OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9118, 18 May 1891, Page 4

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

NEWS, GOSSIP, AND ADS. 'com Westport last week 5225 tous of coal :e exported. Che coal products from Greymouth exported b week amounted to 2312 tons. Che Hod. W. S. Peter still lies in a dangerous idition, though some improvement has taken cc during the past few days. 1 fishing company is projected at Wsnganui, ;h a capital of £2500, in £1 shares. The comoy propose to employ a steamer and a smack ashing. Ihe prevalence of whooping cough is seriously ecting the attendance at some of the city and jurban schools, and will also have some effect the annual examinations now going on. Mr G. Evans, who is forming a syndicate to y preliminary expenses in connection with the provement in Riverton harbour, had £300 irth of shares taken up in a short time the tier evening. The hospital returns for the past week are:— imaining from previous week, 81; admitted ring the week, 16; discharged, 14; deaths [enry Vezey, Elizabeth Wilcox, and Arthur oydj,3;—total remaining in the institution, A carrier pigeon (says the Lyttelton Times) nt from Rangiora to this office, with the news tho races, in 1888, was baffled by stormy eather and did not then reach her destination, he little messenger entered tho Times' loft on riday, after an absence of over three years, ad made herself as much at home as if she had ever left her birthplace. News has been received from Randwick, r.8.W., of the sudden death of Mr George tephens, one of the oldest identities of Naseby, )t»go. While in a hotel he received a push rom someone unknown, which knocked him gainst a pair of folding doors which, not being astened, opened and allowed him to fall to the ;round, the back of his head reaching the ground irst. He was taken home and medical aid sent or, when it was discovered that he had susained concussion of the brain. The fall renlered him unconscious, and he remained so until ;he time of his death, a period of eight days. Surround the most commonplace matter with in air of mystery and observe how quickly it tttains to worldwide celebrity. There is now n our midst a product of the recent fierce strife letween the tea interests of China and Ceylon, !?o ,doubt the struggle for supremacy by the >ppoßing forces has resulted in a due measure of public support being awarded each interest nvolved. So intent, however, were the comaatants on the annihilation of their opponents, ;hat it is scarcely conceivable the opposing forces have at last been blended in one harmonious and peaceful combination. More surprising still, we understand that no strike has resulted amongst the teapots against the intrusion within their strictly virtuous confines 01 such hitherto quarrelsome elements. Talk about gunpowder tea! An explosion, serious commotion, or at the least a decided fizz in the teapot might have reasonably been ■ expected from such a combination; and it is indeed surprising to learn that, immersed in the family urn the Bungalow Blend produces a peculiarly soothiog and. exhilarating beverage. It is certainly a blend par excellency, and will be welcomed by those who have hitherto hesitated to take the seemingly perilous leap from China to Ceylon in one bound, as they will recognise in the Bungalow Blend a convenient halting place wherein they can recuperate for a while. It is supplied in two strengths—No, 1 at 3s, and No. 2 at 2s 4d per lb. • Although tho hills are enveloped in snow (writes the Hamiltons correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle) there is no water coming in, and with regard to the mining industry things are pretty dull. If water does not come pretty quickly a number of families here will be in very sad straits. If it were not for the liberality of the much-abused squatter, in allow* ing people to catch a few rabbits to help them along, I am certain many families in this district would find it a hard matter to eke out a bare livelihood; yet it is equally true these very people are the loudest in crying " Down with the squatter." We have here good opportunities of judging between the. large and the small runholder, and there can be not the slightest doubt that the former is the friend of the working man to a much greater degree than the latter. The small runholder is both arbitrary and avaricious, and would regard the killing of a rabbit on his land in the same light as the killing of one of his sheep. I know one of these men who refused permission to his neighbour's children to go through his land as a short cut to school, and the consequence is that this neighbour hu been compelled to obtain a tutor for his family. Yet this man was a great Liberal