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Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 10, 3 May 1876, Page 2

Pheasant-*, it seems, arc not (•"".! Templars. In soms itp-cnnntry fU.«trict-* in the NWth, where these l»ir*lrf are plentihil, the Maura turn this fact t-» a-lv.-tiitnge. They »tt» not wast*? powder ami shot t«> r>l>tam pheasants, hut simply sleep some groin in run:, ami scatter it v.here the birtls The pheasants eat greetlily ami become intoxicate*!. when, ttnnhle to lly, they are easily l>32'ge»!.

Some correspondents in Dnuedin wrote to the " Daily Times " and drew attention to the barren appearance of the stage at the Queen's Theatre when lima De Murska was .singing. They thought that a new suite of furniture should be purchased, and also a handsome Brussels carpet. Signer De Vivo, manager to lima De Murska, writes to the "Times" as follows:—"In reply to your correspondents" letters, signed ' Decency' and ' Taste,' I would have them understand that in no part of- the world do artistes of such high-class ability as Mdlle. De Murska ever sing on a carpet:;.l stage 'or platform, whether in Opera or C •iiccirfc, as such .covering at onoc interferes with the acoustic properties of the building. Tiie introduction of furniture and such like produces a similar c-'iVtri."

We are pleaded to notice the following aHtiouiic.-iiicut in the "Southland Jicws

" The Immigration Barracks are again all but empty—only two families being there at pre" sent. The faefc says much for two tilings, the power of the district, which is evidently much greater than many would suppose, and the dilligence of the barrack" master in 'fossicking' for employment to the new I'lmnw"

The " I'almerston Times " rc-grots having occasion t«> chronicle two very serious aceiOn Friday last a lad in the employ of Mr. Sntherlan 1 had his thigh broken l>y tho fall ni a horse which he was riding at the time ; and on Saturday, v.'hy: I\lr. Glassford, of Mfissrs. Jc-mison ami GLissford, was in the act of alighting rrom Smith's soav-h, his coat got entangled with soma portion of the vehicle, and he foil, breaking hi; left arm. Mr. Hlassfonl ami the lad above referred to are being treated by Dr. Brown, and arc doing well.

Ft is intimated by advertisement that the next Criminal fitting of the District Court will be held at Oamani on Monday, the 22 nd instant. Persons bound by recognizance, or »U!iii:i-incd to appear en the 20th, will not be required to attend until the 22nd inst.

There was no business transacted at the llesidcnfc Magistrate's Court this morning.

The vital statistics f<»r tho Duncdin district triet for the month of April areßirths, 127 ; deaths, 4-1; marriages, 43.

The '• Wellington Argus," is rather severe mi the "Evening I'ost. '* It says: —•'•'Our evening contemporary was rather premature in commenting last night on the crime and punishment of the man Shannon, at Wan= gamii. It would have been better to have waited till he was tried, convicted, and sentenced.

Some time ago (saj'.s t!ie " Clinics Guardian ") Mr. Ilboc-rt "Williams, near lii-s place, heard mic of his wife's ducks mailing a noise a:; if something was after it. Jle got up out i>f lx il ami went to where it was, but could nut hear or see anything. He went the .-■••emid time, hut with the same result, lie tuM hia wife lie guessed that duuk lx:i»l gone orazv. X•- '<t morning he went to whero the old duck was sitting upon her eggs, under the pile, and—imagine his astonishment—lie saw a large black snake coileil up under Lite duck, his snakeship having swallowed tux-Ivs egg.;. Mr. Williams cut its head of!', ripped it ojien, took the eggs out,.placed them tinder the duck again, ami eleven of that d..;<,.:i eggs hatched. Mr. Williams' word is as food as his bond. The " Wellington Argu;;" informs un tliat there are at present in the Mount Cook ISarra>;Us a considerable number of foreign immigr.'iits w!i>> have not yet found employment, ai!>l of v.'hiv-e capabilities for work or anxiety t-i gvt it, there is no proo!. The Immigration Officer has applied to the Corporation authorities to know whether employment at stone-breaking could not be found for these men, so that they might escape tiie demoralising influence of perfect idleness, and if they are able and willing to work, show it, and earn something at any rate. The request has, we believe, been favourably considered by the public works committee, the members recognising the duty of the Corporation to assist the Government in such a matter as this. Arrangements lor finning some suitable employment for these men will probably be made in a few days.

The n:;:iio!ilcr who is reported to have that lie would give lo.():;o acres of hind for the destruction of nil the rabbits infesting the balance of his property may, if he chooses, "have that most desirable consummation effected on much more reasonable term:;. He has only to coiinmr.iieate with Wang Sam M'l'hcrsoii, of I'.alclntha, who has written in tiie following terms to the "Mayor and Councillors of Jr.vercargill.—Gentlemen,— We, the undersigned, will undertake to d<;.;'r->y all the rabbits now infesting the district of .Southland, on consideration of live thousand acres of land, in four blocks, on which I intend to settle my countrymen. Time required for killing off rabbits to be three years, when title of land to be given. But wo are to have use of land in meantime. The contract to be considered finished when you are to send out men to prove same, giv. ing us one rabbit for every hunter yon seud for a day's linnt. Should any more than one

settle on the land. It was very kind (remarks the Melbourne "Echo ") of a wealthy gentleman to die so opportunely as to help the M'C'ullochGovernment with about one-sixth of their deficit. The deceased gentleman's property in Victoria will yield them, by way of succession . duty, no less a sum than £32,700, being their share of a total of ten times that amount. When it is remembered that there are a great many magnates quite as rich as the deceased; it may be perhaps pardonable if we hint that selfimmolation is sometimes a patriotic duty. Any gentleman with more than half a million of money who sees the point and acts upon it will help the revenue, please his heirs, lighten the burdens of the electors, and smooth the path of Sir James M'Culloch. All those considerations, especially the last, should weigh with any patriotic soul inspired with a desire to promote the welfare of his countiy by a glorious act of self-sacrifice.

The " Hong Kong Times " makes the following startling statement : —" Within five years seventy-thousand Cliinamen may vote in California. Ten tousand may vote in San Francisco, and wield one-third of the electoral power. That is, they may, if tlioy choose, live yours hence, name the 2.1 ay or of San lYniiei.-.-oo and the Governor of California.

The "Patca Mail" records a most extraordinary occurrence. A child two years of age fell from a gig in the direct trade of one of the wheels, and tlie vehicle, with child's father and mother in it, jolted right over the child's head. As a mcittav of course, the horror-stricken spectators never expected to see, the poor child rise again, but singular to say, beyond a clear deep mark abraising the skin, and causing a large flow of blood, and one o.ir being cut through, no injury was sns" tamed. There was not even any insensibility or unconsciousness, for, the moment the infant was released, it got up and ran towards the hotel door, and was then cared for. The wheel passed along the line of the skull, commencing at the occipital bone and shaving oft' at the damaged ear. In the trade of the wheel, whore the child's head lay, there was seen a gap of exactly eight inches, that being evidently the space occupied by the infantile skull during the wheel's progress.

A serious flood has occurred in Marlborough. The " Express " of Wednesday says:—"To-day we learned the passengers to and from the rail wan had to be conveyed by boat to the station. This will illustrate the impropriety of fixing it in a swamp, which is fast becoming .the bod of the river. The station is appropriately named the Opawa. On tho northern side of the Opawa, where the wisdom of the Public Works Department has fixed the terminus of the railway, the water was very deep from Palmer's Bridge to Andrew Henderson's, and again beyond Gore Town. To-day we learn that it has been the highest fresh ever experienced about the Bush, where the water was not so deep as the time of tho flood of ISoS. It came oyer at a weak place in a bend near Mr. W. Ilobinson's. "We hear that one of the railway bridges lias been lifted by the water, ami the Opawa Bridge requires a skilled investigation. In the meantime we would urge great caution on riders or drivers in crossing, as there is a sensible vibration, and the bridge seems to us out of the perpendicular. Wc regret that the Government did not see fit to raise the flooring a couple of feet while the last repairs were doing. It is certainly necessary now, to save the bridge from being carried away by the force with which the water strikes the stringers."