NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10080, 16 March 1896, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

BicUMokd arrived from the Islands. Waihora from the South this morning. Property is already beginning to increase (a value in Reefton. A proposal h&9 be&n made to establish freezing l works at Nelson. Ambulance boxes are to bo fitted up in the vans on the Westport railway. Meetings of the Devonporb, Newton, and Parnell Borough Councils this evening. The annual show of the Normanby Horticultural Society will be held to-morrow. The gold coin issued by the Sydney Mint last month consisted of 200,000 sovereigns. Large church parade of the sailors and marines from the warships yesterday morn*

1d P- . ... . ... The £500 guarantee in connection with the Wellington Industrial Exhibition has been more than filled up. The Cheviot Dairy Factory directors are considering the feasibility of making butter Instead of cheese, for the remainder of the season.

The total quantity of gold raised in New South Wales since the opening of the goldfields is 11,394,5620z, of the value of £42.326,

A block of land at the corner of Howick and Hill-streets, Perth, is to be purchased as the site for the mint, The price, it is stated, will be £4000.

At Haddon, Victoria, on the 2nd inst., Sirs. Patrick Bourke, wife of a mine manager, gave birth to three sons, Mother and children are well.

A Government return shows that up to July 31,1595, in tho Buller electorate four applications for loans for £2730 were granted, and 20 refused. The Southland Times says ths Ministry evidently consider tho Legislative Council & sort of almshouse for decayed politicians and out-at-elbow agitators.

A girl named Gibson, recently employed &9 a barmaid at a hotel on a mining field on the west coast of Tasmania, shot herself in the side, a few inches below tho hearb.

A man named F. Sievers, residing at Mnkara, was thrown from his horse on Wednesday last and received a severe shaking and had two of his fingers dislocated.

The fly i? commencing to strike the sheep in South Canterbury, and several farmers have found their lambs affected with it, in gome cases so badly that several had to be killed.

A party is still prospecting for gold in the Awakino district. It is reported that the numbers of the party have got: colour, but t'leir attempts to locate a reef have so Jar failed.

The surveyors have nearly completed their work of subdividing tho Ardgowan Estate, and a few days more will see that part of the preparations for opening up the land finished. A large willow tree, for many yaars a landmark at Richmond, New South Wales, fell without warning right across the street). It was found to be quite hollow, having been eaten away by insects. Since the recent rains, the green crops in different parts of the Illawarra district have been attacked by a plague of caterpillars, which consume everything but) the stalks. Sorghum and planters' friond suffer most.

New Zealand is the only provinco in Australasia which deals fairly with each of tho British Kingdoms by proclaiming public holidays on the days sacted to St. Patrick, St. George, ami St. Andrew. It is said that one of the wheat crops in the West Taieri district will give a phenomenal yisld, and as high as 70 bushels is given as the yield. Another Taieri farmer expects his crop of oats to yield an average of 75 bushels per acre. The Queenstown Fire Brigade are at loggerheads with the town council, owing to the latter taking part of the brigade's hose to flush drains. A lice occurred, and it was discovered that tho hose was barely sufficient to reach the building. One of the railway staff, walking along the line opposite Mr. Greatbach's house at Westport, discovered the points interfered -with and jammed with a stone. The discovery of the criminal act was fortunate, as the Mokihiuui train was shortly afterwards due.

Three young lady cyclists left) Oaraaru the other day with the intention of breaking the Enfield record. The first did the journey in a little over two hours, the second was about 25 minutes longer, and the police and a doctor went out) to look for the third.

A barmaid at the Denbigh Hotel, Feeding, Miss Keeling, was dressing her hair when it caught fire, and before the flames could be smothered she was severely burnt). She is in the Palraerston HospitaL Another account states that she was reading in bed when the accident occurred.

A blasting accident occurred in the Silver Queen mine, Tasmania, recently. A miner named William Carboult, thinking that a charge had mis;ed fire, approached the bole, when the explosion took place. He was so terribly shattered that his recovery is hopeless. An accident occurred at Stewart and Co.'s sawmill, Wellington, on Monday last. A lad named Henry Jones was assisting to work a planer when his left hand became entangled in the machine. The little finger was cut off, and tho finger next to it was badly injured. With a view of putting a stop to the practice of reckless riding by cyclists along tbe narrow road at the head of the Porirua Harbour, the Hutt County Council has decided to obtain copies of the by laws passed by the Kangitikei and Selwyn County Councils in reference to cyclists. At Zeehan, Tasmania, a man named Bath "Was cutting wood, when a lag rolled over and pinioned bis leg against a stump. His mates had to Baw the log through to release the man, who was carried to town early the next morning by eight men, a distance of ten miles. His leg was almost stripped of flesh from the knee to the ankle.