ENGLISH ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 763, 1 December 1876, Page 3

ENGLISH ITEMS.

Two bridges are to be at once erected over the Liffey at Dublin.' Their construction has been rendered necessary by the great increase of trade in the city. A shocking occurrence is reported from Roxburgh, a suburb of Limerick. The daughter Of a farmer named Lawlor was married to a neighboring farmer, and the usual festivities were going on when they were brought to a sadden and melancholy close by the discovery that tho bride’s father bad hanged himself to a beam in an adjoining room. He had been Opposed to the marriage chielly because having to give a dowry with his daughter, which, in his circumstances, he could ill afford. The preparations for the Paris Exhibition of 1878 are being vigorously pushed forward. Tho Prince of Wales, it is announced, has consented to act as head of the British Department, and the Crown Prince of Germany has undertaken a similar office in respect of the Prussian division. If peace is maintained, tho Exhibition will be a great success, but if a general war breaks out it will be an equally great failure. An official pamphlet just issued in Russia estimates the number of wolves in the European dominions of that empire at 170,000. During 1875 they caused the death of 200 persons, besides devouring great numbers of poultry, and committing ravages among cattle equal to those of the cattle plague. Official returns lately issued show that from Ist July to 15th August, 42 persons died of sunstroke in Paris, being an average of one almost every day. Christopher Columbus is likely to be canonised before long. Hitherto he has been preserved from this fate by the absence of proof of his second marriage, but it is alleged that this has been discovered in an old book at Valencia, in Spain. Pesth, according to a correspondent of the Times, is being rebuilt on a magnificent scale, and will soon take a high place among the capitals of Europe. At Hereford, Miss Nichols, a young lady of independent means, described as “ extremely good-looking,” nearly severed her head from her body because her mother placed obstacles in the way of her marriage. The Bookseller states that there is a Royal edition of the Daily Telegraph published daily, consisting of 25 copies, “especially printed on the finest, thickest, and whitest paper ’’ The origin of this is that on the death of the Prince Consort Her Majesty the Queen accidently saw the Telegraph, and was so touched by the loyalty exhibited in its obituary notice, that she ordered a copy to be sent daily to each of the royal palaces, which has been done ever since. A mechanical hare, invented by a Mr Geary, has been successfully experimented with near London. Its object is to obviate the necessity of using living hares in greyhound racing, and it appears likely to do so, as the hounds pursued it eagerly, not once merely, but several times. It is expected to do for greyhound racing what the gyropigeon is doing for pigeon shooting. The herring fishery on the East coast practically terminated on September oth. The Helmsdale and Banffshire boats have done very well, and the Morayshire boats fairly so, but ill-success of a more or less marked kind has been the fate of the fishermen on tho other stations. At Fraserburgh, the average take per boat, as compared with last year, has fallen from 215 crans to 07 ; at Peterhead, from 170 crans to 104; and at Aberdeen, from 200 crans to 125. At Wick also the fishing is much below the average. Taking the whole east coast, from the Forth to Orkney, the total catch is 342,000 crans, as against 540,000 crans last year. The falling off represents a decrease in tho fishermen’s earnings of L 220,000, or 1.55 per crew. This means distress to all in any way dependent upon this industry, including the numerous coopers who make the herring barrels. Mr Charlwood, a farmer and miller at Newbury, performed a remarkable teat of strength on tho Ist inst. He undertook, for a small wager, single-handed, to cart 20 acres of wheat between tho earliest moment at which ho could see in the morning and the latest moment at which he could see at night. He commenced the task at 3.45 a.m. and closing at 9.20 p.m. It is calculated that in those 174 hours Mr Charlwood lifted from 200 to 250 sacks of wheat and 50 or 60 tons of straw. The ricks built from the grain ho carted wore five in number, three measuring ten yards by five each, one ten yaida by six, and the remaining one a little more. Mr Cbarlwood’s performance was equal to a good day’s work for three ordinary agricultural laborers. In his capacity as Acting Grand Master Mason of Scotland, Sir James Pergusson, Ex-Govemor of New Zealand, laid tho foundation stone of a splendid new dock at Ayr on September 19th. Tho dock will cover eight and a half acres of ground, and is estimated to cost L 132,000.