Items.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XX, Issue 6361, 16 September 1895, Page 3

Items.

In the mining market dealings in South African and West Australian properties have been very numerous, and as there was no evidence whatever of a cessation of the demand, prices moved up in many instances. After placing L 75.000 to the reserve fund and L 30.000 to the depreciation fund, the board of Arthur Guinness, Son. and Co., Limited, recommended a balance dividend of 10 per cent, making a total distribution of 16 per cent for the year ended June, leaving the sum of L 25.193 to be carried forward. An exceedingly interesting letter written by Charles Dickens, and relating to the publication of "Pickwick Papers," and the death of Seymour, the artist, was sold at Messrs Hodgson's rooms in Chancery lane tha other day. Dickens wrote : *' Mr Seymour shot himself before the second number of * Pickwick Papers' (not the third as you would have it) was published. While he lay dead, it was necessary that search should be made in his workroom for the plates to the second number, the day for the publication of which was drawing near. The plates were found unfinished with their faces turned to the wall," etc. The letter sold for Ll2 10s. A Jew in London is said to be making a lot of money by lending out a LIOOO Bank of England note for swell weddings, to be exhibited as a gift of the brides father. A man is sent to watch the note, and makes himself useful at the presents table exhibiting the articles. "Your brother? I did not know that you had a brother ?" " Oh, yes ; or, what id the same thing, I have two halfbrothers." "The wayworn man had fallen in the ] street in a heavy swoon. The usual crowd gathered, and the usual man-who-knows-whatto-do shouted : 'Stand back and give him air.' The wayworn man got up. ' Air,' said he with fine scorn, ' air, when I ain't had nothin' but air for free days.'" Boy : Papa, who is that ragged man 1 Father: That, my son, is the great composer of grand operas. Boy: And who is that fine-looking gentleman, with gr.od clothes 1 "Father: That's the man who wrote the latest popular song "Never let your mother carry up the coal." The end of a novel (compressed by the editor owing to lack of space) :—" . . . Ottokar took his hat, his departure, besides no notice or his pursuers, meantime a revolver out of his pocket, and lastly his own life.". He : "A little knowledge, don't you know, is a dangerous thing." She: " Yes, I know. Have you had your life insured 1" "Cholly believes in himself thoroughly," said one girl. *• YeV replied the other, ** he is so credulous." The chief interest in the collection of surgical instruments lately found in an ancient Roman tomb lies in the light thrown by them upon Roman skill in surgery. It is clear from the number, variety, and delicacy of the knives, forceps, and specula used that the ancient Romans must have possessed a high degree of operative skill. A collection of ophthalmic instruments is particularly striking. They were originally described by a learned German as instruments used in sculpture, although the tomb in which they were found was known to be that of an opthalmic surgeon from the inscription. There is no doubt about their real character. The handles are made of bronze, and the blades are of iron, which has, however, in most cases rusted away. A beautiful little pocket medicine chest of bronze with four compartments is also exhibited, and glass ointment pots, as irridescent as motherof pearl, together with a number of miscellaneous "curiosities, including safety pins of precisely the modern patent shape, barbed fishhooks, charms, toys, a most ingenious baby's bottle, and a noble bronze horse-bit of Etruscan work. But perhaps the greatest curiosity is a lump of solidified Falernian or the dregs thereof found at the bottom of an amphora.