The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-05

spend their holidays and all their spare
time at the race courses, betting and
shouting themselves into a state Of
hysteria. Everybody bets, for every
body, from babes in arms to tottering
grandparents, thinks its all right and
sees no harm in utilizing the 'totalsa-
tor"
The 'totalisator" is the technical
name of the New Zealander's method
of betting. Under this plan a sum of
money, not less than S., can be put
up by one individual. A whole family
, often gets up a pool and enters the
bet in the name of a member
ticket is issued on payment of the
money to any one of several cashiers,
who rings up the ticket ON the horse
selected by the investor. The register
automatically adds the total amount
bet on that particular horse, and at
the same time records the total amount
put on all the horses for the race.
This operation is in plain view of the
public, all changes being displayed on
a large machine-faced tabulated board.
When the horses are declared to be
off" the machine automatically stops
registering. When the winner Is an
nounced by the Judge. the bettors on
| the winning horse present their tickets
to the paying out windows and receive
their proportion of the dividend, pro
the racing club receives s per cent for
expenses and stake money, and 2 per
cent. goes to the Government Charit-
able Aid Fund.
When there are no horse races sched-
uled or in prospect, the people seek
recreation at outdoor bowling clubs and
In yachting parties around the coast.
Nobody Expects Tips.
Another queer thing about New Yea
ianders is their universal honesty. No
body tries to steal from you. Hotel
room doors are never locked; many
have no locks. Hats, coats and valises
are left around Unfortunately, and
the owners always find their property
where they put it. Neither does the
waiter, nor tn bell-boy, nor the cham
bern1aid hold UP the traveller. They do
everything asked of them, and do IL
cheerfully, without expecting tips. Fact
is, tipping is a lost art there. AS there
are no indoor robbers, neither are there
many highway robbers, and the per-
centage of murders is very small.
A man with daughters need not feel
ashamed in New Zealand He's a po-
litical power a big man in the district
in which he resides. All women over
twenty-one years of age can vote, so
the man with many daughters often
decides a closely contested election.
Then, again, women are much sought
after matrimonially. for they are out
numbered by the men two to one.
There is no need for a woman becoming
an old maid in New Zealand except
from choice.
The women are good dressers, and
the styles are nearly as up-to-date as
those of London and New York But
the men are almost slouchy in their at
tire and certainly strikingly monoton-
Gus. Every fourth man arrays him
self in an ill-fitting navy blue suit and
nearly every mothers son of them
wears a soft cap. A portly man is rare
ly seen, and when one does happen
along people stare at him and wonder
from what museum he has escaped.
The worlds Largest Geyser.
This butt end Of the earth has many
natural wonders, among which is a
geyser that started business only few
months ago, but, nevertheless, is re-
puted the largest in the world. It's
name, Waimangu (the black water), is
appropriate, for it's water is certainly
the blacklist that can be imagined. The
geyser's steaming surface is about 200
by $50 feet. When it erupts the entire
surface is lifted 1000 feet into the air.
and hot, black, seething mud and rocks
are thrown about and great clouds Of
steam envelop everything The periods
of eruption usually last five hours and
are very frequent
This great geyser is near the heart of
Maori land. Soon it will be the land
of the Maoris no longer for they are
rapidly dying off. They are now a
peaceable people and are proud of the
fact that one of their number James
Carroll is a member of New Zealand's
cabinet. The islands premier, the Hon.
Richard John Seldom, has called this
full-blooded Maori 1.-The most gifted and
eloquent orator in New Zealand" Mr..
CAROLS tribesmen have recently
adopted European dress, but the cos
tunes of their forefathers still obtain.
Just a few more words about this
lands oddities. If you're at work on a
building and fall off from any cause
whatsoever and are picked up a corpse,
your widow can surely collect $500
from the buildings owner, and often
three times this amount. Her claim
becomes a lien against real estate, and
title, even ahead of bond and mort
gage.
If you're an American, publish the
fact; you will be royalty received and
entertained, while a Londoner is left
cooling his heels in an ante-room.
Frank StillsOn