ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 142, 20 June 1903, Page 4

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Another of those mysterious meteoro logical visitations that have puzzled Australians recently as to their causa and nature, struck Melbourne one night last week.- The disturbance was confined to a very small area, just like its recent predecessor at Cootamundra. A few workmen on the wharves in the Flinders Street extension were asnonished at about 6 o'clock to see a whirlwind gather up all the coal dust lying around into one black column 80ft high, and carry it out into the middle of the Yarra. Suddenly the river water shot up into a column like a waterspout, and in an instant a vast volume of water was precipitated against the Victoria freezing works on the river bank. The building was scalped, sheets of iron from tho roof falling in all directions. An iron chimney-stack, 80ft high, and 3J£t in diameter, was seen to rise up and r&~ main for a second suspended in tde air. With a crash it then fell into the yard in a score of pieces. The back fenco at the same time disappeared, palings being hurled around with great violence. In about two seconds the strange visitant did about £200 worth of damage at the freezing works, but the other buildings on each side escaped any injury.

Gone 1 Vanished ! Absolutely Curod! The old man's cough is gone. For years he was a sufferer from, asthma. Now he is quite cured. Bock's balsam cured him. It has' cured others; has cured thousands. Bock's Balsam cures Bronchitis in all its stages. Old standing coughs, ordinary colds, cracked hands, etc. Price 1/6 at D. R. Nevison, local agent.—Advt.

At the Sydney Police Court last week a young man named Frank Stuart, an accountant, was committed for trial on a charge of stealing and forgery. A large sum of money is involved. Accused was accountant to Messrs D. S. M'Phail and Sons, and in a statement he made, he admitted that all money he took from the firm, about £1200, had gone in horse-racing. For the past nine months he stated he had been taking moneys from the firm and backing horses on the racecourse every Saturday, Two bookmakers got the principal part, in faer, they got £80 out of every £100 that he lost. He used to be in town with other bookmakers, but did not lose much with them, he used to nearly hold his own. When he won he put the money in his pocket, and would lose it on the next Saturday. He spent about £50 of the money in clothes. When he took cheques btxonging to the firm he used to place them to his credit in the City Bank and draw against same on Saturdays before going to the races. He used to write orders himself and sign M'Phail's name to them. A cheque would then be signed, and he would cash it at the Bank of New South Wales and appropriate the money. Heavy bail was allowed.

To Pkevent Croup, begin iv time. The first symptom is hoarseness ; this is soon followed by a peculiar rough cough, which is easily recognised and will never be forgotten by one who has heard it. The time to act is when the child first becomes hoarse. If Chamberlain's Cough Remedy is freely given, all tendency to croup will soon disappear. Even after the croupy cough has developed, it will prevent the attack. There is no danger in giving this remedy, as it contains nothing injurious. It always cures and cures quickly. J. Benning sells it.

ANNIVERSARY OF NEW YORK.

There will shortly be celebrated the 250 th anniversary of the municipal birth of New York. Here are some interesting facts from the Tribune, which show the growth of the city:— Population in 1653, 1120; population 150 years later (1800), 60,000 ; popula tionin 1903/3,600,000. In 1653 there were paths, trails, and a few poor roads on the island; now there are 430 miles of streets, of which 365 miles are paved. The buildings in early New York were low, small structures; t« day there are on Manhattan Island scores of buildings more than ten storeys high, some more than 300 feet high. In place of the little school near where the new Custom House will stand there are hundreds of educational institutions, and the city Government has voted for public education for the year more than 20,000,000d0l (£4,000,000).