HERE AND THERE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9823, 24 July 1900, Page 7

HERE AND THERE.

It is reported that a new bind of disease has made its appearance amongst horses in the Timaru district. It is described as inflammation of the brain (says the Herald), and one case has proved fatal. A well-known Masterton resident is being sued by a young lady for " breach-of-piomise." There is a proposal on foot in the Haw era district to establish an industry for the manufacturing of paper from wood pulp. It is said that certain New Zealand woods wouid be most suitable for this purpose. Dr. Pfeiffer, the American scientist, who is said to have discovered the influenza bacillus, says the ordinary linen handkerchief propagates 70 per cent, of all colds and inflammation of the head, throat, and nose. The fact that influenza reoccurs season after season in epidemical form is, he says, tracable to the use, or abuse, of the linen handkerchief. Dr. Pfeiffer suggests the use of small sheets of soft paper similar to those used by the Chinese aud Japanese, which are thrown away after. In the village of Ratcliffe, a couple of miles below Atheratone (England), the curious spec'acle of a cat suckling a nest of young rabbits was to be seen recently. The old rabbit hud eight young ones, and shortly afterwards the cat gave birth to three young in the same pen as that occupied"by the rabbits. The old rabbit died a lew days afterwards, and the cat acted as mother to the orphans. Cat stories are quite as wonderful as dog stories, apparently. According to the Feitclina Star Mr Bridges, who some time ago stopped an engine before it got too close to a bad " wash-out" between the Aramoho and Wanganui stations, has been rewarded by the offer of the munificent sum of £1 sterling in satisfaction of all claims for consideration." The shock, was however, so great to Mr Bridges' system that he was, and rightly so, says the Mar, unabl* to accept such an amount for fear,

perhaps, that the finances of the colony might be seriously affected and the surpluses of our paternal Government might vanish.

This is the day of "records," and London has just " put up" another. The National Bazaar in aid of. the War Fund, which was organised by a number ladies under the Presidency of Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar, has totally eclipsed everything hitherto seen or heard of in the shape of bazaars. The lowest price of admission only, on the opening day, was a guinea—£l la—and some twenty thousand people attended on these terms. The bazaar passed off without the faintest hitch, without even a pocket being picked, or a single person being damaged, and yielded & net profit which ia estimated at fully £35,000, to £40,000.

Putting a man into an oven which has been raised to a temperature of 450 deg. suggests cannibalism at the very least. It is, however, merely the latest and most approved fashion of treating rheumatism and gout ou the other side of the Atlantic, where it is at the moment in high favor. The literal baking of the patient out of his disease might also be declared to be a fashionable pastime at Washington, where many of the chief politicians are uudergoiug the treatment. At their head is Mr Mark Hanna, the power behind the throne of the M'Kinley Administration, who loses weight at the rate of about 21b. a bake, lasting half an hour.

Recently Mr "Tommy" Taylor made a moit intemperate attack on the Premier, and the Rev. ]_) Macki'e, St. Andrews, President of the South Canterbury Prohibition League, writes to a Timaru paper disowning, on the part of the League, any sympa»hy with Mr T. E. Taylor's remarks at Christchurch. In the course of his letter he says: —"I simply wish to remark that the Prohibition cause is nob the first cause that has suffered because of the indiscretions and extravagances of some of those associated with it, nor will it be the laat. I wish also to inform the public that the South Canterbury ' Prohibition League has no sympathy whatsoever with such language as Mr Taylor ia reported to have used. His attack on the Premier is mean. The principles enunciated, and the language expressing them cannot be characterised as other than low and abominable in the extreme."

Tho Qaeen, who is so keenly interested in the advancement of women, and who has such an extremely just idea of what is .their due will, it is thought, in wellinformed circles, suggest that a bill be soon introduced into Parliament whereby the daughters of a nobleman may inherit their father's title when there is no male heir. This is a decision which would give the highest satisfaction in England, save, of course among a few narrow-minded people who will never advance with the times and willre'ain to their dying day certain old-world prejudices anent women. The fact that the Queen has decreed that the daughters of the Duchess of Fife are eligible to inherit their father's title has given the greatest satisfaction. This, it is thought, is the thin end of the wedge, and before many months are over our heads the same conditions will apply to the daughters of every noblemin in the United Kingdom.

Many years ago Mr Colenso, while travelling through the Upper Rangitikei district, discovered an exceptionally large cabbage tree, measuring 20ft 2in in girth at the base. He mentioned that a part of its side was cut away so as to form a doorway to its hollow interior, which was, and is, used by the Natives for storing their tools and other belongings. The Manaaweka Mull says that on the property _af Mr R. T. Battley, at Ngataura, near Moawhango, several very large cabbage trees have been found, one of them answering well to the same description given by Mr Colenso. The present girth of this tree at the ground is 26ft, and 28ft at axe handle height, the total height being approximately 58ft. It is interesting to note the increase of girth during the period between the date of Mr Colenso's first discovery and the present time. Quite close to this giant specimen is another fine one with measurements of 27ft in girth at the ground, and 19ft Bin at 3ft above ground, bat of somewhat less total height: Both trees have a very large number of branches. Mr Battley is taking steps to preserve these trees from fire or other damage.