SOUTHERN-ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10013, 27 December 1895, Page 3 (Supplement)

SOUTHERN-ITEMS.

Tub annual balance-sheet of ' the Gear Meat Company, aftor making allowance for depreciation, ctc., leaves £8.163 to be apportioned. A 10 per cent, dividend is paid, absorbing £4000; carried forward, £3763. The reserve and insurance funds aggregate £25,705. A ton-roomed house, occupied by S. Hardie, Christchurch, and owned by Snow, of Pupanui, was burned down on Dec. 11. Tho furniture, all of which, with tho exception of a piano and a fow small effects, was destroyed, was insured for £400 in tho Slow Zealand office.

U. Clark, laundry man, of North-east Valley, Otago, committed suicide by shooting himself. Ho had been worrying at having dis posed of Ilia business, which had takon a long time to work up, for too little money. He was in easy circumstances, but of a highly nervous disposition. A society culled the Women's Institute has been formed in Wellington, having for' its object the education of women upon all social and political questions. In connection with the institute diree branches have been formed—viz., women's social branch, club branch, and tho mothors' branch. The members intend to commemorate the opening by a Mock Parliament. It is stated that Mr. Humphries, chief surveyor for liawke's Bay, has been exploring the hitherto unknown regions about Lake Waikarotnoana, and somo of 'his excursions led to the discovery of some really wonderful features of interest magnificent cascades, eerie caves, majestic overhanging cliffs, and delightful nooks. A lovely waterfall of about 40 feet, up the Mokau Creok, is described as a splendid site, and will be one of the chief attractions to visitors. Mr. Humphries tried to get soundings of tho lake, and for three miles he could nob gob bottom with a 700 feet line. A further length of lino of 500 feot is to be senb up, bub tho experiments already made show that Watkareinoana is of extraordinary depth—very much deeper than Taupo, which is about GOO feet. Intending visitors will be glad to learn that) the new road will bo open for riding right through to the lake by Chrisbmas. Light vehicles will bo able to travel for 25 miles, or within four miles, leaving the latter distance only to bo accomplished on horseback,

A Wellington lady has offered, should d town hall be erected in that city, to presonft lb with a euitablo grand organ. At tho Dunediti Supremo Court, tho caso Fleming and (iilkc«on v. Grig}*, claim £4000 damages, was conelndod. The jury found that there was sufficient wheat ill Canterbury which Fleming nnd Gilke»on could have bought to replaeo tho 80,000 bushels Bold by Mr. Grigg without loss. The jury found 0110 farthing damages. A man named ITonry Hill, who was run over by tho north train on December 21, died in the Chrislchurch Hospital lato next afternoon. At the inquest the evidence showed that the man walked on to the line, and deliberately laid his head oil one of tho rails.' A verdict of suicide while in a stalo of unsound mind brought on by long suffering from asthma, was returned. Tho train official 1 .! wcro exonerated from all blame.

The s.e. Fifeshire was examined at Lyttelton, and was found to have sustained very serious injuries on the starboard sido about) 30 feet from the stern, where sovoral of tho planks and three or four timbers aro crushed. Amidships, almost directly under the bridge on the starboard side, several plates are dented, cracked, and started, admitting water freely. Slio comes out of dock to discharge her cargo of mutton. Twenty-two thousand carcases will probably be put into tho Perthshire, now on tho voyage to Wellington, and ordered to corao to Lyttelton direct. After discharging, tho Fifeshire will be re-docked for repairs, which are oxpected to tako a month to six weeks.

At tho meeting of tho Wellington Philosophical Society a group of eight albatrosses, really fine specimens of their kind, and beautifully mounted, were on exhibition, and attracted much admiring notice. Sir Walter 13Her took occasion to remark that they were part of a collection which Sir James Hector was forming in tho Museum, which was to comprise all the known albatrosses of tho Southern Hemisphere, and that llieso were to be grouped together, according to tho method pursued in tho British Museum. Another caso would contain all tho known penguins in this hemisphere, and ho trusted all tho other birds would bo similarly arranged in natural groups instoad of beiug dispersed about on no system.