GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 136, 2 November 1914, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

GOOD BAINS IN AUSTRALIA. Received 2, 12.30 a.m. Melbourne, November I. The rain continues. It is well distributed, including fair falls in the western districts. Adelaide, November 1. The rain is well scattered. Though too late to save the bulk of the crops, it will greatly benefit feed, »nd save much stock from starvation.

A. e. Shepherd, ihc well-known Auataalwn tracing cyclist, who has bcien ridm !g| w*th considerate (success behind, ; pace In Europe (luting the pu&t setuto, bad a unique and unenviable experience [ in getting out of Germany into .England just previous to the war breaking out. The first evidence 'that anything was wrong was wihen Shepherd went to the manager of a race mooting at Nuremborg for his prize money. Tins ■iinawy was not forthcoming, mid he wa» tokl io see the authorities. Sn relmUna his experience/ .Shepherd, states what lio did. "They iold me to clear out—- ' quick. Then we" .heard rumors tka>i! war had been declared with England and that no one was allowed to leave the country. You see I was in a serious position. Pretty well ail the money I curried was in the form of French notes. Change it? Why, Mess you, the. Germans went pretty nearly mad at the mere sight of it. I called on (the British Consul. He,-So it appeared, had no earthly use for Frond! paper money. He reckoned I had botU\- ;jo :tnd trj tho bank. 1 did. The bank was dosed. Then 1 began to fear that evei. .'ith would Hie impossible '.to .-: . .tut of GeSnumy. Only one v\'. ....ui'jh Zurich was ope|i' ;>n;; L ,,. u fhat w?is said to be monopolist by tioo.jw. Well. I juat bad to gu t oui' somehow. Karly in the moniing I made ana', bur visit' to the British Consulate-, It w;i* closed. Then Hedspath, the American colored racing man, and t tried to get out. We scraped up all the money" wo could anu determined to 'try the railway. There were sentries at tho entrance, and they wanted to see iprur passports, an unwelcome desire when you do not happen 'to have one., and the other fellows luippen to 'have gum \Vt> explained who we were, and showed them photographs of ourselves racing on the track —all of no avail. The, beggars wanted passports and nothing 'hut. passports wouil satisfy their unnnatural aiV-etite. It was then that Providence or luck, call it what ytou like, came to my help. In my pocket 1 had a racing license of ■the Australian Federal Cycling Council. It had broad red bands top and ibottom, making it rather a striking docmnueut. On 'searching carefuly through my pockets for documents to prtove. my identity I came across it, and ithen a brilliant idea' struck me. Tho sentry wanted my passports—l landed him my license. I've mnny times felt more fortable in an easy ebaif wJtk my feet on the mantelpiece than I did when that chap was looking at my old license. However, I could see tho red ink imprcsßtfd him before he handed tihc license back, iredspateli had shown ' that he was an American, but the sem<tsry could not get hold of my exact na-

tionality from ■ the passport, in ***£ part of America j'a Australia?' he oalfei. ■I was w a quandary! Was he HMak II *«.p for me ? f reaolyed \J* Xr ££?""* • and * hrr »"' ■'<■• WW*