General News.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4777, 1 May 1884, Page 2

General News.

The club in Eve Royale, Paris, has been set iv a great state of excitement on aeoouut of the detection of the use of marked cards. During the game of quinze one of the players thought he. noticed that some of the cards were marked. The supposition proved well founded. On careful examination, all the Court cards and-fives were found to be pricked with a needle at each corner, the fives having a mark in the centre as well. To ensure the marks being recognised by the sense of touch the needle had been dipped in a solution of gum arabic. An immediate enquiry by the members took place, and on the servant's rooms being carefully searched, a box containing about £4000 worth of bonds, payable to bearer, with a number of packs of cards, similarly marked, were found under the bed of one of the footmen. The man was at once arrested, but obstinately refused to answer any questions as to his accomplices.

Some of the American papers are trying to make the public believe that Miss Mary Anderson, the great American actress, after strutting and fretting a short time on the London stage, will retire into the dignified obscurity of a convent. Young/ladies who are sustained by the applause of a generous public are aot prone to take Hamlet's advice, and hie to a nunnery. Jft will be high time for Miss Anderson to think of a conventual life when the public condemn her acting, when newspapers mil her uninteresting and when receipts at the Lyceum are gorae-

thing considerably lower than the standard reached just now. After reading some of the trans-Atlantic accounts of Miss Anderson's doings in London, one would suppose that this graceful and statuesque young lady refused the marriage offers of dukes and earls every day of her life, and that her daily programme was made very heavy by the solicitations of titled suitors.

A Vienna telegram states that on 9th February a wedding party proceeded in carriages from Domrad to Czigaudrad (in Hungary), where they were to fetch the bride. The road lay over the Hirer Thiss, which was frozen hard enough to bear wheeled traffic. The conveyance crossed at short intervals, one after the other, and reached Ozigandrad shore without accident. After (he ceremony, on returning, the drivers were less cautious in crossing the river, and followed close one upon the other. When the seven vehicles were about half-way across the ice gave way, and all were engulfed in the stream. Thirty-four persons were drowned; the only one who escaped was a Ziguener musician. The scene was witnessed by numbers of people on both banks of the river, but it seems to have been impossible to afford assisstance.

The curious example set to the gilded youth of Europe by the present Due de Morny, in disguising himself as a ballet girl and pirouetting for the amusement of his friends, has not long remained uncopied. There was an amateur circus entertainment giveu at Fau at the end of last January, the chief featuro of which was that the part of the equestrienne was, played by a gentleman. In short skirts, with bare arms and a blonde wig, said to have been lent to the impersonator by iiilme. Theo, this new Olodius made a great success, and was enthusiastically applauded by a delighted audience. It is much to be hoped that this singularly offensive school of tomfoolery may not become fashionable in the mother country. To do the British mashers justice, they are hardly likely to imitate the unmanly clowning of the Due de Morny and his Pau imitators.

A Victoeiak paper thus decants on the beauty of a free Press:—The beautiful idea of getting something for nothing is nowhere more noticeable than in a newspaper office. So much has been spoken, written, and sung about a " free press" that psople have come to accept the term in a sense almost too literal. If a man has a scheme of any kind germinating, he just steps in with the remark, " I'm not quite ready to advertise yet, but a few words will help me along." He gets the few words, but never gets ready to advertise. Two tickets admitting lady and gentleman to the " Q-E.X.M.T.'s grand ball" are expected to produce a quarter of a column description of the ladies' toilettes after the ball is over. Church bazaars are worse than balls. They never leave tickets, but expect a lot of space, because " it's a matter of news and help to the cause." Should a boy saw off his finger, " Dr. 0. O. Plaster dressed the wound with great sk;ll," would be a graceful way of statiug it, and besides it is "unprofessional to advertise." The patent rat-trap man brings in one of his combinations of aniseed and mouldy cheese bait, and sticks it ander the editor's nose, and explains how to catch them every time the spring works. "It's some* thing of. interest to the community, and if you put in a piece save me a dozen papers," which he quietly walks off with as though he has bestowed a favor in allowing editorial eyes to gaze on eueh a marvel of intricacy. An invitation to "come down and write about our establishment " is a great deal more common than a'two square "ad." from the same firm, Newspapers must be filled up with something, you know. The lawyer, with strong prejudices against advertising, is fond of seeing his oases reported in full in the newspapers, with an occasional reference to his exceedingly able manner of conducting the same. It is cheaper than advertising. In fact, who has an axe to grind askß the news* paper to turn the handle of the grindstone, and oven forgets to say thank you, but kindly tukea a free copy of the paper as part payment for furnishing the news, The press being ' free,' all hands seem bound to do their level beet to ride it to death, That is why newspaper proprietors are bo rich.