Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

MISERIES OF AN EX-COLLIER'S DAUGHTER. Near the 'big colliery at Coalpit Heath, Glouces- tershire, stands a bouse which has sheltered during more than 70 years the family of Mr. Edward Mitchell. Formerly a collier, he now finds suffifcient emplovment in his garden and among his pigs. About 12 months ago his daughter, about 22 years of age, suddenly became very ill, and occasioned the family serious concern. Able doctors were called in to see her, and all sorts of remedies-were tried, no expense being spared to effect a cure. But the patient rapidly became worse, until about four or five months ago she was an almost helpless invalid, enduring con- stant pain and despairing of recovery. It was a very fortunate thing for me," she said that I heard at laat of Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People, for I really believe I should not.be alive now if; I. had not taken them. For eight months I was taking doctors' medicines, and for Eeveral weeks I attended as an out-patient at a large local infirmary. 1 was told that it was in- digestion that I was suffering from.i I bad completely. lost my appetite; if I forced myself to eat a little food en. dured agonies I could not sleep at night, and I became so weak that I could not eyen dress my- self. I wish I had tried Dr, Williams' Pink before I should- have saved a lot of money, and spared myself a good deal of suffering. I am feeling perfectly well now, yet 1 have only taken three boxes of Dr. Williams' Pillf. Everybody in the village will tell you that I am quite a different girl now." To sufferers like Miss Mitchell, Dr. Williams' Pink Pills are invaluable. They not only cure cases like this, but the disorders which arise from an impoverished state of the blood and nerves, such as anaemia, pale and sallow complexion, weakness, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, pains in the back, nervous head- ache, early decay, all forms of female weakness, hysteria, paralysis, locomotor ataxy, sciatica, pal- pitations, low vitality, consumption, and wasting strength from any cause. These Pills are sold by chemists and by Dr. Williams' Medicine Company, Colbom Tviaduct, London, E.C., at 2s. 9d. a box, or six for 13s. 9d. They are sold only in pink wrapper, with the full name, Dr. Williams Pink Pills for Pale People; pink pills sold loose or from glass jars are not genuine.

haT" uis reTcreeivaesud refrrs om of Stht. e Geexoercgue tos rHs oospf ittahl e in laLte ondMorn. David Brandon the sum of £10,000, being a payment en account uf the residue of his estate, one-sixth share of which he had bequeathed to this hospital, in addition to a specific bequest of E3000 already reoeivtfd.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—JUNE 28. The proceedings, which began in the usual deco- rous fashion, ended in what can only be described as a burst of Jubilee hilarity. The Government, though having a majority of about 150, were defeated on no fewer than three occasions owing to the fact that a large number of their supporters were present at the Queen's Garden Party, with the result that in the House itself they were- in the minority. For some time business went on in that humdrum manner which has been customary of late. There were nume- rous questions on the paper, few of which, however, were of public importance. Replying to Mr. Lough, who asked who was res- ponsible for the arrangements connected with. the reception of the members of the House of Commons at Buckingham Palace last Wednesday, Mr. Balfour said he had received a communication from the .Lord Chamberlain stating that it had been the earnest wish of the officials of the Household to show the utmost respect to the Speaker and the House of Commons. This was coupled with an expression of regret that, notwithstanding their best endeavours, anything should have occurred to produce an un- favourable impression. In answer to Sir C. Dilke, Mr. Curzon said that instructions had been telegraphed to her Majesty's Commissioner at Mombasa informing him that a British subject would be breaking the Jaw if he took part in restoring to his master or otherwise depriving of his liberty any fugitive slave. After some debate, the Metropolitan Water Com- panies Bill was, on the motion of Mr. Chaplin, read a second time. A motion to commit the Foreign Prisons-made Goods Bill to the Standing Committee on Trade was debated, but ultimately withdrawn; and the Police (Property) Bill went through Com- mittee. Sir M. W. Ridley having moved the second reading of the Isle of Man (Church Buildings Acts) Bill, objection was taken, whereupon there was a division, which resulted in the defeat of the Government by 65 votes against 52. Upon this Mr. Balfour moved the adjournment of the House. Here again there was a division, where- upon the Government were once more defeated by 61 votes against 58. The Opposition, who were not represented by their leaders on the front bench, cheered loudly when the Government proceeded to withdraw the Prisons Bill and the Local Government (Aldershotand Farnborough) Bill. When the Irish Educational Endowments Bill was reached in Com- mittee, a motion by Mr. Johnston to report progress was negatived by a majority of one. The House having resumed, Mr. Balfour again moved the -adjournment—a proposal which was hailed with a good deal of cheering, counter cheer- ing, and ironical laughter from the Radicals. Radical members who had an interest in the Boilers Bill lower down on the paper opposed this in the hope ef being able to bring their measure forward at Monday's sitting, but, a division being again taken, Mr. Balfour's motion was carried by 133 votes against 76, and the House forthwith adjourned at half-past seven.

A DOMESTIC TRAGEDY. A terrible domestic tragedy has occurred in Berlin. A woman of 31, the wife of a house painter, killed her two sons, aged four and two respectively, by cutting their tbroats, and then inflicted such severe injuries on herself that she died soon after. Her husband, on hearing of his bereavement, went raving mad, and had to be taken to an asylum. They used to be fairly well off, but had of late fallen into such poverty that all their belongings were under distraint.

MR. JOSEPH COWEN ON THE r EMPIRE, The Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor John Goolden, J.P., gave an invitation dinner on Saturday night in Newcastle iu honour of the Queen's Jubilee. About 300 guests sat down. "The Queen," and other loyal and patriotic toasts were drunk with great enthusiasm. Mr. Joseph Cowen, in giving The British Empire," said that we had often thrown our influence, and sometimes our sword, into the scale of people struggling to be free. We had, too, encouraged and subsidised neighbouring nations in their despondency and destitution. We had, however, abandoned the old attitude of general arbitress. Our later furction had been educational, and we had laboured to multiply the number of con- stitutionally governed countries. That mission also wal accomplished, and some would have us rest and be thankful. But we could not, unless we were pre- pared to sink into the silence and inertia of a fifth- rate Power; and multiplied experience showed that mercantile States could not compete with great Continental communities unless they had a broad territory, a free population, an Imperial ideal, Mid adequate naval and military power. National sentiment as well as trade followed the flag. We must hold to our inheritance, not for the satisfac- tion of being formidable, but for the necessity of being free. If a nation proclaimed its impotence and admitted that under no circumstances would it resist attack or repel insult, it would first be despised and then trodden upon by envious rivals. In the colonies we had the seeds of gigantic destiny, and we could be cynically indifferent to their security and welfare. In India we were lords paramount over a number of mutually hostile races. We had. to control them without offending them, and were dofng so by sym- pathy and firmness. We had put order in the place of anarchy, protection by law in the vlace of oppres- sion by the sword.

AN EX-MAYOR FINED At Derby on Saturday Alderman Marsden, J.P., ox-mayor and chairman of the Watch Committee, was fined 5s. and costs for keeping the Tiger vaults 3pen after hours on Monday last. The defence was that the barman thought that an hour's extension had been granted. The case aroused much local interest, the temperance party having strongly objected last November to Alderman Marsden, vnio is a prominent Liberal, retaining the chairmanship of the Watch Committee on the ground of his con- nection with the liquor traffic.

SINC. the reduction of the Bank rate to two per cent. there has been such a rush of companies appeal- ing for public subscriptions as to bewilder investors on the look-out for safe and profitable means of employing their funds; but it goes without eaying that a large proportion of the ventures inviting capital have not deserved any serious attention, while some of the companies with more attractions have been extremely chary in providing the particu- lars necessary to enable the public to judge of their merits. In the past week invitations have been pub- lished for about £ 3,500,000, almost entirely for home industrial undertakings. The Econcmiit reminds investors that it is becoming more than ever necessary to in mind the maxim "caveat emptor," and to ing for public subscriptions as to bewilder investors on the look-out for safe and profitable means of employing their funds; but it goes without saying that a large proportion of the ventures inviting capital have not deserved any serious attention, while some of the companies with more attractions have been extremely chary in providing the particu- lars necessary to enable the public to judge of their merits. In the past week invitations have been pub- lished for about £ 3,500,000, almost entirely for home industrial undertakings. She Econcmiit reminds investors that it is becoming more than ever necessary to bear in mind the maxim caveat emptor," and to •ctnpon it in reference to the undertakings which Ifcey are asked to subscribe to.

TURKEY AND GREECE. APPEAL BY THE SULTAN TO THE GER. MAN EMPEROR. AMOUNT OF THE INDEMNITY. The Sultan has not yet pronounced upon the question of the delimitation of the Turco-Greek fron- tier, and consequently neither the military dele- gates nor Tewfik Pasha are in a position to make binding declarations. On the other hand, the Sultan has causecf fresh steps to betaken at Berlin, in order to induce Germany to support the de- mand for the retention of Thessaly. The German Government, replying to the Turkish request, stated that the Powers were opposed to such a change of the map of Europe as the cession of the province would involve, and it therefore advised the Sultan to con- form to their wishes. The Sultan's hesitation to decide upon the aban- donment of Thessaly is believed to be connected with an intimation stated to have been made to his Majesty by some sheiks, that the abandonment of conquered territory might produce a very bad im- pression on the Mussulman world. As to the indemnity question, it is understood that the Ambassadors, acting on the report of the finan- cial experts, have proposed a sum of £ T4,000,000. An official telegram has been sent to the Ottopaan Embassies abroad, which states that the inhabitants and notables of Trikhala Mussulmans, Christians, and Jews alike, to the number of 11,132, have addressed a petition to the Grand Vizier, praying that the sandjak shall remain under Ottoman rule. The petitioners declare that ever since the cession of the sandjak of Trik- hala to Greece they have not enjoyed any regular administration; the Courts have delayed dealing with cases for years, and most of the inhabitants have lost their property, which has fallen into the hands of Heller ic lawyers, who had come from Greece. They assert that the retrocession of the territory to Greece, which would depri-e them again of the just and equitable administration of t e Imperial Govern- ment, would but complete their ruin.

THE FAMINE IN INDIA. The Secretary of State for India has receire4 the following telegram from the Viceroy on the subject of the famine: Ordinary monsoon conditions now prevail. There has been general rain throughout Burmah, Deltaic and Central Bengal, and Behar, North-West Pro- vinces and heavy rain in Central Provinces. In Madras and Bombay Deccan more rain is wanted in parts. In South Punjab only slight rain has fallen. In Bengal agricultural conditions quite satisfactory,, and elsewhere cultivation now proceeding generally. Advance in prices iu many places: In Kurnool 11 seers; Bijapur, 9J; Nasik, 8| Saran, barley, Darbhanga, Indian corn, 9, rice, 7J; North-West Provinces, 9 to 12; Delhi, wheat, 10; Rohtak, barley, 12^ Bilaspur, 9; Mandla, 7!; Balaghat, 7. On relief: Madras, 504,000; Bombay, 301,000; Bengal, 842,000 North-West Provinces, 1,367,000 (including 63,000 relieved by Fund); Punjab, 98,000; Central Provinces, 583,000; Burma, 7000; Berar, 23,000; Hyderabad, 17,000; Central India, 160,000; Rajputana, 25,000; total, .3,929,000."

A COSTLY BIBLE. At the sale on Monday of the Biblical portion of the Ashburnham Library, a copy of the celebrated Mazarin Bible, the first book executed with metal types by Gutenberg and Fust, the inventors of printing, was sold for E4000 to Mr. Quaritch. This is the highest price ever obtained for this remarkable book.

A MILITARY REVIEW. The North China Daily News gives the following interesting description of a recent inspection of Chinese troops at Woosung by the Governor of Kiangsu As soon as his Excellency had taken up his position a company of archers, resplendent in gold-embroidered coats and wearing silver-plated helmets, advanced and kneeled before him, making three "kow-tows" and then lining up on either side of the entrance of the yamen. The first of the native regiments was then marched on to the parade ground, through the side gates of the make-believe city wall of cotton cloth, to a deafening accompaniment of trumpet-blowing and drum-beating. They were then formed in line, five deep, and went through a fearful and wonderful display of volley and inde- pendent firing, after which the sword, spear, and halberd men of the battalion gave an edifying ex- hibition of their skill. This was followed by a mock combat between the sword and halberd men, wbich waa-chiefly remarkable for the wonderful contor- tions of the combatants. The battalion was then marched off and gave place to another, which was put through much the same movements, except that the drill was perhaps a little more in accord with European notions. the movements, such as they were, were executed with precision, though in One, the formation of rallying groups, each group fras pouring a heavy fire into its neighbours, apparently thinking that it did not matter whom they killed^ as long as somebody went down. After some target practice had been indulged in by the braves, the serious business of the day—i.e., the review of the foreien-drilled troops commenced. Drawn upl in line facing a temporary hall erected on the parade ground were eight infantry companies, each 250 strong, two batteries of artillery, and a squadron of dismounted cavalry. On Governor Chao's arrival on the ground the whole line presented arms, and the way in which it was done was a startling surprise to those who hitherto bad seen nothing but the native-drilled "braves." The whole line simply moved as pne man, and the manual and firing exercises which followed can only be described as excellent, in fact they could hardly be improved upon. A lengthy programme had been arranged with a view to show- ing his Excellency as much as possible of the work and duties of a modern army corps on the parade- ground and in field, including a march-past of the whole brigade in columns of half-companies, to the strains of a native band, supplied with European in- struments which they had not quite mastered. The march past on the whole was fair, though the exe- crable music considerably marred it, and the men ¡ marched much better without music.

Knowledge contains an interesting account of the new monkey, or guereza, found in East Africa by Dr. Gregory. The animal is extremely pretty in its coat of long silky white and black hair. Dr. Gregory seems to regard its coat as an instance of protective colouration. Living in the dense forests of Mount Kilima Njaro, where the black-stemmed trees are draped with long grey moss or lichens, the white and black hair renders the animal almost invisible. Dr. Gregory was unable to distinguish the ape from the moss at a short distance, just as the zebra, with its white and black stripes, appears to blend with the errev of the desert. THK Marchioness Li, wife ot lit Chung .Lang, n very beautiful and learned, if compared with her countrywomen. While her age is more than 50, she looks 30, or even less. The wife of a very rich man, she spends royally, although not without keeping a detailed account of her expenditures. She lives in her magnificent home on the banks of the Pei-Ho in great splendour, surrounded by song-birds, peacocks, aquaria, pottery, gems, and botanical collections. One thousand attendants and servants answer her beck and call. In her wardrobe, it i. said, are guarded 2000 coats, 1200 pairs of trouserettes, and 500 fur robes made from the finest skins. TUB yearly expenses of the Sultan have been esti- mated at no less a sum than six millions sterling. Of this a million and a half alone is spent on the clothing of the women, and £ 80,000 on the Sultan s own wardrobe. Nearly another million and a half is swallowed up by presents, a milli°° goes for pocket- monev. and itUi another million for the table. It teems incredible that so much money can possibly be spent in a year by one man, but when it iu re- membered that some 1600 people live within the palace walls, live luxuriously and dress expensively at the cost of the Civil L ist, it appears a little more comprehensible. THE Duchess of Devonshire has completely identi- led herself with her husband's political career, and ▼et she ia absolutely German by birth, her father having been a well-known diplomat, Count D'Alten. She is one of the very few examples in the history of Great Britain of the same woman twice becoming a duchess. She married when quite a young girl the then Duke of Manchester, and her beauty and intel- lect soon made her famous. The fact that she it some 12 years older than her present husband has not prevented the marriage turning out & vert happy one.

EPITOME OF NEWS. Losnoff covers an area of 226 square miles. Tmc Commander-in-Chief. Lord Wolseley, is a great collector of Gordon relics. FIFTY THOUSAND sewing machines are annually manufactured in Germany. TUB standard of height in the British army is greater than in the army of any other nation. THE Mint tuakes a profit of nearly 3d. on every Is. coined. Tjiic average of life in England exceeds that of France by 11 years. W OliN-OUT billiard-balls are used for making dice. THERE are over a thousand professional fortune- teliers in Paris. THE coet of living is 40 per cent. less in London *han in New York. HAMBURG, according to German statistics, is now the principal port of Europe. Is Heligoland no person under 16 is allowed to enter either a theatre or a public-house. TilE Queen signs about 50,000 documents every 3 ear. A rOUND of tea requires 12 tea plants of average size. SIXTY languages are spoken in the empire gove rned-by the Czar of Russia. IT is said that over 1000 persons die annually of delirium tremens in England alone. Tm; best educated nation on the Continent is Ger- many. THI Queen has had a loaded pistol levelled at her Roval person no less than five times. She has narrowly escaped from death, however, nine times. IMITATION human hair is now made out of the inner lining of the bud of the Almetto tree. This can be made of any length and dyed any colour. THE largest winged insect in the world is the Atlas moth of Central Brazil. Its wings extend 14 inches from tip to tip. A NATIVE superstition in Bombay ascribes the origin of the recent plague in vengeance for an insult offered ro the statue of Queen Victoria in that town, which was one morning found bedaubed with tar. THE Queen possesses two of the oldest watches in the world. Both have silver dials, and are about the size of a half-crown. One is a blind man's watch and the other a repeater. A LADY in London has formed a loan stud for cabmen. Her plan is to hire horses to cabmen and others whose animals have either died or are in need of rest. A CIUNAMAN is compelled, by the law of his land, to leave his possessions to his male children. He can make no exceptions in favour of any one person. THE craze for Victorian souvenirs has extended to gloves, purses, and even the old-fashioned earrings, in London. Gloves have buttons with the Queen's portrait on their surface, and pocketbooks are orna- mented with the rose, shamrock, and thistle. The earrings are of the type worn when the Queen came to the throne. THE Imperial State Crown, which was made for the Queen in 1838. contains the ruby given to Edward the Black Prince by the King of Castile in 1367, and 2783 diamonds, besides pearls, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. The value of the jewels is estimated at 1:112,760. FOR many years the Queen has made it a practice to treasure up handkerchiefs worn by her upon special occasions as mementoes of these events. The Diamond Jubilee handkerchief, of courso, will be tho most cherished of all. SOMEONE has estimated that 22 acres of land is needed to sustain a man on flesh, while that amount of land sown with wheat will feed 42 persons; sown with oats, 88; with potatoes, Indian corn, and rice, 176 persons; aud planted with bread-fruit trees, over 6000 people could be fed. e remains of THE catacombs of Rome contain the remains of about 6,000,000 human beings, and those of Paris about 3,000,000. The latter were formerly stone quarries. Many of the victims of the revolution of 1792-4 are buried there. ONE million and a half men work in the coal mines of the world. Of these England has 535,000; United States, 300,000; Germany, 285,000; Bel- gium, 100,000; Russia, 44,000. The world's miners of metal number 4,000,000. MRS. THEODORE BENT might claim, was she not a very modest woman, to be the champion lady ex- plorer of modern times. Together with her husjband, the late Mr. Theodore Bent, she has undertaken suc- cessfully 13 voyages of exploration, and probably few women are as familiar with the little known islands of Greece as is Mrs. Bent; she was also one of the first to traveree Arabia. IT is not, generally known that the Qftefeb can write with her left hand almost as well as with her right. It was the wish of her mother that all her children should learn to do a thing two ways, and in penman- ship Princess Victoria excelled. The Quean, how- ever, never writes with her left hand, and the Ifast time she did so was before the death of the Prince Consprp. THE record for Royal travel is held by the Quebn. Sinee.1842, the year the Queen first entered a railway- carriage, she has travelled something like 2,000,000 miles. This beats the Prince of Wales by about 500,000 miles, and the next greatest Royal traveller, the Duke of Cambridge, by nearly a million miles. HER MAJESTY in her long life has travelled very little abroad. She has never been in Russia, Den- mark, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, •nor G reece. She has never yet set eyes on any of her colonies, nor upon any part of Asia, Africa, or America. "RonuHw Peter to pay Paul "-is said to have origi- nated in an act of the Government of England in 1550. At the time the Cathedral of St. Paul, in London, being out of repair and no funds available, a portion of the income of Westminster, which was consecrated to St. Peter, was diverted to the repair of St. Paul's. A GENTLEMAN, writing from Japan, says that, although it is only 18 years since the first newspaper waa published in Japan, there are now 575 daily and weekly newspapers. There are 35 law magazines, 111 scientific periodicals, 35 medical journals, and an equal number of religious newspapers. A LITTLE incident is told of the Queen whilst stay- ing at Mentone in 1882. One day an old man tried to throw a bouquet of wild flowers into the Royal carriage, but missed it, and the blossoms fell into the road. ° The Queen at once stopped the carriage for the giver to pick them up and present them, receiving Lhem with a nod and a smile of welcome. IT is estimated that from 30 to 40 million pounds' worth of property is every year destroyed by fire all over the world, though not one-fifth of this damage is done by what may be called great fires-fires involv- ing a loss of £ 50,000 or upwards. WE'can many of us remember when postage stamps were first perforated, thereby saving us the trouble of using a pair of scissors with them. But very few know tbat the idea was the property of a certain Dr. Archer, to whom our Government gave the sum of £ 20,000 for the patent of the perforating machine invented by him. -THE QUEEN has now outlived all on whom, in their own proper persons, she conferred peerages before 1867—i.e., during the first half of her reign—except the Prince of Wales (Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1841, and Earl of Dublin in 1849), the Marquis of Dufferin (Baron Clandeboye in 1850), the Duke of Baw-Co burg-Gotba (Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent, and Earl of Ulster in 1866), and the Earl of Kimberley (Earl of Kimberley in 1886). MBLTON PRIOR, the English war artist, has been through 14 campaigns, -and has been wounded eight times. Three times his name has appeared in the list of those killed in battle. His duties have taken him all over the world, and he has attended almost every important Royal wedding of the past 25 years. AN old farmer named Thornton, living near New York City, has a watch-chain which is made of human bones. It consists of eight links, each a trifle more than an inch long, connected by plaited rings. The chain is about lOin. long, and has been highly ?dished by years of wear, and glistens like ivory. he bones were taken from amputated arms and legs, and it required 18 months' time to carve out the links. THE heaviest man alive is 53st. 61b., and stands 6ft. 4in. in height. His real name is not known, but he is called Gay Jewel," on account of his perennial hilarity. "Gay Jewel," better known to the museum and side-show people of America as Jumbo (the given him at the convention of fat people in New York City, February, 1889, for being the heaviest person on record), was born ia Mason City, Iowa, on June 8, 1863. His parents have a large farm in Iowa, and keep the country post-office. His father and mother are both people of ordinary size. and until he was 18 years old, the "Jewel" himself was no larger or heavier than any lad of that age. From that time onward*, however, he gained aesa "ty rapidly. I svppomnjost of the patients in your charge a this asylum art quite rational on many points?" Oh, yes; some of them quarrel about the avnerent makes of bicycles and' tyres just as if they were lane." A MANIA for collecting carriages oppresses the Sultan of Turkey. He already possesses 500. YVETTE GUILBKRT says that since 1889 she has been able to save enough money to insure her for life an income of E1600 a year. ENGLAND sent 350,000,000 messages by telephone last year, 87,000,000 more than the year before. FIFTY years ago England imported three eggs a head for its population. Last year it imported 40 for each inhabitant, the total number being 1,589,387,000. AN Athens journal states that M. Delyannig intends to quit political life, and that M. Zannis, President of the Greek Chamber, will succeed him aa leader of the Opposition. AN official denial is given in Madrid to the state- ment that the United States Government had sent a fresh note to the Spanish Government on the subject of Cuba. M. FBEMIET has been chosen as the sculptor of the statue to Ferdinand de Lesseps which is to be erected at Port Said, at the entrance of the Suez Canal. MosEs NOBBS, who has died at Uxbridge, was the last of the old mail-coach guards. His coach was upset over 20 times. Once it went over a precipice on a snowy night., and on another o;casion fell through a bridge into a stream. TIIE best amateur actor in the House of Commons is supposed to be Mr. Bromley-Davenport, who repre- sents the Macclesfield Division of Cheshire. AN Italian Prince, nephew of King Humbert, has just sailed from Liverpool for Alaska, with the object of ascending two mountains, the highest of which is 19,500ft., and the summits of which have never yet been reached. HORSERACING without jockeys is indulged in at Rome during the summer. The horses are started by a gun, which is discharged behind them. They carry little spiked balls on cords, which swing round their bodies, and these act as spurs. SOME medical men of Turin, Italy, have formed a syndicate for the purpose of publishing a paper which will treat of cases of apparent death and of burying alive, and will discuss the best means of avoiding such mistakes in future. M. FELIX FAURE, the French President, ia to receive a present from King Menelik of Abyssinia in the shape of a superb, well-trained elephant. The elephant was shipped on board a steamer at Djibouti a short time ago. A RICH French merchant has found the funds necessary to enable a body of 20 students of Mar- seilles to travel for some weeks in Russia. They have already visited St. Petersburg and Moscow. THE Columbian steamer Finance has arrived at New York from Colon, with three of her cabin pas- sengers down with yellow fever. Three deaths from gi the same disease occurred on the voyage. OUT of 66 centenarians in a group of persons in Great Britain, 43 were women, 23 men. Out of 213 centenarians in France last year, 147 were women, 66 men. Of 21 centenarians in London in 1891, there were 16 women, five men. THE annual beer product of the world is about 917,700,000,000 quarts. The contributions of the greatest beer-producing countries in this total ue substantially as follows: Germany, 5,000,000,000; Groat Britain and Ireland, 4,700,000,000; United States, 3,200,000,000 Austria Hungary, 1,350,000,000; Belgium, 1,050,000,000; France. 840,000,000; Russia, 400,000,000. THE memory of Sedan has not quite driven into absolute forgetfulness the lesser Napoleonic relics. There is now plying for hire from bank to bank on the little Swiss lake of Greifensee the tiny steamboat which Napoleon III. bad made for the young Prince Imperial, when at Arenenberg. It carries from a dozen to IS passengers, and is said to be the most beautiful thing of the kind ever built. Because of its associations it is proving itself a procious source of income to its present owner. A SUBJECT in which the Queen is really well versed is that of farming. The Prince Consort was quite a practical farmer, and devoted much time to the Royal Farm at Windsor and elsewhere, interesting himself in particular in the breed of cattle, and the Queen learned a good deal from him. The Duke of York is at present paying attention to the same subject. HARD by the President's mansion at Pretoria etands the austere little church where Mr. Kruger is wont to pray on Sundays. No member of the con- gregation is more regular than he, and at times he leads the service himself, and will even preach when in the mood. Oom Paul himself draws large audi- ences, but when not actively engaged in the conduct of the service he usually sits beneath the pulpit, being, it is said, somewhat derf at times. During prayer all the men stand up. THE extent of the degree of the oscillation of tall chimneys may be exactly taken by a close observa- tion of the shadow they cast upon the ground. A case in point is that of a chimney 115ft. high and 4ft. in diameter externally at the top, near Marseilles, the oscillation of which was observed by the shadow during a high wind to attain the maximum of over 20in.. KING CHARLES OP ROUMANIA, wishing to recom- pense the three medical men who so carefully tended the Crown Prince during his serious illness, offered pense the three medical men who so carefully tended the Crown Prince during his serious illness, offered them q2000 each. The doctors thereupon begged his Majesty to place the E6000 at the disposal of the management of the fund in aid of the sufferers from the inundations which have caused such widespread disaster. AN Esher gentleman treasures up a curious memento of her Majesty's visit there some years ago. As the Royal carriage passed through the High. street a red rose, which the Queen was holding in her band over the side of the carriage, shed its leaves, the petals falling on to the road. No one saw what had happened, except the gentleman in question, who picked them up unnoticed after the Royal suite had gone by. THE guardian of two children became indebted to their mother for the sum of E50, giving a note. When the woman died, 17 years ago, he said the debt had been paid. Recently, a relative remembered that the note had been sewed into the lining of the dress in which the woman was buried. The grave was opened and the note was found, faded, but in condition to be used as evidence. BOWLING greens are gradually springing up in the South of England, though the game is not yet re- established here as it is in Scotland and North Devon. Bowls has been played uninterruptedly at Torrington in North Devon since the early days of the Stuarts. IN her private apartments the Queen allows neither gas, electric light, nor coal. She tolerates no fires except those made of wood, and her chosen illuminant is the candle. MISS NELLIE HENRIETTA OWEN WILCOX, of the University of Melbourne, Victoria, to whom has been awarded the Cobden Club silver medal in the political economy examination of the year, is the first lady who has won a Cobden Club medal. MR DONALD STEWART, the British Resident in Ashanti, has returned to Coomassie. Dr. K. E. Bnée, Assistant Colonial Surgeon, is returning to the coast invalided. PRIZE DAY at that admirable institution, the London Orphan Asylum at Watford, is this year fixed for July 17. The Home Secretary, it is ex- pected, will preside, while Lady White Ridley will undertake the prize distribution. THE Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Temple have entertained at dinner at Lambeth Palace the Btewards of the recent Festival of the Sons of the Clergy, the dinner being preceded by the oustomary service in the Palace Chapel. T j THE annual prize meeting of the City of .London Bifle Association is to be held on the City Ranges at Rainham, Essex, on Monday, July 12. The City team for the China Cup Competition at Bisley will be partly selected from the beat scorers at the MB. 5. S. NICHOLL, schoolmaster, of Fulbam, went to Southsea to recruit his health. He improved, but then had a relapse. He went to his bath-room after getting out ot bed, and afterwards a heavy thnd waa heard. He was found lying dead in the back yard, having fallen some 30ft.. IN a Swiss consular report the old complaint ia made about price lists. Those which find their way to Switzerland are neither drawn up in the ver- llaCular nor converted into metrio weight* and measures, and the prices are given in sterling without the equivalent value in the currency of Switzerland. Tiim Duke of Connaught has direoted that a great feld day of all the troops at Aldershot—including tha eight battalions of militia now encamped there—sball be held on the Long Valley side. The opposing forces will be commanded by MajoHienerallJawara *»d Maior-GteoMral Kellv-Kenar.

• CURRENT SPORT. .j"j The All England Lawn Tennis Championships were "Continued at Wimbledon on Saturday. Thoweailier ehowed n great improvement Qn that of the two pre- '!edin" and a gOodly company were interested specinto/s" of the in the Singles between W. Badderey and R. T. Dohertv •waa a surprise!, the)lapt-rjamed winning easily. He ■vil! accordingly meet W. V. Eaves for the right t.> play the holder, H-8. Mahony, for the title. E,,Y,s -qualified for the final round after a fine set mulch with S.H. Smith. J The wenther. on Saturday was far more pleasant than -tbat which prevailed on the preceding dav, -when the Oxford and Cambridge Lawn Tennis. Singles were decided consequently, the attendance at •'•Queen's Club on Saturday to witness the decision of .the doubles showed a considerable improvement. As upon the previous day, Cambridge had matters much their own way, winning the doubles by seven matches t,two, 14 sets to six, and 101 games to 80 The light Blues accordingly win the entire competition by 13 matches tolfive, 24 sets to 13, and 175 games to 145. Of 17 competitions Cambridge,, hare now won 10, and Oxford three. Three have beeri-Jrawn and one not completed. In singles,Cambridge have won 93 to Oxford's 51, and in doubles 99 to 44. Of the total matches won 192 agilnst Oxford a 95. At Tunbridge Wells on Saturday Middlesex defeated Kent in a county contest at the water polo game by three goals to nil. The homesters were without Tuddenham and Plumstead, while the metropolitan team had full strength. The visitors throughout the game gave by far the better display, their "shooting being most effective. Middlesex Secured points twice in the first and once in the second half, through the medium of E. H. Hunt, Polytechnic, and A. B. Cragg, Amateurs. With the amateur championships near at hand, the performances of the southern crack runners at the summer meeting of the London Athletic Club at Stamford-bridge attracted a good deal of attention on Saturday, albeit the attendance of the general public was scarcely worthy of the glorious weather on the occaBiip. Among the competitors were C. E. H. Leggatt, the amateur champion long jumper, who won the high jumpat 5ft. 9in.; H. C. Woodyatt, who retained the 100 Yards Challenge Cup and ran second from scratch in the open sprint: 0. S. Syden- ham. the Inter-County Cross-country Champion P. L. Carter, the Cambridge University short distance tunner; H. N. -Coltart, the well-known hurdle jumper: and W. S. Ripple, of the New York Athletic Club. The last-named holds the Ainericiin Inter- Scholastic Championship, but, starting from scratch in the quarter-mile handicap, he got no nearer the winner than fourth. Mr. F. T. Elborough, a famgu3 athlete in the11 seventies," presented the prizes.' The annual 100 miles race for the Century Cup was held on the Herne-bjll enclosure on Saturday. The weather was fine, but windy, and though a thoroughly representative entry had been secured the attendance was not large, not more than 1000 spectators being present. The best known men were F. R. Goodwin, North Road C.C.; A. H. Harris, Polytechnic C.C.; J. G. Gibb and R. F: Frolar, Batfi Hoad C.C., who, finished in the order named, A. Pepper, Luton C.C.; G. Padbury, Pegasus C.C., and A. J. Sheen, Cardiff. Go6dwin, who was much the better, paced, was ( in front for the whole distance, excepting between the 10th and 241h miles, and after covering 27,miles 1100 yards in the first hour was never afterwards approached. Harris, who took second place before completing the second hour, rode very finely, and though he gained a couple of laps, on the leader never looked Jike wianing, and walt eventually beaten by about 1000 yards. Gibbs, who waa third,, was about five miles further away, and was about, half a mile in front of Frost. No one else finished, and only Rowe, of Southwark, and Gladding, of Anerley, were on the track when the winner paseed the post. The winner's time was 3b. 55min. 27 l-5sec. The 21 hours' bicycle race for the bol d'or, in Paris, has proved somewhat of a fiasco this year. The entries were few in number, and Huret, who was the, only" crack" rider, withdrew at the last moment on Sunday. The race was won by Stein, who co vered 764 kilometres.826, nigtres,, which.i? far behind Rivierre's record. Aries came in second, and Chevageon third. All the riders appeared "very exhausted by their efforts. It waq, Mr. J, A. Dixon's good fortune to stand at 914he 4",of,tiao batting average list in first-class cricket, on Mpnd^j, but Abel/the only player who had made 1000, rijfls in ftrnt-class matches—was still first among those who had piayed 12 or more innings. On the whole the scoring lately has been fairly heavy, and the batting ggures, t iken all round, are exceptionally good. It is pleasant to see Shrewsbury and Otinnso wellplated. Their-figureo--are curiously similar, Shrewsbury having scored 412 runs in 11 innings wit^ ^wo- aot ,outs, and Gunn 431 in 11 innings'\fira one not out. Th^ records of W. G. Quaife, Mr. Ford, and Ranjitsinhji are re- markable, but, though he only stood seventh, no one has played more consistently this year than MT. Jack ton. Mr. W. G.Grace could boast a fairly gbod average-r-32—but he will need two or three big scores to put him on terms. with the most successful of his rivals. Mr. Stoddart's place is strangely low, and neither be nor Mr. Grace had, up to Monday, played an innings of 60 in admittedly first-class cricket. As regards the bowlers, J. T. Hearne alone had, at the ilatne time, taken over 100 wickets, but Richardson, with a fractionally better average, was only seven wickets behind him. During the past three weeks Richardson has taken great strides to the front. With three bowlers among the first five it is not at all surprising that Lancashire should win so many matches. So far in the season's bowling there has scarcely been anything more noticeably than the consistent success of HaUam and Cuttell. Mr. Bull, the Essex slow bowler, has done better work than his figures would suggest- Nothing but rain could very well have saved the Philadelphians from defeat on Saturday, but their bowlers, had they possessed any real skill, would, on a wicket which bad not quite recovered, have made the task of scoring 81 a matter of some difficulty to the Oxford batsmen. Scarcely anyone, however, could make the ball turn appreciably, and the Dark Blues, although they eventually lost three wickets, got to within three runs of victory with only one man out. Last week's cricket was sadly damaging to the reputation of the Philadelphians, who went up to London possessed of all the prestige resulting from their sensational victory over Sussex. Neither at Lord's nor at the Oval did they acquit themselves like men with any pretensions to playa first-class county team, and, on their form in London, one could scarcely realise how they managed to beat Sussex. Moderate batting and lack of skill in bowling might be excused them, but they should certainly have acquired vastly more of the art of fielding than they possess. That the Notts team were in great batting jform this season they, showed in their matches with Mid- dlesex at Lord's, and with Kent at Gravesend, for in each case they were badly behind in the first innings, and yet left with little or nothing the worse of the gv, These performances should, no doubt, ibave prepared people for a brilliant display Midland team, in their encounter with Yorkshire, since, even when they are playing badly agjainst other counties, Notts rarely fail to give Yorkshire a good game at Trent-bridge. Three years ago the margin.in favour of the northern county was only three wickets, and both last season and in 1895 Notts playefl fine cricket in games which had to be left un- ,finished. Their performance at the end of last week ?[uite put into the shade their wort in the South a ortnight ago, and Bhowed them to better advantage against Yorkshire than in either of the drawn games of the two previous years. Indeed, the achievement of going in against a score of 364, and heading it by 126 runs, will probably stand out as one of the finest batting displays of the season. Nor did the skill of the Notts men end there, for on Yorkshire going in again five wickets were got down for 86, and the northern county found them- selves with two hours left for play, and wanting 41 rnns to escape an innings defeat. There was a chance indeed of Notts actually winning, but, with the ground still in fine order, some one was almost Bure to make a stand, and, as it happened, some admirable batting by Feel and Lord Hawke enabled Yorkshire to leave off.in a fairly creditable position. rt For all that the honours of the game were clearly -with Notts. h_' Warwickshire made a rather feeble effort to save their match at Birmingham on Saturday, a -total of 211, after 88 had been scored for two wicketo, being very moderate. Only Diver and William Qtitll fe give anv serious trouble, Richardson proving too much for most of the others. Diver hit in brilliant style, and was a little unlucky in the manner of his dis- missal, playing a ball into his wicket; while Quaifo who took out his bat for 40, gave a characteristic display. Richardson had a big share in Surrey's puccesa, taking in all eleven wickets for 154 runs. Warwickshire have fared very badly at the hands of Surrev this season. At Kennington Oval thej = were beaten by an innings and 222 runs, and on Saturday Surrey ngain won in a single innings by 194 runa to spare. Kent won their first match in the County Cham- pionship at Tonbridge on Saturday, when they defeated Middlesex by four wickets, and thus accom- plished the one thing necessary to leave absolutely pleasant recollections of the Tonbridge Festival of 1897 in the local mind. Throughout the week the weather had been delightful, and the various social functions had been eminently successful; but on the Wednesday Sussex had beaten the home county in the first match. However, Kent bad the best of the luck in the Middlesex fixture, and, always holding the upper band, were able to break through the spell of ill-fortune which bad previously dogged them throughout the season. They did not win as easily as was tt one time anticipated, for the 76 they were put in to get cost them six good wickets, but they won, and that was sufficient. The honours of the victory belonged to their bowlers, of whom Walter Alright was in splendid form. W. M. Bradley, the fast bowler, who was appearing for the first tim this summer, also did fine work. First-class cricket was in full swing all over the country on Monday, but, with wickets more or less affected by recent rains, scoring was, for the' most part, on a moderate scale. At Kennington Oval Surrey and Middlesox completed an innings apiece, the latter securing a lead of 67. Surrey totalled 112, and when Middlesex had lost six men for 78 they did not appear likely to do much better, but Dr. Thornton and G. M'Gregor afterwards added 60 for the eighth wicket. A week opened on Monday at Bournemouth with a game between moderate ens of the M.C.C. and Hampshire. Rain inhife d with play, and when stumps were drawn the visitors had replied to Hampshire's total of 112 with 124 (R. Williams 60) for four wickets. Some peculiar cricket was witnessed at Leyton, in the contest between Derbyshire and Essex. The visitors lost four wickets for eleven, but thanks to Cbatterton (120) and Storer (59) eventually totalled 216. 'Essex compiled 93 for the loss of four wickets in reply. Oxford University met Sussex at Brighton, and scored 250 to the county's 90. G. E. Bromley-Martin carried off the honours with a fine contribution of 137. Cambridge University appeared against a moderate M.C.C. eleven at Lord's. The Light Blues, for whom N. F. Drace compiled 74, were disposed of for 158, the bome.eleven making two less than that number. At Sheffield, a fairly strong Yorkshire side met the Philadelphians. The latter scored 225, A. M. Wood being responsible for 52 and E. M. C'regar 50. Yorkshire then lost four wickets for 77. The neighbouring shires, Somerset and Gloucester- 9 0 shire, met at Taunton. The home eleven went first to the wicket, and Subscribed 255, Nichols (53) and G. Fowler (61) being the principal performers with the willow, Gloucestershire lost one wicket in the scoring of 95, A. G. Richardson (not out) having 50 to his credit at the close of Monday's play. War- wickshire made a good start against Lancashire at Manchester, totalling 227 a3 the result of four hours and lu minutes' play. Lancashire-then made 10 without loss. Rain, wa.s,pretty gfDeral in the country, and most of the games suffered some interference.

TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT. The floods in Austria, especially in'the Province of Bukovina and in Galicia, which have done enoriious damage, to the fields, roads, bridges, and houses" and also, caused loss of fife to an extent as yet unknown, were the occasion on Saturday night of a railway accident on the. line between Kolamea and Turka, a railway bridge collapsing as the mail train passed over it. The travelling post-office-with six persons in it-with the engine and five carriages—fell into the swollen river, that eight people were drovtned, and many officials and,passengers injured..

THE KHALIFA'S PLANS. THIRTY THOUSAND TROOPS AT OMDURMAN. The latest arrivals at Souakim from Omdurman have brought "important news as to the Khalifa's intentions and the strength of his forces. He does not, it is asserted, propose to offer any resistance to the British advance, except at his capital, and has withdrawn nearly all the troops that formerly garrisoned Abu Hamed and Berber, both of which places are now left practically undefended, tt is further reported that the Khalifa has collected at Omdurman large numbers o! camels which he will hold in readiness to transport his treasure to Kordofan in the event of his troops being defeated. The strength of the force now assembled at Omdurman is 30,000, including 600C cavalry. The Khalifa is said to have been greatly disappointed by the recent rising at Kordofan and has ordered Mohamed Mahmoud to proceed at once to the scene and put down the disturbance. The Khalifa's brother Yakoub was sending troops to Abu Hamed, but these have been stopped.

DEATH AT THE GRAVE SIDE. A very sad occurrence took place on Friday of (ast week at the funeral of Mr. E. Fanner, proprietor of the Reirldeer Hotel, Bishop's Stortford.A. the mourners were about to return to their carriage, Mr. William Fanner, aged 25, second son of the de- ceased, was seen to reel. A chair was procured for him, but he expired at the side of the grave, before medical aid could be procured. Heart disease was certified as the cause of 'death.