MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 11, 19 December 1877, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

An extraordinary story lias been supplied to the Charleston Herald by a resident. On Tuesday last, he being f enqasjed at some work ou the D.irkie's Flat, and being in a stooping; position at the time, was made the eye-witness to one of the most remarkable and wonderful occurrences we have ever heard tell of. And judging from the excited state in which the narrator appeared to be iv when communicating tlm to us, wo were inspired, by the thought that this pould not possibly be a " bilk.' 1 He was, as he says, quietly pursuing his avoc-ition, when on looking up, the whole flit appeared to bis view to be moving in a long continuous, ware like manner 1 This ! undulating and seething phenomenon nothing more or less than a gigantic army of nomadic rats (as he says millions nf the creatures who continued their march iut he direction towards the slaughter yard, and were soon lost to ths bewildered view of the- awe-inspired gsizer. This on neconnt of the hitherto unblemisWd eiiiinicipr of our informant, we put forth as n trnfi story. It would appear, writes " llip Loafer " in the Press, that female domestics, like good people, nre scarce. They are 11 bit curious in their ways sometimes when you have got them. At least I judge so from the following circumstance which I can assure you is a posit ive facf. A friend of mine recently engaged a lady help who, for n eoTisidpration, undertook to perform the dutips of a general servant, The lady help arrived, and reqested to lip shown to her anartmmt, After a ou-sory glance, she said their was no room for her piano and sewing machije, and as those were little things she Was accustomed to. she begged to resign the appointment there and then. Anyone requiring a general servant, with Esthetic proclivities can aoplv to my friend (whose address I sha'l be happy fo give) if they doubt the truth of the above. Some little fiut'er wns causpd amongst members of the House this w^ek by nftention being drawn to a speech mide by Dr Wallis in Auokland. wheroin he was reported to hnve said that " pvprv fourth man in thp Honee was a political rogue and a trimmer." A large number of representatives thought it incumbent on them to protest ag.iinsfc thp use of such language by one of themselves who was absent on leavp, and there was quite a marvellous anxiety to prove tbn* the pap fiticd no one in partipuisr. Dr Wallis subsequently explained that lie used the words in reference to Legislatures gener ally. The explanation seems to have bepn jookpd upon as satisfactory, at least nothing further has been heard of the matter, although the logic of the thing apppars ipen to question. Some people look for* tvard to the world being one day destroyed by fire, h»ifc the fact thai; a larg^ sompnny of States' and Prineinalities will ie affected by 'he combustion is not jenerilly exnpct' ' to mitieate its heßfc so 'ar as New Zealand in particular is con* jern"" l . '• Your goodnp<!3 orerpowei s tup," as :he gentleman mtirmured to the champagne when he could not rise from his chnir. The Bruce Her >ld has good reason for believing that the " ring " is still negotiating in order to get the Dunedin Evening Star into its possession ; but the proprietor having some independence about him, will not sell himself at; any price, The sum offered has, we hear from a reliable quarter been raised to £17,C00. No matter how much money may be spent in buying new journals, and no matter how much the public may be fleeced and employes ground down in order to pay interest on newspaper properties acquired at. fancy prices it is" absurd, to think opinion can be stiflerl. Nebbling the Press has everywhere been as costly as it has been unsuccessful, and New Zealand should be no exception to the rule. The London correspondent of the Auckland Star writes :— "By the way, what is Sir Julius Vogel's little game P He has taken to writing to the Times on all sorts of subjects. Is he paving me way to notoriety, with a view to something ad« venturous, or is it only the pld habit breaking out in advanced years ? Nouo vervons. A short time ago the telegraph informed us that a discovery of a gold-tearing quartz reef had been made ia Queen Charlotte Sound, within a few miles of Picfcon. Subsequently it was reported that the development had been offered to' Auckland capitalists, and that Messrs TothilUsd. Beaaettkad proceeded to tlie

locality to inspect the discovery. These gentlemen returned on Saturday bringing with them a parcel of specimens, which were on view yesterday at Mr. Saunder's office, Stock Exchange. The exhibits created some excitement, not only for their richness, but for their contrast with the specimen stone of our own goldfield. The stone is of a hard white, and slightly oxidised constitution, and the gold thick nriii wiry, resembling very much what we hare seen iv the possession of diggers 'rom the Australian goldfields. The gold is very good, worth over £-1 an ounce, and the stone is altogether not only rich, but also unique, when com na red with that from the Th nines district— Auckland Herald, Nov. 27. An enterprising liotelkeepei' in a cify up North has set tin tl«e. following sninouncement non** the piiti'-ipnl aale of the Cemefrry : " For people returning from funerals. Private apartments for those who desire to we°p in solitude. Firstclass wines and liquors.' 1 Jur'ge Ward appeals to be one of those unfortunate individuals whose good intentions are always misconstrued. Most folks will recollect his action with refer* ence to Judge Chapman, and the later case wherein his name was brought for* w^rd at Wellington in some land transactions. His' latest misfortune was at Timaru yesterday when the grand jury returned "no bill', in the libel case brought against the proprietor of the South Canterbury Times. To this case public sympathy appeared to be against Lis Honor. The Warden of the Palmer goldfields reports that he fears that a loss to the revenue of £5000 annually accrue through the passing of the recent Acts affecting the Chinese. He was informed by some of the Celestials that a good deal of discontent prevails amongst their countrymen, and it is rumoured that, at the expiration of the current licenses, a roll up may be lookod for if the £3 license is strictly enforced. The Saudhurst correspondent; o? the Melbourne Leader showing the effect which the views of the Bishop are beginning to have on Shakesperian stage representations, during one evening of Mrs Scott«Siddons' present stay in Sandhurst three clerymen were observed amongst the audience. They appeared to thoroughly enjoy the language of the Bard of Amn as uttered by Mrs Siddons. Mes*rs Brogden have a claim against the Colony for extras, amounting to £170.000. Their representative in the Colony is well named, «s Mr Billing was the fittest persou to make onfc the Bill. It was an extraordinary hallucination of Mr Ormnnd to charge the Government with having obtaied power through the influence of M. Billing. The Courts of j law will deal justly between the country and Messrs Hrogileu, and their bill nny be left to the b.*aks. • Speaking ot the Governor's presumed refusal lo dissolve the House, a Northern paper says that " when members of our Assem'tly persisted in designating each other as land swindlers, political impostcrs. "liars, bankrupts, and many infamous epiihets. if our Governor had acted the dictator h < would have received the grate* ful thanks and hearty acknowledgements of ihe u»ore intelligent section of the colonists. There is nothing New Zealand • wants at Ihe present juncture of affairs so ' txuicU us a Cromwell, v Wasliingon. or a General Grant. Our Parliament Housa is a political Augean stable which must be cleansed if we can fiud ihe coming man who will undertake the task."