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TOPICS FOB THE BLOCK.
The recent-assertion of "JLAJP."' that
Miss Kate Rooney, the Australian singer at
present in l*oudon, can throw a boomerang
like a blackfellow, has excited some derision
at this end of the world (writes
but there is, nevertheless, a family of four
girls, daughters of 4 squatter in the Norlli
eastern»district, who are expert at handling
the ^winged wood." Starting as children'
with soinfe'T^tfSlMngg, purchased as curios
from "Tommy" M'Crae. the aboriginal ar
tist, they learned to cast them, not "pnly so
to form a boomerang-throwing club,|as the
commencement of a national pastime to cut
out golf. But as the first day's 0-actice
led to. half a dozen novices having- to be
iireataj lwv^tie local doctor for cut heSds and
til aeyp^i the club was tacitly di&olved,
«ndJwiladies' boomerang champfonship
of Australia remains an uncontested
honour. f
Miss Crossley must have suffered » good
deal (writes "F.F."jL at functions! when
the general publiS pressed in^ and
faJnSbst guffocatedgh^» She opened two
fu&&?jp4|st week, and they were aatber
mn^^raeals. for &e was pushed* and
crushed, and harassed by her admirers.
Last Saturday in particular was frying.
The afternoon was very hot, but fr«n the
moment she entered the town-hall gmunds,
at St. Kilda. till she left, sng was
fairly besieged. She could scarcdy see
any one or anything. .She could fbarely
breathe, but she maintained a con&osure
which was admirable throughout. At the
Mayor's .reception, in tne Tonii-hall,
the press was so tremendous that Sir
jSainue^Sillott, Sir Henry Wrixoil and
pter. A'i8iamson|WiV£^ obliged to Island
$&4)fdw]Jgo shoulder, -to keep the fciowd
off, and to pratecther. It was sujfcsted
that the kopje might be held inor&satis
infi;<^vom-l6 to 22, are "able to
in^feinyy ith full force, confident
land afffe}? reet in front of them.
tigfflf«l£s're to foSter what would
ausrrauan sport, the girls tried
, r *
[urn, "buf returri where
'and io-dav tbif girls,
fnetorilv it the large supply ot.flowei--Mlajj
on the stage were used as ammunition; ;but
Miss CroBsley . was extricated 'before ahy!
real damage w«s done.. H ;* " -1
In connection with the invitations to the
Ada Crossley reception At He* Majesty'sl
there are some strange stories (continues
"F.F."). Cards that,were afterwards , ex-j
amined, showed that1 names of friend® had
been added. A party of eight went in oft
an invitation originally- made out for one.
Others were boldly cleaned of tbe one name,
and six fresh ones added. It is strange
liovv manv people regard invitahofas tos a
right, not a favour, borne day, when we get
the "Confessions of an Aide-de-camp/'-we
shall hear some strange atones: -l<Or<inv
stance a lady, not particularly; well known
in any wav, wrote curtly, asking why,she
had been left out of the Invitation list for
n certain function. She receivedhferinvi*
tation; "but," as was remarked; tbwfc
was even less reason for asking net1 thati
for omitting her, it really did not Matter
either way.
Victor Daley, the poet, returned fromhts
South Seas trip, at a little reception; At liifl
Manly residence the other day,- had feOtne
interesting incidents to tell"of life on the
Solomon Islands (Writes > 4<C.Ct>0. - The
bright-polished savufee does not exist in
these isles, When a Solomon native. ? as
thumped, « cloud of dust arises frort-hw
skin as if he were a shaken mat, the beaji;
tiful blue oceah being little \ised for bath
ing purposes. The natives wore as litUe»B
possible, and employ their leisure largely an
chewing the'-betel-nut. Men, women, and
children indulge in tl|is muc{4ce, the result
being rather dis^stihte,Wyt«e red juice
stains lips and chin the colour of bjpstd.
Mr. Daley believes that it wpuld be eom-,
paratively easy to get intof the pr&ctice,
which, by the way, seems perfectly harm-,
less. The betel nut does not intosicatej but
imparts a pleasant sense of warmth .and
comfort to tile system. In <-bis drawing
room. which is-furnished in Eastern style,
Mr. Daley keeps a few poisoned arrows for. i
his enemies, who, if touched by .them, would,
linger some days in agony before ^nring.
I was consequently muclj cratiued when tne
poet graciously pvevpntca me from- playing
with the shai-per end of the weaponfe.j
The 15th annual exhibition of the "Queeh|i
laud Art Society" was opened op
nciday afternoon, the 7th October^ ^y_ther
Mayoress of Brisbane (writes . }.<
There were many present, mostly ladies.,
The exhibition is not so,large as last yeaiv
liunibei irig iu all 100 exhibits.' Soinfe artists
have left the Htate in search new scenes,
and also new and better markets. 'artists,
as a rule, do not receive much encourage
ment in Australia. Many 'of the. paintings'j
are of Brisbane local scenery, &nd qt.^be.
I presenI time, with her ijoble river, the fresh
I green appearance of the trees, and grass
| everywhere, wooded lull-tops and slopes,
and graceful foliage, Brisbane abounds in
tempting subjects. ra
whole, is very creditable. StatuaVy, Wat?r
colours, and miniature naibtiug arc attrac
tive additions to the collection.
Last Friday the 12th annual meeting of
the Fresh Air League "was held in tUe'
vestibule of the Sydney town-liall (writes
"Dora"). Lady Rawson was to have pre
sided, but she was too ill, so Lady See
took charge {in a black frock, with a blue
scarf, and black hat, with white tulle trim
mings). A good many people spoke-about'
the splendid work the league does, and what
an invaluable hon. secretary Mrs. Jielhck
makes. All sorts of nice things are pro
vided for afternoon tea at these annual
meetings, generally by the league, but this
vear it was by. Mi's. Hugh JDixon. Lady
Lyne was ver>r ihuch missed, the committee
"recorded with deep regret the loss of their
dearly-loved vice-president, Lady Lyne." In
her place, Mrs. Fanshawe (Admiralty
house J end Mrs. Finn (Battery-house) are
now vice-presidents, while Aire. Cohen, the
ihon. treasurer, is away for a holiday. Mre.
Curtjss has taken her place. (During last
season, from November to April.'9 men.136
'women, and'111 children -wete ? sent to5 the
Country, and altogether the leaguebas gent
away 2,416 people since they began in Sep
tember, 1891, The Berrim* liranph of the
Ministering .Children's League, through
.Mrs. Chris. Bennett, b^ve been > very land
iin. taking and pacing for 30 people sent .to
their district. Another good thing this last
season was the fixing-up of aseasidehome
js't' Bpndi l^ch, Sydney< where country
children needing change can be eenfc.. Some
liaye come down, from the Camden, district
already, ./ }, ..r"
i The ^rus%&. of th|: ^ew^outli. ^#1#
^National Art Galletehave ju?t wnt'bwH
the-iuterestiiig ojl pointing *>f Goy&iw>r
iMacguarie, which,tta Windsor .pepple
:uj5'agam,m ^frnsfgar Cbii^t?%Dlie,
jwhei'e i t Jjk's; , halogipg far nwe
inorMaispiarie ihuch that Just before;!^
werit homefaliput the .vpar ; i^e maia%
of .th^i;diBtiiet suh«#ibea a mm fit
toonfey to pay for Vis portrfitli-oile.,Tlie^
isfebc^the oftier fo'an arlist inijdndon; ima
-? aapn- ap- t^j)Mui^e waB &uafeed ^t-riWMi
Tni^ut to Windsor, and has hung in the
OUK
»t of people.went
the^ve t<^gd£ven :
- f
coagtry «
, prese»ife
on have "
|r and Mrs. .
IJies See, an<r Xlfj^ninson, besidef
f members of PatUaarot. They ar
at Tumut at eleven in the morpins
dav), and at twelve Sir Harry Baw
pens the railway. Then in the ifter
ma ' 'li^Tilt '
South Wftlwflort^^%jU'4bli^jeceriiihr
and the Tumut TurH31tib-will give the visi*
tftiveSO tittles to Adaimnab>^ ^ifi^ iH^ht on
to CoDma -bh the Saturday* tyheaiieGovei
iw>P:«»4to .h^ld. (aaothe^rweptiop. :Tbe spe
?On Saturday
WJS:
by'- '-'. this"'" RIMiBV'*'OfiduzT '* (.wri tes
. Th^y tare )tm> ^vdryfmufelcal -people,
Mr. Robyns, ?* fine ba$s,hksgone> home to
filjg jn, Mndpn.,a£te a^rajood -send
6ff m the Sydtey ToWn-ball., Mr.' Adams
ofoe'of Oie mtJst ttiWlfiSri&fen ihaV we liave
had in Sydney/dBatt jAmeriWii'ahdcanie over
here to show folk . hotf ^fceipiaiidla should
¥Ee.nas introduced some , of -the prettiest
things itf1 tMi %&y '« nmfiic into' Sydney.
andMrg; Beaton's (&.;4!mj^(w lady). It
Ink :tEfrdtU[h( Mi5.'^miub ; heard t lie
'Terskfi 'Giirteir' "CjrfaC' feube by the
idMrteh '^fi'^Hfeniy/ JSWir./Mr/TlobvnB,
jMtes Miiili ' ^d ' JVftfea Violet
MoutitV Mr. Ad^tillf ' afeopthpkliieA on the
iffiahdlk.'."Alt'tftfeiy-Wmbtt iuitiHbti.be -was
present, and he practically "brought oui"
itr- Robjtw. Afisa- JOalrymple was
down witix 3ljsa Violet, Mount to say good
bye" to their feUow-singeJNin_£he quartet.
They had' helpe4 ja "With Mr. Robyns's
fgiwfll c4pC!BJffc.;t .'V..tri;H'i, r..'.
Theatihtol''letniS'^burhAment, held at
Strathfield,''attracted a! large number of
first, it ivak feared they werg unfit to be
played upon. The most noticeable feature
of tlijej day. Were .-the number of while
diieseea pnn bythe&dififuifcho soon, as a
man described it, bad a jdfeQOTiainted inches
deep above the hem. The men, finding it
tdtf slippei-y 5to 'play ib feht>t»,. tool; to
6bck6.'*>Orife i»lajper, bavitigbrougbt a supply,
^atoged^nBtfenily '%ben ,-idkked. through.
Tfee "'ball*bo^fc"keptbusy scattering
saw41u6t J<>h %wd.&r6tIBd'rat' feoiirts between
';.<(: Jii'JV. MIfil.T jJKi. * ' ? .

each pet. Tlierewere^fereraJ n«w«n trie*
for ilie tovrnnmttotj but old favourites
siK'h «* *«» Wright, Oojqu
liouii and Waller, ireidtheir owfa. > .

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