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

:;}' .V 1 A MILLIONAIRE'S FREAK. M. Blanc, the founder of the Casino at Monte. Carlo-which, real ly,means Monte Carlo itself—was very eccentric. If he had ever been young there is po record of the fact, for he is always described as » little old gentleman, clad to a long coat, and walking with the aid of a yellow cane, without which he was never seen during his waking hours. Though enormously wealthy, he was ercessiveli t-hrifty in trifling matters, and would haggle like an old-clothesman to save a franc on articles for his per- sonal use, though he thought nothing of expending hundreds of thousands of francs in beautifying the Casino and the miniature city. He was never known to play at the tables, excepting on one occasion, and then it was a somewhat costly expsripnee. W lule on a visit to the Wiesbaden Casino with M rue. Blanc, he was in the habit of accompanying her on a morning stroll each day. During one of these walks madame complained of the heat of the st,n, and requested her husband to buy her a parasol. Accordingly the two entered the shop, where tuadame selected a very pretty article, worth 80 francs—about £ 3 4s.-which M. Blanc, with a scowl and a mut- tered gruaible, paid. When the Casino opened at noon great was tho astonishment of the croupiers and the visitors to see Bl. Blanc pla.setwo louis on the red at one of the trente et quarante tables. The attendants hastened to get him a chair, but-this he declined, saying he was only going to remain a few minutes. When the cards were dealt he won, and taking up his winnings left the original stake on the table. For a second time he won, and bad now got back the price of the umbrella. But not content, he ventured another two louis, which this time he lost. Somewhat annoyed at this, the founder of the place doubled the stake and won, thus getting back the cost of the umbrella again. Determined, however, to regain his two louis, he staked them.again, only to see them raked in by the bank. Thus he kept on winning and losing, but never able to recover the two louie, till at last he found himself 25 louis out, all the gold his pocket- book contained. A 1000 franc note he had was quickly changed and swallowed up. Then, becoming exasperated, be cashed his cheque for a large sum, and, sitting down, commenced the battle in earnest. Hour after hour passed, but M, Blanc, his eyes fixed on the treacherous pasteboards, never bulged front his post. He kept on planking down heavy stakes until the last deal was declared, when, calmly rising, he seized his yellow cane and made his way through the gaping onlookers into the open air. On reaching home he found Mme. Blanc playing "Patience" with a pack of cards, the offending parusol being on the table. Madame," said the old gentleman, do you know what that thing has cost me?" Afais oui, mon ami. It cost you 80 francs." "Madame," rejoined he, "you are mistaken. I have just, paid the bill—91,000 francs." Madame's sunshade had cost no less than £3640.

A GOOD many things deemed new have been re- ferred back to the Chinese, and it is now claimed that watertight bulkheads in ships must be added to the number. Long before the idea struck the West, the trading ships of the Celestials, especially those bound for distant ports, were divided, as to their holds, into compartments, divided by bulkheads of 3in, planks, caulked with substance hardening on contact with water, a gum mixed with lime and threads of bamboo. The object, however, was not safety, but commercial economy. TUB federation of the Malaysian States was an ex- periment entered upon some 12 months ago last July. According to a paper issued from the Colonial Office, the High Commissioner of the Straits Settlements has reported that, so far, the undertaking has proved successful, and, what is more, beneficial to the welfare of the individual parties to the federation. The scheme, on the face of it, seemed too hopeful at first, but we are glad to know that mutual aid and self- help have brought the Malayans to something ap- proximate to prosperity.

DEATH OF HENRY GEORGE. The late Henry George, whose death took place so dramatically last week, during his candidature for the Mayoralty of New York, was one of the best known political economists of the day, though ho doubt his claim to the title would be much disputed. He was born in Philadelphia in 1839, and as a boy went to California. He drifted into journalism in San Francisco, and attained some celebrity as a writer on political theories. In 1879 he published "Progress and Poverty," which acquired a world-wide reputation. la it he gave the result of his investigations among the poor of the great cities and his theories for reform. About the same time he first expressed his plan of taxing property on -a Bingle -value—tha* is taxing the land itself and not the improvements thereon. < This was the origin of the single tax <• octrine. In 1880 he removed to New York. The following year he published a volume on Ireland's troubles, and the same year visited Ireland and England. His publications of various theories on political eoonomj made him one of the best known men in the country. In 1886 he was the candidate of the labouring element for mayor of New York, but was defeated by Abram S. Hewitt by 22,000 votes. He led Theodore Roosevelt, the Republican nominee, by 8000 votes. Ever since then Mr. George has been more or less identified with political movements. HOW HB WENT TO SRA. To an interviewer he recently gave some particulars of his early life, I was the eldest son of eight children. My father, R. S. H. George, was a book publisher, and I early acquired a taste for reading in his store. At 13 I was graduated at the head of my class. "Leaving school I went to work as an office bby in a crockery importing house. When 14 years old I went to sea—shipped from New York as boy aboard the Hindoo, sailing for London. Thence we went to Melbourne, thence to Calcutta, and from there fcackf1 to New York. It took about 14 months, I think/for the voyage. ;>- 'I "My taste for the sea came naturally, for' my grandfather was a sea captain. When my father consented to my going, which be did reluctantly, he told his friend with whom I sailed to make it hard for me, so that I would be glad to stay home. Leaving the sea, I began to learn the printing business, but after awhile I shipped again-this time is an ordinary seaman. There were only four of us in the watch, The captain was a straight sort of man and very just; for after a trip to Boston and New Bedford, where we took a load of coke, I know that he astonished me by paying me off as an able seaman. It was the highest compliment ever paid me, and I asked him how it was. He said I had done as much work asanybody, ilnd ought to be paid just as much, I had told him when I applied for a berth that I I could handle the sails and steer. He seemed to doubt it, and said,1 You can't steer fnis schooner.' But I did steer her. The sea was very rough and the schooner rolled and pitched, the waves often dashing over the wheel." ROUGHING IT IN CALIFORNIA. Mr. George worked his way around the Horn to California as a sailor before the mast in 1858. The Frazer River gold excitement was at its height, as the Klondyke craze is now, but before he could get to the mines the boom had subsided. He re- turned from Victori, B. C., to San Francisco in the steerage. There he did what work he oould get as a printer, and got a job in a rice mill. Borrowing 20dol. he made his way to Sacramento. "It was thes," 116 relates, that I ame pretty nearly getting hungry. I slept in a stable and other places." He was saved from going to sea again by getting work as a com- positor on a weekly paper, and on reaching his majority became a member of the typographical, union. Presently he was one of three to start a little evening paper. "It was then," he said, I came nearly starving to death. The war bad begun and things were unsettled.; We slept in bunks in the office and set our own type and- got pretty much all our own news, though we bad a reporter." He desired to enlist, but as all California volunteers were being used to garrison Pacific ports, he held back, as everybody believed the war would be over before the journey could be mado to the East. He stuck by the paper. "AIDAI came close to starvation. I bad no shoes to wear and scarcely any clothing. So I went to subbing on the other papers. MARRIED ON LESS THAN NOTHING. -1"1 I was then acquainted with the girl I married. She was a California girl of Australian Mrth, an orphan, and a pretty strong Catholic, while I was an Episcopalian. Having had a quarrel WTO the girl s uncle, I concluded to make her my wife and end it. We were married in 1861. I was then 22, and she 18. I was very poor, but when I talked the matter over with the young lady she said she was willing to begin life with me regardless of our poverty. "I- remember I borrowed some clothes to be' married- in—a vest and necktie-and went to a lbdy I knew and got credit for two weeks' board for my- self and wife. I remember we had a good wedding. supper at a miners' restaurant. The wedding ring was my wife's grandmother's. We could not be married by a priest, as it was a runaway match, and in Advent. Inquiries might have been made and the ceremony put off. But shortly afterwards the marriage was sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church at Sacramento. A HARD FIGHT FOR A LIVING. "I was now a married man, with a wife who believed in me and said she was ready to do her part. "I got up early the morning after our marriage and went out to look for work. I secured a place to set type on the San Francisco Evening Bulletin. I was at work at six o'clock next morning. But I must have more work. I went to the oiffce of the Alta California and got a job there, and had to work till two o'clock in the morning. Then I was up early for duty on the evening paper. It was bard lines for me, but I kept on 'subbing as a printer. HIS FIRST ARTICLE. While a compositor on the San Francisco Bulletin, in 1865,1 did my first writing. I wrote a communi- cation for a paper called, I think, the Evening Journal, on which I bad formerly set type. I slipped the article into the letter box. What I wrote was on the political situation, and I signed a nom de plume. The editor evidently liked it, for be published it. I know it looked very well in print—very nice to me. PROGRXSS AND POVERTY." But what most aroused me was the growth of poverty, which always accompanies industrial pro- gress. AN"hile editing a paper in Oakland, and after long thought, the reason of it all came upon me like a revelation." The result of the revelation was Progress and Poverty," one of the most discussed blOb of the century, which was completed in August, 1879. It had a small sale at first, but suddenly became immensely popular, and has since been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese. Mr. Henry George had many personal friends in England. H& visited this country twice, the first time about 14 years ago, the second some three or four years later. On both occasions he addressed meetings in various parts of London and in the pro- vinces.

DAUAGE to the amount of £ 50,000 was done by fire at some bonded stores at Glasgow, large quantities of whisky and wine being destroyed. THIS Siamese yacht Mahachakri has sailed from Gibraltar for Naples, where the King of Siam will embark on his return to Bangkok. LAST August nine persons were bitten by a mad dog at Couret, Toulouse, and one of these, aged 66, has just died of hydrophobia. The villiage has, consequently, been thrown into panic, and the other persons who were bitten are leaving for the Pasteur Institute.. Two amusing examples of redtapism are reported by a London correspondent. The Commissioners of Inland Revenue have caused income-tax returns to be made by certain inmates of a home for incurables, supported by private charity. -this official punctilio is surpassed by the action of the War Office. It was recently discovered that a pension had been paid for more than 12 months without the usual certificate to the effect that the recipient was alive. When demand was made the pensioner forwarded one certificate, but was informed that he must send a separate certifi- cate for each of the preceding 11 months, in order to convince the department that he waa alive during that period. „. IN making up their profit and loss account it is said that Parisian warehouses have to allow for thefts, and that this item is the most important one with some of the larger houses.

INDIA'S TROUBLES. I Scd- sri-v.V1 o 'i >: j; '.fc UL u-. ARHANGA TAKEN WITH EASE. The advance on Arhanga was made OIl Suriday morning, when General Westmacott seized the cover- ing village*. The guns were brought into action at 8.30. General Gaeelee was seat .to the right of the pftqa, and the Yorkshire Regiment, witn the 4th Ghurkbas, tapped the crest at 9.45. Meanwhile General Kempster made a demonstration on the left, while General Westmacott pushed on the main advance. The opposition encountered was slight. The Mullah Said Akbar has fled to Jelalabad. The British were in possessiba of the pass by ten o'clock. The fighting was opened by heavy artillery Are from the six batteries. For some time shells were rained upon the enemy's sangars, and then the troops made a direct attack upon the pass, carrying every- thing before thetn. The Brit ish casualties ate only trifling. Among the wounded is Captain Charles Thomas Searle, of the 36th Sikhs, but he was oaly slightly injured. Th6 leading brigades are now encamped in the Afridi country of Tirah proper. The health of the troops continues to be good. The weather so far has been pretty well all that could be desired for cam- paigning, with bright days and cool,ven frosty, nights. AMEER AS MEDIATOR: The Ameer of Afghanistan received a deputation of the Afridi and Orukzai tribes at Kabul on October 17. Notifying the British Agent of this fact, Abdur- rahman Khan writes that the tribes are full of alarm end repentance, and wish him to submit their apology to the British Government and to ascertain the con- ditions of pardon. The Ameer asks the Agent to inqare whether negotiations skall be undertaken, adding that if orders have already been issued for the punishment of the tribesmen, there would be no room for saying more, as they deserve every .punishment. In conclusion, the Ameer takes the opportunity uf warmly useritiqg undeviating friendship towards the British Government. In a separate letter to the Viceroy, the Ameer says that he is endeavouring to arrest the Hadda Mullah, and if successful will expel him from Afghan territory. As regards the Afridis, Abdurrahman Khan has given assurances that if they take refuge within his limits, he will never allow them to interfere in British territory. The Ameer has been thanked for his friendly communication, and has also been furnished with a copy of the pro- clamation issued by General Lookhart to the Afridis and Orukzajs previous to starting on the,Tirah ex- pedition. VILLAGES BURNED BY AFRIDIS. General Lockhart, telegraphing at four o'clock on Saturday afternoen, states that owing to the difficul- ties of getting transport and supplies over the Sam- pagha Pass he was unable to attack Arhanga that day, but he had been reconnoitring the enemy's new position in force. The Mastura Valley is very fertile, and is thickly studded with villages apparently con- taining full stores of grain and fodder, but the villages near the British camp were set on fire by the enemy while retreating. SPIRITED AFFAIR AT HARI SINGH. The Korram lashkar, near Kbazima, is reported to have dispersed owiig to dissensions among the class regarding the respective tasks to be assigned to each section. Forty men have, however, been left behind for purposes of observation. Details have now been received at Simla of the fight at the camp at Hari Singh between Jamrud and Peshawur, early oh the morning of October 27. At three a.m. a party of the enemy attacked a picket of 10 men of the 8th Bengal Infantry. The sentry on duty bad previously challenged them, but was immediately shot. The picket turned out and the tribesmen thereupon fired a volley, killing one man and wounding another. They then rushed through the picket and secured four rifles and some ammunition. The picket was at once reinforced, and under the gallant leadership of the Jemadar Ran: Sari Khan drove off the assailants, who were fighting hand to hand with the Bengal infantrymen. ADVANCE OF THE BARA COLUMN. The Bara column is steadily advancing, and so far has scarcely come into pollision with the enemy. On Friday: night of last wepk there was some more sniping into the camp, but-the tribesmen inflicted no damage. On Saturday morning a detachment of pioneers was spnt out but did not come across the enemy. THE TAKING OF SAMPAGHA. IJetaila of tho ftQfwinjr of the Jaropagha Paps just received at ShiitiWari show that' tho artillery did great execution among the tribesmen. The guns were wonderfully well" handled, and against their fire it waa absolutely impossible for the enemy to hold their carefully prepared sangars for any length of time. When our men had made their way about half- way up the pass three batteries of moun- tain artillery and a Maxim gun were dragged into a splendid position on a knoll, and from there popred 4 heavy jlre right into the midst of the enemy, who must at this point have lost heavily. The work remaining for the infantry was comparatively easy of accomplishment. The final rush to the summit of the paw was -led by the 4th Ghurkhas, the Royal West Surrey, the Yorkshire Regiment, and the Sikhs. The actual climb was very hard work owing to the pre- cipitous character of the hills and pass. The enemy were out-generalled as well as out- fought. The demonstration on their right carried out by General Lockhart'sorders completely deceived the tribesmen as to our plan of operations. They reinforced and strengthened thei right and left, and were surprised and confused when the actual attack waa made,, on their centre simultaneously with a turning movement on our right. No com- plete list of casualties is yet available, but excluding possible losses sustained by the rear brigade in the afternoon and night the cost of driving the enemy out of the Sampagha Pasi may be approximately stated at no more than four killed and 22 wounded. Two at least of the paths leading up to the summit of the pass were of tested range, and every man crossing them brought on himself the fire of the Afridi sharpshooters. It was here that Captain de Butts was shot as he was bringing No. 5 Battery into action so as to lay the guns on the Kotal. GAY GORDONS WANTED. Orders have been given from the War Office for recruiting to be opened in London and the Home District for the Gordon Highlanders, whose first battalion recently to greatly distinguished itself in the Indian Frontier Campaign. Only Scotsmen are to be accepted ss recruits. The Scottish residents in Cape Town have re&olved to organise shilling sub- scriptions in recognition of the dauntless spirit dis- played at the storming of Dargai by the Gordon Highlander who continued piping although vhot ihroiigh both ankles. THE ALLEGED INSUBORDINATION OF THE ROYAL IRISH. With reference to the report published in London that the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment have been guilty, while at the front, of insnbordination by sulking and refusing to maroh at a critical moment, the following are the facts. The rumour first was published in a Lahore paper, which stated that there had been trouble with certain regiments at the front; that discipline was slack in the British regiments and that there bad been one case of cowardice in front of the enemy. Some colour was lent to these statements by the fact that several regiments have returned from the front, one of them being the Royal Irish Regiment. Inqiiirie* in Simla have resulted in the statement that nothing is known of the allegations of unsoldierly cond uc t at head- quarters. Four companies of the Royal Irish had been suffering severely from dysentery and fever, and consequently were ordered down. Two companies have remained at the front and have done their du y. The officers of the regiment are indignant, and give the rumours an unqualified denial. There is little doubt that these are the facts of the case. There is heavy sickness in the regiment. MORE STORIES OF DARGAI HEROISM. Correspondents' letters brought down by the mail to Simla give detailed reports of the storming of Dargai heights. Piper Patrick Milne, of the Gordon Highlanders, was shot not in the ankles but through both legs, and be was brought helpless and bleeding to the ground, exposed to the deadly fire of the enemy as he lay in the bullet-swept zone. Milne, if not the first to loap into the zone, was among the first party of Highlanders who led what was almost as dangerous as a forlorn hope. As he ran be piped lustily Cock o' the North." When bowled over he managed to get himself into a sitting position, and with gradually diminishing vigour continued to play the same tune. Milne was one of five of the Gordon's pipers who did more than their bare duty at Dargai. The other tour marcne<t-»turdily across the lire zone playing "Cock o' the North;" like Milne. Three were wounded, one severely, full in tbe-cheat. Another conspicuous figure in the fight was Lieut. Arthur Tillard, in command of the 3rd Goorkhas. Three companies of Goorkhas were led across the fatal zone earlier in the day, and Tillard was attached to the second company. This young officer was the first man who actually got across, and his men fol- lowed his lead manfully. Midway across in the stormy journey the Goorkhas appeared momentarily to hesitate, whereupon Lieutenant Tillard encouraged them with kindly and stimulating words while the hail of bullets continued all around them. TRIBES SURRENDER. All remains quiet (says a Simla message of the 1st inst.) on the lines of communications. It is re- ported that certain Ali Khels have visited the Chikai, it is unknown whether their object is to obtain the ammunition, of which the Chikai have a large quantity, or to solicit intercession of the latter on their own behalf. The Alisharzai and Makundzai lashkars have left Chakhaza and Sadari for their homes, leaving 100 men from each lashkar to watch the progress of events. The Manzaki jirgah has refused to allow the Alisharzai to pass through their country to attack Shinawari, or to deposit their property with them. Sadda Khan, Chief of the Madda Khel, and his brother, have sur- rendered to General Bird. This is an important step towards the settlement of Madda Kbel difficulty. Other Maliks are also coming in. Many Afridis, Kuki Khels, and Ali Khels have started in the direc- tion of Bara with the object of opposing the Peshawur column. A party of 200 Alisharzais is said to have collected on Sunday at Sadari, in the Khanki Valley, for the purpose of attacking Karappa. The Shinwari telegraph was cut on Sun- day. The Viceroy has abandoned his projected tonr to Burmah. His Excellency has telegraphed to Sir Frederick Fryer, Chief Commissioner for that province, stating that, owing to delay in the military operations, he finds that the public interest will be best served by his remaining here some weeks longer. His Excellency fully shares the disappointment which the decision will cause, but hopes that the reasons given will be accepted as sufficient. The Viceroy is extremely sorry that he must thus forego the kind reception promised him, and rogrets the trouble caused to Sir Frederick Fryer and others in preparing it. BACK OF REBELLION BROKEN. The India Office was not in a position to issue a single telegram on Monday in reference to the Tirah punitive expedition, and the opinion is entertained in well-informed quarters that the back of the rebel- lion is practically broken, and that, apart from such punishment as it may be determined to inflict upon the tribesmen, the campaign is virtually over. The appeal made through the Ameer is taken as an indi- cation in this direction, although there may yet be desultory fighting.

,r THE ENGINEERING DISPUTE. THE END STILL FAB OFF. The dispute in the engineering and shipbuilding industry entered on Monday upon its eighteenth week, and in spite of the Board of Trade negotiations there does not seem to be any hope of an immediate settlement. No further communications have passed between the Board and the parties. On the men's side the prevalent feeling is that the question of money is all-important, and it is thought that there is little chance of successful intervention, having regard to the terms of the reply sent to Mr. Ritchie by the employers. The Engineers' Society have definitely declined to accept the demand of the Employers' Federation for the unconditional withdrawal of the men's claim for a shorter working day. They have also dedded not to recede from the position already taken up with reference to the constitution of the conference, viz., the appointment of an impartial chairman. On the other hand a very strong feeling, it is reported, exists among the majority of the employers of the country against the executive council of the federation modifying their demands before meeting the men's representatives in con- ference. Some correspondence has passed between the engineers' headquarters and the boilermakers. The Irttter declare that they can hold the port of London against all comers that there are only seven black- lfgs in tho whole of the Thames shops where the lock-out notices apply; and that there can be no thought of surrender after the overwhelming defeat which Mr. Knight suffered at the Canning-town meeting. BOARD OF TRADE EFFORTS. Colonel Dyer, president of the Employers' Federa- tion, attended on Monday at the Boaad of Trade at the invitation of Mr. Ritchie, who submitted an amended draft of the terms of reference which Colonel Dyer undertook to bring before the executive committee of the federation. It was understood that Mr. Barnes, the general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, would be invited to meet Mr. Ritchie.

A SNAKE STORY. 14 During my early boyhood I heard a great many stories about the glass snake," aid Traffic Manager J. G. Schriever, of the Southern Pacific Company, a day or two ago, to a representative of the ISevj Orleans Times-Democrat, but it was a good many years before I placed any credence in the fact that the glass snake ever existed. It happened in an odd sort of a way (my belief in the fact), and the exist- ence of the creature was made manifest during a most delightful outing spent some years ago in Wes- tern Texas. In company with a number of friends I was camping on the banks of a small stream in the hill section, and it was during a jaunt along the baaks of the stream that we came across a peculiar-looking snake about ]8in. long lying upon the top of a smooth rock by the creek. I took up a stick to kill the snake, but before the stick reached it it suddenly went to pieces, just for all the world as if it had been in sections, the several joints remaining upon the rock, the head excepted, which dropped over the side of the rook into the grass. There was no blood spilled, and the joints looked as if they had been smeared on the ends with sealing wax. To say 1 was surprised would express it mildly. I had never seen anything like it before. I concluded to take away a section of the glass snake, for such my companions termed it, for a memento. I wrapped a joint in a piece of paper and took it to camp. That evening I unrolled it, and, after a good look, tied it about the middle with a stout piece of string and suspended it from a low branch near the tent. Then we all went to sleep. In the morning, before we had drank our coffee, I thought to take a look at the section, and, to my un- bounded astonishment, instead of a joint I bad a whole snake. I was paralysed with astonishment. I did not see how in the deuce a snake could grow from a single section, even it it was a glass snake, but the solution to the problem wAtf even more remarkable than my first conjecture. The head and tail of the snake had set out on a still hunt for the missing joint, and, having found it, had managed to reach-it as it swung at the end of the string; And, not caring again to become separated from so important a portion of its bone and sinew, had preferred to dangle in mid-air, possibly hoping by some unleoked- for circumstance to regain its liberty. Touched by so remarkable an exhibition of snake sagacity, we untied the string and the glass snake glided into the verdant fastnesses of the forest. I havo never seen another reptile of the sort."

GLASGOW MAIN BURSTS. A serious accident happened on Saturday morning Paitick, Glasgow, resulting in the partial flooding of the Glasgow District Subway and subjecting the city and suburbs to a water famine. The large main ptpe which supplies Glasgow with its water burst in Dumbarton-road, Partick, with the result that the subway was flooded to the depth of several feet. The watermen were at once telephoned for, and the supply cut off, with the result that the entire population of Partick, numbering 47,000, were without water, as well as Glasgow. The traffic in the subway was continued, but the cars had to pass through about 3ft. of water in certain parts of the line. Hydraulic pumps were speedily got to work, and the damaged main repaired with as little delay as possible.

THE screw of a» Atlantic liner revolves something like 630,000 times between Liverpool an<L^iew York. A GERMAN paper calls attention to the fact that at Aachen alone 800 tons of steel wire are used up annually in the manufacture of needles— 4,500,000,000 in number, valued at 1:300,000. u AN aged woman had an order made against her at Preston to pay a debt of £40 by instalments of 18. Per month. It would thus take 66 years to pay off the dobt.

LORD ROSMEAD DEAD. The first to pass away of the dramatis persons who cccnpied the South African stage at the time of the Jameson raid has been Lord Rosmead, better known by the name he bore two years ago—Sir Hercules Robinson. Lord Rosmead's long illness terminated fatally at his residence in London on Thursday evening of last reek. Hercules George Robert Robinson was the son of Admiral Hercules Robinson, and was born on December 19, 1824. He was educated at Sandhurst, and for some years held a commission in the 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers). He retired from the service in 1846, and till 1852 he was employed in the Irish Civil Service in various capacities, including the superintending of relief work in the terrible famine of 1846-47. In the former year he married Nea, daughter of Viscount Valentia. He commenced his foreign service in 1854, when he was appointed President of Montserrat, and a year later be became Lieutenant-Governor of St. Kitts. In 1859 he accepted the Governorship of Hong Kong, and received a knighthood in the same year. Six yeara later he was promoted to be Governor of Ceylon, and in March, 1872, he became Governor of New South Wales. In August, 1874 he was sent to the Fijis to settle the dispute between the natives and the British authorities, and in October of the same year he was able to announce the cession of the islands to Britain and hoisted the British flag. For some time after this be retained the supervision of the government in his own hands, and for his distinguished services was created in 1875 a Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. In 1878 he became Governor of New Zealand, and two years later he succeeded Sir Bartle Frere as Governor of the Cape. He was subsequently sent to inquire into a Govern- ment scandal in Mauritius, and from 1895 till his retirement in the present year he was again Governor of the Cape and High Commissioner of South Africa. It was in December, 1895, thai. Dr. Jameson'ti force crossed the border into the Transvaal, and there were many who openly accused Sir Hercules of com- plicity in the affair. He promptly disavowed Dr. Jameson's action, and endeavoured unsuccessfully to arrest his march, and after the battle of Krugersdorp he proceeded t<t Pre- toria and negotiated the release of the doctor and his companions. He failed, however, to secure any redress of those 1 grievances of the Uitlanders which had led to the Jameson trouble, and this failure has been the sub- ject of much criticism. During the many months which followed, the position of the Governor in his attempts to follow out a conciliatory but firm policy was harassing in the extreme, and his failing health broke down under the strain. He kept at his post, however, till the spring of this year, when he broke down altogether, and re- signed his position, which was filled by Sir Alfred Milner. He leaves behind him a record of good and useful work, which will far outweigh any mistakes that he may have made during his second African adminis- tration. Lord Rosmead is succeeded by his son, the Hon. Hercules Arthur Robinson, who was born in 1866, is a lieutenant in the Royal Irish Fusiliers, is married to a daughter of the fourth Lord Castlemaine, and has a son born in 18S5.

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT. An alarming railway accident occurred soon after six o'clock on Monday evening at Victoria Station, Manchester. A number of railway carriages, which formed a portion of a train which was standing about three-quarters of a mile outside the station, broke away, and running down the gradient into the station jumped the buffers and crashed through the ticket inspector's office, killing one passenger outright and injuring six others. The train to which the coaches belonged had been standing on No. 3 way, and an engine had backed down to it and taken off six of the coaches into a siding. The driver then returned for the remaining three, and was surprisedjto find them gone. They had in the meantime run down the line, gradually gaining momentum, and as the points and signals were set for the expected train, nothing prevented them from dash- ing into the station. They came in almost unseen, and reached the end of the platform before any warning could be given. The end carriage was a composite one, including a guard's van, and this tore away the buffers and carried them across the platform through the ticket collectors' office and out on to the station approach. A second carriage jumped the platform, and it was under one of the wheels of this vehicle that the body of a working man named William Butterworth, of Hollinwood, was found. His thigh was broken and his head very badly injured. The station was fairly busy at the time, and, seeing that many passengers entering pass the spot where the carriages cut through the platform, it is remarkable that no one else was killed. There were, however, six persons more or less injured, their names being James Maguire, 42, porter, contused wounds on the head William Pegg, porter, cut hand Joseph Ciellan, porter, injured hand; Terence Morice Smith; of 4 i9 Pont-street, Piccadilly, contusion on the leg and Frederick Hopkinson, clerk, 29, of Mawdesley- street, Bury, injuries about the lower part of the body. They were conveyed to the Royal Infirmary, where it was found necessary to detain only one, Hopkinson. Two boys named Bateson and Antrobus had wonderfully narrow escapes, as they were in the guard's van when the carriages ran away. The two lads are employed by the company as train hookers, and were waiting in the train for a ride to the station. Antrobus escaped practically uninjured, and his companion was not very seriously hurt. Little delay was caused by the accident to traffic, only the station end of the Oldham line being blocked for a time.

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. RESULTS OF POLLING IN THE BOROUGHS. The municipal elections were held throughout England and Wales on Monday. By midnight re- turns bad been received from 139 boroughs. In 37 of these no contests occurred, the retiring councillors being mostly re-elected, and even in many boroughs where contests did occur no political significance attached to them, the seats being disputed on questions either of only parochial importance or of personal fitness for office. As the result of the elections the Liberals have gained 68 seats, the Conservatives 31, the Liberal Unionists one, the Independents six, the Labour party eight, Socialists four, Independent and Labour four, and Labour and Socialist two. The Liberal gains were 10 in Bristol, where 15 new efiats have been added to the Council; six in Northampton, Ave in Wigan, four in Wakefield, three in Plymouth, two in Ludlow, Hythe, Burton-on-Trent, Devon- port, Burnley, Coventry, Accrington, Batley, and Sheffield, and one in Wallingford, Appleby, Leo- minster, Falmouth, Chester, Warwick, Wolver- hampton, Warrington, Huddersfield, Boston, Dudley, Halifax, Haslingden, Cheltenham, Dewsbury, Liver- pool, Portsmouth, Stafford, Louth, Lancaster, Croydon, and Birmingham. The Conserva- tive gains were three in Oxford, two in Maldon, Kidderminster, Scarborough, Worcester, and Bristol, and one in Godmanchester, Windsor, Durham, Hanley, Barnsley, St. Helens, Hartle- pool, Soutbport, Swansea, Stockport, Bury (Lan- cashire), Walsall, Shrewsbury, West Hartlepool, Leicester, Cardiff, York, and Macclesfield. The Liberal Unionists gain was in West Bromwich. The Independent gains were two in Colchester and one in Taunton, Staly bridge, Bootle, and Bristol. The Labour party's gains were three in Hull, two in Cardiff, and one in Warwick, Wollerbampton, and Bradford. The Socialist gains were three in West Ham, and one in Halifax. Tbe Labour and Socialist were two in Bristol. The Independent and Labour were four in Blackburn.

A YOUNG man left Holland for the Transvaal promising to return and marry his intended. Beihf unable to leave Africa at the time appointed, a mar- riage by proxy, known as a glove marriage, took place. The parties met in Holland and in the Trans- vaal, at the same moment, the fact being notified by cable. Both bride and bridegroom made the re- sponses, and when the time came to clasp hands, a glove worn by the bridegroom was produced, the bride holding one end of it and the proxy the other. The promifes were exchanged and the ceremony ended. A, cablegram from the bride to her husband 6000 miles away gave him her wifely greeting, to which be responded.