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Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 714, 9 January 1903, Page 4

The insect pest known as the elephant beetle has been making great havoc in the orchards and vineyards in the Singleton district, Now South Wales.

On December 17th, Miss Staines, 24, was drowned at Macltay, Queensland, while trying to save her little brother from drowning. The little boy was 3aved. Mr I-laddon Chambers, the Australian dramatist, has met at New York with a curious accident which nearly cost him the loss of an eye. Accompanied by one of his friends, a sculptor, he called on a physician who has a lot of hast Indian trophies on the walls of his consulting room, While Mr Chambers was conversing with the doctor, the sculptor amused himself with a swoid that he had taken from tho wall. He is a person of exuberant spirits, ar.d soon forgot how restricted was the space for his gambols. Mr Chambers happened to turn round unexpectedly as his friend was slashing away at an imaginary Turk’s head, and the point of the blade struck him on the face, making a long gash which extended from the eve to the tip of the nose. The wound is not deep, but it will probably leave a noticeable scar. Mr Chambers hod arrived in New York a week or two previously, in order to be at hand for consultation in connection with the production of his latest play. Mr Grierson, this year’s chess champion, first played at an association congress six years ago at Christchurch, when he uon only one game out of ten, though he several times held good positions in tho games and then made mistakes. Tiie following year at Auckland he came out with a, score of 2], and last year, also at Auckland, he made the same score. Ims is his fourth try for the championship, aud the first time he has secured a place. Mr Grierson was taught chess when a boy of 14 by his father, and played occasionally before ho camo to New Zealand when ‘2O years of age. He hails from Cheshire, in the neighborhood of Manchester. After coming to the colony he went farming in the Waikato, aud for lo years hardly played a game. He then moved to Auckland, and in a year or two joined the Ponsonby Club, going in then for reading up the book. Prior to this he had not studied the game. In 1895 he won the championship of the Ponsonby Club. The same year he also won the championship initiated for Auckland and district, winning 10l- games out of 19. The following year lie captured the Auckland Club championship, and in 1897 was fourth in the same tourney. In 1898 he came out second at the Auckland meeting, and won it in 1899, 1900, 1901, and 1902 in one of these winning 184 games out of 20. This excellent club record, to which soveral handicaps could be added, is now topped by a deserved win in the colouy's championship.