GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2457, 22 July 1922, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

A book bought at a Farringdon Road stall, London, for. fid, was found to contain the name of the purchaser who sold it for 5s over 20 years ago. The title of the volume was, curiously enough' “The Return of the Prodigal.” Firemen arriving at the San Frisco home’ of Mrs J. S. Brown to put out a blaze were requested by members of the family to “make as little noise as possible, please.” They complied. The fire was soon extinguished, and as they reassembled their apparatus for the return, a nurse came to the front door and announced: —“Mother and son are doing nicely, thank you.” In the Carmel Convent at Darlington, England, the prioress, Ellen Graham, met a tragic fate by accidental gas poisoning. While she was asleep in bed the room became filled, with gas owing to a defective rubber tube, and in the morning the prioress was found to have been asphyxiated. Two nuns, heavily veiled, ’gave evidence at the inquest and a verdict of accidental death was returned.

Sir Harry Lauder, who visited the Tobacco Exhibition at London, was presented with a pipe which had been specially made for him. It was 14in. long and decorated with a piece of his own tartan. He was also given a lady’s, pipe,' a tartan tobacco pouch, and many other souvenirs, including a box of particularly long cigarettes. “The pipe is the thing for the smoker,” he declared. “It is the healthiest and the most comforting form of smoke.” Thrown into the Thames at Bar r king on Juno 20, 1904, a bottle which has had a long journey was picked up at Rainham reeently.Miss Winn, of the Ferry, Rainham, found a slip of paper in the bottle, bearing the following message:—This piece of ppper was placed in the Thames ai Barking, June 20, 1904. It' is curious that the bottle should have been washed up and down the Thames by succeeding tides for ISyears without being cast ashore. From Rabat, Morocco, it is reported that during a native fete tliere great consternation was caused,when a Moroccan whipped out a revolver and fired at close range on a party of Europeans, who were seated in a. carriage watching the proceedings. Two adults and a child of six years were killed. The assassin was arrested, and the police had great difficulty is saving him from being lynched by a large crowd who followed him to the lock-up. In the whole 6,000 petes of Eppirig Forest, Essex, < the deer now number only 111, so many having been, snared and killed in recent years. Fifteen years ago there were 300 head. Many of the victims are said to have been chased and killed by dogs, but sufficient evidence has not been obtained for the prosecution of the dogs’ owners. Strict instructions have been issued by the forest committee to the keepers to enforce the by-law prohibiting dogs in the forest “unless on a lead or under proper control.” Local residents are determined to carry out the unwritten law of the forest, which is to kill ally'dog caught chasing deer. A hundred and eighteen gourmets including Princess Murat, recently sat down to an usually exotic luncheon arranged by the French National Society of Acclimatisation at Paris. Among the hors d’oeuvre were Moroccan crabs and saltwort, the latter prepared like... gherkins. The entrees included a giant tortoise from New Caledonia, cooked with curried rice and Siam gourds, served in sauerkraut, and “gadid” (Moroccan kid, cooked in the Mussulman manner). After this sherbet was served with Annamite liqueurs, which left a taste like turpentine mixed with aniseed. Then followed a. fillet of dwarf Japanese sika deer with Cumberland sauce, yam croquettes, and Siam gourds au gratin. The object of the lunc'h was to try to introduce these new dishes to Paris.