NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10032, 20 January 1896, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Waihoba, from Sydney, bo-day. > Manapouri, from the South, this morning. Good entries for the Judge's Bay Regatta Dti Saturday. Cargo steamer Rangatirn, from London, expected to-morrow. The other day a young man named Albert Shields died suddenly at Mudgee from eating green fruit. The condenser companies in Coolgardie are stated to have formed a ring to advance the price of water to 7d per gallon. A monster eol, 4 feet 6 inches in length, 15 inches in girth, and weighing lolbs, was recently caught in the Maitai River. A prospector named Andrew Peterson died in the Molbourne Hospital recently from exhaustion consequent) upon starvation. . , The rise of the tide at Pahautanui a few days ago was higher than it bad been since 1853. The water entered several houses on the beach. Great privations aro reported from Wooljgangio, on the railway road from Southern Cross, Western Australia, owing to the want of water. It is stated that the Brancepeth flock has clipped 150 bales of wool more this year from 5000 less eheop than were shorn there the previous season. A shepherd in South Australia named Richard Burnett endeavoured to commit suicide by cutting his throab and stabbing himself in nine different places. A meeting of those interested in iihe formation of a branch of the Navy League is convened for this afternoon at three o'clock, in the offices of the Harbour Board. Responding to a toast at the commercial travellers' banquet at Sydney Lord Hampdou expressed an earnest hope for the early federation of the four chief Australian colonies. It is expected thab about) 1000 sheep will bo penned at the animal ram and ewo fair of the Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association to be held ab the Show Grounds to-morrow. The proposal to connect Wellington and Karori with an electric tramway has been revived, and it ia said that there is every prospect of the work being undertaken at an early date. Active steps are being taken at Oamaru to ensure that the Easter meeting of the Ji'ew Zealand Rifle. Association shall be held there. A committee of business men has been appointed to raise the £150 guarantee required by tho Association. The conference of delegates from the various mining centres of New South Wales, called by the Minister for Mines, will take place in Sydney on February 5. The matter has been taken up warmly by the miners, and much is expected of the meeting. An unusual sight was witnessed at Scorching Bay, between Point Gordon and the Pilot Station, Wellington, on Monday last, the beach being strewn with sea-eggs, broughb up from the bottom of the harbour by the heavy weather of a few days before. The Royal Standard Hotel at Milparinka, New South Wales, was ontered in the night, and a large iron safe was removed through a window, and taken some distance away. It was discovered next morning in a creek, but had been burst open, and its contents, valued ab £1000, abstracted. An effort is being made to have the town of Stratford incorporated as a borough. The difficulty in the way is thab although tho general revenue would be sufficient to comply with the requirements of the Act, it is doubtful whether the revenue on the capital value would reach the minimum amount necessary. A novel form of robbery occurred at Townsend's butcher's shop, Norwood, South Australia. Two men rode up on a bicycle, and informed Mr. Townsend that his back premises were on fire. He rushed round to the back, and found everything right, but on returning to the shop discovered his till rilled and the informers J gone.