General Intelligence.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVII, Issue 1373, 20 August 1895, Page 3

General Intelligence.

The newest thing out in London’s world of swelldom is a handpainted shirt front. The Nevt Zealand Trade Review says rates tor money in Wellington are from 5 to per cent, on freehold security. The large amount of £64,120 was registered on the totalisator in connection with the French race the Prix de Paris. A young man riding through Midhurst (Taranaki), had a snowball thrown at. him, hitting him on the head. The blow stunned him, and he lay unconscious for several hours. The horror of being buried alive is universal, and want of precaution still prevails in this matter. During the last few weeks three cases have occurred in Prance. Two women and one little boy were prematurely certified as dead. The scaffold used at the execution of Mrs Dean was built for the execution of Captain Jarvis, who was engaged in the costal trade between Invercargill and Dunedin over a quarter of a century ago, and who, forming a liaison with another, poisoned his wife. A brother of the late Hon. John Ballance, New Zealand’s dead Premier, wanders around' Wellington streets, selling pens ana penholders and other such wares though the deceased statesman left him a decent annuity, worth about £2 a week. A “tell-tale” milk jug has been devised.' It is a glass measure, graduated at every quarter-pint; below the pint and half-pint marks, three lines are etched showing the thickness of the cream which should appear in average, in good, and in very good milk, thus measuring both quantity and quality. A Wellington resident, Mr A, S. Ford, has invented an enamel solution which renders match-heads waterproof. The solution forms a glaze which is so tenacious that it is impossible for a child to hurt itself by sucking the heads of vestas, and a would-be suicide could not accomplish his object by soaking them. A simple way to strengthen the voice is to bath the chest and throat with cold water, and rub with a bath towel before going to bed. To carry out this recipe regularly through cold weather will be an effort, but it certainly has its reward. Many people add sea-salt to the water, and find it very invigorating. Mrs Grace Neil, female inspector of factories, in her annual report states that dressmaking as a trade is on the decline in New Zealand. Society ladies, no doubt following “ fashion,” send to Paris, London, Sydney, or Melbourne for dresses which can be manufactured as well and at a lower price in the colony. As almost every girl is “ put to the dressmaking after leaving school,’’ the business is in a wretched condition, and wages for first-class hands have been reduced to 2s or 3s a day in some cases. A curious cure for colds is described by a correspondent of the Science Siftings. He writes ' The moment I feel a cold coming on, or have a chilly feeling, I lie down before a fare, with my face as close to it as I can, and inflate my lungs with hot air for a minute or two, repeating it several times, holding in the inhaled air a short time after each inbreathing, then gradually exhaling it Since adopting this method 1 I never had a cold either in the throat or lungs. Messrs Reid and Gray, of Dunedin, (says the Otago Daily Times) have written to Mrs Hugh Stewart, Gore, tendering their sympathy in connection with the occurrence which resulted in the death of her husband while acting as an officer of the court in connection with a distress warrant which had been taken out against the man Keowu, now in custody. Through Mr E. R. Bowler, their solicitor, they asked her to accept a cheque for £25 on account of monetary loss sustained. A Japanese merchant, who has just returned to Sydney from Japan, expresses the opinion that there are excellent prospects for Australian wool in that country. Me is sending a thousand bales this season. The demand upon Australia will be for fine wool to turn into goods of better quality. Japan is now getting about a third of the total wool imported from these colonies, and they may depend upon it that the day is not far distant when Japan will be returning a portion of the wool sent her in the form of cloth to Australia. A good market exists for hides, but owing to the careless method of branding cattle in this country, it militates seriously against its success In point of fact, until some better method of branding is introduced amongst cattle breeders here, there is no prospect for hides whatever in Japan,

Living was never so cheap in Sydney as ib is at the present time. As an example, good bread is only 2d a loaf, and good meat can be had at Id per lb. As showing the great popularity of cycling in the United States, it is mentioned that one out of every 180 inhabitants either owns or rides a bicycle. A Palmerston North resident claims to have invented a gun capable of firing 1000 shots per minute. What we want (says a contemporary) is a gun that will shoot round corners. In Centennial Park (Sydney), says a contemporary, a bronze statue, of an idyllic tootballer has just been erected. More interest is taken in this figure than all the statuary in the park—great statesmen, warriors, goddesses in undress uniform, and all. In unborn years Australians will make annual pilgrimage to this shrine, and will keep a sacred lamp ever burning before it. A correspondent of the Taieri Advocate states that two miners named Louis Pearsall and W. M'Millan had a narrow escape from death by poison at Post Office creek. A lad conveying meat to them placed it in a phosphorus bag. After partaking of the meat the men were seized with violent pains. They made their way to Mr T. George’s at Berwick, where remedies were administered. A Japanese commercial traveller is at present touring the West Coast of the South Island. Naturally the doings of the first commercial representative of the progressive Eastern nation have excited much interest wherever he has been. The gentleman in question is highly educated, and speaks English with remarkable fluency. At a recent meeting of the debating society in Westport, to discuss the Chinese question, the Japanese visitor spoke, displaying marked oratorical abilities. He was very emphatic in his denunciation of the flooding of New Zealand and Australia with Chinamen, and expressed the opinion that a heavy poll-tax should be enforced. The trial of George James Bruce at Christchurch last week , (says the Evening Star ) resulted in a verdict of acquittal. He was charged with perjury in the evidence given by him before Committee at the hearing of the application for a renewal of the license of Coker’s Hotel, by swearing that from the window of his room in Manchester-street he could see the entrance to the bar in Georgestroet, and that he saw men and women come tumbling out of the bar. Mr Russell defended the accused. The evidence for the prosecution was the same as that given in the lower court. For the defence it was stated that the alleged perjury had arisen through the manner in which, at the Licensing Committee sitting,the question had been put to accused. Counsel, it was sworn, first asked Bruce how faf he could see down George-street, and he, it was stated, replied that he could see the upper part. Counsel then, remarked, paraphrasing the answer, “ Exactly'' as far as the bar,” and almost in the same breath asked <l Do you know Coker’s Hotel?” Bruce, thinking he was replying to the latter question, said “ Yes.” The jury, after a retirement ot 50 minutes, found accused not guilty. A party" of Chinese numbering about 20 (says the Tuapcka Times) are again engaged in an attempt to turn out one of- the channels in the Clutha River, about three miles above the Beaumont bridge. This makes the third attempt that has been made within the last three or four years to turn tlie river at the same point On the two previous occasions the task had to be abandoned after much time and labor had been expended on it. The Chinese have an idea that if they could succeed in turning this channel they will get gold in large quantities ; and there is every probability that they are entirely justified in their expectations. At all events they know the river intimately ; they have explored its reaches and beach combed and creviced along its margin for yeais, and followed the gold farther down its bed when the fall of the waters permitted, so often and so industriously that they may be taken to know exactly what they are about. At present the river is exceptionally low, and there is just a possibility that they may succeed ; though, ib must be said, the point at which they have attacked it is a very dangerous and very treacherous part of the river, so very treacherous, indeed, that should they Succeed in turning it, it may at any moment sweep away and destroy all their ingenious and labored contrivances, and give them nothing for all the hard work and hardships associated with such an undertaking but disappointment and mortification. Should they succed in turning the channel, every moment will, of course, be precious, and they will accordingly work night and day unloading the precious metal. Whatever their color, nationally, or habits may be, these Chinamen are above all things plucky and incapable of admitting failure, bowing to difficulties, or sitting down to hard luck. In these important essentials, at least, may nob the despised Mongolian claim some small share of equality with the superior white man ?