Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1890-04-05 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

RAPID WRITING. A discussion arose in the smoking-room attached to the Press Gallery of the House of Commons the other evening upon the rate at which shorthand notes can be transcribed. There was some talk of writing out a cAumn an hour, but considerable doubt was expressed as to whether this rate of epeed could be maintained for any length of time. The controversy resulted in a bet. Several gentlemen connected with London and provincial r porting corps laid three to one in guineas that Mr. Walpole, chief of liansard's sea, would not copy out three solid columns of the Times Parliamentary report in three consecutive hours. The trial took place at the House of Commons subsequently, and excited a great deal more interest among the habitues of the gallery than the debate on the Tithes Bill. Mr. Walpole not only won his bet, but completed his taut in a quarter of an hour less than the time specified. The portion of the Ti,,2,8 report selecred was Mr. Balfour's speech in introducing the Irish Laud Bill. The three columns contained 6469 words. The first column was copied in 50 minutes, second in 51, and the third in 61. The test, of course, was easier than that of transcribing shorthand notes. It was, nevertheless, a very remarkable feat to write out three columns at the average rate of 40 words a minute, especially considering that Mr. WaipMa several times stopped to roll a cigarette or Rip a little mild whisky and soda, while all the time he chatted freely with the friends and critics by whom he was surrounded.  Ltmwto Roufaxx, the Austrian adventurer, whole advertising agency to procure European noblemen as husbands for American heiresses has recently caused considerable sensation, has committed suicide. Warrants were issued for his arrest on two charges, one of blackmailing In connection with the 4. Heiresses' Agency," the other of committing an I assault on a servant girl. At San Pablo, California, on Tuesday, Romayne shot himself beside a railway line, upon which he threw himself, as the bullet wound had not proved fatal. The last passing train finished what the pistol did not accomplish. We should be grateful to the Gaul for teaching us to recognise the value of the dandelion, which has been not only cultivated and grown near Paris as a vegetable for half a century, but has secured a market value to itself of something like a sovereign a hundredweight. Firry-rive thousand people were convicted of criminal offences in New York last year. THE glass manufacture of the United States Is almost paralysed by the difficulty of getting soda ash, in consequence of the Liverpool dock labourers' strike reducing shipments. IT is now settled that heron Erik Nordenskjold, the discoverer of the north-east passage, is to lead an expedition to the South Pole in the autumn of 1591. The expenses of the voyage will be borne by the Royal Geographical Society of Australia, and Mr. Dickson, the Scotch merchant of G•iteburg in Sweden. In 1841 Rona attained the latitude of 78 deg. 10min. S., where he found himself in • sea almat ,free of ice, and traversed by a continent (Victoria Land) which was covered by eternal snow. This continent probably extends to the Pole, and unless there is a break in the continuity of the land it is difficult to see how Nordenskjold is to reach it by water, or even at all, for the journey overland most be all bat impracticable. STorr officers are unknown in the United States Army. No man weighing over 180 lbs. can join a cavalry regiment, while officers in the general service are liable to be retired for obesity.