Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVII, Issue 5462, 19 December 1892, Page 2

The North Otago Mounted Rifles wish to heartily thank all those who kindly rendered assistance at their late bazaar.

We have received from Mi- John ('lnu-ch the local agent of the Royal Insurance pany, a copy of tho company's annual. It, is one of tho moat tasteful we have yet s(. r „ An error occurred in our chess problem <m Thursday evening, and it is desirable that it, should be noted, so that player* may l, c saved useless labor in attempting impossible solutions. The error was the pine, ing of a black pawn instead of a blael; bishop on Q 4. At tho Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, beforo Major Iveddell, K.M., iwn first offenders for drunkenness wero cuivicted and each fined ."is and costs.

The local stock auctioneorsnotify that their next fortnightly stock sale will fie held mi Wednesday, the 28th, on account, of j|, 0 Christinas holidays intervening.

Mr John Isdale, Weston, has now grown 20 acres of the new rust-proof wheat f'oren. The variety was produced by Mr Thomas Isdale while experimenting with wheats at Enfield. It is a hybrid between Titian ami American No. 1 hard wheat, it is now grown in quantity for the first time. The wheat is a splendid cropper and thoroughly rustproof. The crop is over sft Gin the heads being Gin long, carrying from 70 [o S o berries each. The paddock is thoroughly free from rust although surrounded by nnps more or loss rusty. Tho new variety will be a decided acquisition to fanners. M,. Isdale will harvest the crop for Beed purposes, Heads of the green wheat are on view m Brewnlce's seed shop, and samples of tj, n grain will be there when ready for market, Mr I c dale will also be glad to shew the crop to any person intorcsted. The Tiinaru Herald disputes the idea that, large areas of private land which have bivn advertised for sale in small sections have not sold because no one wants land, anil, after citing ample evidence to prove tlio contrary, it says:— 1 ' We should have no difficulty in producing plenty of other evidense to the same effect, and, in short, those who have kept their eyes open to what is going 011 know perfectly well that there is at the present time a very decided "land hunger" prevailing in New Zealand, llnw to satisfy it is a different matter. The large landowners know their own business mueli better than we could teach it to them il we were disposed to try. They naturally object to parting with their properly at what they regard aB a sacrifice ; nml each and all of them may, by holding on for a market, be eventually able to dispose of large portions of their estates at tho average prices now generally demanded. But if present rates bo maintained the sales will not as a rule be to very small capitalists, or if that class of persons does buy there is a strong probability that it will be by incurring liabilities which in the course of a few years may prove too heavy. The situation just at present is not a pleasant 011 c to contemplate, for the establishincnt of a very considerable number of small farmers scattered up and down the country a much larger number than at present exists—would be an enormous benefit to the c immunity as a whole. Some of our readers may regard this assertion as a mere truism, and others may think it rank heresy. If ix, however, our firm conviction, and unless we aro greatly mistaken, the time is fast approaching when the alteration, whether for good or evil, will be brought about." Mr Robinson, collector for the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, is now in town and will be glad to receive subscriptions. This Institution has only been established two years but it has already done some admirable work, and afflicted children from all parts of the colony arc reaping advantages from its establishment. A sum of L4OOO has been expended 011 tho necessary buildings for the Institute. As it is dependent to a great, extent on public subscriptions it is hoped that Mr Robinson's efforts will be amply rewarded.

The Mounted Rifles realised 1/270 net by their recent bazaar, which, considering the bad times, is undoubtedly ft splendid result, The Sydney Herald's Dubbo correspondent writes under date December 10th-. —ll"' first truck' of new wheat was unloaded lit Moffatt's mill on Saturday. The grain in particularly large and good. Harvesting is in full swing.

A new species of fraud (says tho Wellington Post) is in vogue here. Properly tered dogs arc being deprivid of their collars, which aro no doubt transferred In other animals to avoid having to pay tlio registration fees. Jt must be n very menu man who would steal a collar in preferenre to paying the fee, and such conduct, if <lotcctcd, should meet with exemplary punishment. One of the worst features of thin kind of theft is that the properly registered dog, being deprived of his collar, is liubbtn meet the fate of an unregistered cur. The collars can, of course, be traced by their numbers, and we trust that, in this way, some of the offenders may be detected.

When the Steen-Smith combination were performing in the Wairarapa district lately Mr Coleman Phillips formed one of a select committee who occupied tlie p\i!f.rm to watch in tho interests of the public, that no trickery was indulged in. Mr Phillips wis doubtless chosen as an expert. He has figured as a mysterious manipulator himself. His best-known trick is the wellknown " Rutsey Rigging," or " Cooking tin", lease," in which lie shows his ability an a lightning substitutor. His cook . Mntsny leases a piece of land; "then you wink your other eye," and in the interval tlic land has changed hand?. Another favorite trick of this marvellous contortionist is t<> arrange a surplus of bureau laborers in lii* district (on paper), and when the agent comes to attend to it he finds the surplus transformed into a deficiency. " Every woman eligible to cast a vote, says the New York Sun, writing just In-torn the election for President, " has duly registered. Not only are the wives of the le.nling residents registered, but they have been engaged in instructing their domestics in matters political and in seeing that they, too, have registered. The various intricacies of the tariff they have mastered, ami on all political questions they are well informed and can talk more intelligent]) than the majority of the men who are opposed to their voting. Mrs Warren and Mrs Carey, as wives of the two Senators, are of course the central figures in the women's political parties, nnil are very active in the campaign work. There is only one circumstance which appeared to mar the while "Senator Carey's handsome young wife told a fib, which is, of course, a very unexampled and wicked thing in connection with politics. Asked by the registrar when she went to register her vote, what wan her age, she replied, " one hundred and fifty, and tho clerk wrote it down. Ncitlicr smiled, and the public, feeling assured tliat a person who is an American, a politicinn, and a lady cannot lie, believes that Senator Carey has a wife old enough to entitle hi' ll lo the sympathy of the civilised world.

Entries for the Wannate Caledonian Society's annual sports will not close nnl.il Thursday next at 8 o'clock. An advertise' ment appears elsewhere. Acceptances for Waikotiaiti races el'isc with the Secretary (Mr K. Tcmplcton) !"■ morrow night. A special meeting of the Directors of the Caledonian Society will bo held in I" 0 County Council Chambers on Tuesday ft"' morrow) at 8 o'clock. A large attendance t' particularly requested as important businc" ll will be transacted. The quarterly summoned meeting "f the P. A.P.S., Ngapara, Will be held on Sutiiriwy next at 8 o'clock in the Athcnamm Hull.

A strange animal was recently killed 1,1 the Wallapai Mountains, and is now stuffc'l, and on exhibition in the oilice of the Moliuyo (Arizona) Miner. The body is 10 circumference, and 18 inches in length. ' I" 1 tail, if such it may be termed, is 4 inches. Its front" feet are similar to those of a dogi only the toes being missing, while its hum legs, somewhat longer than its front, terminate in cloven hoofs. Its head is of «■ bright red color, the hair on the body "f j 1 light blue. The upper jaw is equipped wit" three immense tusks curving downward, giving a ferocious expression. The t° n K no is forked and is used for catching ants. Jho snout is prolonged to a. trunk, prehensile, similar to the arm of an octopus. It discovered clinging to the surface of a P'j 10 tree, about 50 feet from the ground. I stomach contained a live toad, two horiiei toads, several thousand ants, and a gai e snake. Naturalists (says an exchange) nr puzzled. So, we should imagine, was tn° man who sat down to write the above paragraph. What a doso he must havo h*<• Snakes, rats, and black dogs are the gouci visitants to people in his condition.

" Bohemian "in the Christchnrch Press writing on the appointment of Mr Bonnie, of the Auckland Grammar School, as head of the Christchnrch College says:—l take exception to the method pnrsucd by this Board in making appointments. They do not advertise in the ordinary way. But whenever they hear that a master is doing particularly good work in some other school in the colony they make up their minds to secure the prize for themselves, and imra :• diateiy send him a tempting offer of a slight advance on his present salary .>nd' liberal promises for the future. In this way they they have wheedled away from other schools some of their beat men. It was an "offer" of this kind which induced Mr Gif Ford 'o abandon a god position in the Oamaru High Schi>ot r where h■: was doing excellent work. Wellington Cot'cge and the Cathedral School here have suffered from similar tactica, and other school* would have suffered in th • name way but that the fish refused touibble. This plan adopted by this highly respectable Board is no dotiht an admirable one for securing good mastera for the school; but were it attempted in the commercial world —did bnsineaa men try to coux the best clerks and salesmen away from their rivals by these means, I venture to think it would not be tolerated for a moment, in spite of the uncomplimentary views entertained of " commercial morality " in certain quarters.