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

BARRISTER'S RUINED LIFE. The siory of a barrister's wasted life, followed bv suicide, was revealed at Birmingham. William George Burbridge, who was born at West Hampstead 35 years ago, was called to the Bar at a comparatively early age, and be- came a successful pleader in the metropolitan courts. He gave way to intemperance, found himself briefless, and finally retired from prac- tice. He went to Birmingham two years ago as a labourer in the city electrical station, but was discharged. He was found dead at his home at Perry Barr. A bottle containing laudanum was found on the fire.

I THE LIFEBOATMEN'S STRIKE. I Lord George Hamilton and Captain Acton have presented their report on the Waimer life- boatmen's claim against the Central Lifeboat Institution for payment in connection with the launch on April 23. The report recommends that the launch be allowed and the men paid, and that in the rule in question the part re- lating to windward position be withdrawn. The rule would then read: "In fine weather the boat in the most advantageous position, havina regard to the wind, tide, and distance from the causalty, is the only one to be launched."

si Kenyon Coins has been notified that the Collis-Griffiths Syndicate has.,secured the Vogel lontem Diamond Mine. which lies only a mile and a halt from the famous J agersfontein Mine 8 Big horses going to Amsterdam to be made into sausages fetched as much as £ 17 each, stated a witness at the Thames Police-court during the hearing of a cruelty charge. Increase in the price of opium in the Straits Settlements, according to a report issued, has given a great impetus to the consumption of icorphia.

LINERS LEAVE LIVERPOOL. It is officially announced that the White Stai Line has decided to transfer its Wednesday Royal Mail service from Liverpool to Southamp- ton. The first sailing from Southampton will j take place on June 5. The reason for taking this important step is the growing demand of travellers that facilities should be provided to enable them to embark or disembark at either a Continental or British port, thus obviating the necessity of crossing the English Channel. Steamers will be despatched from Southampton on Wednesdays, and will, after calling at Cher- bourg, proceed to Queenstown, embark the mails, which will meet them on arrival, and sail at once for New York. Returning, they will proceed direct from New York to Plymouth, thence to Cherbourg, and end the voyage at Southampton. The White Star Line has no in- tention of abandoning Liverpool, and will main- tain a weekly sailing of passenger steamers from Liverpool to New York on Thursdays, in place of the previous Friday service. Vessels will call at Queenstown both outwards and homewards as at present The Southampton Docks and Harbour Board have before them plans from the London and South-Western Railway Company providing for the immediate construction of a new deep-water dock. At low tide the new dock will contain forty feet of water, and will be the deepest basin in Europe. Pour Cunarders can be ac- ocmmodated at one time at every state of the tide. The dock will be an open one, without gates or locks, with an entrance of some 300 feet wide. It was officially announced on Monday that the Cunard Company has decided to follow the example of the White Star Line and trans- fer some of its New York sailings from Liver- pool to Southampton. No date has been fixed for the change, and for the present the company will adhere entirely to Liverpool. The directors of the Cunard Company, in their otficial an- nouncement, state that for some time past they have been considering the advisability of the move in order that they might be aDle to avail themselves of the facilities of the Channel ports.

FATAL HOTEL FIRE. A voung servant, named Rosie King, was burned to death in a. fire which broke out at four o'clock on Saturday morning at Brook's Hotel, Surrey-street, Strand. The girl was asleep in a bedroom at the top of the building, and failed to make her escape with the othei servants by walking along a parapet to the ad joining premises. The hotel was severely damaged, part of the roof being totally de. stroyed. Another fatality occurred at a fire at a baker's shop in High-street, Camden Town, where a man named Christopher Murray, agd 35. was suffocated. Splendid discipline was maintained at a serious outbreak at St. Nicholas Industrial School, Manor Park. The 400 boy residents turned out at the bugle-call, and, without the slightest exhibition of panic, obeyed their masters as if it were an ordinary fire-drill prac- tice. A fireman was seriously injured by & falling beam. A serious fire broke out at midnight en Satur- day at the paper mills of Messrs. Edward Lloyd, Limited, Sittingbourne. Nearly a dozen brigades were summoned from surrounding districts by telephone, and they were at work for three hours before the flames were extinguished. One of the three main engines, a boiler-house, and i a paper-making store were destroyed.

A FATAL MISTAKE. I As the 2.50 London to Manchester express was leaving Crewe on Sunday afternoon a young man opened a carriage door and fell under the train, which went over him. Both his legs were cut off. and he died at the hospital. Passengers in the same compartment stated that deceased remarked he had left his luggage on the platform and that lie jumped from the train to get it. his identity has not been established. Deceased was about 30 years of age, and had in his possession a ticket from Wolverhampton to Manchester.

KING SUED FOR DAMAGES. While motoring near Pernersdorf, Saxony, re- cently, the King of Saxony passed a cart in which were two brothers named Starcke. The horse shied, and one of the brothers was thrown out, the wheel of the cart passing over him. The King, seeing that the man was badly hurt, at once stopped the car, and conveyed him to the nearest infirmary, where he afterwards succumbed to his injurie*. The King offered the family a sum of C60 as com pensation. The offer, however, was rejected ai d the Starckes have commenced an action against the King with the object of obtaining a much larger amount.

SHIPBUILDING STRIKE ENDED. The dispute between the shipbuilding employers in Stockton, Middlesbrough, and the Hartlepools, and the platers employed in their yards, which has lasted ten weeks, was settled on Saturday. The dispute, which in its later stages involved about 6000 men, arose out of a notice by the masters to bring down the men's wages to the level those paid on the Clyde. This, on account of the great re- duction it in many cases Represented, was resisted by the men, and a strike begun. Repeated con- ferences have been held during the past ten weeks, and concessions made by both sides, and as a re- sult of another such meeting on Friday the men on Saturday were called upon to ballot as to whether the amended proposals should be accepted. The result was announced at West Hartlepool, where the votes were counted, there being a majority of over two to one for acceptance.

<• FATHER CHRISTMAS BURNT. Mr. Claude A. Pelham, agent to the Countess of Cardigan, and secretary to the Pytchley Hunt, was badly burnt about the hands while impersonating "Father Christmas" at an annual treat to the children of Deene. Mr. Pelham's sleeve caught fire as he was reaching to distribute the first pre- sent from the Christmas tree, and he was enveloped in flames immediately. Archdeacon Harris rushed to i is assistance, and tore off his burning coat. The Archdeacon was also slightly burned. I:)

It is reported from Palermo that the Kaiser and his sons may pass some weeks at Taoriuaia, in Sicily. The London County Council have decided to reduce the fare on their tramway route between Lordship-lane and Dulwich from 2-d. to ltd. The ancient palace of the Kings cf Bulgaria. at Tirnova has been destroyed by fire. All the archives were burnt. Seven torpedo-boats, built at the Ansaldo Works, Genoa, for the Imperial Turkish Navy, have arrived at Constantinople. A French sailor was decapitated by a passing train while leaning out of a carriage window iu the Havre-Paris express.

HUMOUK OF THE WEEK. A NARK OR AN ARKP In the course oi a betting prosecufwra at the London Guildhall, a witness, giving' his version of a conversation, said that one man asked another if a certain stranger was a c; tee." The otSer thought not, but suggebted he might be a nark." The 0 Alderman: Do you mean the thing that Noah came out of? (Laughter.) Witness: No, sir; it's a man who looks out .for the police. Mr. Douglas (chief clerk): In other words, a "nark" is a policeman's nose? (Laugh- ter.) WHAT SHE MISTOOK. A young lady was consulting an oculist. I want a pair of glasses of extra magnify- ing power," she said. Oh, indeed! What makes you think you need very strong glasses?" Because while I was visiting some friends in the country the other day I made a very painful blunder which I never want to re- peat." "I am very sorry to hear that. Did you mistake a stranger for an acquaintance?" "No, it was not exactly that," said the young lady, But I mistook a bumble bear for a blackberry THE MAN IN THE MOON. Asked what he had to say in his defence, a young man at Marylebone charged with stealing a hansom cab, horse, and harness, replied. "I can assure you I know as much about it as the man in the moon." Mr. Plowden: Ah! are you going to call him? (Laughter.) Prisoner: Well, sir, it was an absolute dream to me. Why? 'Well, I'll tell you. I took a little too much liquor, thanks to the- publican. Mr. Plowden: Very well; let him have his thanks. (Laughter.) v HIS OPINION. A prisoner at the 'Wood-green Court pcr- sisted in submitting immaterial questions. The Magistrate's Clerk: You are wasting time. Prisoner: I don't know about that, sir. It's all a waste of time for that matter. (Laugh- ter.) SHE COULDN'T SAY. A Bishop, who was travelling through tho wilds of Canada, stopped at a log-cabin to have a. rest. "Are there any Episcopalians about here?" he asked the woman who lived in tho cabin Well, sir, I hardly know," She said with hesitation. The men did kill something yesterday in the barn, but whether it was one of them things or not I cannot say!" OF COURSE." A man named Rogers was charged, before Mr. Plowden, with being drunk. Were you drunk?" asked his worship. Certainly," came the emphatic reply. Mr. Plowden: Well, it is always pleasant to have no doubt about a thing. Rogers: But I really can't say whether I was incapable or not; I have no recollection. Unfortunately, I went out last night and got mixed up with a good deal of convivial com- pany. At eleven o'clock, of course, I was sober, but at twelve o'clock, of course, I was drunk. Mr. Plowden: It seems to come to this: At eleven o'clock, of course, you were sober; at twelve o'clock, of course you were drunk; at. 12.30, of course, you were incapable; and next morning, of course, you are fined 2s. (Loud laughter.) AS THE ROMAN'S DO. Daniel McDonald, a broad-spoken Scotch- man, charged, at the Thames Court, with be- ing drunk and disorderly, denied the allega- tions, and called as a witness another Scotch- man, who admitted McDonald had had & drop, and was not quite sober. Mr. Mead: But he is a Sootchman. I thought they got drunk on New Year-g Day? Witness: Well, you see, when you are in Rome, you do as Rome does. Mr. Mead: I see. Well, the Roman will have to do as the Romans do, and pay 7s. 6d.. (Laughter.) WELL ACQUAINTED. An old man of 74 who was charged with absconding from Camberwell Workhouse and stealing a pair of boots, walked up to Detec- tive Gordon, and exclaiming Good after- noon, Mr. Gordon," gave himself up, and said he had sold the workhouse boots. Mr. Francis remarked that the prisoner and the officer seemed to be well acquainted. Prisoner: Yes; to tell you the truth, he has locked me up three or four times. (Laugh- ter.) a « THE DOG AND THE GATE. A Mrs. Stanley applied through counsel, at Marylebone County Court to have an order against her set aside. His Honour Judge Selfe said the present was about the thirtieth application he had already heard in connection with the case, and he had never yet seen applicant in per- son. Is there such a person as Mrs. Stan- ley?" he asked. She has been ill, I believe, sir. She cannot be ill always. This lady seems to think she can play fast and loose with the Court, but I would have her know that His Majesty Has a place reserved for people who set the authority of his courts at nought ™ I/0?" Jlonour adjourn the case for Mrs. Stanleys attendance?—Yes, for iust as long as it will take to get the lady here. Mrs. Stanley appeared later in the day, and said she did not reply to the notice said to have been sent by the respondents because she did not receive it. Counsel: Did you set your St. Bernard iiog at the solicitor who sought to serve th& notice, madam? Applicant (with dignity): I did not. Is it true that in consequence he had to get over the gate? (Laughter.)—He (the dog) would no let anybody get over my gate; you can take my word for that. (Renewed laugh- ter.) The gate was always kept locked?-Yes; we always kept the gate locked. Then how could anybody serve the notice? -Is there not a post and registered letter service in this country, sir. (Laughter ) And your dog would not permit people to climb ove • the gate?—What would be the use of keeping a dogr (Loud laughter.) The Judge: How do you suppose a notice is to be served it you keep your door locked lite hadeTZ3 ld°? ,°\the Premises? broken locked because the steps were You know very well that is not why you kept out the officers of the law. (LaS|htCern): Y°U quite wron? «iere. The Judge: Oh, no I am not. (Laughter.) EXPERIENTIA DOCET tooow -fT, little bo^ asked the new i T e" me the difference between a ic.Ke and an ocean?" l j I can, replied Edward, whose wisdom naci been learned from experience. "Lakes are much pleasanter to swallow when you fall in." NOT COMPLIMENTARY. No doubt the society which sent cards to Holloway with the words, "You have been Satan's captive, dear sister," meant well, but it was unnecessarily hard on the prisoa authorities. #*«.

PACIFIC LINER'S FATE. Despatches from San Francisco states that the gra«*«!st fears are entertained for the safety of the liner City of Panama, which left there on Decem- ber 31 with 15 cabin and 20 steerage passengers, 25 Chinese, and a crew of between 30and 40. Slieis reported to have been sighted cn a reef near Pigeon Point, in Southern California. Three rafis with oars, water barrels, and biscuit boxes have been washed ashore, and other wreckage marked Gty of Panama has also been cast up. When the vessel left on Monday a furious north-westerly gale was blowing. Twelve lives are reported to have b< e.i lost in an unknown steamer wrecked on the rocks that en- close the harbour of Ancona on the Italian coast.

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES. ME. DOOLBY ON LABOUK TROUBLES.—AN- | >ther amusing volume of Dissertations by Mr. j Dooley is published by Messrs. Harper. This j Dooley is published by Messrs. Harper. This is an extract from "The Labour Troubles-- "I see th' sthrike has been called off," said Hr. Hennessy. "Which wan?" asked Mr. LofJey. "1 can't keep thrack iv thim. Somebody is sthrikin' all th' time. Wan day th' horseshoers are out, an' another day th' teamsters. Th' Brotherhood iv Molasses Candy Pullers sthrikes, an' th' Amalgymated Union iv Pickle Sorters quits in sympathy. Th' carpinter that has been puttin' up a chicken coop f'r Hogan knocked off wurruk whin he found that Hogan was shav- in* himself without a card fr'm th' Barbers' Union. Hogan fixed it with th' walkin' dilly- gate iv th' barbers, an th' carpinter quit wurruk because he found that Hogan was wearin' a n-u'1' pair iv non-union pante. Hogan wint down town an' had his pants unionised an' come home to find that th' carpinter had sthruck because Hogan's hens was layin' eggs without th' union label. Hogan injooced th' hens to jine th' union. But wan iv thim laid an egg two days in succission, an' th' others sthruck, th' rule iv th' union bein' that no hen shall lay more eggs thin th' most reluctant hen in th' bunch." THE FALL OF WHIST.-Mr. Edward Dicey contributes an interesting article to the January number of the Pall Mall Magazine on The Fall of Whist." Changes of fashion are common enough, he says, but I never knew of a change so sudden as that which deposed whist, in the course of a little over twelve months, as the game of English cardplayers. All the pundits of the cardtable were dead against it. i myself, though I had no right whatever to claim to be anything more than a member of the rank and the of players, was very loath to believe that the supremacy of whist was really on the eve of destruction. Still, as I noticed how in every club with which I was acquainted, directly or indirectly, the whist table was de- serted for that of bridge; how member after member who had declared that whatever others might do, they themselves would remain faithful to the old game, dropped away one by one; and how the few who kept their word got to be regarded as old fogies who had fallen behind the times, my conviction began to be shaken, and I soon realised that bridge had come to stay. THE MATINEE GIRL.-You have, writes Mr. Henry Arthur Jones in the "Atlantic Monthly," two phrases in America—"matinee girl" and "matinee idol." We have not the phrases in England, but we have the corresponding per- sonages. At a recent matinee given in an Eng- lish city by one of our most deservedly popular stage heroes, it is credibly alleged that at the opening of the doors 279 ladies consecutively passed the pay-box! Then a single man ap- peared. But he was a curate. I do not think that any explanation can be offered of this in- cident that would flatter the dramatic taste of the town, or indeed that concerns the drama at all. I think the only explanation that can be given of the matinee phenomena is to class them with the nursemaid and the soldier in the park; except, indeed, that the nursemaid has this great advantage, or disadvantage-she does actually talk with her hero, and in many cases is made the veritable heroine of uie story. RECOLLECTIONS OF LUCK NOW. Major- General J. Ruggles tells of the relief of Luck- now in his volume of recollections issued by Messrs. Longmans. Referring to the strains of "The Campbells are Coming," which headed mp a' the approach of Sir Colin's Highlanders, he says: As the soldiers entered through the Bailey Guard Gate the enthusiasm was un- bounded, the Highlanders greeting the garrison like joyous children. At the house of Dr. Fayrer, where the ladies and children were congregated, the bearded Highlanders rushed to clasp the ladies' hands they took the chil- dren in their arms and fondly caressed them, passing them from one to the other to be caressed in turn. After this scene of indescib- able delight, they sadly reflected one with an- other upon losses they had sustained, of the many comrades that had fallen in the way. From the day they crossed the Ganges, Septem- ber 19, up to the 25th, the day they reached us, their total loss in killed and wounded, officers and men, was 535. RUSSIA'S DIFFICULTIES.—We are oftsn told that the future of Russia is wrapped in dark- ness that no one can foretell how it will de- velop during the next few years. This view is incorrect, writes Mr. Rudolf Martin in "The Future of Russia" (Smith, Elder). The first year of the Russian Revolution, which came to an end on October 27, 1906, has made it plain that the Russian Empire is slowly, but surely, approaching a Reign of Terror, a State bank- ruptcy and dissolution. A recovery from its political, social, economical, and financial in- juries is impossible, since there is not even the serious desire for reform. The position of the peasants is growing worse instead of better, The racial, national, religious, and social hatred, instead of abating, is on the increase. The difficulties into which the Rus- sian Empire has been plunged during the years 1904 and 1S05, by the daring advance of Japan, are only a slight fore-taste of the things which the Russian Empire will have to face in the future. SIR CONAN DOYLE'S FIRST BOOKS.—It was the olive-green tint of Scott's novels which started me on to rhapsody, writes Sir A. Conan Doyle in the literary autobiography which he is contributing to "Cas,sell's Magazine." They were the first books I ever owned-long, long before I could appreciate or even understand them. But at last I realised what a treasure they were. In my boyhood I read them by sur- reptitious candle-ends in the dead of the night, when the sense of crime added a new zest to the story. Perhaps you have observed that my Ivanhoe is of a different edition from the others. The first copy was left in the grass by the side of a stream, fell into the water, and was eventually picked up three days later, swollen and decomposed, upon a mud-bank. I think I may say, however, that I had worn it out before I lost it. Indeed, it was perhaps as well that it was some years before it was re- placed, for my instinct was always to read it again instead of breaking fresh ground. WHO WAS BROWN.—" Wayside India is the title of a pleasant book, by "Miss Maud Power. She was there during the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and says: "Since the arrival of the Prince of Wales everything has gone up in value. The dhobies (washermen) charged royal-visit prices, and they must have come to an end of their supply of soap, for my clothes returned from the laundry slightly dirtier than they went." A small story of the Royal visit is: I heard that the Prince was in- troduced to a queer character in Madras whom I shall call Brown. "Who is that Brown?" asked the King's son. "Well, your Royal Highness," was the answer, "out here there is Curzon, Brown and God Almighty." To DIE WITH HER HUSBAND.—Sir Spencer St. John tells the following interesting alligator story in his Earlier Adventures of a Naval Officer" (Digby, Long):—Ijau, a Balau chief, was bathing with his wife in the Lingga River, a place notorious for man-eating alligators, when Indra Lela, a Malay, passing in a boat, remarked I have just seen a very large ani- mal swimming up the stream." Upon hearing this, Ijau told his wife to go up the steps, and he would follow. She got safely up, out he, stopping to wash his feet, was seized by the alligator, dragged into the middle of the stream, and he disappeared from view. His wife, hear- ing a cry, turned round, and, seeing her hus- band's fate, sprang into the river, shrieking, Take me also," and dived down at the spot where she had seen the alligator sink with his prey. She swam about, seeking to die with her husband. At last her friends came down, and forcibly removed her to their house.