OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8862, 21 July 1890, Page 4

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

NEWS, GOSSIP, AND AD3.

Me James Neil will probably oppose Or Soloman in the election of a councillor for Bell Ward.

The plant of the South Pacific Petroleum Compf,n; haa been aold under a distress warrant for £84.

Pitio Hill and Flagstaff had a slight covering of snow on Saturday morning. The weather iv Cbristchurch has been of much the same character as in Uunedin, a strong gale being followed by a slight fall of snow.

The Hospital returnß for the past week are as follow:—Remaining from previous week, 92; admitted during the week, 14; discharged, 12; death (Walter Bacon), 1; total remaining, 93. Dr Gordon-Ainßworth, one of the most eminent physicians in the Australian colonies, and a contributor to medical periodicals, says that " some constitutions—about 50percent., I should think—need a little stimulant now and again. When persons who have been accustomed to take three or four' nips' of whisky por diem for the past 40 or 50 years find the experience to have been beneficial rather than pernicious to health, what are we doctors to Bay? It is the abuse of alcohol, not the use, that is to be guarded against. But a good deal depends on the brands oli spirits. Many whiskies are highly adulterated, or are too new and fiery. I am informed, on the authority of a colleague of mine, himself a connoisseur in these things, that; the purest brand of whisky to-day is ' Locbiel.' Several of my patients, moreover, speak highly of this brand." •

At the Port Chalmers Police Court, on Saturday, before Messrs W. Reid and J. Morgan, J.P.s, Michael Ryall, for being drunk and committing a breach of the peace, was fined 203 or in default fonr days' imprisonment.

At Wednesday's meeting of the City Council, Cr Cohen is to move—"That the time has arrived when this council should take steps for establishing a free public library in the city." Cr Swan will propose—"That a gas lamp be erected in Leitb aveune."

The Ssaview Hotel, Tologa.Bay, was burned down ou Saturday morning, the inmates escaping in their night-clothes. Insurances: On the building, £500 in the Norwich Union, part reinsured in the Liverpool and London and Globe; furniture, £200 in the New Zealand office.

The female attendants at Seacliff Asylum presented Mr John P. Clarkson, an attendant afc the institution, with a handsome marble clock on the eve of his marriage. The presentation was made on their behalf l,y Dr Eooks. It seems hardly crediblei but it is stated as a fact, that the Lyttelton.Dunediu, and Peninsula Naval Voluateer3 have never received a single drill in. submarine mining. And yet in the annual report submitted to Parliament the statement that none of the members of these corps were able to pass the examination is made to tell very heavily against their efficiency. , At the sitting of tbe Police Court on Saturday, before Mr G. L. Dtuniston, J.P., a batch of five first offender?, for being drunk were convicted and discharged. John Laurenscn, against whom there wa3 om previous conviction, for a similar offence, was fined 53, with the alternative of 48 hours' imprisonment. A young man named Edwiu Fowler Palmer was charged with attempting to commit suicide. After hearing evidence he was^discbarged by Messrs 6. L. Denniston and R. Wilson, J.P's., who occupied the bench.

The latest gastronomic delicacy that has besn iutroduccd into Dunedin is guava jelly. Thii is one of the most delicious entremets extant. In England and on the Continent it is found only in the houses of the wealthy, the priceof the loxury rendering it beyond the reach of ordinary folk. Here, however, this exquisite jelly may be had at a very reasonable figure from the Ceylon and Indian Tea Association, who have lately received a shipment of it from the West Indies. For invalids gnava jelly is held to be a most valuable article of food, and as a table luxury it is unequalled. • '

The usual fortnightly meeting as the University Debating Society was held on Friday evening, Dr Copland being in the chair. Miss Freeman gave a reading entitled " Memory " which was heartilly received. A debate was held on the subject " Should the Franchise bo Given to Women ? " Messrs C. M. Mouat and W. Stuart respectively led and seconded the affirmative side, and Messrs R. S. Collie and F. F. Haggit the negative side. Miss Freeman, Messrs T. X, Sidey, and J. S. Reid afterwards took part in the debite. A vote having been taken it was declared that the negative side had wod.

Mr J. Braithwaite write 3 :—" I take the earliest opportunity of stating that neither myself nor any of my employes are responsible for the wording of the advertisements in connection with my establishment which appeared in the " Omnium Gatherum," and that the kst two particularly were insert;d without my sanction and against my instructions. Hoping you will* make the 'amends 'lionordhh, —I am, yours truly, Joseph Beaithwaitb." We regret that through some inadvertence in the advertising department these announcements have been published without Mr Braithwaite'a authority.

Assuming the world's population to be 1,300,000,000, and the average weight to be 1251b, which would be a heavy average weight, and further assuming the average specific gravity to be approximately uuitv, then it would appear that the whole population of the world might bs placed upon one square mile, if stacked to a height of 93 26ffc, or to a height of 116 sft if an allowance of 25 per cent, be allowed as space not occupied in the packing. The whole mass of humanity would only cover 59.657 acres lft in depth, and thus the little county of Rutland, with its 95,360 acres, would only be covered 062 of a foot by it;. On the other hand, assuming that one individual stood on one square foot, then 29,843 feres would hold all, or less than one-third of the area of Ru'.landshire.

Hostess: " How arc you, my dear Mrs Jones ? So glad to see you. Why, you haven't been to sco us for &%?>. Bless" (Hug each other fondly.) Mrs B. (after qaito- netting back her breath): "I sra I'm just in time for your 5 o'clock institution No, thanks, dear; I'm afraid I mustn't indulge. Dr says my nerves are quite shattered, and he attributes it to the bad ten one gets in this wretched little Dunedin. Kxcuse me, dear, won't you?" Hostess (determined on having an opinion) : " But, my dear, just taste it to please me. It's quite a new brand." Mrs B. (after tasting): " Oh, how delicious. What an exquisite flavour. 'Tisn't China tea, though?" Hostess: "Yes and no. It is a bleud of the choicest.crops of India, China, and Ceylon. You see you get the strength of one with tbe flavour of the others. It is called ' Mandarin.' Your grocer will have it, ray dear." • By the 6teamer Dorunda thera arrived at Plymouth en May 18 (says a London exchange) six passengers and nine of the crew of the steamer Qiietta. They gave further thrilling details of tbe catastrophe. A saloon passenger who perished was on hi 3 way home to inherit a fortune of £55,000. He had for some months been working a3 a labourer at 20j a week. He was refused a passage, as the ship was full. _ He, however, induced the company to give him a b3rth on payment of £20. A Mr Worthall states that his wife jumped from the quarterdock into the dea and ho followed her with their child in his arms. Ho never saw bis wife again, and while in the water he was seized by a coloured man, and in the struggle his child was drowned. •

CADEtrnr's Cocoa.—" A Food alike suitable for building up the growing body and for repairing the waste which is incidental to all the processes of life."—Health. 1