his death was due to brain rupture, Griffith, a farmer s son, was 'discovered in Indiana four years ago by' a Chicago newspaper man, who proposed a theatrical partnership. Griffith, then 27 years old, and working ou a farm for two shillings daily and bis board, accepted, aud his stage career began in Chicago the next day. In February, 1910, a score of professors from Harvard University tried to corner Griffith. Professors and instructors threw problems at him, aud he tossed back the solutions. Then he turned quizzer, and asked the professors relatively easy ones, which floored the experts completely.