MAIL NEWS.

Southland Times, Issue 1683, 31 December 1872, Page 3

MAIL NEWS.

Sir "Roundell Palmer ia said to be the first Oxford man wbo bas been eleyated to the Lord Chancellorship. The Musical Standard states that a patent has been taken out in America for an improvement in the pianoforte, whereby tones similar to those of a violin can be obtained. The popular superstition that overturning the salt is unlucky originated in a picture of " The Last Supper," by Leonardo da Vinci, in which Judas Iscariot is represented as overturning the salt. Mr W. B. Baxter, M.P., in a speech to his employes at Kincaldrum, expressed his beliet that the co-operatiro principle, which was gaining ground daily, would yet constitute the solution of the difficult questions respecting capital and labor. Mr Stanley baa been offered and has accepted £ 1.0,000 to deliver a course of lectures in the United States describing his discovery of Dr Livingstone. M. Joigneray, an athlete of prodigious strength made bis first appearance on the 7th October at the IVdies - Bergere. Amongat other exercises, being suspended by his feet from a trapeze, he lifted from the ground a real horse by the mere force of his wrists. In the course of pulling down the old Mint buildings iv Colgate, Edinburgh, acquired some tima ago by the improvement trustees with a view to the winding of the street, there has been discovered in the crevice of a wall a specimen of the medal struck by Gregory XIII. to commemorate the massacre of St. Bartholomew. It is rather larger than an English half-crown, and bears on the obverse side the effigy of the Pope, with the legend "GKEGOKIUS XLIL, PONT. MAX. AN. I." (Gregory XIII., Supreme Pontiff, in his first year) ; and on the reverse with the legend " VGONOTTOKUM STRAGES (Slaughter of the Huguenots), 1572," a representation of the massacre, in which is seen the figure of a winged and helmeted angel, with a cross in one hand and a sword in the other, engaged in the work of destruction.

A noisy piece of crockery— The cup that cheers.