County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

THE RESULT OF A SURVEY. It is not often that 200 acres of land totally dis- appear in this country, but this, says the North- ampton correspondent of the Daily News, is the experience of the Corporation of Northampton, who have just discovered that the area of the borough is just 209 acres less than had always been believed, certainly since the Enclosure Act of more than 120 years ago. In obtaining facts for the pending enlargement of the municipal borough, the area of the town was carefully recalculated, and it was found that, instead of being 1520 acres, it was only 1311. This makes Northampton one of the smallest boroughs in England. The inhabitants numbering over 68,000, this gives the densest population in tho country, no less than 52 persons to the acre. The nearest known approaches are Liverpool 48'7, and Bolton 48*4 per acre. Included in the area of the borough are the public racecourse of 120 acres, and the old commons of 53 acres, both of which are in the possession of the corporation, and neither can be built, upon, not even to the smallest extent. If these be excluded, the density of population stands at the extraordinarily high figure of 65'7 per acre. By the enlargement of the borough which takes place on November 9 next, the area of Northampton will be trebled, and the population increased to about 100,000.

OPEN-AIR LIBRARIES. At Brooklyn free libraries have been established in the parks and open spaces. It was at first thought khat, people going to the parks for recreation and fresh air would not avail themselves of the oppor- tunity of reading. The result, however, has proved the contrary. In one park alone during seven months 16,832 books have been taken out for home reading, and 19,300 books were read on the premises amidst pleasant open-air surroundings.

OVERHEAD CYCLE PATHS. Discussing the congested state of London traffic, Wheeling advocates an American solution of the difficulty experienced by cyclists in the shape of over- head cycling paths. It seems that between the towns of Los Angelos and Pasadena, in Southern California, there has been constructed an overhead path for the exclusive use of cyclists. The path is built of wood, varies from 3ft. to 50ft. in height, and has an average gradient of about one in 80. The path accommodates four machines abreast, is lit throughout by electric light, and the entire cost of construction, includii-g purchase of right-of-way over land, has been only £ 38,000, or JE4233 per mile. A similar scheme is recommended for London, and five different routes from the City to the suburbs are suggested. As to the cost, it is estimated that the sum of £ 250,000 would be required, which could be recouped by a system of fares.

BOATING FATALITY. The Thames between Blackfriars and Southwark Bridges was, about five o'clock on Sunday afternoon, the scene of a boating disaster, which, so far as can be ascertained, has resulted in the loss of two, if not three, lives. A young man and two young women were proceeding down the river in an ordi- nary row-boat, when, near the tier of barges off Paul's Wharf, or what is known as Bankside, South- wark, the strength of the ebbing tide carried the craft out of its course. A violent collision with the moored barges fol- lowed, and the occupants of the boat were thrown into the stream. Assistance was at hand, but the swiftness of the current was such that only one rescue was effected. This was a young woman, named Mary Ann King, aged 21, of Red Lion-street, Holborn, who, on being taken out of the water in an exhausted and semi-conscions condition, was conveyed to St. Bartholomew's Hospital. She is suffering from shock, and though her recovery is expected she has not been permitted to make any statement. It is believed the bodies of the other persons were carried down the river or jammed beneath the barges. Their names were Nellie Weaver, 17, of 43, Devonshire-street, Theobald's-ro-Ad and Charlie Bray, 16, of 53, Devonshire-street. Mr. Henry Ware, piermaster at Blackfriars-bridge, with a colleague, made a gallant effort at i oscue.

A MOTHER'S DEVOTION A sad affair is reported from Aldeby, near Beccles. Two little children named Simpson, aged six and two years respectively, sons of a labourer, were left alone in the house while their mother went with their father's breakfast to Reighbouring farm. The elder one took the other out, and, setting him down between two straw stacks, began to play with a box of matches. The stacks caught light, and were soon blazing. At this point the mother rushed on the scene to find both children on fire, for the elder had stood paralysed by terror, and allowed the flames to reach him with- out endeavouring to retreat. Having rescued him the agonised woman dashed into the mass of flames and got out her two-year-old boy, who was dread- fully injured. She herself was badly burned, and dropped the little one as she emerged from the flames. Help was at hand, and the clothes were cut [ off the burning child, but he succumbed in a few hours. The mother and the other child are recover- ing.

FATAL RAILWAY COLLISION. A collision, which resulted in the loss of two lives, occurred early on Sunday morning near Birkenhead on the Mersey Tunnel Railway. In rounding a sharp curve an engine collided with a trolley on which were five platelayers. Three of the men jumped and escaped injury, but Harry Brown, aged 22, of Everton, Liverpool, was killed, and Thomas Jackson, a married man, living at Rock- ferry, Birkenhead, was removed to Birkenhead Hospital, where he died from his injuries the same afternoon.

I PRINCE GEORGE OF CRETE. Prince George of Crete arrived at Athens on Sun- day. As his Highness was stepping into his carriage an officer, who bore traoes of mental excitement, seized hold of the reins of the carriage. He was at once taken into custody, and was found to be in "I i possession of a revolver. Prince George will leave Athens shortly on a visit to the European capitals.

I THE CRISIS IN CHINA. I I PRINCE CHING PROPOSES A I CONFERENCE. I TIIP Times Pekin correspondent, in a message of September 18, says the withdrawal of the German Legation is postponed till further orders. Prince Ching has written to the doyen of the foreign Ministers announcing the early arrival of Li Hung Chang, and proposing a con- ference at the Tsung-li-Yamen. The American expedition to the north-east has returned to Tung- chau, having rescued the Christian refugees. I ROUTING THE BOXERS. The Times correspondent describes the conjoint American and British expeditions at the beginning of last week to the Boxers headquarters at Pa-ta-chu, the well-known eight temples, 12 miles west of Pekin. Sir A. Gaselee, in a telegram of September 19, reports that the expedition completely surprised the Boxers, who lost 50 men. A squadron of the 1st Bengal Lancers, with sappers, afterwards went on to San-kia-tien and destroyed the new arsenal there. The Americans and most of the British troops returned to quarters on September 18; 200 men remain at Pa-ta-chu with Sir C. MacDonald for a few days. I COUNT VON WALDERSEE. 11 I Count von Waldersee, after visiting the foreign barracks and camps at Shanghai, left for the north I n Saturday. I LI HUNG CHANG AT TAKU. £ si Hung Chang has arrived at Ta-ku. His pre- ,vnee is ignored by the British and Germans, but the Russians and French have taken charge of him. From Ta-ku details are telegraphed of the capture of the Pei-tang forts. After a brisk cannonade the Chinese abandoned the forts, contriving to escape with verv little loss. I A NEW TAOTAI CHENG. The appointment to Shanghai of a new Taotai Cheng, of strong anti-foreign tendencies, has created a very bad impression there, and is regarded as a proof of the intention of Prince Tuan and his party to extend the area of disturbance if driven to bay. The British and French Consuls-General have pro- tested to the Nanking Viceroy against the appoint- ment. I SHIELDING PRINCE TUAN. A Laffan telegram from Shanghai asserts that the Emperor and Dowager-Empress have refused to con- sider any proposals for the punishment of Prince Tuan and other Boxer sympathisers. I AMERICA'S POSITION. I The American Government has published the text of its reply to the German circular note. While declaring its purpose of holding accountable the responsible authors of wrongs done in China to citizens of the United States, it thinks it only just that the Chinese Government should be first afforded an opportunity of degrading and punishing these persons itself, and is therefore indisposed, as a pre- liminary to negotiations, to join in the demand that China should surrender to the Powers the persons whom the Powers determine to be the real perpe- trators of the wrongs. TUNG-CHOW EXPLOSION. In his report regarding the powder explosion at Tung-Chow, in which 14 men were killed and 19 injured, besides Captain Hill, of the Chinese Regi- ment, and a native officer, Major Scott, commanding the British force, gives the following details of the casualties: Welsh Fusiliers. Martin and Paddon, dead. Dook, hopeless. Jones, very doubtful. Corporal Hughes and Private Wogan, doubtful. Hugh, hopeful. Highfield and Gilbert will recover. Chinese Regiment. Captain Hill, hopeful. Two killed, six injured. An interpreter was killed. First Sikhs. Nine killed, four injured, the latter including a native officer slightly. The victims formed portions of a fatigue party under Captain Hill, who with Captain Fairfax was employing them to remove boxes of powder from a magazine in the temple to a safe place, where it was spread out on the ground and burned. The boxes were carried under the supervision of a line of sentries to where the remainder of the party carefully opened them. When it was spread out the powder was unaccountably ignited and the explosion occurred. A Court of Inquiry will be held to-day to collect evidence. The sufferings of the victims were terrible. The American and Japanese doctors rendered valuable assistance. Captain Hill (according to a later message) has succumbed to the injuries he received in the explo- sion at Tung-Chow. It ia now stated that the ex- plosion was caused by the careless handling and hammering of the powder cases. TUAN GRAND COUNCILLOR. I The Times Shanghai correspondent, says it is re- ported that Prince Tuan has been appointed Grand Councillor, with control of the Board of War. The belief appears to prevail in several of the Continental capitals that the Empress Dowager has placed her- self entirely in the hands of Prince Tuan and other reactionary leaders, and that, rather than yield to the demands of the Powers, she is preparing to transfer the capital to some town in Shan-si. The German proposal, the unfavourable American reply to it, and the designs of Russia continue to be keenly discussed in Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and St. Peters- burg. j DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS. I The Times Pekin correspondent, in a message of September 10, says that the Russians have announced their intention of keeping 2500 men in Pekin during the winter. The Chinese Court is still on the northern border of Shan-si awaiting developments in Fekin. Of the plenipotentiaries proposed by Li Hung Chang to conduct the negotiations with the Powers, the Viceroys of Nanking and Wu-chang have been Accepted by the Powers, and Yung Lu, whose troops were foremost in attacking the Legations, has been refused. From Berlin it is reported that Russia and Japan have accepted the German proposal in principal," and that the assent of France is practically unreserved. The only reply that is now awaited is that of Great Britain. A Re iter telegram from New York embodies a rumour that Lord Salisbury, on Tuesday afternoon, in an interview with Count Hatzfeld, gave an answer practically in accordance with that of the United States. MURDER OF MISSIONARIES. I The China Inland Mission in London have re- ceived the following message from Shanghai "Eleven missionaries killed at Sihcheo Taning and Yohyang, in Shan-si, probably Mr. and Mrs. Peat and two children, Misses F. E. and M. R. Nathan, Misti Edith Dobson, Miss E. M. Heays. man, Miss G. Hurn, Mr. A. Woodroffe, and Mr. D. Barratt."

KILLED BY A DONKEY. A child, named Cecil Woodley, aged four months, died at Great Easton, Essex, after being bitten by a donkey. The child was lying in a hammock, in an orchard where the donkey was grazing, and during the absence of the nurse, the animal bit the child right through the lower iaw.

THE REVENUE. The receipts on account of Revenue from April I, 1900, when there was a balance of £ 3,517,017, to September 22, 1900, were £48.051,601 against F-48,177,660 in the corresponding period of the preceding financial year, which began with a balance of £ 8,919,173. The net ex- penditure was F-81,919,407 against E49,514,308 to the same date in the previous year. The Treasury balances on September 22, 1900, amounted to P-2,302,540, and at the same date in 1899 to £ 4,573,245.

KING VICTOR EMMANUEL II. has announced his decision to create a Royal Privy Council similar to that over which her Majesty the Queen presides, his' object being to obtain a larger personal share in the Government. THE German Ambassador has lodged a formal com- plaint against the conduct of the French 37th Regi- ment of the Line, who, it is stated, during the recent manoeuvres deliberately crossed the German frontid and wrote insulting remarks on the frontier posts.

THE CHURCH CONGRESS. I At Newcastle-on-Tyne on Tuesday the 40th Church Congress was formally opened, when the mayor and civic officials welcomed the president (the Bishop of Newcastle) and members of the congress in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall. Subsequently a procession was formed, including the Archbishop of York, and marched to the cathedral, where ser- vice was held, the sermon being preached by the Archbishop. The Bishop of Newcastle, in the course of his inaugural address in the afternoon, said that when in 1881 the congress met at Newcastle there was no separate See in connection with the city, but the present diocese over which he presided was incor- porated with that of Durham. The liberality of the laity of the ancient diocese of Durham, aided by the stimulus given by the Church Congress of 1881, had resulted in the sum necessary to endow the See being raised. In 10 years £100,000 had been subscribed for making better spiritual provision for the Tyneside popula- tion. They were now within £ 10,000 of the sum necessary for the full equipment of a complete Dean and Chapter, and steps were being taken to procure an Act of Parliament in order to merge the benefice of the city into the deanery. His lordship, speak- ing of the fundamental principles of the Reforma- tion. and their bearing at the present time, expressed the hope that the discussion would be on historical rather than on speculative lines. The question was discussed at the last Newcastle Congress, and it was only on the lines of history that they could .decide definitely to what the Reformation bad committed the Church of the present day. His lord- I ship, continuing, said that Archbishop Benson once intimated that the more he studied the reformation the more he learned what real theologians the Re- formers were, and this fact was the best answer to those outside our Church who flippantly sneered at the reformation as the mere result of the turning of a political wheel. We approached the subject as men who were ashamed neither of the rock whence we were hewn in the seventh century, when the mission from Iona to Lindisfarne was gradu- ally meeting the Roman mission in Kent, and building up what became a united Church after the old Romish Church had been driven by heathen Saxons to the fastnesses of Wales and Cornwall, nor of that great civil and religious move- ment in the 16th and 17th centui ies which indicated the national rights and privileges that, even in the worst time that followed the Norman Conquest, had never been suppressed without the protests of the people, and to which we owed it that England's Church had been foremost in her studies and the circulation and translation of the Word of God, and had Epre- served alike her catholicity and her strenuous maintenance of the absolutely free access of every single soul to God through Jesns Christ. He much mistook the mind of the English people if they did not firmly and substantially grasp two great and consistent principles, which, at no price, would they surrender—one of entire continuity alike in doctrine and in apostolic orderof the Church of to-day with the Church of apostolic times; the other, the absolute legitimacy, nay, the painful neces- sity of that claim of nation rights, that reversion to primitive doctrine and practices the assertion of the supremacy of God, which we associate with the Re- formation. The adhesion of the great bulk of English Churchmen to these two great principles was not to be gathered from the vehement utterances of partisans or in the columns of papers which were associated with different schools of thought. It was rather to be gathered from the experi- ence of men who were brought closely into con- tact with the rank and file of Churchmen, and more from the secular than from the so-called religions Press. They were the safeguard of the Church of England in the providential position in which her Master had placed her. They were the guarantee that Englishmen would not allow their great historical heritages to be torn asunder by the partisans of rival factions. They were the fundamental basis on which the Church of to-day rested that Church which had been so great a factor in the making of the English people. At the conclusion of the address papers on the progress of the Church during the century were read by the Bishop of Ripon, Canon Overton, Canon Henderson, and others.

FATAL RAILWAY ENGINE EXPLOSION. An explosion, iesulting in the death of two men, occurred on the Great Eastern Railway at Wester- field, near Ipswich, on Tuesday. About nine o'clock a goods train was about to be shunted off the Yar- mouth main line, when the boiler of the locomotive exploded. The only persons in the vicinity were a porter, the landlord of an adjacent hotel, and a con- stable. The engine was carried off its framework to a distance of 40 yards,and itfell upon a porter's wooden hut on the platform, bringing down a signal-post. The post struck the constable, who was severely injured. He is now in hospital in a critical condi- tion. The bcdy of the driver, a man named John Barnard, was found in a coal yard 50 yards away, terribly mutilated. The body of the fireman, Mac- donald, was found in the fourth truck from the engine. Barnard had been 40 years in the service of the aompany. A passenger in an up train, which was alongside in the station at the time, was also severly injured.

MILITARY RIVER CROSSING. Twenty-four Infantry Battalions at Aldershot were on Tuesday exercised in the practical methods to be adopted in crossing a river without confusion. Lieutenant-General Sir W. F. Butler,who has recently taken over the Command of the Aldershot District, set the scheme, and it afforded him an opportunity of testing the organisation of the district. He ordered six of his seven Infantry Brigades to form up in line of Brigade masses on the plateau of which Cassar's. Camp forms the northern encampment. Each of these Brigades had a strong section of Mounted Infantry attached. By devious routes and careful timing, four rather narrow bridges over the Basingstoke Canal were reached, and the passage of this, the first objective, was effected in quite an easy manner. Neither Cavalry nor Artillery were employed, and no ammu- nition was fired. The enemy was a purely imaginary force, reported to be nn Yately Common. As soon as the force, with its light impedimenta, such as re- freshments, and water-carts, and ambulances, had crossed the canal, the General ordered a retirement, which necessitated the water being recrossed, so that a useful lesson was doubly impressed upon the troops. Aparnde on Central Plain followed, which was viewed from an eminence by Sir William Butler and his Staff.

THE BIRKENHEAD POST OFFICE I MURDER. The Birkenhead coroner, on Tuesday, held an in- quiry into the circumstances connected with the murder of George Fell, a caretaker at the Birkenhead Post-office, on Sunday, September 9. Mr. C. H. Morton, solicitor, who represented the Postrmaster- General, expressed the sympathy of the Department with the widow of the murdered man. He said the moment the circumstances reached the Postmaster- General, he directed that the funeral expenses should be borne by the Department, and also that the immediate needs of the widow should be attended to. Evidence was given to the effect that, on the post-office being opened on Sunday afternoon, Fell was found lying dead in the postmaster's room, with his head terribly battered. He had been left in charge of the pre- mises from ten o'clock till five. After killing the caretaker the murderer broke open the safe in the registered letter department, and carried off E150. The jury returned a verdict of "Wilfwl Murder" against some person unknown, and recommended that communication with the outside world should be provided at the post-office as a means of safe- guarding the caretakers, suggesting telephonic con- nection with the police-station. Mr. Morton pro- mised that the recommendation of the jury should have due consideration. He thought it should be borne in mind, however, that in the whole history of the Post Office such a tiling had never occurred before.

THE Mayor of Aberavon a few years ago was Mr. Henry Richards, who, though a lecturer, preacher, and poet, is totally blind. The solicitor to the Sal- vation Army, Mr. Alfred W. Ranger, has qeen quite blind since his 14th year. Dr. George Matheson of Edinburgh, though he lost his sight in early youth, has become a famous preacher and author. The pre- sent incumbent of Belgrave Chapel, Pimlico, the Rev. Herbert John F. J. Campbell, principal of the Royal Normal College and an Alpine climber, is, and bas long been, blind.

REWARD FOR RATS AND MICE. In consequence of the outbreak of the plague at Glasgow, the Antwerp Communal Council has issued a notice offering a reward for all rats or mice brought dead or alive to the local police stations, this class of vermin being popularly supposed to carry infection.

THE HOUSING PROBLEM. The National Housing Reform Council is conven- ing another large conference on the housing pro- blem. This timo Newcastle will be the scene of the conference, the date of which has been fixed for Satur- day next, when Mr. Thomas Burt, M.P., will preside. Representatives from local authorities, co-operative societies, and trade unions have already promised to attend in large numbers. Among the speakers will be Councillor J. Johnston, J.P., who will describe the municipal housing schemes of the Manchester Corporation. Three resolutions will be submitted to the conference, the first dealing with the administra- tion of existing powers, the second with the diffi- culty experienced in obtaining land for housing pur- poses, and the third with the necessity for increasi ng the means of travel by tram and rail.

MOTOR-CAR MISHAP. Dr. Heath, of London, with two friends, left Kendal on Monday afternoon in a motor-car for Kirby Lonsdale, where they remained for refresh- ments. Resuming their journey at four o'clock, they proceeded down Brig Brow to Devil's-bridge, when by some mischance, the brake failed to act, and the car ran down the descent at a great speed. Before reaching the bridge, it dashed into the iron railings at the entrance to Lune- field. The car was smashed, and blew up with a loud report. The occupants had a narrow escape. Dr. Heath was found under the debris, and, when examined by Dr. Ledgard and Dr. Paget Tomlinson, was found to be suffering from injuries on the upper part of the body. The two friends escaped with a severe shaking. Mr. Heath was taken first to Lunefield, tbe residence of the Countess of Bective, and afterwards was conveyed on a stretcher to the Royal Hotel, Kirkby Lonsdale. It appears that his injuries are not so serious as was at first thought, and hopes are entertained of his early recovery.

SOLDIERS' INSTITUTE FOR BULFORD. The Bishop of Salisbury, who has throughout taken an active interest in the welfare of the troops encamped for training on Salisbury Plain, is now making arrangements with the War Office with a view to establishing a permanent Church of England Soldiers' Institute at Bulford for the convenience and accommodation of the troops that are to be located in the hutments at this centre during the coming winter. The Canvas Institutes at each training camp have been much appreciated by Volunteers and Militia during the past summer, both for letter-writing, reading, and recreative purposes. The institutes are, of course, largely dependent upon public subscriptions for financial support, and in some instances the volun- teer and militia battalions have marked in a practical way their appreciation of the efforts put forth by giving donations to the funds on their departure from the training area. The Wesleyan Methodist Connexion have already established a permanent Institute at Bulford. ——————————————————

LIVED FOR A MONTH ON TURNIPS' The Leicester servant girl, Frances Stanley, who disappeared after leaving the youngest of her mis- tress's children on Skegness beach in a position of great danger, has been found. She was discovered hiding in the sand hillsof Skegness, and for a month had lived on turnips and blackberries, not daring to venture forth owing to uncertainty as to the fate of the infant. l She was very emaciated, and it is feared she will not recover.

DEAD BODIES AND PASSERS-BY. A curious piece of evidence, but (says the Lancet) one by no means without precedent, was given recently before the corner for Market Drayton. The inquest was upon the body of a man which had been found head downwards in a small well or pit full of water sunk in a ditch by the wayside, and it was admitted by a witness that he had seen the deceased in this position and had made no attempt to extricate him, preferring to leave what might or might not at that time have been a dead body for the police to deal with, and proceeding to inform them accordingly moreover, from the remarks of the coroner, it was believed that other persons had exercised an equally ill-judged forbearance. This hesitation on the part of uneducated persons to in- terfere with what is apparently a corpse arises perhaps in some measure from a superstitious dread of handling a dead body, but has no doubt been en- couraged by the attitude of the police, who, from the point of view of detectors of possible crime, not in- excusably prefer to see the body in its original posi- tion, and to be able to search for traces of the criminal before such traces may have been removed without being properly observed. There is also some risk that the passer-by who endeavours to be the first to render assistance where a crime has been committed may himself be seized upon by a second arrival as being the criminal himself. It is painful to believe that a confusion thus arising in the minds of the ignorant may induce them to con- sider that they are under legal obligation to inform the police rather than to assist a fellow creature who may still be alive and within reach of succour; but, at the same time, it is consoling to reflect that only the very ignorant or the brutally indifferent would refrain from immediate action in circumstances such as those described at Market Drayton. Not to help a man still obviously alive would imply a callousness which is hardly human, and which we hope is very rarely, if ever, met with.

A LADIitS' FIGHT AT THE PARIS EXHIBITION. An account of the extraordinary disturDance that occurred in the section of the Paris Exhibition devoted to the dispiay of ladies' toilettes, is told in the Woman. A number of foreign dressmakers, it seems, were busy making copies of the costumes, and as they prevented several lady visitors from seeing the exhibits, the latter made an attack upon them. The dressmakers retaliated with hands and nails, and a scene of great confusion and noise ensued. Some men standing by interfered in the hope of restoring order, but both sides turned upon them, ana they had to defend themselves with their waik- ing-sticks and umbrellas, a line of conduct which added still more to the fury of the feminine fighter?! Hats and bonnets were torn up and trampled upon, costumes were rent to tatters, hair was pulled out, and faces scratched, and the attendants had great difficulty in restoring order by forcing the combatants out of the building. When they had gone the place was littered with wrecks of hats, bonnets, wearing apparel, and handfuls of hair

FOR FALLEN HEROES. At Cossall, near Ilkeston, a beautiful monument has been erected to the memory of three soldiers who had left their native land in defence of the country, and who had fought like giants at the battle of Waterloo, where two of them gloriously fell." Mr. Morgan-Owen, of Welshpool, adds: Since last October hundreds of British soldiers have fallen gloriously in defence of their country, and it is to be hoped that every parish that has produced a hero who has lost his life in South Africa will follow th patriotic exam pie of the people of Cossall and erect 1.1 monument to his inspiring memory."

.NEARLY 100,0001b. of snails are sold daily in the Paris markets to be eaten by dwellers in that city. They are carefully reared for the purpose in exten- sive snail gardens in the provinces, and fed on aro- matic herbs to make their flavour finer. One snaillery in Dijon is said to bring in to its proprietor 7000f. a year. Many Swiss cantons also contain large snail gardens, where they are grown with mnoh pains. They are not only regarded as a great delicacy, bnt are reckoned as very nutritious. Hygienists say that they contain 17 per cent. of nitrogenous matter, and that they are equal to oysters in nutritive properties THE Emperor William has once more expressed his appreciation of Lord Roberts as a sagacious and humane commander in the field. The Kaiser's opinion was evidently intended as an answer to the attacks which have been made upon the Field- Marshal in German journals. The Kaiser has publicly stated that the reports of the German Mili- tary Attaches pay the highest tribute to Lord Roberts as a soldier and a man.

EPITOME OF NEWS. IT costs 9110,000,000 every week to run tht world's railways. GREAT BRITAIN loses more than £ 10,000,00( worth of property annually by fire. OF the earth's surface, 1,500,000 acres are devoted to tobacco culture. IN the British Army 90,000 men have good-con- duct badges. IT is interesting to note that when Baden-Powell was promoted to the rank of Major-General he was 43 years of age. Both Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener were much older when they were pro- moted to that position. THE London improvements now in progress, in- cluding the Strand scheme and the new street from Holborn, involve an outlay of ten millions sterling. Of this sum four millions will, however, be recovered from the sale of sites, &c. A GOOSE that is nearly 50 years old belongs to a Yorkshirewoman. This old goose has laid eggs for nearly 40 years, and each year since 1854 up to two years ago she has hatched and raised goslings. LORD KINNAIRD, the present President of the Foot- ball Association, has held that office since 1890, wher be succeeded the late Sir F. A. Marindin, K.C.B, who had occupied the presidential chair since 1874. A CASE containing jewels and watches in the British section of the Paris Exhibition has been broken open and property to the value of E300 stolen. The thieves have escaped. FOLKESTONE General Purposes Committee have decided to recommend an electric tramway scheme, involving an outlay of £ 95,000. A proposal that the line should run along the beautiful undercliff was rejected. BERLIN pays a salary to a professional bird-catcher, who keeps scientific and educational institutions supplied with birds, birds' nests, and eggs, and he is She only man in the empire permitted to do so. THE total number of deserters from the French Army is, since January 1, far more considerable than in former years. It amounts to nearly 7000. The Colonial and Foreign Legions stand first on the list, combined with escapes from military penitentiaries. THE highest football ground in these islands i. probably at Dewsbury; the lowest, at Swansea, where it lies by the sea-shore; the driest and most level at Richmond and the wettest and most uneven at various places as to whose exact location most foot- ballers' recollections will differ. THE Emperor William was so impressed by the success of the Sybarita in the Kiel regatta that he has decided to have a new yacht built in England five tons larger than the Sybarita. It will have to be finished in time to take part in the next English and German races. A GOODS train containing one passengers' coach was proceeding from Sierre to 4Greuchen, in the Canton Valais, when the line, which had been under- mined by recent floods, gave way, and the whole train was thrown off the line. The guard had both legs cut off. THE specialists who have examined Salsou, the anarchist who made an attempt on the Shah, declare that he is in full possession of his faculties. He will be tried for premeditated attempt at murder, the penalty for which is death. A NEW American tramway ticket has been adopted in Leeds. A tiny machine carried round the waist of the conductor prints each ticket, showing the exact time of issue, the amount of the fare, and the stage to which the passenger is entitled to travel. THE British Government is the owner of 25,000 eamels. Several thousand are used in India to carry stores and equipment when regiments are changing quarters by line of march. ACCORDING to tables made by sporting men, over £ 50,000,000 is lost on the turf every year. Of this, C10,000,000 is lost on English racecourses and about £20,000,000 on Australian courses. The remainder is chiefly distributed between France, the United States, and British Colonies. A SMALL parish in Ziirich canton (states the Stock- holm Vartland) has recently been endeavouring to procure a loan of £ 1500, but is unable to offer any security other than the village cemetery and a suicides' morgue. Both of these being in use, the negotiations have hung fire, the bank declining to take in pawn such gruesome pledges. ACCORDING to the Melbourne Argus, the German Government has purchased 4000 horses for service in China, and the first consignment has left for Wei- hai-Wei in the steamer Kirklee. The animals were required for the artillery, transport, cavalry, and mounted infantry branches of the service, and each animal submitted was subjected to a very severe test. HUNGARY is now the great breeding-place for part ridges, and the late Baron Hirsch was chiefly instru- mental in starting the first partridge farm there. Mr. Walter Rothschild is now advocating the intro- duction into Scotland of the snow-grouse from the Himalayas. THE annual crop of mushrooms in France it valued at £ 400,000, and there are sixty wholesale firms in Paris dealing exclusively in them. In the Department of the Seine, it appears, there are some 3000 caves in which mushrooms are grown, and about 300 persons are employes in their culture. THE huts and observatory on Ben Nevis are said to stand higher than any other inhabited building in the country, and after them come the station huts of Snowdon. But these are not all-the-year-round habitations, and if that is the test then Rumney's House on the borders of Durham and Cumberland carries off the prize. It stands at an elevation of 1980ft. A CURIOUS case of loss of memory is reported from Worms. A small landowner was struck by lightning while ploughing, the flash passing through his hat, leaving a hole as large as a fist, then down his neck and through the plough-handle into the ground. The victim, who was ill for several days, finally recovered, but he has entirely lost his memory. COUNT TOLSTOI, the famous Russian novelist, neither drinks, smokes, nor eats meat. It is his boast that he does not possess a single article he could possibly dispense with; and he has even re- fused to receive a bicycle as a present, on the ground that it is a luxury. His recreations are chess and lawn tennis, at both of which he is an adept. CRONJE has formed quite a firm friendship with the British Governor of St. Helena, the two dining together very frequently. The Boer prisoners are on the best of terms with the garrison, sharing mess with the soldiers, with whom they often discuss the war in an amicable manner. Several Boers cn parole have been proposed as members of the St. Helena Club. A CAIRN in memcry of the Duke of Coburg is to be placed on the hill of Craigan Gowan, which over- shadows Balmoral Castle. "It will be situated near to the cairns of the Prince Consort and the Grand Duchess Alice. During the recent visit of Countess Feodore Gleichen to Osborne, she received a com- mission from the Queen to execute a bust of Duke Alfred, which is to be placed in the Frogmore mausoleum and statue of him will be erected by her Majesty in the nave of St. George's Chapel. Windsor Castle. MR. W. H. PENNINGTON, who was formerly a Shakespearean actor of some repute, and widely known in the provinces a dozen years since, is one of the survivors of the famous Six Hundred." He has'fallen on evil days, and an annuity is to be pur- chased for him. Mr. Herbert Gladstone, M.P., when asked to become a patron, readily assented, and wrote: I have a very clear recollection of vour visits to 11, Carlton House-terrace, some 30 vears ago, and I remember the high opinion my father expressed of your capacities as an actor and re- citer. IN his report upon the trade and commerce of Zanzibar for last year Acting-Consul Kestell Cornish states thatJhe finest tusks on record in East Africa, and probably larger than have ever yet been obtained in any part of the world, came through Zanzibar last year. The elephant from which they were obtained was snot by an Arab near Kiimanjaro. These tusks, which consisted of perfect ivory without a particle of disease, measured over IOkft. from top to base, and weighed 2241b. and 2391b. respectively. They were sold for £ 1000. The nearest approach in bulk to this pair were found about ten years ago, and weighed 1801b. each. They were, however, diseased to some extent. THE servant question has long been the cause of controversy. It is thought in some quarters that its solution is at hand, and that that solution may be found in the introduction of Chinese labour A firm of laundrymen are now having a great quantity of their work done by Celestials, and it is reported that before Christmas there will be some 1200 Chinese engaged in their laundries. It is also said that the mere provision of passage-money would be quite enough to bring us an influx of cheap and efficient labour. After, however, the experience of Australia and California, it may well be doubted whether the importation of Chinamen would prove an unmixed